Oklahoma City University

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I know you guys have some interest in this story (past posts):

http://newsok.com/article/3070478?pg=1

Money biggest obstacle to OCU returning to NCAA Division I

By Matt Patterson

Staff Writer

Even in the doldrums of summer, Oklahoma City University athletic director Jim Abbott manages to keep his days full.

There are schedules to finalize and meetings with boosters. He needs to approve national championship T-shirts, signifying OCU winning four NAIA titles from March to May.

Summers of the future might be even busier. OCU is exploring the idea of returning to NCAA status after a 22-year absence. The university commissioned a study last year, focusing on what would be required to make such a move.

The biggest obstacle is money. OCU's annual athletic budget is just over $4 million. The university study showed the school's budget would need to balloon to $9 million to compete with non-football-playing NCAA schools. It's a cavernous gap to bridge.

"We can play Southern Nazarene in soccer right now, and we hop on a bus or in a couple of vans and we probably stop at McDonald's on the way home, and we've invested $150 on the trip,? Abbott said. "The difference in my opinion is you're not driving to Bethany and stopping at McDonald's. You're flying to Omaha and spending the night. The expenses are incrementally higher.?

The ways to find that revenue stream haven't been completely explored.  .  .  .  (read more)