When the university decided in late December to require some of its highest-paid employees take week-long furloughs, athletic director Jamie Pollard decided to be proactive.

Instead of waiting to find out how the athletic department would be required to help, Pollard talked to President Gregory Geoffroy and then approached the three other highest-paid members in the athletic department — newly hired football coach Paul Rhoads, men’s basketball coach Greg McDermott and women’s basketball coach Bill Fennelly.

Together, by foregoing one week of pay, the four will save the university about $50,000. It’s part of a university-wide movement to save an estimated $180,000. The state is withdrawing $7 million from the university with cuts that were announced in November and December.

“We knew what was happening to the campus and what was going to be required of each department in terms of a dollar that they were going to have to figure out how to help,” Pollard said. “So rather than have the sense that all of our staff would have to do something from a compensation standpoint, the four of us … just decided that we could do it and it would alleviate the burden for the rest of our staff, and that’s what we decided to do.”

Pollard said the coaches reacted “very positively” to the suggestion.

As Fennelly was getting ready to leave his office and watch the Iowa State vs. Mercer men’s basketball game on Dec. 31, Pollard called him and asked him about the idea. His answer — “Absolutely yes.”

“It was a no-brainer for me. In a small way I hope it helps, so it was just a way for me and the other coaches I think to say ‘Hey, we’re part of the team, we want to help in any way we can,’” Fennelly said.

McDermott emphasized that it was a way for the athletic department to help out with the campus-wide issue.

“It’s easy to be in a leadership position when things are going well, but part of being in the position that we’re in is that in tough times we have to be willing to step up and try to do our part and solve the problem,” McDermott said. “I think this is just a small way that we can help.”

The furlough presents a unique situation to members of the athletic department. With basketball season in full swing and recruiting season approaching for football, the coaches have no time to actually take a week off. Rather, they will work a week for free.

“I can’t speak for other people on campus, I know how it is in our world,” Pollard said. “They essentially will work for free for a week. That may not be how it physically gets done through the university’s system, but that’s in essence how it will happen.”

Fennelly downplayed the situation.

“I don’t want anyone to think it’s a big deal. It’s not,” Fennelly said. “It’s just a way for us to do our part.”

Economy effect unknown

With the recent economic downturn, Pollard said it remained to be seen just how much college athletics in general would be impacted.

One of the big money-makers for the department is football ticket sales. To make things easier for fans, Pollard said, ticket prices were not raised from last season, and the department also backed up the deadline for when season-ticket renewals would be due until May 1.

A regular season ticket price is $350, with ISU faculty and staff members paying $300. ISU student tickets are $125.

“It is kind of a wait and see approach,” Pollard said. “We’re trying to do some things to be more cautious until we can see how that goes.”

Pollard also said the economic situation has caused the department to be “more conservative” with some of the financial decisions it makes. Renovations to Jack Trice Stadium will not be affected, and the $8 million basketball practice facility is still tentatively scheduled to be completed by September.

Student spirit

Cy may have won the 2008 Capital One National Mascot of the Year, but it was really the Cyclone fans that got it done — with the help of technology.

“It’s awesome. It’s also another display of the institution that invented the computer has figured out how to do the online polls better than anybody,” Pollard said.

Iowa State received a $10,000 scholarship fund check from the Capital One Bowl for its mascot program for winning the competition. It’s the second year in a row Iowa State has won a mascot contest.

“It’s a great thing for Cy, but the reality of it is the reason we won is because of what our fans and mostly probably what our students did to vote, and that to me is even more exciting than that our mascot won,” Pollard said.

What does that say about Cyclone fans?

“I think it says a lot about their passion, and it clearly says something about how much we’re on the Internet,” Pollard said.