When North Carolina's mobile sports betting market officially launches in the coming months, the tax revenue will bring much-needed funding to the athletic departments of several smaller colleges in the state.'
“It's game-changing for us,” UNC Pembroke Athletic Director Dick Christy told WUNC. “It’s not an exaggeration to say we were really running out of options on how to sustainably fund athletics in the state of North Carolina.”
North Carolina sports betting legislation allots $300,000 annually for the athletic departments of 13 colleges and universities. Those 13 schools are:'
- Appalachian State University
- East Carolina University
- Elizabeth City State University
- Fayetteville State University
- North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University
- North Carolina Central University
- University of North Carolina at Asheville
- University of North Carolina at Charlotte
- University of North Carolina at Greensboro
- University of North Carolina at Pembroke
- University of North Carolina at Wilmington
- Western Carolina University
- Winston-Salem State University.
Funding benefit
If there aren't enough funds to cover the $300,000 of funding for each institution — it'll take $3.9 million to sufficiently provide funding to all 13 schools — the money gets reduced proportionally so each university receives an equal amount. If there's additional funding available, 20% of it gets split among the 13 schools.'