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University of Iowa projects 'tens of millions' in athletics losses due to the pandemic

Athletic directors at the University of Iowa, Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa presented their fiscal year 2021 budgets to the Iowa Board of Regents for approval on Wednesday — and projected grim losses in revenue and severely tightened budgets as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

"At Iowa, we were riding a great wave of momentum competitively and financially. We have been self-sustaining since 2007, and we were giving money back to the university," said Gary Barta, director of athletics at the University of Iowa, on Wednesday.

"On March 12, that all changed," Barta said, referencing the day when the Big Ten announced that all competitions until the end of the academic year would be cancelled, continuing a domino effect caused by the pandemic that put an indefinite hold on college athletics.