Missing the Mission | Washington Huskies, Out of Bounds

Public support of higher education is a laudable use of tax dollars. It funds much-needed education for those who would otherwise be unable to afford it, thus training our workforce and keeping us competitive, and it helps to advance knowledge in such critical fields as biomedicine and engineering, thus improving our lives.

The University of Washington’s pending appeal to the Washington legislature for $150 million would thus be unremarkable except for one thing: The money would go toward renovations of UW’s football stadium, with the university picking up the rest of the tab for the $300 million project.

Athletics is an enormous moneymaker for higher education, and they provide the most emotional connection to universities for many alumni. They offer schools visibility. They do not, however, at the level of Division I state-school football, have a very close connection to the educational mission. I don’t doubt that UW needs the money, but Washington’s taxpayers should not be asked to foot the bill. Projects such as this are what deep-pocketed alums are for.

“Missing the Mission,” a weekly commentary about nonprofits that have taken their eye off the ball, will appear Tuesdays at the 501(c) Files. | 501(c)