With University of Northern Iowa strapped for cash and its tuition revenue sliding, unionized faculty members are criticizing the administration for devoting nearly $4.3 million of the campus’ general university funds to athletics in the 2023 budget year — almost $1 million more than planned.

UNI in fiscal 2022 provided $3.5 million to athletics, which was $148,616 more than budgeted — amounting to $7.8 million total over the two years, or $1.06 million more than expected in fiscal 2022 and 2023.

Although the UNI athletics contribution made up just 2 percent of UNI’s total budget in fiscal 2023, it accounted for nearly 28 percent of the athletics budget.