July 10, 2025
MINNEAPOLIS — The University of Minnesota's athletics budget faces an $8.75 million deficit in the upcoming fiscal year, due largely to a new revenue-sharing model that allows schools to pay athletes directly for the first time in history.
The projected deficit was revealed in a Board of Regents meeting this week by Athletic Director Mark Coyle, who said his department will work diligently to close the gap.
"We fully expect to continue to work with our campus partners to navigate our way through these changing landscapes," Coyle said. "We feel comfortable that we will be able to navigate."
Since the start of July, universities across the country have been allowed to share revenue with players after the NCAA settled antitrust litigation last month. Known as the "House settlement," the case authorizes schools to spend up to $20.5 million of their own money this year on direct payments to athletes.