By Maureen Robinson

University of Adelaide sports enthusiasts returning to the playing fields this autumn will scarcely notice the major turnover of administrative control of the University’s sports body which officially took place on January 1, 2010. The turnover, which relinquished control of the Sports Association (SA) from the Adelaide University Union (AUU) and handed it over to the University, marked a milestone in this institution’s 114-year-old history. It now joins the ranks of other G8 sports associations—all eight of whom are now disaffiliated from their respective student bodies.

The turnover received majority support from members of both the SA and the AUU. Many supporters had advocated for disaffiliation for several years with an aim to secure and streamline funding agreements with the university and to obtain independence from the Union.  Prior to January 1, the SA was considered one of seven affiliates of the AUU.

Key players in the turnover explain that the major aim was for the SA to negotiate with the university instead of going through the AUU for matters of funding and administration.

“This was a very important decision for the SA, and not one that was made overnight,“ said Mike Daws, the SA’s Executive Officer. “But we believe it’s time to stand on our own to two feet and deal directly with the university on such matters as sports funding.”

Daws stressed that the move does not signify a deteriorating relationship between the SA and the Union. “Direct affiliation with the university is not disaffiliation with the AUU. We will still have a mature open and working relationship with the Union at both staff and board level to ensure the flow of information is maintained between the two of us … But we believe that having a direction relationship [with the University] strengthens our role as an advocate for sports on campus.”

The sentiment is echoed by David Collucio, General Manager of the AUU, who regards the perception of a rift between the SA and the AUU as a disadvantage faced by the two bodies. Collucio notes that the SA is already functionally autonomous. “[The SA] has always been independent with its own staff and its own management. In terms of daily operations and staff, the AUU had no control over the SA. It only had a financial relationship.”

Although the handover officially took place on January 1, 2010, the agreement had been finalized since early April 2009, and had been in the pipeline for many years prior. Prior to disaffiliation, the SA obtained it’s funding from the AUU’s annual budget. Post-disaffiliation, the SA will obtain its funding directly from the University, eliminating the AUU as the middleman and giving the SA officers greater negotiating powers.

Although the SA ate up $267,000 of the AUU’s $1.8 million 2009 budget (taking 14.8% of the pie). According to Collucio, the handover is not expected to free up extra money for the Union, “There is no extra money in the union’s budget because we are not receiving the funds that we normally get for sports from the university.”

For incoming students keen on picking up a sport, signing up for the gym, or joining a recreational league, it’s business as usual. The change is not expected to impact the management or funding of sports activities.

“We see ourselves as just growing up,” says Daws. “[We’ll] sell our own message, or own stories, to the powers that be.”