The New York Times has a good writeup on the hand-wringing going on in New York, where some are questioning the transition of the SUNY system’s four major research universities (Buffalo, Stony Brook, Albany, and Binghamton) to Division I athletics:
[W]ith the university system facing a proposed $90 million cut in state financing, some are questioning whether the emphasis on athletics is misguided. Assemblyman Peter M. Rivera, a Democrat from the Bronx, said state money should not be spent on building athletic powerhouses.
“That’s not the purpose of a SUNY school,” he said. “The purpose of a SUNY school is to provide the best education possible.”
These issues aren’t being raised just because of the economy. Recall that Binghamton’s D-I basketball program has been a source of some major scandal and embarrassment.
