Obviously I stated my point unclearly in my original Moooo entry, so I’ll try to clarify and simplify.

I find it illogical that, at a time the athletics department has a critical unfunded need like the Joyce Center renovations (that will help multiple sports), over 90 percent of a windfall like the Fiesta Bowl payoff was redirected to the academic side of the equation.

I find it illogical that the athletic department has to turn over such a large percentage of its significant surplus to Notre Dame while having to go hat-in-hand to University donors to get funding for projects like the Joyce Center.

I did not say the athletic department should keep all of its money. I did not say support of ND academics by athletics is a bad thing — in fact, I said the complete opposite of that. I simply don’t see why the athletic department is not allowed to take care of its own overdue needs before turning over funds to Notre Dame for “graduate stipends” and the like. It does not seem like an efficient way to budget.

And yes, the Joyce Center is the second-most-used building on campus. Dorms are used mostly by the couple hundred students who live in them. Classroom buildings are used mostly by the students who have classes there. The Joyce Center is used for men’s and women’s basketball games (players, students and fans), men’s and women’s volleyball games (players, students and fans), men’s and women’s aquatic sports (players, students and fans) and dorm sports. The bulk of the athletic department is housed there, and a lot of coaching offices are located there. The pool is used by the community year-round. And I believe a couple PE rotations have their classes there. It also hosts the major convocational events (frosh orientation, JPW, and graduation, including Mass for each). All of which makes it the second-most-used building on campus after the Admin Building.