Inside Iowa legislator’s eye-catching plan to revive Iowa State, UNI baseball programs

State Rep. Skyler Wheeler, R-Hull, made waves with introduction of House File 153, which would require Iowa State and Northern Iowa to reestablish their defunct baseball programs for participation at the NCAA Division I level.

In an email exchange with the Quad-City Times, Wheeler, a former college baseball player and head coach at Unity Christian High School in Orange City, explained the motivation behind his proposal.

“I believe there is real value in our state having more than just one Division I baseball program,” Wheeler said. “Baseball can bring a significant number of student-athletes to a college, most of which will have to pay room and board, tuition, etc. at the institutions as there are only so many scholarships available.”

Both universities cut their baseball programs in the 2000s, citing budget cuts as the core issue in the ending of the 100-year-old programs. The financial situation of both athletic departments dominated early discussion of Wheeler’s proposal as the economic landscape of college sports remains ever-changing.

Officials at both universities declined to comment on the pending legislation.

The proposal

The Cyclones played their final season in 2001 after 110 seasons and three postseason berths including a trip to the 1970 College World Series. Former Iowa State Athletics Director Bruce Van de Velde cited a $1.4 million budget shortfall in fiscal year 2001 in his decision to end the baseball and men’s swimming teams in April 2001.

The Panthers played their final season in 2009 after 103 seasons including a postseason run in 2001. UNI’s final head coach, Rick Heller, now serves as the head baseball coach at Iowa. Former UNI Athletics Director Troy Dannen also cited a university-wide budgetary squeeze as the Great Recession rocked the country.

Wheeler, who played college baseball at Northwestern College in Orange City, also said he sees bringing the two programs back as a recruitment tool for the state.

“My personal story is proof that college baseball can be a recruiting tool for the state,” Wheeler said. “I came from a different state to finish my degree and to play baseball. There are several others I know of who came to one of the colleges here to play and stayed.”

Originally from Washington, Wheeler initially attended Grays Harbor College in his home state before concluding his collegiate career as a Raider.

“This would give Iowa high school and community college baseball players two more Division I opportunities in the state,” Wheeler said. “Right now, if you are of that level of talent, and Iowa doesn’t offer you, you have to leave our state to go play. With over 300 high school programs and several community college programs, you can guarantee we lose Iowa kids to other states who may not come back to our state to live, work and raise a family.

“There is a lot of baseball talent in Iowa, and we want to keep those top-tier athletes in our state.”

Starting in the 2025-26 season, the NCAA will impose a roster limit of 34 players on college baseball programs.

Universities’ response

In an email exchange with a UNI spokesperson, the university declined to comment as it “does not comment on bills introduced or pending legislation until they are passed and signed.”

Iowa State’s athletic department said it is aware of Wheeler’s proposition, but declined to comment.

Financial obstacles

Critics of Wheeler’s proposal point out the financial strain adding baseball programs would put on both Iowa State and UNI. Both institutions find themselves navigating the new frontier of student-athlete compensation as a Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) arms race continues to grow the divide between the haves and the have-nots while a recent antitrust settlement opened the door for revenue sharing between athletic departments and student-athletes. 

Both athletic departments also find themselves in the middle of various facilities projects and fundraising campaigns. Iowa State continues work on its CYTown project, which intends to create a year-round destination between Jack Trice Stadium and Hilton Coliseum. In Cedar Falls, UNI plans to move into the second phase of its UNI-Dome renovations in April while fundraising efforts for two new practice facilities for wrestling and men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball continue.

Wheeler said he sees numerous ways to see his plan come to fruition despite financial concerns at both institutions.

“The No. 1 argument the baseball community makes is that you’ll have a high number of athletes who enroll at the university to try out for the team,” Wheeler said.

“For reference, when I was at Northwestern College, an NAIA program, we had 64 kids out my senior year, and obviously we only carried about 30 to the actual varsity season,” he said. “But those other 34 were paying tuition, room and board, etc., which was a win for the school. Revenue options also include ticketing, TV, merchandise, etc.”

College baseball programs currently receive a total of 11.7 scholarships for disbursement as each program sees fit.

Wheeler also noted the role of location in a baseball program’s success.

