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Athletics spending to be cut $1M, AD says

By Christian Schmidt
The Daily Cougar

Spending in the Athletics Department will be cut by $1 million over the next five years, and the department's deficit should drop by almost $5 million by 2007, Athletics Director Dave Maggard told the Student Fees Advisory Committee on Monday.

Maggard covered Athletics' budget plans during his presentation to SFAC, at which he requested 35 percent of non-dedicated student fees -- expected to be about $3.2 million.

"We appreciate the student fees," Maggard said. "We need the student fees to be a Division I-A institution."

The department has been the target of criticism in recent years because of a $10.8 million deficit, which is covered primarily by private donations and student fee money.

The deficit this year is higher than the $7.3 million predicted in 2002 by former UH Vice President for Administration and Finance Randy Harris.

It's also higher than former Athletics Director Chet Gladchuk projected in 1999. Gladchuk said that year he planned to reduce the deficit to $5 million in 2000 and get the department in the black during his term as director.

Instead, the deficit continued to rise, reaching more than $9 million by 2001, Gladchuk's final year as Athletics director.

Under Maggard, the deficit has held steady at about $10.8 million. He has stressed that success on the field, particularly in football and men's basketball, will help raise attendance and revenues in those sports.

To ease Athletics' troubles, Maggard said he plans to reduce spending in the department by $1 million over the next five years.

SFAC members questioned Maggard about student attendance at sporting events. With the exception of football and men's basketball, no sport has more than 60 students attending on average.

Maggard also stressed his department's academic success. He said that student athlete graduation rates climbed to 50 percent in 2003 from 22 percent in 2000. He said the department's goal is to raise the graduation rate to 60 percent.

SFAC student member Claudia Chairez asked a series of questions about the amount of money Athletics uses for academic services for student athletes. She inquired about the money used for tutoring athletes, saying that tutoring should be done by Learning Support Services, which provides such services to all UH students.

But Maggard said Athletics tutors usually serve athletes early in the morning, in the evening and on weekends, when LSS is not open.
 

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