The coronavirus pandemic has affected every industry, and the Southern Miss athletic department is no exception.
Southern Miss has already lost nearly $1.5 million in revenue this quarter, athletic director Jeremy McClain said. Most of the funds came from NCAA distribution, which took a hit from the men's basketball national tournament being canceled.
The NCAA originally budgeted to distribute $600 million to Division I members to specifically focus on supporting college athletes. Most of those funds came from television and marketing rights of the basketball tournament. In March, NCAA presidents agreed to distribute $225 million to programs instead, approximately $375 million less than originally budgeted.