A proposed “Athletics Excellence Fee,” meant to answer athletic funding for a newly restructured Pac-12, seeks to add a new fee to students’ base tuition per term.

On Jan. 22, this proposed fee was discussed by the University Budget Committee, with the fee drawing outrage from the student government and the student body.

A Student Fee Committee statement from a Jan. 13 meeting proposing the SFC’s budget for the 2027 fiscal year, said the Athletics Excellence Fee “violated the mutual trust” between the Associated Students of Oregon State University and athletics in their Memorandum of Understanding, signed in 2024.

The proposal for the fee was submitted to the UBC last November by Senior Associate Athletic Director Jacque Bruns.

In order to get the money to compete with the programs of other schools, the department proposed an additional $25 fee added to OSU’s base tuition. The fee would be implemented in the 2027 fiscal year.

According to the proposal’s document, the Pac-12 transitioning from a Power Five conference to a Group of Five conference will change the athletics funding model “significantly.”

With the Pac-12 removed, the Power Four conferences include the Big Ten, Big 12, Atlantic Coast Conference and Southeastern Conference.

These conferences are bringing in significant money to distribute among their schools, with the highest being the Big Ten securing $1 billion per year in their 2022 agreement with Fox, CBS and NBC.

The Pac-12 media deal is not public, but Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Scott Barnes mentioned on the Dam Podcast in October 2025 that it will be “drastically reduced” from the $43 million deal.

The proposal added that this funding for the athletics program would benefit every student-athlete.

“The incremental cost increase will support the overall strength and sustainability of OSU athletics by helping maintain and enhance essential programs, facilities, and operational infrastructure.,” Bruns wrote in her proposal. “It will also contribute to the continued well-being of student-athletes through improved resources and services that promote their health, development, and competitive success.”

Free student tickets have been allocated for Oregon State Athletics events since the 2001 football season.

“I think a lot of students … feel like (additional athletics funds) comes at the cost of education and at the cost of other things,” said ASOSU President Masha Mogylevsky during the meeting. “Students have a lot of emotions surrounding this conversation.”

The SFC released a unanimous statement to the ASOSU Senate, UBC and Intercollegiate Athletics, taking a firm stand against the implementation of the fee, saying it is “not a good faith action.”

According to the Student Athletic Memorandum of Understanding, free student tickets are currently provided by ASOSU who purchase a set amount from athletics for a discounted price.

However, with the proposed additional $25 fee, estimated to generate $1.8 million in revenue for athletics, the total amount paid from this and by ASOSU through student fees would be equivalent to buying the tickets at full price, according to SFC Chair Saegis Abbott.

Including Mogylevsky and Abbott, eight committee members oppose the fee, five believe it should be scaled back and two agree with it as proposed.

In their meeting, the UBC discussed several scenarios to present to the Board of Trustees in March. They analyzed a survey that was completed by the committee members, pinpointing concerns with the Athletics Excellence Fee.

“You see this all the time, massive increases in applications as athletic programs do well,” said UBC Board Member Thomas DeLuca. “Now they’re not applying just because the team did well, but they’re doing it because they had an interest.”

Others agreed that the university could benefit from increased exposure from the success of Oregon State athletics programs, but believe the fee could be scaled back to decrease the cost for students.

No conclusion was drawn from the Jan. 22 meeting, though there were several recommendations discussed that did not include the Athletics Excellence Fee.

More information will be available following the March 12-13 Board of Trustees meeting.