“The financial question around baseball really depends on which conference you are in and what region of the country,” Wheeler said. “The south tends to do well with their programs financially, as schools like LSU and Miami clearly make high amounts of money. It’s definitely harder in the north as the weather can make it tough to draw big crowds regularly.

“However, college baseball is popping up more and more on TV and seems to be growing in popularity and engagement with more exposure.”

According to a 2022 analysis from Athletic Director U, the Big 12 ranked second in average annual baseball operating expenses at $964,986 in average spending. The Missouri Valley Conference ranked 16th with $241,850 in average spending. 

The Southeastern Conference led the nation with $1,225,221 in average spending including seven of the top 10 highest individual spenders.

The analysis also revealed baseball, on average, accounted for 5.5% of university operating expenses among Power 5 programs, 5.9% at Group of Five programs and 6.5% at FCS programs based on a five-year sample.

In fiscal year 2024, Iowa State athletics reported total operating revenue as $122,118,464 and total operating expenses of $122,046,246 to the NCAA — a surplus of $72,218.

In its Equity in Athletics Data Analysis (EADA) report for fiscal year 2023, UNI reported a grand total revenue of $18,823,378 with grand total expenses of $17,334,994 — a surplus of $1,488,384

Wheeler did not indicate if his proposal would include specifically earmarked state assistance to support the programs’ reinstatement.

NIL and revenue sharing

The onset of the NIL era in college athletics led to shifting dynamics in college baseball since its introduction.

The SEC dominated its peers in average estimated annual NIL spending, according to an Associated Press analysis. On average, SEC baseball teams spent between $820,000 to $920,000 according to data sourced through Opendorse. The Atlantic Coast Conference ranked second in the nation, but spent half that of its SEC counterparts.

The top 25 NIL earners in college baseball made an average of $45,000 per year.

Wheeler does not foresee NIL playing a significant factor in either program’s potential outlook upon return.

“Baseball also makes up a small percent of NIL, as most of the players are more focused on development for making the big money in the MLB as opposed to needing to make it in college like what we are seeing with football for example,” Wheeler said.

In addition to NIL, under term of $2.8 billion settlement in the House v. NCAA antitrust lawsuit, schools will be allowed to share athletic revenues, up to $20.5 million per year, with varsity athletes beginning in the 2025-26 academic year.

While an institution may elect not to share revenue with its athletes or share disproportionately to the revenue of each sport, the NCAA cautions “doing so would likely put that school at a competitive disadvantage in athletic recruiting.”

Additionally, due to disparities between the revenues of football and men’s basketball programs, which the NCAA said “account for close to 95% of all specific team allocated revenues at Power Conference schools, and athletes in these two sports will be the major beneficiaries of revenue sharing,” it proposed a significant increase in scholarship allotments.

This proposal would increase scholarships from 11.7 to 34 for fully funded baseball programs.

Title IX implications

If the addition of baseball caused either university to violate the balance of equal opportunities and proportional student aid for men’s and women’s student-athletes required under Title IX, Wheeler said institutions could add another women’s program. He suggested the addition of women’s lacrosse or field hockey “based on the number of athletes that would include” alongside baseball’s return.

“I would also add that with the growth and excitement around girls wrestling at the high school level in Iowa, you could argue that would make sense for the two universities to add that as well,” Wheeler said. “However, I did not want to be overly prescriptive in legislation, as the universities should be able to weigh in if this conversation moves forward.”

Currently, Iowa State fields 18 varsity athletic programs (seven men’s and 11 women’s) while UNI fields 17 varsity athletic programs (seven men’s and 10 women’s).

In its 2024 EADA survey, Iowa State counted 259 male and 203 female student-athletes with a 54-46 split of athletic-related student aid between men’s and women’s teams.

UNI’s 2023 EADA survey indicated a count of 216 male and 208 female student-athletes with a 55-45 split of athletic-related student aid between men’s and women’s teams.

What’s next?

Wheeler’s bill was referred to the committee on Higher Education, which includes Wheeler.

The committee will assign a subcommittee to study the bill and offer conclusions to the full committee. The committee may pass the bill, pass an amended version the bill or offer no recommendation before sending the bill to the floor of the House for debate or further amendment.

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