Athletic budget cut update #34

A number of west coast institutions have adopted a variety of methods to close their budget shortfalls.

• Boise State is using some creative methods close a $750,000 budget gap. In addition to laying off three staff members, the football program has also eliminated two interns, land line phones have been eliminated for the gymnastics program, and printed media guides have been eliminated with some exceptions for football and basketball, saving $25,000.


• Idaho has reduced their support staff by leaving open vacant positions. Also, all one way travel less than 400 miles will be via bus.


• Idaho State is eliminating media guides, reduced a basketball coaching position to graduate assistant status and is eliminating printed media guides.


• Nevada may face the loss of $1 million on its $18.7 million budget.

San Jose State has moved a scheduled contest with Stanford to 2014 and will replace them on the schedule with a road game at Alabama that will pay $1 million, nearly five times more than the guarantee Stanford was paying.

Iowa State is facing a $500,000 budget cut. Some savings have already been identified by eliminating a trip for the men's basketball team to Germany ($150,000), eliminating a chartered flight to Missouri for football ($50,000) and eliminating the football media guide ($100,000).

Florida State athletic director Randy Spetman is "pleading" with fans to support the football team with season ticket sales down nearly 12% and the team only hosting 6 home games in 2009. The current pace of sales would mean $1.5 million in lost revenue.

Southern University has agreed to move their home football game against Jackson State to Jackson, Mississippi because of the ability to sell up to an additional 32,000 tickets. "You can't measure (home field advantage)...But you can measure cheeks in seats" said athletic director Greg LaFleur about the decision to move the game out of his own facility.

Arkansas State is eliminating most printed media guides, saving $35,000.

Kentucky's Athletic Association is giving $500,000 to the University's general fund for scholarship support.

In Division I hockey, http://www.ultimatesportsinsider.com/ has heard that both Hockey East and the WCHA are eliminating printed media guides.