The Tempe Undergraduate Student Government postponed a vote on the establishment of a semesterly student fee to pay for athletics.
The athletic fee bill is estimated to cost every ASU student $75 at the moment, but that amount is expected to change as the Senate voted to have a second reading of the bill. It would replace funding for the athletics program that comes from student tuition.
Graduate and Professional Student Association President Megan Fisk said during the meeting that seven out of 12 Pac-12 schools have an athletic fee and the institution of the athletic fee will allow tuition to be used strictly for academic purposes.
"There are a lot of issues to be worked out between the five campuses and the number on cost has not been definitively set yet," she said.
Sun Devil Athletics' total budget is $60 million, and $8 million to $10 million of that money comes from tuition, Fisk said.
Students have no control over the way the tuition money is spent and the athletic fee is aimed to give control over how this money is used, Fisk said.
The USG Senate postponed the vote in order to better understand the effect it will have on the athletic budget as well as tuition.
The discussion ended when School of Sustainability Senator Tristian Trevino suggested more research and information be discovered before voting on the bill.
Reach the reporter at jshanco2@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @joey_hancock
