Code of Virginia — Title 23.1 (Institutions of Higher Education; Other Educational and Cultural Institutions), Chapter 13 (Governing Boards of Public Institutions of Higher Education)
§ 23.1-1309. Boards of visitors; baccalaureate public institutions of higher education; intercollegiate athletics programs.
A. As used in this section:

"Athletics revenue" means the total revenue received by an institution that is generated by any of the institution's intercollegiate athletics programs. "Athletics revenue" includes contributions; game guarantees; income received from endowments and investments; income received from the sale of food, game programs, novelties, and other concessions at an intercollegiate athletics contest; income received from intercollegiate athletics conferences for participation in bowl games, tournaments, and other intercollegiate athletics contests; income received from the provision of parking at intercollegiate athletics contests or other events associated with intercollegiate athletics; rights and licensing; school funds; student fees; support from third parties guaranteed by the institution, such as income received from athletics camps, income received from television, and housing allowances; and all other income from any other source generated by the institution's intercollegiate athletics programs.

"Contributions" means any income received directly from individuals, corporations, associations, foundations, clubs, or other donors for the operation of an institution's intercollegiate athletics programs. "Contributions" includes amounts paid in excess of the face value of an admissions ticket to an intercollegiate athletics contest or any other event associated with intercollegiate athletics; cash; marketable securities; income generated from preferential seating arrangements at intercollegiate athletics contests or other events associated with intercollegiate athletics; and in-kind contributions such as cars provided to an intercollegiate athletics program by car dealers at no cost and apparel and sports drink products provided to intercollegiate athletes and coaches at no cost.

"Generated revenue" means all athletics revenue with the exception of the subsidy.

"Institution" means a baccalaureate public institution of higher education.

"Intercollegiate athletics program" means any athletics program for a particular sport that is operated by an institution and governed by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

"Rights and licensing" includes income from radio and television broadcasts; Internet and e-commerce rights resulting from institution-negotiated contracts; revenue-sharing agreements with the NCAA or an intercollegiate athletics conference; licensing; the sale of advertisements, trademarks, or royalties; corporate sponsorships; and the value of in-kind contributions of products and services provided to an intercollegiate athletics program at no cost as part of such corporate sponsorship, such as equipment, apparel, isotonic sports drinks, other sports drink products, or water.

"School funds" means the direct and indirect financial support provided by the institution to any of its intercollegiate athletics programs. "School funds" includes state funds, tuition, tuition waivers, federal work awards for student athletes, administrative costs, facilities and grounds maintenance, security, risk management, utilities, and depreciation and debt services.

"Student fees" means any fees assessed by an institution against a student that are used to support any of the institution's intercollegiate athletics programs.

"Subsidy" means the sum of school funds and student fees.

"Subsidy percentage" means the subsidy divided by the athletics revenue, provided that revenues allocated to (i) support spirit groups associated with any intercollegiate athletics program, (ii) meet any indirect cost policy requirements, or (iii) debt service for previously approved intercollegiate athletics capital outlay projects may be excluded from the subsidy for the purposes of such calculation.

"Ticket sales" means the sale of the right to gain admission to an intercollegiate athletics contest or any other event associated with intercollegiate athletics. "Ticket sales" includes sums received from any associated shipping and handling charges and includes sales to the public, faculty, and students. "Ticket sales" does not include (i) amounts paid in excess of the face value of an admissions ticket to an intercollegiate athletics contest or any other event associated with intercollegiate athletics such as preferential seating arrangements or (ii) pass-through sales transactions such as sales for admission tickets to bowl games and conference and national tournaments.

B. The Auditor of Public Accounts, in collaboration with the Council, State Comptroller, Department of Planning and Budget, and each institution, shall develop and implement a standardized reporting format for each institution to annually report its intercollegiate athletics revenue and expenses to the Auditor of Public Accounts that shall include treatment of student fees and classification of specific intercollegiate athletics programs and shall require expenses for spirit groups, indirect cost policy requirements, and debt service for previously approved intercollegiate athletics capital outlay projects and other intercollegiate athletics capital outlay projects to be reported on separate lines.

C. The subsidy percentage shall not exceed:

1. 20 percent for NCAA Division I-A institutions affiliated with the Atlantic Coast Conference, Big Ten Conference, Big 12 Conference, Pac-12 Conference, or Southeastern Conference;

2. 55 percent for NCAA Division I-A institutions affiliated with conferences other than the Atlantic Coast Conference, Big Ten Conference, Big 12 Conference, Pac-12 Conference, or Southeastern Conference;

3. 70 percent for NCAA Division I-AA institutions;

4. 78 percent for NCAA Division I-AAA institutions;

5. 81 percent for NCAA Division II institutions that operate intercollegiate football programs;

6. 85 percent for NCAA Division II institutions that do not operate intercollegiate football programs;

7. 89 percent for NCAA Division III institutions that operate intercollegiate football programs; and

8. 92 percent for NCAA Division III institutions that do not operate intercollegiate football programs.

D. Each fiscal year, any percentage increase in the subsidy at an institution that complies with subsection C shall be matched by a like percentage increase in generated revenue, except that each such institution shall utilize a rolling average of the change in generated revenue and student fees over the immediately preceding five years for the purposes of such calculation.

E. When necessary, each institution shall submit to the Governor and the General Assembly for approval a plan that reduces the subsidy in accordance with targets outlined in the plan over a five-year period until the subsidy percentage complies with the requirements of subsection C.

F. The Auditor of Public Accounts shall annually review each institution's progress towards meeting the requirements of each plan approved pursuant to subsection E as part of his annual audit pursuant to § 30-133.

G. Failure to meet the progress requirements of each plan approved pursuant to subsection E for one year, as determined by the Auditor of Public Accounts, shall result in such reduction of the financial and administrative operations authority granted to the institution pursuant to the Restructured Higher Education Financial and Administrative Operations Act (§ 23.1-1000 et seq.) as the Governor or General Assembly determines.

H. Failure to meet the progress requirements of each plan approved pursuant to subsection E for two consecutive years, as determined by the Auditor of Public Accounts, shall result in revocation of all financial and administrative operations authority granted to the institution pursuant to the Restructured Higher Education Financial and Administrative Operations Act (§ 23.1-1000 et seq.).

I. The board of visitors of any institution that seeks to add a major intercollegiate athletics program such as football or basketball or change the division level of any of its existing intercollegiate athletics programs shall first submit to the Intercollegiate Athletics Review Commission (Commission) established pursuant to Chapter 57 (§ 30-359 et seq.) of Title 30 a plan and recommendations for financing the addition or change. The institution shall not in any way undertake any such addition or agree or commit to any such change until it has received the findings and recommendations of the Commission pursuant to § 30-360. Any such addition or change is subject to the approval of the General Assembly expressed in the general appropriation act. The board of visitors of any institution that adds a non-major intercollegiate athletics program shall report such decision within 15 days of the board's action.

2015, c. 704, § 23-1.2; 2016, c. 588.