Latest news with #FIU
Miami Herald
3 days ago
- Politics
- Miami Herald
‘Betrayal': Donor yanks $1M from FIU over undocumented student tuition hike
Miami businessman and philanthropist Miguel 'Mike' Fernandez has suspended a $1 million donation to Florida International University in protest of Florida's decision to strip in-state tuition benefits from undocumented students — a policy that was until recently endorsed by FIU's new president, Jeanette Nuñez. In a June 4 letter to Shlomi Dinar, dean of FIU's Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs, Fernandez denounced the tuition hike as 'punitive' and called for the state to restore 'fairness and opportunity.' Fernandez' now-suspended $1 million pledge was meant to fund first-generation student scholarships through the school's Maurice A. Ferré Institute for Civic Leadership. 'I cannot remain silent while thousands of Florida's young residents are excluded from the opportunity to experience higher education,' Fernandez wrote. Fernandez, who describes himself as a lifelong Republican until the election of Donald Trump in 2016, did not mince words about Nuñez's reversal on the tuition equity law she once championed. As a state legislator in 2014, Nuñez, who is Cuban-American, helped pass the law that allowed undocumented students to pay in-state tuition if they had gone to high school in the state for at least three consecutive years and enrolled in college within two years of graduating from high school, arguing at the time, 'Let's not hold these children responsible for actions that their parents took.' But in January, shortly before stepping down as Gov. Ron DeSantis' lieutenant governor for the FIU job, Nuñez declared the law had 'run its course' and that 'Florida will not incentivize illegal immigration through this law or any other.' Fernandez, a healthcare industry magnate, said he thought Nuñez's about-face was 'at the lowest level of ethical behavior' 'If I had to pay that price to betray children, I would rather be bankrupt,' Fernandez said in an interview Monday. 'I find it immoral, and I find that a betrayal of the greatest level for someone to do this to her own community.' The elimination of in-state tuition eligibility for undocumented students was part of the Florida GOP's immigration package, signed by DeSantis in January. For students at FIU, tuition will jump from approximately $205 to $619 per credit hour, a 250% increase. Just this year, 6,500 students across Florida — the majority of which are likely undocumented — have benefited from the in-state tuition rule. FIU, the nation's largest Hispanic-serving institution, estimates about 500 students will be affected. Fernandez, who arrived undocumented in the U.S. from Mexico in 1964, lobbied hard for the legislation for years before it was passed in 2014, still has a copy of the bill in his Coral Gables office. 'Mike was instrumental in that legislation passing,' said Will Weatherford, who served as House Speaker in 2014. Fernandez was 'encouraging me and others to have an open heart to the concept that kids shouldn't be punished for decisions of their parents, and it resonated.' Nuñez, reached through an FIU spokesperson Monday, didn't immediately respond for comment. For Fernandez, the controversy extends beyond tuition. Earlier this year, FIU police voluntarily entered into an agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, authorizing campus police to train officers to help identify and detain individuals suspected of immigration violations. The partnership, backed by Nuñez, has sparked protests from students and faculty concerned about racial profiling and fear among immigrant communities. 'No one in this county should be putting our citizens to be kidnapped by people in masks, without ID, who surround you and, in some cases, abuse you,' Fernandez said. 'Our local law enforcement should not be sucked into that process of doing federal work.' FIU officials defend the agreement, emphasizing officer training and adherence to state law, while President Nuñez maintains the partnership 'upholds the rule of law.' The tuition rollback is slated to take effect on July 1 for the 2025-26 academic year. The Florida Education Association warns that universities could lose up to $15 million in revenue as undocumented students priced out of public schools may leave Florida altogether. Since Florida canceled in-state tuition for undocumented students, a scholarship program for undocumented students, decided it would no longer fund scholarships at eight Florida universities. And just last week, the Board of Governors of the state's university system voted to allow schools to increase out-of-state tuition by up to 10 percent. For Fernandez, the fight transcends dollars and cents. 'Decades ago, children of undocumented immigrants faced exorbitant tuition fees,' Fernandez wrote in his letter to FIU. 'After ten years of persistent efforts, we achieved a significant victory. It is troubling to see that progress undone.'
