The Iowa State athletic department would have approximately $40 million in unfunded expenses that “would require us to explore options that may include operational reductions or eliminations, layoffs and even elimination of sports programs,” if sports are not played this fall, athletic director Jamie Pollard wrote in a letter to fans Monday.

“We must also be cognizant of the absolute need to generate revenues to sustain our long-term operations,” Pollard wrote. “The Iowa State athletics budget does not include any state or university funding and relies mainly on television revenues, private donations and ticket sales. 

“If those revenues decrease dramatically or are eliminated, we will have unfunded financial obligations.”

The fate of fall sports — and specifically the main revenue-driver, football — has come into question amid the COVID-19 pandemic that canceled the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments in March along with all spring NCAA sports.

The Ivy League has already canceled its fall sports with the Patriot League joining suit Monday. The Big Ten and Pac-12 announced last week they would only participate in conference games across all sports, which resulted in the cancellation of the annual CyHawk football game between Iowa and Iowa State.

“Some people have incorrectly framed the issue as safety versus revenue generation,” Pollard wrote. “The simple fact is that reality lies somewhere in the middle.

“We understand there are serious health considerations that are implicated by moving forward with sports. However, we are confident that our department can provide a safer environment for the athletes in Ames, where they are motivated by their teammates and competition to modify their social behavior.”

Pollard wrote that the Cyclone football program has registered three positive coronavirus tests among its 160 players and staff since workouts resumed in June.

“Our football team and medical staff have proven how we can successfully combat the COVID-19 virus if we collectively commit to the necessary precautions,” Pollard wrote. “In order to continue to support our student-athletes in the required manner and keep them safe, we must generate funds to pay for the personnel and costs associated with these services. 

“If there is no football this fall, the traditional financial support for those services would not be available.”

Athletic departments across the country have already begun taking drastic measures due to the financial strain caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Stanford announced last week it is cutting 11 sports from the athletic department while salary reductions have become common practice across the country. Iowa State announced earlier this spring most of its employees would take temporary 10 percent pay cuts for the year. 

Iowa State previously announced it hoped to have Jack Trice Stadium at 50% capacity this football season, allowing for approximately 30,000 people in the stands.

“We also feel confident that our mitigation efforts can reduce the risk for fans at Jack Trice Stadium,” Pollard said. “We will be transparent about these efforts so fans can evaluate and choose for themselves whether they are comfortable attending games or not.”

When speaking to reporters this spring, Pollard called the prospect of a lost football season a potential “ice age” for college athletics due to the financial impact.

“We understand that the COVID-19 pandemic presents a constantly changing decision-making environment and changing health and safety conditions may not allow sports to proceed,” Pollard said. “This is why it is so important to discuss and develop contingency plans should the pandemic worsen.  

“Our efforts are laser-focused on developing a plan for the fall sports season that is safe for our teams and fans and can generate enough financial support to sustain our athletics program.”