Each week it seems, college and university athletics programs big and small continue to feel the financial ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Monday, it was Pac-12 staple University of Arizona. In a statement from the university's athletics department, the school announced it had formalized a plan to eliminate 21 full-time positions and also will not fill at this time 15 additional positions
“Today marks a difficult day of very tough decisions for our athletics department. I have a great sense of empathy and compassion for the members of our Wildcat Family who are impacted by these decisions. These challenging economic times have affected all of us. We’ve spent months exhaustively looking at all of our financial models and forecasts. We waited until all the information was available to make informed financial decisions about our economic stability this year and in the future,” University of Arizona Vice President and Director of Athletics Dave Heeke said in the school's statement.
Per the university's release, UA will recognize $3.6 million in the fiscal year with these budget slashes. Overall, the school said its measures – the eliminated positions, the decision not to fill the frozen vacancies and other budgetary restrictions – would result in more than $20 million in net savings.
The Wildcats' football team, like the rest of the Pac-12, opens its abbreviated 2020 season Saturday at Utah. Arizona then hosts rival USC the ensuing week in its home opener.