'Trustees Question New Deals

[University of South Carolina] board says athletics department made pacts without required approval


University of South Carolina trustees sought Friday to rein in an athletics department that several trustees said was making large financial deals without required board approval.

The board, meeting on campus Friday, received several items for approval by the full board, including two contracts that had already been in force for months, and plans for a ticket price increase that had already been announced.

“This is a violation of the policy of the university. This is symptomatic of the behavior of the athletics department, and it needs to stop,” said trustee Mack Whittle, who is chairman of The South Financial Group of Greenville.

Despite the financial items on the board’s agenda, neither athletics director Eric Hyman nor any representative of the department was at the meeting to explain the details.

Hyman was at an annual Gamecock Club golf tournament in Myrtle Beach on Friday along with other members of the athletics department.

“As athletics director, I assume all responsibility for contracts and all issues related to them,” Hyman said. “If there are issues on these contracts, I will deal with them.”

The university’s board rules require that any expense less than $250,000 can be approved by president Andrew Sorensen, but deals in excess of $250,000 must be approved by the board.



... Some board members mounted a defense of the department and Hyman.

“We have had input, there’s no question,” said board chairman Herbert Adams of Laurens.


... Trustee Eddie Floyd was upset over the ticket price increase, for which alumni are already writing checks.

“We need to vote to reprimand the athletics department,” said Floyd, a Florence resident. “I’ve been hearing about this back home. This is too important for any trustee to be left out. We need to send an unequivocal message we are not going to tolerate it.”'