Age-old question returns: Should college athletics help pay for other university expenses? - Jeff Charis-Carlson, DesMoines Register

With another possible round of state budget cuts on the horizon, some state lawmakers are again questioning whether the big money raised by Division I athletic programs should help offset the millions in cuts that the universities already have seen this year. Rep. Tony Bisignano, D-Des Moines, said he got to thinking about whether Hawkeyes should start sharing the wealth after athletic director Gary Barta rattled off examples of the University of Iowa's annual athletic fundraising power and conference revenue. Barta recently pointed out that the UI Department of Athletics brought in about $48 million in donor pledges over the past year. And the Hawkeyes also stand to get another $50 million annually in TV and conference payouts through a new contract for members of the Big Ten Conference. http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/2017/07/21/iowa-budget-cuts-hawkeyes-cyclones-iowa-state/477119001/