April 7, 2005

Question:

Greeting CABMA members,

I am requesting help and information from the following sub-group of our constituency:
- Division I-AAA
- Private University
- Preferably Religiously affiliated

So if you don't fit the category, sorry to bother you, and I'll see you in Orlando!

Here is our situation. Currently, our University does not have a set Institutional Support amount allocated to the athletic department. Our President does not believe in the Institutional Support revenue line. This is both a curse and a blessing. In a bad year, any revenue shortfalls are picked up by the University without current the athletic expense budgets. In a good year, the revenue surplus is taken by the University with not benefit to the athletic department.

We have a new athletic director, and part of her mandate is to decrease the annual deficit found in our NCAA Audit report (Caused by not reporting an Institutional Support revenue line). We are trying to show the President that similar schools all have Institional Support of various levels depending on the ability of each University and the discretion and support of each University President. So this is where I need your help. I would like to request copies of your athletic department audit reports so I can show him Apples to Apples that we need to change our accounting in this way. This information will be held in the strictest of confidence and if you would feel better about blacking out your school name that's fine too. I know this all sounds crazy, trying to build an annual budget without a revenue and expenditure floor/ceiling, but you should try being held accountable to a number that is never set.

If you would like to contact me by phone my number is 314-977-3262. I appreciate and thank you all for your help in advance.

- Mark D. Spencer, Saint Louis University

Responses:

Mark,
Until about 4-5 years ago, our university operated exactly as yours does. For us, it was normally a blessing, since we had shortfalls more often than surpluses! :) Now, we have ownership of our budget, with a set amount of institutional support each year.

I do not have an electronic copy of our audit report, only paper. Would you like it faxed or mailed to you? Please provide your address/fax #.
Thanks,
- Carla Wilson, Missouri-Kansas City