RELATED: WSU interim president: ‘Our financial picture is grim’
If the budget proposal is approved by trustees on June 8, athletics could get a $1.6 million boost in budgeted funding in fiscal year 2018. That would bring athletics’ total university support to more than $10.1 million next year, up from $7.7 million in 2013, according to the document.
Despite the funding increase, athletics spending is projected to be $202,448 less than this year. Part of that savings comes from the elimination of WSU’s men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams, which eliminated about $500,000 in expenses.
While WSU’s budget for athletics could increase, other revenue sources are projected to decline next year by $193,943, according to the snapshot. If the revenue projection is correct, since 2016 athletics will have seen a more than $430,000 decline in revenue from sources other than WSU itself.
RELATED: Wright State hits its ‘low point’ with announcement of layoffs, budget cuts
Officials have said previous athletics budgets were not realistic. This new budget for athletics gives the department “a budget we can hold them accountable to,” Doug Fecher, vice chairman of the board of trustees said last week.
Wright State is attempting to correct years of overspending by slashing $25 million from its upcoming budget while boosting reserves by $5 million. The university announced last week that it will likely lay off around 71 employees and eliminate about 107 vacant positions.
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