feb 2014 article on uab athletic finances
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UAB sports subsidies from university decreased as student fees went up in 2012-13
UAB Football Facilities
This is one of two small buildings used by UAB's football program. In 2012-13, UAB did not have any athletic debt service for the fourth straight year. (Mark Almond/malmond@al.com)
Jon Solomon By Jon Solomon
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on February 21, 2014 at 5:00 AM, updated February 21, 2014 at 12:11 PM
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The UAB athletics department received $1.4 million less in institutional support during the 2013 fiscal year, resulting in a rare decrease of total subsidies directed to Blazers sports even as student fees climbed.
UAB received $18.1 million in total subsidies for sports in 2013, down from $18.7 million a year earlier, according to the athletics department's latest NCAA financial report. This marked the first time subsidies have decreased during the eight years AL.com/The Birmingham News has charted the university's athletics finances.
"Income from away game guarantees was higher than normal in 2012 due to games against both South Carolina and Ohio State," UAB Athletics Director Brian Mackin said in a statement provided by the university. "Funds allotted to the athletic department from student fees were also higher than in past years; our student population continues to grow. As such, less institutional funding was needed to meet planned budget requirements."
UAB received $1.75 million in football guarantee games for the 2012 season, which was $650,000 more than in 2011.
Athletic revenue from student fees increased 18 percent to nearly $5 million, the largest jump since 2008. Money generated from student fees has increased 86 percent since 2006 while the number of students has gone up at a slower rate.
UAB had 8,203 undergraduates in 2013, up from 8,074 a year earlier. According to past NCAA financial reports, UAB had 11,284 undergraduates in 2006 and has increased enrollment by 10 percent since 2009. UAB's overall enrollment this year is 18,568 and student fees don't come only from undergraduates, a university spokesman said.
UAB's subsidies accounted for 64 percent of its 2013 athletic revenue, down 3 percent from a year earlier and its lowest since 2010. The rate of subsidizing UAB sports had increased 13 percent from 2006 to 2012.
UAB is hardly alone in subsidizing athletics at a high rate. In 2012, South Alabama, Alabama State, Jacksonville State and Troy joined UAB in heavily exceeding the national average for athletic subsidies. (The 2013 national figures are not available yet.)
The NCAA defines subsidies as student fees, government money and direct or indirect institutional support. UAB athletics received $13.1 million in direct and indirect support from the university in 2013, the first decrease from the university since 2008. Direct and indirect support include institutional resources, unrestricted funds allocated to the athletics department, tuition waivers, and university-provided support such as facilities and grounds maintenance and administrative costs.
Direct institutional support to UAB athletics had increased by annual rates of 8 percent to 19 percent from 2008 to 2012, but dropped 10 percent in 2013. The $12.6 million in direct support during 2013 mirrored the $12.5 million of 2011 before the figure climbed to $14.1 million in 2012.
The latest UAB NCAA financial report reflects the fiscal challenges for athletic programs with lesser resources to keep pace in college sports. That's particularly true when a school's major-revenue teams aren't winning and play in a conference whose payouts generally stay flat.
For the fourth straight year, UAB listed no annual debt service on athletics facilities -- a rarity in Division I sports. Many athletics departments are more frequently paying off debt. The University of Alabama Board of Trustees' lack of support in 2011 for an on-campus football stadium upset many UAB supporters.
UAB averaged $15.3 million in annual debt service for institutional facilities from 2010 to 2013. When Bill Clark was hired as football coach last month, Mackin said that he and Clark would soon take a closer look at improving UAB's existing facilities.
UAB's athletic contributions dipped to $2.5 million in 2013, down 18 percent from a year earlier and the lowest in eight years of data. Back in 2006, when UAB made the NCAA Tournament and was only two years removed from its only bowl game, the athletics department received $3.7 million in donations.
Total ticket sales for all UAB sports was $1.1 million in fiscal year 2013, slightly up from a year earlier. Ticket sales peaked at $1.3 million in 2007.
UAB football's ticket sales in the 2012 season totaled $605,892 in six games, up from $548,599 in 2011 when there were five games. Ticket sales per game in Garrick McGee's first season averaged $100,982, down from Neil Callaway's last season ($109,720) and above Callaway's second-to-last season ($83,871).
UAB men's basketball ticket sales totaled $492,449 in the 2012-13 season, the lowest in at least eight years. Ticket sales peaked at $820,336 in 2005-06, but declined in each of former coach Mike Davis' final three years before Jerod Haase took over in 2012-13.
For the first time since in AL.com's tracking of the data, UAB paid more money in 2013 on its football coach than men's basketball coach.
McGee, who recently left to become Louisville's offensive coordinator, made $734,461 in salary, benefits and bonuses, compared to $606,496 for Haase. UAB spent $1.2 million on severance payments in 2012 and 2013 due to the firings of Davis and Callaway.
UAB Athletic Revenue, 2006-2013
Year Total Revenue Contributions Direct School Support Student Fees
2013 $28,159,249 $2,456,762 $12,631,732 $4,980,820
2012 $28,114,179 $2,995,783 $14,087,516 $4,205,801
2011 $25,690,048 $2,692,625 $12,475,800 $3,826,530
2010 $24,273,967 $3,061,128 $10,519,032 $3,454,483
2009 $22,808,725 $2,944,050 $9,696,627 $3,254,812
2008 $22,430,831 $3,440,756 $9,041,494 $3,324,729
2007 $21,600,512 $3,226,902 $9,439,209 $2,706,837
2006 $19,744,094 $3,660,487 $7,462,388 $2,684,759
UAB Athletic Expenses, 2006-2013
Year Total Expenses Coaching/Staff Pay Scholarships
2013 $27,544,633 $10,645,930 $6,161,702
2012 $27,412,637 $10,511,371 $6,085,431
2011 $25,224,426 $10,106,705 $6,057,472
2010 $23,839,180 $9,600,033 $5,567,413
2009 $22,519,272 $9,443,736 $4,904,286
2008 $21,509,018 $8,745,368 $4,648,296
2007 $21,123,121 $7,813,937 $4,308,476
2006 $19,226,855 $6,712,312 $4,654,074
Source: UAB NCAA financial reports, 2006-2013.
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feb 2014 article on uab athletic finances