Miami Herald
14-06-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
FIU Football Preview 2025: Panthers Season Prediction, Win Total Projection, Top Players
FIU Panthers Key to the Season Stop the goes hand-in-hand with needing to get more plays in the backfield. The Panthers got hit for over 200 rushing yards six times and only won one of those games. Just keep teams to under five yards per carry on a regular basis, and that's a start. So … FIU Panthers Key Player Quaylen Hill, DT Panthers lost some key tackles this spring, and they need an anchor to step up and take over on the nose. Enter Hill, who made 22 tackles with a tackle for loss. Now he has to be a leader. FIU Panthers Top Transfer, Biggest Transfer Loss Top Transfer In: Anthony Carrie, RB Panthers already have a strong group of backs, but Carrie might take things up a few notches. He's a speedy runner from Georgia Tech who averaged close to five yards per Transfer Out: Eric Rivers, WR Sr.A terrific get from Memphis after a year off, he caught 94 passes in two years for FIU, averaging 19 yards per catch with 12 scores last season. Now he'll be a big play star for Georgia Tech.- 2025 FIU Preview, Offense, Defense Breakdowns FIU Panthers Key Game Jacksonville State, Nov. 22Call this a measuring stick game for the new regime. The Gamecocks are in rebuild mode this year, and they have to come to Miami for FIU's final home game of the year. Last season, the Panthers lost 34-31 on the road to the eventual CUSA champs.- 2025 FIU Schedule Breakdown FIU Panthers Top 10 Players 1. Brian Blades II, CB Sr.2. Keyone Jenkins, QB Jr.3. Kejon Owens, RB Sr.4. Percy Courtney Jr., LB Jr.5. Johnny Chaney, Jr., LB Sr.6. Websley Etienne, S Jr.7. Aaron Armitage, EDGE Sr.8. Anthony Carrie, RB Soph.9. Alex Perry, WR Sr.10. Lamont Green, EDGE Soph. FIU Panthers 2024 Fun Stats - Points Allowed: 1st Quarter 40, 2nd Quarter 128- Passing TDs: FIU 24, Opponents 9- Field Goals: Opponents 16-of-22, FIU 8-of-10 FIU Panthers 2025 Season Prediction, Win Total, What Will Happen Here's the problem. There's no Louisiana Tech or New Mexico State on the slate. Those are winnable, and those were two of last year's four victories. Missing UTEP - a loss last year - doesn't help. Here's the positive. The Panthers get FBS newbies Delaware and Missouri State, and home games against Kennesaw State and Middle Tennessee will help, too. Throw in Bethune-Cookman and there's a real chance to push past four wins for the first time since The FIU Win Total At … 5Likely Wins: Bethune-Cookman50/50 Games: Delaware, Florida Atlantic, Jacksonville State, Kennesaw State, Middle Tennessee, at Missouri State, at Sam Houston, at WKULikely Losses: Liberty, at Penn State, at UConn- 2025 FIU Preview, Offense, Defense Breakdowns © 2025 The Arena Group Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.
Miami Herald
12-06-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
FIU baseball hit hard by departures, but coach Witten still sees hope for the upcoming season
Rich Witten is not frustrated … just saddened. Of the 40 baseball players on FIU's roster for the 2025 season, 26 have left the team either because of the transfer portal or because they are out of eligibility. That's the fifth-highest turnover rate in the nation. So far, the biggest names to leave for other schools are first baseman Brylan West, who signed with Miami; and starting pitcher Owen Puk (West Virginia). West and Puk are going to programs who advanced to the recently completed super regionals. West hit .338 this year with 12 homers and a .979 OPS. Puk went 4-1 with a 4.91 ERA. But it's more than just their statistics. 'It's impossible to not be fazed by the relationships you are losing,' Witten said. 'I think that's what gets lost the most in this era of college athletics. 'That's not to say that I won't have relationships with a lot of players (in the transfer era), but I do think it gets lost in the transactional state of our game. 'I don't know that it frustrates me. It makes me sad more than anything.' In addition to West and Puk, several others Panthers players had eligibility remaining but opted to enter the transfer portal, including: starting pitchers Easton Marks and Logan Runde; closer Juan Villarreal; pitcher and former Marlins 18th-round draft pick Tristan Dietrich; FIU leader in batting average Javier Crespo; and middle infielder and ex-Astros fourth-round draft pick Alex Ulloa. Witten said what is being lost in this era is significant. 'I still have regular contact with the college coaches I played for who were role models of mine and mentors,' Witten said. 'That's why I got into [coaching] because of how big of an impact they had on my life. 'That's how the first decade of my coaching career started – having great relationships [with the players] for the rest of our lives.' Some of the other players FIU lost from its 2025 roster are players such as left fielder Kishon Frett, who is out of eligibility. Frett hit 20 homers this past season — which ranks fourth in FIU history — and he is hopeful of landing with an MLB organization, either in next month's draft or as a free agent. 'He is deserving of an opportunity to play pro baseball,' Witten said of Frett. 'He has his best baseball ahead of him.' As for the young players still on FIU's roster, Witten pointed to outfielder Cole Cleveland, who hit .291 this year with 13 steals in 14 attempts and an .889 OPS; reliever Bryce Turner (2-0, 3.47 ERA in 18 appearances); catcher Marc Hersh (.313 batting average in 18 games); and outfielder Andrew Ildefonso (.304 batting average and an .890 OPS in 50 games). 'We are really excited about these young and talented guys we have,' Witten said. 'Our baseball program continues to move in the right direction like it has in the last three years. We have signed and are continuing to recruit young men who are really excited about FIU baseball. 'There are still a lot of young men who care about forging relationships and doing things the right way.'
