Boise State Athletic Department Faces Furlougs and Reduced Salaries

Whether or not there is still hope for Boise State Football this fall remains the question in a lot of people's minds. Fans caught a glimpse of encouragement after The Big 10 Conference announced that its teams will play on this fall. Until that day comes for The Mountain West Conference though, Boise State's athletic department has made the inevitable decision to implement major cost-saving moves. The university says these measures will save BSU athletics about $1.8 million.

Furloughs and pay cuts will be impacting every athletics staff member making more than $40,000 a year. The deductions will range in percentages based on salary. Higher salaries that are more than $150,000 annually will face up to anywhere from an 8% to a 15% salary reduction. Furloughs will vary as well anywhere from four to 12 weeks.

BSU's athletic budget has become an issue after the postponement of the 2020 fall sports season. It's not just athletics though. Boise State President, Marlene Tromp told the university's community earlier this week to expect job and operations cuts because of the impact of COVID-19. Thankfully at this point, the university has not had to eliminate any positions, according to a university spokesperson.

“As we’ve seen throughout the country, these are decisions that most, if not all, athletic departments are facing as a result of this pandemic,” Director of Athletics Curt Apsey told KTVB. “Our staff is what makes Boise State so incredibly special and I feel for everyone who has to make these sacrifices. But in order to sustain a championship-caliber program going forward, these reductions are necessary.”