Texas A&M University-Commerce is among three schools listed in a proposed bill in the Texas Legislature to authorize an intercollegiate athletic fee for each student.
Under provisions of the bill, the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents is authorized to impose an intercollegiate athletics fee on each student enrolled at Texas A&M International University, West Texas A&M University, and A&M-Commerce.
“I have no intention of imposing a sports fee in the immediate future,” said A&M-Commerce President Dr. Keith McFarland. “We will go along now and if we need it we are not going in [to the Legislature] by ourselves.”
The bill would amend Education Code to establish a student fee advisory committee at each component of the Texas A&M University System that would advise the board of regents on the type, amount and expenditure of compulsory fees for student services, student health and medical services, student center facilities and recreational sports.
It would also amend Education Code to increase the maximum fee allowable for the board of regents of Texas A&M University System to levy and collect from students at all Texas A&M University component institutions for recreational sports.
The amount of revenue generated by the authorized fee increases and new fees, locally assessed by the individual universities, would depend on the fee amount assessed by the universities and could increase with enrollment growth.