The Student Athlete Advisory Committee voted to endorse United Students Monday evening after the SAAC’s Student Senate debate.

Matt Baysinger, a senior in track and field and SAAC Big 12 Conference chairman, said 46 of the 52 SAAC members who voted supported United Students. Baysinger said six supported Connect and none supported Students of Liberty.

A moderator asked several questions to all three coalitions before opening up questioning to the audience during the debate.

The majority of the audiences’ questions were aimed at Students of Liberty and revolved around the $40 per semester women’s and non-revenue sports fee. Students of Liberty had previously stated it would cut the fee. The coalition had also said Student Senate’s relationship with the Athletics Department did not need to involve money. United Students and Connect had previously stated they were in support of the fee.

Adam Wood, Students of Liberty presidential candidate, said he did not think cutting the fee would hurt women and non-revenue sports at all. Wood cited a quote from Jim Marchiony, the associate director of athletics, who appeared in The University Daily Kansan last week to support Wood’s point.

Wood said the Athletics Department has $16 million in excess revenue. Marchiony said in The Kansan that no athletics programs would be cut if the women and non-revenue sports fee was cut.

“Are we funding women’s and non-revenue sports or are we funding Lou Perkins?” Wood asked.

Wood said Students of Liberty did not support using student fees for any program that was not open to all students and that any fees that supported exclusive groups were in violation of Student Senate rules.

“I’m pretty sure I can’t be a part of women’s sports,” Wood said.

Janiece Richard, SAAC Student Senator, told Wood the fee also supports sports like baseball, which Wood could try out for.

Despite the fact that he did not vote to support Students of Liberty, Baysinger said he appreciated the coalition’s honesty about its intention to cut the fee.

“That is not a popular opinion to have in this room, so I appreciate you guys’ frankness,” Baysinger said.

Austin Kelly, Connect presidential candidate, said there needed to be more communication between student athletes and the general student population.

“There’s much more to anyone in this room than the sport you play or are involved with,” Kelly said.

Adam McGonigle, United Students presidential candidate, said the fee should be kept in place because students voted for it and student population’s opinion should be respected.

McGonigle said as chairman of the Student Senate Executive Committee, he had helped protect the fee. He said when a bill, which proposed to cut the fee, was recently presented to the finance committee, it only failed by one vote. McGonigle said he voted against the bill.

Jason Oruch, Connect vice-presidential candidate, said that he was not a part of the finance committee so he could not vote on the bill, but that he would have voted against it and he had supported women’s and non-revenue sports in other ways.

Oruch said he attended the boathouse dedication, an event he said none of the other candidates attended. Oruch admitted it took place during a snowstorm. However, he said he was still disappointed that the senators did not give the rowing team more support.

Michael Gillespie, United Students vice-presidential candidate, said he and McGonigle did not attend because they were busy with other activities, like their campaign, and he thought everyone could understand that because everyone in the room was students.

Kelly said as treasurer, it was his job to stay neutral during the vote. Wood and his running mate Eric Hyde are not current members of Student Senate.

—Edited by Mandy Earles