State Subsidies Make Up Almost Third Of Mu's Athletic Budget, Audit Finds

By Phil Kabler West Virginia has two nationally ranked Division I college football teams - but only one is heavily subsidized by the state, a legislative Post Audit report released Tuesday shows.Using data obtained from the NCAA for the 2012-13 budget year, the audit found that state subsidies of $7.8 million amounted to nearly 28 percent of Marshall University's $28.33 million athletic department budget.West Virginia University's athletic department was essentially self-sufficient, receiving state subsidies of $31,485, accounting for 0.04 percent of its $73.5 million budget, the audit concluded.While the state subsidizes nearly one-third of the costs of Marshall athletics, four Division II schools in West Virginia rely on state subsidies for more than 50 percent of their athletic department budgets, the audit found."Are subsidized dollars the amount the state of West Virginia puts into the program?" asked House Majority Leader Harry Keith White, D-Mingo.Auditor Amanda Arbaugh responded that state appropriations and student tuition are the two primary sources of the state subsidies.The audit found that WVU had $77.675 million of unsubsidized revenue in 2012-13, including $10.35 million in revenue distributions from the NCAA and Big 12 conference; $23.9 million in athletic club and other contributions; $21.41 million in ticket sales, and $21.99 million in miscellaneous revenues, including concessions, parking, royalties and licensing fees, and advertising sales and sponsorships.Marshall had $19.7 million of unsubsidized revenues, with $2.41 million from NCAA and Conference USA revenue distributions; $3.48 million of contributions; $3.3 million of ticket sales; and $10.5 million of miscellaneous revenues.With operating expenses of $73.5 million, WVU athletics finished the year with a revenue surplus of $4.2 million.