The University of Connecticut's president said that Gov. Ned Lamont's proposed budget falls short of adequately funding the university and, if faced with a large budget gap, all non-academic expenses are on the table.
That includes the tens of thousands of dollars it takes for the Huskies to play their basketball games in Hartford's XL Center.
"The appropriations proposed for UConn and UConn Health fall far short of what is necessary to adequately fund the university, carry out our critical public health mission most effectively, and fully cover the sizeable costs the state seeks to pass along to us," President Dr. Radenka Maric wrote in a letter to students Wednesday after the governor's budget address.
According to Maric, if enacted as proposed, the budget would leave the university with a shortfall of nearly $160 million next year that could result in a tuition increase of $3,000 per UConn Storrs student.
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A spokesperson for Lamont said the governor is proposing to increase state spending for UConn by $23.7 million compared to the last biennial budget. He is also proposing to invest a final allotment of federal COVID funding over two years for UConn.
“UConn’s leadership is aware that the funding they are talking about is one-time federal emergency that was never intended to last forever, and that the state could not match this federal emergency aid in perpetuity," the spokesperson wrote in an email to NBC Connecticut.
It will take months for the General Assembly and the governor to finalize a budget. UConn does not know what its final budget situation will be.
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In the meantime, Maric has made it clear that if they are faced with budget challenges, all non-academic expenses, including the cost associated with playing basketball games at the XL Center, are on the table.
"Her overarching message was that when faced with budget challenges, UConn seeks to protect academics above all else and could be forced to make painful cuts elsewhere to close any large budget gap," a university spokesperson wrote in an email to NBC Connecticut.
According to the university, one basketball game at the XL Center costs UConn $60,000 to 70,000. UConn spent approximately $4 million competing at the XL Center and Pratt & Whitney Stadium in 2021-22.
"UConn also does not receive concession proceeds and other forms of income available to most of its competitors," a spokesperson said. "The university would generate millions in estimated additional revenue if UConn basketball, hockey, and football competed under the structure more typical of its competitor institutions."
Hartford businesses near the XL Center said UConn games bring much-needed attention and traffic to downtown Hartford.
"Just everything business-wise downtown. The impact is huge," said Bill Carbone, owner of Sorella Restaurant.
The owners of Bloom Bake Shop opened in August and have already seen the impact UConn fans have on business.
"UConn is a big part of that, so it is something we would want to see continue," said co-owner Alex Pilon.
The XL Center is owned by the city of Hartford and operated by the Capital Region Development Authority, or CRDA.
Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin said that he believes having the Huskies play in Hartford isn't just good for the city and the state, but for UConn, too.
"And I think it would be an awfully shortsighted thing to do anything to the tradition of having our great UConn teams play in the capital city," Bronin said.
In response to the governor's proposed budget, UConn students are hosting a walkout on Feb. 15. The students are planning to travel to the State Capitol.
