OU confirmed to the OU Daily late Thursday what athletic department employees learned via a mass email Wednesday: The university is laying off employees due to the looming realities of starting to share revenue with athletes.
According to the email, which was shared with the Daily by an equipment manager, athletic director Joe Castiglione wrote that OU has reached a critical moment that requires the department to restructure its staff functions, resulting in a “limited reduction in force.”
“This difficult decision was made with great consideration, understanding it impacts our colleagues and their families,” Castiglione wrote.
Mike Houck, an associate athletic director, wrote Thursday in an email to OU Daily that 5% of 302 full-time, non-student department employees would be cut. That equates to approximately 15 positions and follows what Houck described as significant cost-cutting over the past nine months…