CEDAR FALLS - As with its state brethren, the University of Iowa athletic department is feeling the effects of the economic downturn the nation is suffering.

But unlike the University of Northern Iowa, the Hawkeyes are nowhere near a situation where they would have to eliminate a program.

Iowa athletics director Gary Barta talked about the U of I's athletic department situation Monday during the annual Black Hawk County I-Club gathering at the Pipac Centre.

Barta was joined at the outing by head men's basketball coach Todd Lickliter, wrestling coach Tom Brands and football defensive coordinator Norm Parker.

"I've been doing this for about 22, 23 years and in the time I've been in this business, this has been the most difficult time," Barta said. "But we're not in a situation where we are looking at cutting any programs.

"Our budget is 100 percent self-sustained. Our expenses, we have to pay for all of our expenses out of revenues we generate."

While Iowa's athletic department is sustaining itself, that doesn't mean it hasn't been affected.

Barta said the department is not replacing a lot of open positions and is in discussions about how to reduce budgets even further beyond this year as anticipated revenues are expected to remain down.

"We are doing what the rest of the state is doing, and that is cutting back," Barta said. "With that being said, right now football season tickets are going well, fundraising is going well, and we're getting crowds along the I-Club circuit that have been as large as they've ever been.

"We will experience operating cutbacks, and our coaches have been great about helping figure out where to cut. But we are going to weather the storm because we are still competing, still going after championships."

At the same time Barta is trying to trim fat from his budget, the athletic department is moving forward on several major projects.

"Two that are not high-profile, but are high-profile to us are a new pool and a new boathouse," Barta said. "Our current pool was built in 1927. When we bring recruits in we say it is historic. They kind of look at us funny and say it's just old.

"The new boathouse … we've had a rowing program at the University of Iowa for 13 years, but they have never had a building or facility to store, train or operate from."

Both those projects are under construction, as is a new track to replace the one destroyed during last year's flooding in Iowa City.

The softball field, which also was destroyed by the flood, has been reconstructed and is in use this spring.

The two big-name projects, one under way and one it is hoped will be started soon, are replacing of natural turf at Kinnick Stadium with Field Turf and a proposed $47 million multi-purpose addition to Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

"Carver-Hawkeye Arena is still a great arena," Barta said. "But what has happened … we have one court and there are a lot of high schools that have a gym you play in and a gym you practice in. At the University of Iowa, we don't.

"We have one floor for volleyball, women's basketball and men's basketball to train and compete on. And, we have wrestling and women's gymnastics all trying to get on that one floor.

"The fundraising is going amazingly well in difficult times. We understand it is a difficult time, but so far we are getting great feedback and the goal is to break ground this fall."

"It's long past due," Lickliter said. "You're sharing a facility with five other teams, three of them equally, so court time becomes a problem.

"It is something that is much-needed, and it is exciting we are actually going to see ground break."

PARKER ON SPRING PRACTICE - Parker said the Hawkeyes' recently completed spring workouts were productive.

Parker returns eight starters on defense, but loses three leaders in Matt Kroul, Mitch King and Bradley Fletcher.

"You might be able to replace the player, but I don't know if you are going to replace the leadership," Parker said. "I think the two ends - Christian Ballard and Adrian Clayborn - sort of took that role on a little bit.

"But leadership is hard, and it is hard to make a guy a leader who is not a leader. I think those two guys will do a good job."

BRANDS ON WRESTLING - Iowa's wrestling program will be represented by three competitors at this week's Northern Plains Senior and Junior Regional Championships that begin Friday at Young Arena with Greco-Roman competition.

All-American Daniel Dennis is the only active member competing, but strength and conditioning coordinator Jared Frayer will wrestle, and former Hawkeye national champion and 1984 Olympic gold medalist Randy Lewis is coming out of retirement to compete a month before he turns 50.

"No," Brands said when asked if he'd come out of retirement at 49 to compete. "I made up my mind. But there is not a day that goes by you don't think about it when it's been part of your life for so long."

Although he can't mandate wrestlers to practice in the offseason, Brands indicated many of his Hawkeyes are in the room training.

"It is real important," he said. "A lot of those guys are in that room because they want to do it. That is the important thing.

"They all know what they have to work on, know what the challenges are, know what their deficiencies are and know what they need to boost."

LICKLITER ON BASKETBALL - "I tell you I have seen what I want to see," Lickliter said of his men's basketball squad. "We hired a new strength coach, and they've been with him four days a week. I can see the difference in them.

"They've worked out with an individual coach three days a week for 40 minutes at a time. They are invested.

"Nothing comes easy, but I like this group's approach."

A key offseason task for Lickliter is finding a replacement at point guard.

The two players who logged the most time at that position last year have transferred - Jake Kelly (Indiana State) and Jeff Peterson (Arkansas).

Left to man the point are Anthony Tucker, who was ineligible for the second half of the season, sophomore Matt Gatens and incoming freshman Cully Payne.

"I'm very comfortable with this team," Lickliter said. "We probably could use a little more depth, another ballhandler, but I think this late that probably isn't going to happen."