Chicago Tribune
12-06-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
With the NCAA landscape changing, can small schools thrive in college athletics without the big bucks?
ORLANDO, Fla. — As schools prepare to begin sharing millions with their athletes, there is no avoiding the reality that if you're not a Power Four school, you're at a disadvantage. With major conferences running the show, St. Bonaventure and Florida International don't even have a seat at the table. FIU and St. Bonaventure aren't necessarily worried about a head-to-head fight over top players with deeper-pocketed schools. The priority has become survival and finding a balance between athletics ambition and financial sustainability. Adrian Wojnarowski spoke candidly about the challenges he faced during his inaugural season as the general manager of the St. Bonaventure men's basketball team. Solidifying a recruiting class that would improve the team and embrace the school culture was not easy. After July 1, when lucrative paychecks will pretty much become mandatory for blue-chip prospects, it's not going to get any easier. With some 2,000 undergraduate students, the Bonnies are outnumbered in resources and revenue when competing even against other Atlantic 10 teams like VCU, Dayton, and Saint Louis. Wojnarowski, ESPN's former lead NBA reporter, thinks he has identified a formula for locating the ideal prospect. To him, St. Bonaventure is a landing spot for international players adjusting to a new culture and college life, transfers who may have fallen short at a high major and need development, or those looking to move up to a mid-major. He admits the school in upstate New York could be a pit stop on a player's journey. 'I want them to see that our environment, our coaching staff, our small school, especially for international players coming over, what I really try to sell is your adjustment to American college life,' he said at the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics and Affiliates Convention this week. 'I think for a lot of kids, it's easier in a school with 1,900 students than a school with 19,000. And you'll come to have two great years with us, and then you'll probably end up at schools with 19,000 or 29,000,' he said. 'And so you're selling, for us, we're your first step on the way to somewhere else, or the other one to me is we're the place to come when you've got to get the basketball right.' Female athletes appeal landmark NCAA settlement, saying it violates federal antidiscrimination lawIf the plan goes awry and a recruit slips away, one thing the former NBA insider refuses to do is blame the money. 'Fundraising is hard, creating new revenue streams is hard, but the one thing that I try to stay away from with us is not saying, 'Oh, we didn't get him because they offered more money,' and using that as a crutch all the time. I really examine when we lost a player,' Wojnarowski said. 'Are we being honest with ourselves in saying that we did everything outside the economics to make our case to this person?' FIU has more than 40,000 undergraduates, but the athletic department is using a similar philosophy, pinpointing advantages and opportunities to come from the settlement instead of the negatives. Similar to St. Bonaventure, FIU doesn't expect to come close to the $20.5 million revenue-sharing cap available over the next year. For a competitive edge, unlocking new revenue streams is fundamental. 'To compete, from a revenue standpoint, you have to think outside the box of your conventional fundraising and targeting donors,' senior associate athletic director Joseph Corey said. 'That's why you're looking at concerts being held at different venues, different festivals to generate extra revenue to bring in, different revenue streams, and not just fundraising going after the same donors. You've got to go beyond that in order to be able to compete.' Being based in Miami has its perks. Proximity to celebrities is one of them. In August, FIU secured a 10-year partnership with Pitbull, the singer and rapper who coins himself 'Mr. 305.' 'We did the partnership with Pitbull – Pitbull Stadium. He's on tour, but part of the deal was that he would be collaborating with us and doing events for us from a fundraising standpoint,' Corey said. 'You've got to think outside the box. Especially in a city like Miami, it's about the experience too.' Schools unlocking creative revenue streams is something that can be expected. FIU competes in Conference USA alongside teams like Liberty, Louisiana Tech, UTEP, Kennesaw State and Jacksonville State. The football team went 3-5 in 2024, finishing sixth in the conference. The men's basketball team finished last with a 3-15 conference record. It's hard to sell donors on losing teams. 'Let's call it what it is, FIU's not going to be able to keep up with the Alabamas of the world, the Georgias, Michigan, or Texas, but what can we do? We can be the best in our conference. That is our goal,' Corey said. 'Let's be the best in our conference and really compete there because once you're at the top of your conference, that means more revenue in other areas. Everyone wants to donate to a winner.'
