The University of Oklahoma is rewarding many of their athletic coaches with raises. In these economic times that may seem unwise but consider this. The athletic department is also giving three million dollars to academics.

Many universities subsidize their athletics programs, but at the University of Oklahoma this year just the opposite is happening. In presenting his proposed budget for next year to the OU Board of Regents in Ardmore today, President David Boren announced that the OU Athletics Department will increase its annual support for academic programs by $3 million.

"This additional support from the Athletics Department has helped the university avoid tuition increases for students and layoffs of faculty and staff," Boren said. "I appreciate the support from the department in helping continue to promote academic excellence in a tough economic year. I especially am grateful that this support will help us lighten the burden on Oklahoma families by having no tuition increases this year."

The Athletics Department was already providing about $1 million each year in support of OU academics. It also sends significant funds to the university's annual budget each year, which many Athletic Departments retain at other universities, like revenue from affinity cards and soft drink sales contracts.

The increase this year will bring the total direct and indirect support that OU Athletics provides OU Academics to more than $7 million.

OU is one of a handful of Division I athletics programs that is self supporting and receives no subsidy from state-appropriated funds and no student fees. OU is one of an even smaller number of universities where Athletics subsidizes academic programs.

Listed below are the coaches who are getting raises along with the old and new salaries.

Football

• Bob Stoops, head coach -- $2.925 million to $2.975 million (will be $3.675 million Oct. 1)
  
  
• Brent Venables -- $345,000 to $395,000
  
  
• Kevin Wilson -- $285,000 to $385,000
  
  
• Bobby Jack Wright -- $245,000 to $255,000
  
  
• Jackie Shipp -- $225,000 to $240,000
  
  
• Cale Gundy -- $220,000 to $235,000
  
  
• Jay Norvell -- $210,000 to $235,000
  
  
• James Patton -- $220,000 to $235,000
  
  
• Josh Heupel -- $156,000 to $200,000
  
  
• Chris Wilson -- $185,000 to $195,000

Men's basketball

• Jeff Capel, head coach -- $1.05 million to $1.5 million
  
  
• Oronde Taliaferro -- $174,000 to $186,000
  
  
• Mark Cline -- $156,000 to $168,000
  
  
• Ben Betts -- $141,000 to $153,000

Women's basketball

• Sherri Coale, head coach -- $840,000 to $900,000
  
  
• Jan Ross -- $147,600 to $158,000
  
  
• Chad Thrailkill -- $101,800 to $109,000
  
  
• Stacy Hansmeyer -- $86,500 to $92,000

Baseball

• Sunny Golloway, head coach -- $187,800 to $201,000

Softball

• Patty Gasso, head coach -- $124,440 to $133,000