Maturi wrote in an email to Gophers fans that the athletic department has operated with a “balanced” budget during his years as director and that revenues have grown 61 percent. The 2010-11 budget is $76.7 million.
Maturi wrote that from 2002-2003 through 2009-2010 funding for the football budget increased from $7.4 million to $17.5 million, while men’s basketball increased from $2.3 million to $5.7 million, and men’s hockey from $1.4 million to $2.3 million. Using 2009-2010 figures, the football budget ranked No. 7 in the Big Ten and No. 29 in the country, while basketball was No. 4 in the conference, and hockey’s budget was the third largest in the country.
The athletic department is financially self-supporting. Maturi said in his email that during the 2002-2003 school year, 14 percent of his budget was provided by University dollars from outside his department, while in 2009-2010 the percentage decreased to three percent.
Coach Tubby Smith’s Gophers basketball team used its superior size to beat Northwestern at home earlier this season, 81-70. Tonight the Gophers try to end a three-game losing streak when they play the Wildcats in Evanston. Minnesota is 1-7 since defeating Northwestern on January 26 in a game that forward Trevor Mbakwe had 18 points and 15 rebounds while center Colton Iverson scored 15 points, all in the second half.
Mbakwe said the Gophers “feel bad” about their stunning collapse but the team is a “family” and remains in pursuit of an NCAA tournament invitation. Minnesota, 17-11 overall, 6-10 in Big Ten games, is pursuing an improbable dream finish now, needing to win the last two regular season games, at Northwestern and home next Sunday against Penn State, and then producing at least three wins in the Big Ten tournament that starts next week.
The 6-10 Iverson, despite attempting close to the basket shots, is 5 of 23 shooting during his last seven games.
Marcus Fuller, the Pioneer Press Gophers beat writer, told Sports Headliners his first team all-Big Ten choices are: JaJuan Johnson and E’Twaun Moore from Purdue, Ohio State’s Jared Sullinger, Penn State’s Talor Battle and Wisconsin’s Jordan Taylor.
Fuller said he will vote for Brigham Young’s Jimmer Fredette as Associated Press Player of the Year in college basketball.
The Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament opens tomorrow in Indianapolis and Minnesota has never won the tourney. Since the tourney began in 1995 Purdue has won seven championships, the most of any school. Tourney tickets are modestly priced at $65 for all sessions and $12-$16 for single games. The Gophers play Northwestern tomorrow night at in a game to be televised by the Big Ten Network.