Doritos, Frosted Flakes

Scout has uncovered what Scout considers to be a gross waste.

The University's Department of Intercollegiate Athletics will spend $82,632 to house the Illinois football team in a hotel before each home game next year.

Furthermore, Scout through some easy digging and math has uncovered a way to save more than $40,000 for the accommodations.

The way it works: The DIA puts out a list of requirements, called a "sealed bid proposal," when asking for takers on a contract to provide room and board. Scout got a hold of this 25-page document because the law says it must be made public.

The list details very specific rules on what the players/coaches/staff/groupies need. The hotel has to be able to accommodate about 120 people both for sleeping and conferencing, said DIA spokeswoman Cassie Arner.

That means a handful of large rooms and then a bunch of beds. And there must be orange and blue decorations.

And those 120 players or so have to be fed — snacks Friday night and a large meal Saturday morning.

"It's pretty simple," Arner said, before going on to describe the meal in generic terms of "either steak or chicken."

Menus are also included in the proposal, which lays out the exact dietary needs of the team. Scout wouldn't use the word "simple," as the menu specifies what brand of cereal and chips must be provided.

Apparently the University's football team really likes Frosted Flakes and Doritos.

The menu also provides grilled chicken, baked manicotti, rice, potato salad, fruit, milk, sausage, bacon, eggs, omelets, pancakes, cookies, juice, coffee, tea, Gatorade and more.

The deal for accommodations next year went to MRK Management, the owner of the Park Inn International and Illini Conference Center in north Urbana.

The price tag (Scout needs to repeat it) was $82,632.

That money could pay for a tenured professor. Or at least a couple of associates.

It could pay for TVs in buildings that have one or none. It could pay for a few raises to help bring back the Discovery program.

And considering the Urbana campus lost $27.9 million this year, every bit helps.

But Scout must clarify: The University doesn't have direct control over the DIA. The DIA can raise its own funds and pretty much milk the football team — students of the University of Illinois — for all they're worth.

In Scout's opinion, that means the DIA has license to waste. Heck, Scout really doesn't even think the football team needs the hotel overnight before the game to get psyched. Scout thinks that's what locker rooms are for.

But Scout also realizes that sometimes people who are paid to spend money, sometimes get confused over how they should spend that money. Arner said the Park Inn had gotten the accommodations contract for several years, so Scout thinks the DIA might have gotten confused over how much they should really be paying.

And Scout likes to give bureaucrats the benefit of the doubt.

But in a friendly gesture, Scout started trying to find a cheaper way. Scout did some math, and Scout figures Scout can get it done for less than half.

According to numbers from the Housing Division crunched by Scout's math, one residence hall meal is roughly $4.78. And one night's stay in a residence hall quad room is about $43.56 for one student.

See, by Scout's logic, if the University can force freshmen to live in the residence halls and eat residence hall food, it must be a safe sleeping environment and the grub must be nutritious.

Scout also verified that the team's menu can and has been served in the residence hall cafeterias.

And of course, the residence halls all have plenty of conference room space so the team can conference.

So Scout started multiplying.

Seven games times 120 meals per game times $4.78 per meal equals $4,015.20.

And again seven games times 120 beds per game times $43.56 per bed equals $36,590.40.

Grand Total: $40,605.60 (more than $40,000 less than what the DIA will pay next year).

And that includes all of the Frosted Flakes and Doritos the team can eat.

Campus Scout is a regular news commentary that appears on Wednesdays. Campus Scout can be reached at scoutingUI@hotmail.com.