Monday, July 09, 2007

Things Are Getting Out of Hand at Toledo

The Toledo Blade continues to hammer away at the Toledo athletic department. The latest: University officials bartered their way to $700,000 worth of goods and services in 2006.

Although barter-trade agreements are commonplace at many universities and legal, Toledo officials appeared to have taken the policy to an extreme. Akron, for example, engages in trade agreements totaling about $270,000.

One abuse cited at Toledo involves a $5,000 trade with Honey Baked Ham in 2004, of which $4,050 was used for gift certificates for athletic staff members. Another $500 was used for a staff Christmas party that year.

Football coach Tom Amstutz, above, drives a beefy 2007 Honda Ridgeline thanks to an arrangement with a local dealer.

Even the Blade entered barter agreements with the university. In exchange for advertising panels inside the Glass Bowl and Savage Hall, 100 reserved football season tickets and other items, Toledo received $82,400 worth of advertising space in the newspaper in 2006. Looks like some execs at the Blade are going to have to do without perks from now on. ...

Toledo President Lloyd Jacobs has already ordered a massive restructuring of the department, citing problems with team travel, lack of financial control and unlawful handling of medications.

1 comment:

@Panger2013 said...

I'm thinking those honey-baked hams gift certificates were all made out to Tom Amstutz.