Athletic directors are being put in uncomfortable spots because of COVID-19.
The University of Arizona recently announced that it is expecting a $7.5 million budget shortfall by the end of the fiscal year, which ends in June. A lot of that is because the NCAA Tournament was canceled, and the amount of revenue allotted to conferences dropped from $600 million to $225 million as a result.
Things will get much, much worse if the coronavirus crisis bleeds into college football season, the big moneymaker, which is becoming increasingly likely by the day.
In the meantime, athletic departments have to cut costs somehow, and Arizona has done that by furloughing employees, asking others to take pay cuts, and implementing hiring freezes.