Texas A&M laying off athletic department staff in response to 'existing and emerging threats to our business model,' per Trev Alberts

Texas A&M athletics is laying off a number of high-level administrators and staffers, athletic director Trev Alberts confirmed to The Bryan-College Station Eagle on Tuesday. He made clear the cuts are not related to paying the immense buyout for former head football coach Jimbo Fisher.

The downsizing resulted in a number of longtime employees being cut from the department roster. They include executive deputy athletics director and COO Justin Moore, deputy athletics director for external relations and business development Chris Park, associate athletics director, branding, creative and communications Tyler Pigg and associate athletics director for equipment and apparel Matt Watson, according to The Eagle.

Watson confirmed to The Eagle that he will be able to draw an early retirement after 34 years in the Texas A&M equipment room.

All told, the staff cuts will include more than a dozen employees, according to The Eagle.

Albert addressed the department downsizing in a statement to The Eagle, saying it was a “reorganization related to existing and emerging threats to our business model.” He made clear the people who were being laid off hadn’t erred or been chosen for performance-related reasons.

“We are on the cusp of unprecedented change in the world of intercollegiate athletics,” Alberts said in his statement to The Eagle. “As a department, we have to adapt and become more efficient and effective so that we are best positioned for the changes to come. However, what will not change is this: student-athletes are our priority and making sure their experience at Texas A&M is second to none is our goal.

“This morning, we met with several individuals to inform them that, in light of the upcoming changes to our administrative structure, they will not be employees of the athletics department in the future. These changes are difficult and let me state emphatically, these people have done nothing wrong. These are good, hard-working members of the Aggie family and their service is greatly appreciated. I can assure you, this was not personal, it was a business decision, and a very difficult one at that.”

With respect to Fisher’s buyout, he was owed $76.8 million from Texas A&M, with $19 million paid out within 60 days of his firing. Another $7 million paid out within 120 days of his ouster and the remaining $50.8 million gets paid out in annual installments through 2031 — a bit shy of $6.5 million annually.

What Alberts is likely seeing on the horizon and preparing for is something he has spoken about publicly before and is a specter over the entire college sports enterprise: Paying athletes directly.

And with likely millions needed each year to maintain rosters for the sports Texas A&M already offers, Alberts isn’t waiting around to free up all the possible resources he can, even if the decisions are quite difficult.