Funding for recruiting prospective student-athletes is very low or non-existent. Coaches expressed concern about their inability to effectively recruit. Sports programs are often not permitted to offer the allotment of athletics scholarships budgeted.

There are only three athletics administrators who direct, manage and supervise the athletics program. Based on the interviews conducted many of the interviewees consider the number of athletics administrators insufficient given the myriad of their job responsibilities and oversight for 14 sports programs and 300+ student-athletes.

The athletics program has not been able to support the basic footwear, equipment and apparel needs of student-athletes. Student-athletes on some teams purchase their footwear, equipment and practice gear. Teams often wear contest apparel for several seasons due to the inability to replace contest uniforms and warmups. Team travel presents transportation challenges due to the quality, cleanliness and availability of buses for away competition. Meals provided by the athletics program during official team travel consists mainly of eating at fast food restaurants with limited food options.

Providing better nutritional options, expanding mental health services and offering more individualized academic support are key areas for improvement. Enhancing faculty cooperation by providing more flexibility to accommodate student-athletes' schedules, particularly around official team travel and missed class time is an opportunity to augment the overall student-athlete experience.

There is very little structured life-skills programming for student-athletes. Enhancing student-athlete life-skills enrichment programs such as leadership development and career workshops which focus on resume writing, interviewing, and networking is an opportunity to strengthen the overall student-athlete experience and better prepare student-athletes for life after graduation. There is an opportunity for broader collaboration between the athletics program and Offices of Academic Affairs and Student Affairs to support the well-being of student-athletes. Head coaches should be strongly encouraged to advocate to their student-athletes to take advantage of the support services that are provided on campus.

There appear to be gender equity issues based on the 2022-23 Equity in Athletics (EADA) Report that need to be addressed including increasing participation opportunities, athletics scholarships, number of assistant coaches, compensation, and operating expenses.

There is a disconnect in friend, fan and fundraising efforts. There is not a centralized and coordinated fundraising strategy and a lack of training and professional development for athletics staff and head coaches on relationship building and friend, fan and fundraising.

The absence of a dedicated staff member for revenue generation (fundraising, sports marketing) means the athletics program is not fully integrated into the larger advancement strategy of Kentucky State. The lack of a dedicated staff member leads to missed opportunities for revenue acquisition and missed opportunities in and alumni, parent and donor engagement.

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