Athletic Director Tom Burman has announced that he will be taking a 10% pay cut until December 31, 2020, in response to the novel coronavirus. He hopes this pay cut will lessen the economic impact of the worsening pandemic on the students of the University of Wyoming.
“In light of the economic challenges, we are all facing – especially in Wy. I have decided to reduce my salary by 10% through 12/31. Hoping to limit the impact on all students. We also plan to increase giving to Cowboy Joe Club – the best way to support Wyoming Athletics #OneWyoming,” stated Burman in a twitter post made on April 1.
“As a leader, I can’t ask anybody to do things that I wouldn’t be willing to do, and I hope I don’t have to ask the staff to do that at some point, but we are in a very difficult time now with the cancellation of [the] men’s basketball tournament, and the COVID economic crash that is going down around us has implications on all of our revenue streams and athletics… We generate about 23 million dollars a year in things like ticket sales, corporate sponsorships, donations, special events, etc., and I am concerned that those revenue streams might decline slightly, even if we do have a fall football season… We are working through a challenging time, and [are] going to have to be more entrepreneurial than many entities,” stated Burman.
The Cowboy Joe Club is a Wyoming Athletics Club that aids in scholarships and athletics. “The Cowboy Joe Club, through a financial investment of alumni, fans, and friends, is committed to providing the University of Wyoming student-athlete with the opportunity to succeed in the classroom, in competition, and in life,” reads the CJC (Cowboy Joe Club) mission statement.
Burman’s goal in lieu of his pay cut is to make opportunities to aid more accessible to the students of the University of Wyoming. By reducing his pay 10% until December 31, 2020, he will be contributing to the sum of money that can be used to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic in an effective manner as well as provide more aid for students in need. The pay cut will cost Burman roughly $15,000, but save the University of Wyoming about $30,000.
