Show The Utah Statesman Wednesday October 4 lwt n Women' s sports gain recognition lose money by Erich Crosse USU women’s athletics has brought a national reputation to USU that most of the men’s programs haven’t been able to boast about Yet the women’s athletics program has suffered some budgetary troubles that might place its present status in jeopardy Why would an athletic department allow these things to happen to the programs that have gained this reputation? It’s a shortage of money The lack of money is not d due to an men’s department but a lack of the green stuff throughout the athletic department “We've all had to suffer these cutbacks and no one department is taking the majority of the cuts” said Ladell Andersen USU athletic director Each year USU is allocated money from the state of Utah This money is divided among the departments on campus Last year the athletic department's share was $643282 This year its share was dropped to $598826 according to department figures As a result of this cutback the department was forced to trim the budgets of all of its programs The total athletic budget for 1980-8- 1 was $2035433 according to department records Marilyn Weiss former assistant athletic director in charge of women’s athletics at USU and who is now at the University of Florida at Gainesville said “The philosophy at USU is not to build first-rat- e programs but to stay within the budget” V et this philosophy is not being adhered to by the women’s athletic department In the 1980-8- 1 athletic season the budget for the entire women’s athletic department was $333220 The women’s program spent $408523 placing it $76110 in the hole The men’s department was budgeted $1292066 It spent $1225749 leaving the men’s department with a surplus of $62818 This spending on the part the women’s department left the entire athletic department with a $26064 deficit according to athletic department figures Not one of the five women’s programs stayed within their budgets Three of the six men’s programs did not stay within their budgets Weiss complained about inequities in the women’s pro- - gram and her complaints brought about an investigation by the Office of Civil Rights in the Department of Education in 1978 “USU has been out of compliance with Title IX since the beginning” said Weiss Tide IX is a federal law that was designed to prevent discrimination on the basis of sex under any education or activity receiving federal assistance A follow-u- p investigation took place last spring but the Department of Education has T not released any of its findings One way to distribute athletic department funds would be to treat all the athletic programs at USU as monetary equals If each program were given a percentage based on percentage of participants and each program was allowed to keep the revenues it produced this might seem fair to everyone If this method had been applied to men's basketball and women’s volleyball during their 1980-8- 1 seasons the QEQP spikers would have regretted such a logical means of equalit- yBy this method the two teams would have been allocated their percentage of the monies from the state student fees and donations basketball getting $75429 volleyball receiving $61172 according to the athletic department figures The total basketball budget was $245378 If for 1980-8- 1 revenues that basketball produced in 1980-8- 1 are added with its percentage of the ad- - dfliftatg tagHg&r ministrative costs the basketball subtracted figure would rise to $261447 By the addition of revna and subtraction of expenses the volleyball figure would y to $39514 Its actual budrt was $83261 accordingly department’s calculations Since the athletic department bases its budget on pr jected revenues its exiaenct relies on the success of the profitable programs "We have to do more for the revenue-producin- g sports because those are the ones At majority of the people arc interested in and they do nip port thc other programs" id Andersen "If volleyball made a hundred thousand dollars then would give them as much 1 as the basketball said Andersen "But the fact remains that they don’t make money In fad they operate at a substantial team” CXO-E- X fm3D at loss” There is a Catch-2- for 2 thc women’s progams: they can't get the support from the department until they get su- from the public and they can't get support from the public without the support of the department “This year the coaches o told ‘when you go over budget your season is over whether you are at regwoils nationals or in the middle of pport your season”’ said McReivy “Nobody wants to go over nattonak budget but a trip to may cost as much as $10000” "We really don't (GteKCratp u cooa Students contribute to budget It takes money to put the Mike Perkos on the field and the Leo Cunninghams in basketball uniforms Student fees make up a substantial amount of the money the athletic department receives The total athletic budget for 1980-8- 1 was $2035433 Students currently pay $52 in fees each quarter and 13 percent of the money goes to athletics This fee accounted for almost $340000 of last year's budget The other part of the budget comes from the university via the state and revenues that the different programs take in Also there are contributing programs such as the Big Blue Club radio and TV training tables and cessions In 1980-8- 1 the women’s athletic department had a budget of $333220 Of that figure $158625 came from the The men’s athletic budget was university $1292 066 and it received $309153 from student’ fees TTiere were no surprises about which sp made the most money-foot- ball and men' basketbaU The football made program 2 £"d thc basketball made f a program x" have sny problems at USU except money we do so much nxt with so little than most school do with twice the money said Andersen “There ait two reasons that I can think1 to justify a program: if they make money or they bring prestige” Much of the problem lk with the state’s unwillingnen the to help alleviate some off that monetary burdens the athletic administration An ding to Andersen who mu athlete pie is an f tuition out-of-sta- te The only fo te of Utah will pay his tw portion of n the athlete’s particular the r (gram must pay fees Mo his of indcr out tlic institutions in othertsD tes will pay the entire ive the residency te according dersen to VlcReavy said “TheyW t letic department) want water them” |