Georgia Athletics Pays for Professorship

The University of Georgia Athletic Association is paying for a professorship in biological sciences at the university, the Associated Press reports today. Rick Tarlton, a longtime scholar at Georgia who was also the founding director of the university’s Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, will hold the position.

Large athletic programs (including Georgia) often donate a portion of their surpluses to academics, but earmarking the funds for specific professorships is uncommon. Earlier this year, Mississippi State University took a different approach: It awarded bonuses of $2,500 each to 406 full-time faculty members with money the university’s athletic department received from the Southeastern Conference’s lucrative TV deal.