Wright State basketball | Photograph by Soham Parikh | The Wright State Guardian
The NCAA will furlough its entire Indianapolis staff of about 600 employees for at least three weeks in order to save money.
The furloughs could last for up to eight weeks but it will not affect any senior executives within the NCAA.
“These decisions are unfortunate but necessary as we continue to identify ways to cut costs across the national office,” said NCAA President Mark Emmert.
Along with the furloughs, Emmert and NCAA senior executives are taking a 20 percent salary reduction and vice presidents are taking a 10 percent salary reduction.
“We are committed to supporting our member schools and conferences and student-athletes in every way possible, and yet I expect that some of our services to membership may be limited or delayed during this period of furloughs,” said Emmert.
NCAA National Office
The NCAA’s National Office is in Indianapolis, making it the NCAA’s largest staff.
“We provide educational services to coaches and athletic administrators, manage financial systems for the membership and conduct research into the experiences of those involved in college sports,” according to the NCAA’s website.
They institute a very wide variety of rules and regulations for student-athletes to follow, along with organizing 89 different national championships annually.
“We also promote student-athlete well-being – both physical and mental – through our Sports Science Institute, drug testing and insurance programs,” according to the NCAA’s website.
The staff at the NCAA’s National Office works with Wright State University (WSU) often, but they can still communicate with the NCAA through different offices.
“I ask for your patience as well all strive to weather these difficult times together,” said Emmert.
Impact on WSU
WSU will still be able to work with the NCAA on a regular basis despite the furough.
“These don’t really have an impact on Wright State and our athletic department individually,” said Assistant Athletic Director for Communications Nick Phillips.
The fact that this won’t impact any student-athletes or staff at WSU is a positive sign for WSU athletics. The coronavirus has forced college athletics to reshape their budget and staff across the country, which is why WSU had to cut three sports programs in June.
