OPINION
A&C
CSU ADOPTS FREE SPEECH POLICY ACROSS ALL CAMPUSES
ATHLETES NEED MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT
MUSEUM OF ART EMBRACES AMERICAN THEMES
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NEWS
Vol. 127, No. 93 Monday, February 12, 2018
CSU stadium to see a surplus of $5.3 million By Erin Douglas @erinmdouglas23
Steve Barnes joins Eustachy on paid administrative leave
Colorado State interim coach Steve Barnes reacts to the Rams’ 78-73 loss to Air Force, on Feb. 6. The game was his last before being placed on administrative leave. PHOTO BY DAVIS BONNER COLLEGIAN
By Colin Barnard @ColinBarnard_
Colorado State University placed interim men’s basketball coach Steve Barnes on paid administrative leave, the university announced Saturday morning. Barnes joins head coach Larry Eustachy, who was placed on leave Feb. 3. Second-year assistant coach Jase Herl will take over as the interim head coach for the remainder of the university’s climate assessment of the men’s basketball program. Herl is the third coach to assume head duties for CSU since Jan. 31. Barnes’ behavior with the team was called into question last week when CSU players boycotted practice Thursday afternoon. In addition to their frustration with the lack of communication between them and the athletic department, sources say that
some players were upset Barnes was named interim coach. “Colorado State University Director of Athletics Joe Parker today placed Coach Steve Barnes on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an ongoing climate assessment Parker is leading of the men’s basketball program,” the athletic department said in a statement. The announcement comes in light of the ongoing climate assessment into the conduct of head coach Larry Eustachy. On Jan. 31, Parker confirmed that the university began a climate assessment of the men’s basketball program and Eustachy’s conduct as the head coach. The climate assessment involved interviews with players and coaches regarding Eustachy’s behavior. In 2013-14, an internal investigation revealed that Eustachy created a culture of fear and emotionally abused his
players, according to a report from the Coloradoan in May 2017. Despite being advised to fire Eustachy with cause by then athletic director Jack Graham, CSU President Tony Frank placed Eustachy on a strict zero-tolerance policy for his actions. This most recent investigation is in regards to similar conduct included in the policy. After coaching the Rams in a double-overtime loss to Wyoming during the ongoing investigation, Eustachy was placed on paid administrative leave on Saturday, Feb. 3, just hours before the team’s game against Nevada. Barnes, the Rams’ associate head coach, was named the interim head coach. A reported enabler of Eustachy’s conduct, Barnes led the Rams to defeat the following two games against Nevada and Air Force. After the boycott on Thursday, players met with Parker in person
before Friday’s practice to discuss the assessment. “Our student-athletes have expressed concerns to us and we are working with them to address those concerns,” Parker said in a statement. “Student-athlete welfare has always been our top priority.” Following Saturday’s game, during which Herl led the Rams to victory over San Jose State, Bonner discussed the impact of the team’s meeting with Parker. “It was just nice because everyone on the team could say what they had to say face-to-face, man-to-man with Joe P (Joe Parker),” Bonner said. “I think it gave us all a better understanding and just help us kind of refresh our minds, be positive.” Barnes and Eustachy have known each other since childhood, playing high school basketball and rooming together at Chico State. see BARNES on page 13 >>
PUEBLO — Colorado State University’s new oncampus stadium outperformed expectations for net income, projections for the end of the first year showed during a Board of Governors meeting Friday. The $220-million stadium brought in more revenue than expected in its first year—and more expenses. The board expects the stadium to finish with $13.16 million in net income. Compared to the university’s plan in 2012, the income is 32 percent higher than expected. Expected total revenue of $15.54 million is 36 percent higher than the 2012 forecasts and expected total expenses of $2.37 million is 69 percent higher. The expected profit in the first year will cover the bond payments of $4.2 million and the athletic department contribution of $3.6 million, which maintains the department’s funding at the same amount previously contributed by Hughes Stadium. The university is still considering options for what to do with the $5.3 million surplus. At the board meeting Friday, members tossed around ideas of putting some of the money towards philanthropy or academic projects. However, if the university does decide to put the surplus towards a project, that will require a board decision. As the funding is currently structured, any surpluses automatically go into a reserve fund. “It’s an exciting piece of the see STADIUM on page 4 >>