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Unless the economy turns around quickly, the SLC could be in big trouble. If some of the Texas schools move to the WAC and the LA legislature keeps cutting budgets it will be tough. UCA should probably be at least exploring options.

If the 35 percent budget cuts occur, Nicholls athletics would suffer, but not drastically, Nicholls athletic director, Rob Bernardi said.

"Like the president said in his speech the other day, we're going to have athletics," Bernardi said. "This is not going to be a junior college, and we're going to be a Division I institution. While there may be some cuts, I don't expect us dropping sports or dropping classifications."

Bernardi isn't sure how the cuts would affect the department, but he said he is reluctant to think that Nicholls would drop any sports.

THIBODAUX — As Nicholls State University's leaders fight a proposed $10.8 million budget cut, regional lawmakers have begun plans to prevent some of the slashing or ease its effects.

Those plans include laws allowing the school to raise tuition, changing how state higher-education dollars are distributed across Louisiana and tapping into the state's tobacco-settlement money.

“Some of the cuts that they're sending out is just beyond belief,” said state Rep. Joe Harrison, R-Napoleonville, who is on the house committee that oversees state education money.

The nearly $11 million hole projected in the school's 2011-2012 budget includes a $3.4 million cut of state tax dollars and the loss of $7.4 million in federal-stimulus money received by the school this year. School administrators say such a cut would endanger 18 of the school's 27 remaining academic programs

A friend in NOLA who is a LSU grad told me recently the budget woes are for real and that most universities will take another round of hits. His view is that the LSU board of regents has great influence over the money and the smaller schools are at risk.