A $15 million stadium? What reviving baseball would cost Iowa State, Northern Iowa
DES MOINES — An Iowa state representative put forth an ambitious bill to bring baseball back to Iowa State and Northern Iowa last year. Now we know how much it would cost.
If adopted, House File 153, introduced by state Rep. Skyler Wheeler, R-Hull, would require both athletic departments to “take all steps necessary” to reestablish baseball programs that qualify for participation in the NCAA.
UNI catcher #35 Willie Durazo grabs a throw from the outfied and tries to tag tandem ISU runners #35 Ryan Wickham and #6 Michael Wilcox as they safely scored on a 4th-inning triple by #16 Adam Christ to put ISU ahead ,6-0 at Riverfront Stadium Tuesday evening.
“I believe there is real value in our state having more than just one Division I baseball program,” Wheeler told the Quad-City Times in an email exchange. “Baseball can bring a significant number of student-athletes to a college, most of which will have to pay room and board, tuition, etc. at the institutions as there are only so many scholarships available.”
Following Wheeler’s proposal, UNI and Iowa State submitted fiscal impact analyses to the Board of Regents regarding the potential cost of reestablishing the sport. These documents, obtained by the Quad-City Times, illustrate what both universities believe such a proposal would cost.
Expected Expenditures
Northern Iowa
Among expected expenditures, UNI lists salaries for a head coach, assistant coaches and support staff, plus the addition of 16.7 scholarships, recruiting costs, equipment and information technology in fiscal year (FY) 2026. UNI also budgeted forecasted travel, field maintenance, umpiring, medical insurance and utility expenses in fiscal year 2027, implying UNI’s analysis was for a start of competition in 2027, not 2026 — similar to Iowa State's adoption of women’s wrestling in April.
In total, UNI estimated needing:
- Head coaching salary: $239,000 in 2026 and $245,000 in 2027
- Assistant coaches' salary pool: $260,000 (FY26) and $270,000 (FY27)
- Athletic trainer: $85,000 (FY27)
- Facilities staff: $70,000 (FY27)
- Scholarships: $301,327 (FY26) and $316,393 (FY27)*
- Recruiting: $300,000 (FY26) and $100,000 (FY27)
- Travel: $300,000 (FY27) for travel
- Field Maintenance: $50,000 (FY27)
- Information Technology: $10,000 (FY26) and $5,000 (FY27)
- Umpire compensation: $40,000 (FY27)
- Medical Insurance: $50,000 (FY27)
- Utilities: $100,000 (FY27)
* - UNI anticipated needing 16.7 scholarships (11.7 in-state and five out-of-state).
Additionally, UNI claimed that adding a baseball program would require the construction of on-campus baseball and softball fields, complete with locker rooms, a press box and bleachers, plus an accompanying indoor training complex.
Costs associated with stadium projects were:
- Baseball field: $15 million
- Softball field: $10 million
- Indoor training facility: $20 million.
The UNI baseball program played its home games at Riverfront Stadium in Waterloo for more than a decade before the program was discontinued. The UNI softball team currently plays home games at the Robinson-Dresser Sports Complex, which it shares with Cedar Falls High School.
Iowa State
Iowa State did not specify anticipated costs for coaching and support staff compensation or operating costs, but presented the average costs of its Big 12 peers.
The Big 12 average coaching staff salary in 2025 was $1,196,564, with total average coaching and support staff compensation sitting at $2,200,190. The Big 12 average baseball operating costs (travel, equipment, corporate free goods, recruiting, game guarantees, other/misc.) in 2025 totaled $1,208,958.
The addition of a baseball team would increase academic aid costs by an expected $677,684. For the purposes of Iowa State’s analysis, it assumed the baseball team would receive 16 scholarships ($523,473) with an additional $154,210 in academic services (graduation awards, textbooks, summer school, etc.).
Iowa State classified its other anticipated baseball expenses into four categories — sports program support, internal operations, external operations and facilities and events.
In total, Iowa State estimated costs of: $577,748 for sports program support (medical claims, nutrition, strength and conditioning, equipment, coaching video); $69,431 for internal operations (information technology); $25,000 for external operations (marketing, digital media, communication); and $230,000 for facilities and events (game operations, event officials, facilities operations, utilities).
Additionally, Iowa State listed debt services of $3,911,336 and capital renewal expenses of $100,000 among its expected costs for adding baseball.
Expected Revenue
UNI listed no expected revenues stemming from the addition of baseball in FY26 and $15,000 from guarantees and $50,000 in ticket sales in FY27, further implying the analysis assumed a start to competition in 2027. According to its Fiscal Year 2009 report to the NCAA, UNI made $371,647 in operating revenue from baseball, which is equivalent to $554,512.70 in February 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics inflation calculator.
ISU listed $200,000 in expected revenues from the addition of baseball, but did not specify the source.
Total Cost
UNI, which discontinued baseball after the 2009 season, says adding baseball would have cost $1,150,327 in FY26 and $1,656,393 in FY27. The necessary addition of another, unspecified women’s sport to offset baseball and meet Title IX compliance would double expected expenses to $2,300,654 in FY26 and $3,312,786 ($3,247,786 after subtracting expected revenues) in FY27.
According to its FY09 report, UNI incurred $631,164 in total baseball operating expenses, which, adjusted for inflation, is $941,722.80.
In its FY25 Equity in Athletics Disclosure (EADA Survey), UNI reported grand total expenses of $19,617,597. Using those expenses as a forecast for FY26 and FY27 spending, the addition of baseball and its accompanying women's sport would account for 9.5% of the department's revised FY26 expenses of $21,918,251. It would account for 6.9% of FY27 grand total expenses of $22,930,383.
Iowa State estimated that adding baseball would have co st the athletic department $8,912,697 in FY25. An accompanying unspecified women’s sport to meet Title IX compliance would add an additional $7,567,549 to the department’s expected 2025 expenses, raising Iowa State’s total 2025 athletic budget by more than $16 million to $130,858,652.
The addition of baseball and a women's sport would account for 7.9% of Iowa State's revised FY25 budget.
Iowa State also made note of the impending start of revenue sharing in college athletics, which at the time of the analysis’ creation had not been implemented.
“Effective July 1, 2025, NCAA rules will change as a result of recent settlement of NCAA litigation,” the note read. “The change in rules could add up to $20MM of additional costs. These costs may be required to remain competitive in the sports (FB and MBB) that generate >95% of our total revenues.
“While this is unrelated to the question about adding baseball, it would be foolish to not consider that while evaluating the decision on whether to mandate the addition of additional sports.”
Status of HF153
Since its introduction at the beginning of the 91st General Assembly in January 2025, HF153 was referred to the subcommittee on Higher Education, chaired by Wheeler and including Reps. Jeff Shipley, R-Van Buren County, Dave Jacoby, D-Coralville. The subcommittee met on February 10, 2025 and formally recommended the bill for passage on February 11, 2025.
There have been no further updates to the bill’s status.
The general assembly adjourns on January 10, 2027. All unconsidered bills are cleared from the docket and must be reintroduced at the next legislative session.
Rep. Wheeler did not respond to a request for comment from the Quad-City Times regarding the current status of HF153.
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Ethan Petrik is a University of Iowa beat writer for the Lee Enterprises network. Follow him on X or send him an email at ethan.petrik@wcfcourier.com.
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