Athletics Subsidies at Rutgers by Sport

[UConnJim]

NJ.com had a very informative piece on athletics subsidies by sport at Rutgers for 2014/2015. According to the article, Rutgers spent $70.5 mill. of which $11.3 mill. was scholarships, $10.9 million was coaching salaries, $1.2 mill. was recruiting, $5.7 mill. was travel, and $3.7 mill. was game expenses.

The total numbers by sport don't add up to the total Rutgers athletics budget, but the breakdown of revenues, expenses, and subsidies by sport is a good proxy for how sports perform at most universities. Obviously, every school's finances are different as women's basketball is a money maker at UConn. I thought this breakdown would be useful when discussing UConn's athletic budget.

The subsidies are broken out into 2 categories: Institutional Direct Support and Student Fees. At Rutgers, only football and men's basketball make money and all other sports are subsidized. Here is the breakout and the NJ.com link:

Men's Sports

Football: Revenues: $26.7 mill., Expenses: $18.7 mill., Profit: $8 mill.

Basketball: Revs: $5.9 mill., Exp: 5.0 mill., Profit: $900k

Golf: Revs: $68k, Exp: $342k, Direct Institutional Support: $164k, Student Fees: $110k

Wrestling: Revs: $539k, Exp: $946k, Direct Inst. Support: $117k, Student Fees: $290k

Soccer: Revs: $253k, Exp: $974k, Direct Inst. Support: $474k, Student Fees: $246k

T&F/X-Country: Revs: $89k, Exp: $906k, Direct Inst. Support: $546k, Student Fees: $271k

Lacrosse: Revs: $279k, Exp: $1.1 mill, Direct Inst. Support: $560k, Student Fees: $267k

Baseball: Revs: $132k, Exp: $1.2 mill, Direct Inst. Support: $495k, Student Fees: $459k

Women's Sports

Basketball: Revs: $1.6 mill, Exp: $4.2 mill, Direct Inst. Support: $1.0 mill, Student Fees: $1.6 mill

Rowing: Revs: $81k, Exp: $911k, Direct Inst. Support: $570k, Student Fees: $260k

Lacrosse: Revs: $162k, Exp: 1.0 mill, Direct Inst. Support: $610k, Student Fees: $228k

Softball: Revs: $132k, Exp: $1.1 mill, Direct Inst. Support: $641k, Student Fees: $308k

Swimming/Diving: Revs: $163k, Exp: $1.1 mill, Direct Inst. Support: $774k, Student Fees: $191k

Golf: Revs: $54k, Exp: $388k, Direct Inst. Support: $244k, Student Fees: $90k

Tennis: Revs: $87k, Exp: $528k, Direct Inst. Support: $363k, Student Fees: $79k

Gymnastics: Revs: $290k, Exp: $774k, Direct Inst. Support: $258k, Student Fees: $684k

T&F/X-Country: Revs: $40k, Exp: $1.1 mill, Direct Inst. Support: $763k, Student Fees: $249k

Soccer: Revs: $237k, Exp: $1.3 mill, Direct Inst. Support: $769k, Student Fees: $296k

Volleyball: Revs: $60k, Exp: $1.3 mill, Direct Inst. Support: $873k, Student Fees: $404k


How much does Rutgers spend on each athletics team?

 

[FDNY99]

I'd be interested to see the difference between last years costs and this coming season's costs for hockey now that ND is gone. I'd bet that hockey either breaks even or is slightly in the black. I'm also interested to see what the revenue is for football and men's basketball.

 

[JSM1970]

This is very interesting and speaks to the challenges of this w/o P5 football.

In reality even if UConn take a long time to determine if it can join a p5 conference the arguement shouldn't the cost of funding football but rather all these other worthless sports (I.e., everything except football and men's and women's hoops. Maybe hockey has some path to break even).

 

[upstater]

I don't buy these numbers at all.

Remember, Rutgers shelled out $110m to build out the football stadium. You think these numbers account for that?

 

[NYUConn]

Are they taking in TV deal as part of Football and Basketball revenues? They must be right?

 

[UConnJim]

I don't buy these numbers at all.

Remember, Rutgers shelled out $110m to build out the football stadium. You think these numbers account for that?

The debt service for the football stadium expansion is ~$4.9 million per year. It is included in overall department expenses, but I don't think it is included in the football expense numbers. Still, Rutgers football would have been profitable last year including the stadium debt service.

As for NYUConn's question on TV deal revenues, I believe they include conference payouts (bowls, TV, NCAA tourney) as revenues in the appropriate sport.

It's pretty clear from the numbers that the revenue sports can fund themselves and the non-revenue sports are a significant drag on an athletic budget. Fifteen sports each lose >$400k/year at Rutgers including 4 sports that lose >$1 million per year. The real question is not should a school like Rutgers compete in revenue sports, but should they compete in non-revenue sports?

 

[upstater]

The debt service for the football stadium expansion is ~$4.9 million per year. It is included in overall department expenses, but I don't think it is included in the football expense numbers. Still, Rutgers football would have been profitable last year including the stadium debt service.

As for NYUConn's question on TV deal revenues, I believe they include conference payouts (bowls, TV, NCAA tourney) as revenues in the appropriate sport.

It's pretty clear from the numbers that the revenue sports can fund themselves and the non-revenue sports are a significant drag on an athletic budget. Fifteen sports each lose >$400k/year at Rutgers including 4 sports that lose >$1 million per year. The real question is not should a school like Rutgers compete in revenue sports, but should they compete in non-revenue sports?

I just mentioned one thing. There are a lot of buried costs. Academic advising, for instance. But we can't account for it all here.

Still, $4.9m on $110m debt? Seriously, it can't be that. Some of that debt service is happening elsewhere. Michigan's total debt service for its stadium is $18m on $240m of debt, with the athletic department paying $11m a year, and the academic side handling $7m.

 

[UConnJim]

I just mentioned one thing. There are a lot of buried costs. Academic advising, for instance. But we can't account for it all here.

Still, $4.9m on $110m debt? Seriously, it can't be that. Some of that debt service is happening elsewhere. Michigan's total debt service for its stadium is $18m on $240m of debt, with the athletic department paying $11m a year, and the academic side handling $7m.

The stadium debt is $88 million, thus it makes sense.

 

[Samoo]

This is very interesting and speaks to the challenges of this w/o P5 football.

In reality even if UConn take a long time to determine if it can join a p5 conference the arguement shouldn't the cost of funding football but rather all these other worthless sports (I.e., everything except football and men's and women's hoops. Maybe hockey has some path to break even).

Every sport that doesn't make a profit is worthless? Nice trolling......

 

[huskymedic]

http://www.app.com/story/sports/col...hletics-student-paying-fees-tickets/83507368/