Donna Shalala on sports

In his report on a proposal to solicit the state Legislature to help fund the UW athletic department's non-income sports, Fred Milverstedt notes that UW-Madison Chancellor Donna Shalala is skeptical of pursuing this route, saying other strategies such as more attractive ticket packages and improved marketing techniques must first be explored as means of reversing the athletic department's projected $2 million deficit for 1987-88 and 1988-89. Maintaining credibility, Shalala adds, is almost as important as identifying revenue sources. General-purpose revenue allocations are another possibility. Shalala goes on to hire Pat Richter as athletic director in 1989; during his 14-year tenure, he erases the budget deficit, builds an operating reserve and oversees a Badger sports renaissance that includes eight bowl games, repeated NCAA basketball tournament appearances, 49 Big Ten team titles and three national championships. Shalala later serves as secretary of Health and Human Services in the Clinton administration, has been president at the University of Miami since 2001 and this year was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.