The NIU athletic director defended the $2.4 million of tuition money that goes to sports programs.

Athletic Director Gerald O’Dell insisted that athletics are an important part of the university, and said nothing is wrong with using tuition money to pay for it.

A story by the Northern Star Wednesday showed that 6 percent of tuition goes toward athletics.

Last year, a full-time student paid $110 of tuition money for athletics on top of a $99 athletic fee for a total student body contribution of $4.3 million overall.

Of 39 Division I-A schools which gave the proper information to a USA Today survey, NIU students paid the highest total athletic bill.

However, the 67 other Division I-A schools did not give all the necessary information for the survey, and the numbers were from 1989.

O’Dell pointed to the lack of participation in the survey, saying schools like Western Michigan got $4.2 million in “subsidies,” but did not list its student athletic fee.

Western Michigan subsidies were only $100,000 under NIU’s combined total of subsidies (tuition) and athletic fees.

“I think your information is incomplete as far as what you presented,” O’Dell said.

“We are an integral part of this institution,” O’Dell said. “We are not an auxiliary enterprise.”

He mentioned schools with self-supporting programs have more pressure to win in order to keep ticket sales and TV revenue coming. He said the pressure leads colleges to abuse their athletic programs and athletes.

“We can eliminate the abuse if we take the pressure off the athletic program,” O’Dell said.

However, many faculty members were surprised and dismayed that tuition money goes toward athletics.

Gary Glenn, associate professor of political science, said even while he was on the athletic board two years ago he did not know so much tuition was used for athletics.

“In a time when essential academic needs are going unmet, it is to me indefensible to spend $2.4 million on intercollegiate athletics when that money could be available to meet those (academic) needs,” Glenn said.

This year, budget restraints have resulted in less classes, less faculty raises and more trouble for students trying to complete their majors.

James Norris, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, said he “sympathizes” with NIU wanting a good sports program, but he was surprised at the costs.

“I’m stunned that that much tuition money goes into athletics,” Norris said. “I had no idea it was that much.”