Six Universities To Tap Education Budgets For Athletics
Last updated Saturday, August 4, 2007 8:49 PM CDT in News
By The Associated Press
FAYETTEVILLE -- The cost of athletic programs at Arkansas' public colleges and universities has increased about 7.1 percent over last year and six universities plan to tap their education and general budgets to help pay for athletics, according to a state higher education official.
Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, Arkansas Tech University in Russellville and the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff each will transfer $1.078 million from their education and general budgets to help pay for athletics.
The University of Central Arkansas in Conway will transfer $1.075 million, Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia will transfer $1.05 million and Henderson State University in Arkadelphia will transfer $1.04 million.
Education and general budgets cover everything from professor salaries to building maintenance.
In all, the athletic budgets at the public colleges and universities are expected to grow to $89.23 million in the fiscal year that began July 1.
Stanley Williams, senior associate director of finance for the Arkansas Department of Higher Education, presented a summary of athletic budgets to the Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board at a meeting Friday.
The University of Arkansas, which has the largest athletic program, expects to spend $48.68 million running it this year. Of that $41.4 million will come from revenue generated by athletics and another $900,000 will come from auxiliary profits, including the university's licensing rights to the Razorback logo, said Don Pederson, vice chancellor for finance and administration.
"As long as I have been aware of their budgets, athletics has paid for themselves," Pederson said.
University officials said athletics are an essential part of their offerings and require funding from a variety of sources.
"It's really a challenge for all of us in this day and time," Pine Bluff Chancellor Lawrence A. Davis said.
As part of their budget plans, five institutions -- the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith, UCA, Arkansas Tech, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, and the University of Arkansas at Monticello -- raised athletics fees charged to all students.
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