Iowa athletics significantly slashes recruiting costs

The University of Iowa athletics department's recruiting costs dipped by more than $200,000 - including a 40 percent drop in football - during the 2009 fiscal year.

Iowa spent $773,296  in recruiting in 2009, according to figures supplied by the University of Iowa to Gazette Communications via the Freedom of Information Act. The football program spent $240,277, down from $336,000.

Each Iowa sport was required to cut 5 percent from its overall budget last year, Iowa Athletics Director Gary Barta said. But he said recruiting costs were not discussed as a possible cut.

"That surprises me but, no, that wasn't a directive," Barta said. "Sometimes recruiting goes like this if they have several student-athletes who were living closer."

"We don't want to waste money, but when it comes to recruiting, that's an area where obviously it's our life blood."

Iowa football signed 19 players in February 2009 and eight were from Iowa.

The drop in football recruiting bucks a five-year trend beginning in 2005. Iowa's football recruiting costs had soared by nearly $100,000  from 2005 through 2008.

Men's basketball's recruiting costs dipped by $7,000 to $117,320. That's within $200 of what the Iowa men's basketball spent on recruiting in fiscal year 2007.

Only five sports -- men's golf, women's golf, women's tennis, women's track and volleyball -- increased recruiting expenses, although all were modest. Women's basketball spent $81,998 for recruiting, while the wrestling program spent $23,726 for recruiting.

2009 FISCAL YEAR RECRUITING COSTS BY SPORT (TOP 10)

Football - $240,277;

Men's basketball - $117,320;

Women's basketball - $81,998;

Women's track and field/cross country - $42,506;

Volleyball - $37,060;

Women's soccer - $34,149;

Men's track and field/cross country - $28,382;

Field hockey - $27,410;

Baseball - $27,397;

Wrestling - $23,726