San Francisco Chronicle
11-06-2025
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
Can schools like St. Bonaventure and FIU thrive in college athletics without the big bucks?
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — As schools prepare to begin sharing millions with their athletes, there is no avoiding the reality that if you're not a Power Four school, you're at a disadvantage. With major conferences running the show, St. Bonaventure and Florida International don't even have a seat at the table. FIU and St. Bonaventure aren't necessarily worried about a head-to-head fight over top players with deeper-pocketed schools. The priority has become survival and finding a balance between athletics ambition and financial sustainability. Adrian Wojnarowski spoke candidly about the challenges he faced during his inaugural season as the general manager of the St. Bonaventure men's basketball team. Solidifying a recruiting class that would improve the team and embrace the school culture was not easy. After July 1, when lucrative paychecks will pretty much become mandatory for blue-chip prospects, it's not going to get any easier. With some 2,000 undergraduate students, the Bonnies are outnumbered in resources and revenue when competing even against other Atlantic 10 teams like VCU, Dayton, and Saint Louis. Wojnarowski, ESPN's former lead NBA reporter, thinks he has identified a formula for locating the ideal prospect. To him, St. Bonaventure is a landing spot for international players adjusting to a new culture and college life, transfers who may have fallen short at a high major and need development, or those looking to move up to a mid-major. He admits the school upstate New York could be a pit stop on a player's journey. 'I want them to see that our environment, our coaching staff, our small school, especially for international players coming over, what I really try to sell is your adjustment to American college life," he said at the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics and Affiliates Convention this week. 'I think for a lot of kids, it's easier in a school with 1,900 students than a school with 19,000. And you'll come to have two great years with us, and then you'll probably end up at schools with 19,000 or 29,000,' he said. "And so you're selling, for us, we're your first step on the way to somewhere else, or the other one to me is we're the place to come when you've got to get the basketball right.' If the plan goes awry and a recruit slips away, one thing the former NBA insider refuses to do is blame the money. 'Fundraising is hard, creating new revenue streams is hard, but the one thing that I try to stay away from with us is not saying, 'Oh, we didn't get him because they offered more money,' and using that as a crutch all the time. I really examine when we lost a player,' Wojnarowski said. 'Are we being honest with ourselves in saying that we did everything outside the economics to make our case to this person?' FIU has more than 40,000 undergraduates, but the athletic department is using a similar philosophy, pinpointing advantages and opportunities to come from the settlement instead of the negatives. Similar to St. Bonaventure, FIU doesn't expect to come close to the $20.5 million revenue-sharing cap available over the next year. For a competitive edge, unlocking new revenue streams is fundamental. 'To compete, from a revenue standpoint, you have to think outside the box of your conventional fundraising and targeting donors,' senior associate athletic director Joseph Corey said. 'That's why you're looking at concerts being held at different venues, different festivals to generate extra revenue to bring in, different revenue streams, and not just fundraising going after the same donors. You've got to go beyond that in order to be able to compete.' Being based in Miami has its perks. Proximity to celebrities is one of them. In August, FIU secured a 10-year partnership with Pitbull, the singer and rapper who coins himself 'Mr. 305.' 'We did the partnership with Pitbull – Pitbull Stadium. He's on tour, but part of the deal was that he would be collaborating with us and doing events for us from a fundraising standpoint," Corey said. "You've got to think outside the box. Especially in a city like Miami, it's about the experience too.' Schools unlocking creative revenue streams is something that can be expected. FIU competes in Conference USA alongside teams like Liberty, Louisiana Tech, UTEP, Kennesaw State and Jacksonville State. The football team went 3-5 in 2024, finishing sixth in the conference. The men's basketball team finished last with a 3-15 conference record. It's hard to sell donors on losing teams. 'Let's call it what it is, FIU's not going to be able to keep up with the Alabama's of the world, the Georgia's, Michigan, or Texas, but what can we do? We can be the best in our conference. That is our goal,' Corey said. 'Let's be the best in our conference and really compete there because once you're at the top of your conference, that means more revenue in other areas. Everyone wants to donate to a winner.'
