New Kansas University athletic director Lew Perkins met with captains of every Jayhawk varsity sports team Thursday to learn the student-athletes’ wants and concerns entering the 2003-04 school year.

He found they certainly were wanting and concerned.

“Improved parking access, inadequate locker-room space for every team, a boathouse for rowing, bigger whirlpools, size of the training room, a tennis bubble (indoor facility), rowing gear,” said Perkins, formerly AD at Connecticut. “That was in a half hour and was from the kids — not the coaches. Every one of those things costs money.”

To make improvements, Perkins must raise a lot of money in the next few years as KU sports face what he deems a near-crisis situation.

“I do not want to say we are desperate,” an animated Perkins said in a 30-minute interview Friday with the Journal-World. “(But) if I don’t do something in two to three years … now we’ll be in a crisis. We need to make changes because everybody else in the league is pulling away financially. We are not falling apart, but we do have major financial issues facing us.

“If we don’t do some things, to be honest with you, we can’t afford to run an athletic program. We have a $27 million budget. Connecticut has a $40 million budget. Texas has $70 million. Nebraska $60 million. You know why we haven’t won any championships here? We have no money.”

Perkins pointed out the need for money was seemingly everywhere in KU athletics.

“We don’t have enough defibrillators,” Perkins said, referring to medial emergency equipment. “I told the doctors, ‘Buy 10 more.’ They cost $2,500. We took a $25,000 hit. Where will I get that money? If one of our senior citizens, God forbid, had an accident, how can we say we didn’t have defibrillators? What do you do? What do I do? Not have defibrillators and take a chance on somebody dying or have people upset because now they have to donate money?”

Priority seating looms

¢ 6Sports video: Options for ticket holders being considered

Donating money will be on KU fans’ minds the next several months as Perkins plans to implement a priority seating plan for Allen Fieldhouse — Memorial Stadium, too — ideally as soon as next school year.

A “points plan” for seating could determine whether fans can buy tickets and definitely will determine where they can sit at Allen Fieldhouse.

“We’re not trying to drive anybody out,” said Perkins, whose plan may not boot any current season-ticket holders but likely will reward fans with more points. “A points system is very complicated. You get points for longevity as a season-ticket holder, earlier commitments … a lot of things.”

At Connecticut, one point is earned for every $100 pledge to the athletic department fund. There are other ways to earn points, but basically it takes 40 points, or $4,000, to earn the right to buy season hoops tickets.

Perkins stressed the UConn plan may not be implemented at KU, because KU’s plan isn’t even in the early planning stages.

“We’re not interested in kicking anybody out. What we will do is relocate,” he said. “It’s like driving a car. Some people want a luxury car, some want a lesser car. A lot of it is driven by price. If you want a better seat, you donate. I’d like everybody to be able to sit at midcourt, but if I have people who want to donate for midcourt seats … I’ve had people this year call and say, ‘What do I have to do to get tickets? I’ll donate.’

“We’re one of very few universities that doesn’t have a priority seating system in place. We understand whatever we do, some people will be upset. In general they understand and are very willing to help.”

A lot of Band-Aids

Perkins said a priority seating plan in basketball alone could make $3 to $4 million annually for the athletic department.

“That will pay for a lot of scholarships, pay for a lot of facilities,” Perkins said. “A lot of training tables, a lot of Band-Aids. We’re not getting a lot of taxpayer dollars here.”

Perkins realizes some will bark and might sue to keep their seats, but he said many fans want to help the university with donations.

“If people want to complain, I appreciate that,” Perkins said. “I get a bill I don’t like, I go crazy, too.”

So, what about those who have given little to the Williams Fund in the past and will have to fork over big money for seats in the future?

“Longtime people … they might be willing to give,” Perkins said. “Nobody has asked them to give. How do we know they are not going to want to?”’

He will want to work with those people, he says, but it may be difficult in one respect.

“One of the big issues is how long has a fan been here? 25 years? 50 years?” Perkins said. “How far back do you go? To make it more difficult, how far back do we have records? Somebody will say, ‘Hey, Lew, I’ve been donating for 30 years.’ If I don’t have the records, what do I say now?

“These are all things that will be talked about. I would love to tell you all the ideas on priority points. I don’t know them. We just feel the need to tell people we’re thinking about it now.”

One thing is certain — an influx of money is needed for KU athletics to survive.

“We have to put a slab of paint on Allen Fieldhouse, just on the outside,” Perkins said. “That is needed. We need to get that done, too. Carpeting is frayed. You say, ‘How’s that important?’ When you are recruiting against Texas and Nebraska, it’s important.”

He wants football and women’s basketball to sell out, which would bring in more money.

“They didn’t bring me here for status quo,” Perkins said. “We need to make changes to get better.”