Gophers fans criticize $200 student fee to support athletics budget

Students and fans question why a top-revenue athletic program is passing costs onto the student body.

Jan 16, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers players and fans celebrate the teams win after the game against the Michigan Wolverines at Williams Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

The Minnesota Star Tribune published a story on Friday highlighting the University of Minnesota's decision to charge students a $200 fee ($100 per semester) to help cover the athletics budget, specifically as it pertains to directly paying student-athletes. The move has prompted sharp criticism from fans and students.

The Strib's post of the story on X received 36 comments and three quote tweets, with only three retweets and six likes. In the business, we call that getting "ratio'd," which is a clear signal that people aren't happy with the topic at hand.

Star Tribune X comments | Picture via: @StarTribune (X)

Related: Study: Gophers valued among top 30 programs in college football

Earlier this month, it was reported that the University of Minnesota's athletics budget faces an $8.75 million deficit. That shortfall is reportedly driven largely by the new House vs. NCAA settlement, which requires schools to begin sharing revenue directly with student-athletes. This student fee will help cover part of the estimated $20.5 million expected to go to athletes this year.

The story also points out that Minnesota's $100 per semester fee isn't the only extra charge among Big Ten institutions. Other schools like Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Northwestern, Rutgers, and UCLA reportedly all do something similar in hopes of combating the extra athletic department costs, a U spokesperson said in the story.

Recent reports from The Athletic and Sportico have noted that Minnesota's football program is among the top 25 in the country in terms of revenue generated, and its men's hockey program trails only Arkansas baseball in ticket sales for non-football and non-men's basketball programs nationwide.

The University of Minnesota had the seventh-largest enrollment among public universities in 2023-24, and many of its athletic programs appear to be in a healthy place. So why the financial strain?

Between conference realignment, NIL, and now revenue sharing, college sports is almost unrecognizable from just a decade ago. Athletic departments are doing everything they can to remain competitive, and only time will tell if the $200 fee proves worthwhile for Minnesota.