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Mitch Vingle: MU, WVU and the big money in college athletics

By Mitch Vingle

If you're sitting down to check out the USA Today database of Division I public schools athletics spending and revenues, you'd better make sure you have some Lotemax or Restasis nearby.

That's because the numbers will make your eyes pop.

Charted was all 231 DI public schools for the 2014-15 time frame. And atop the list in revenue for that time was Texas A&M with $192,608,876 - right above the $183,521,028 haul of Texas.

I don't know if everything is bigger in Texas, but the athletic budgets apparently are. Yet hold onto yer hats, pardners. According to the chart, WVU ranks No. 31 in revenue, depositing $90,523, 565.

Yes, that's $90 million. What's more staggering, however, is West Virginia spent $87,265,473 of that. Left over is $3,258,092.

Here's the proverbial kicker though: WVU was only No. 33 nationally in expenses. Texas was No. 1 (surprise, I know) at $173,248,133.

For one year of staging sports programs.

As for Marshall, USA Today reported income of $27,069,138 (No. 101 nationally) with expenses of $27,397,209 (No. 100). That's a loss of $328,071. While WVU's athletic department received $4,403,165 in total subsidies, that of MU received $12,218,077. The latter is 45.14 percent.

"That's a little off," said MU athletic director Mike Hamrick. "The breakdown of revenue and money we received is actually 57 percent [revenue] generated and 43 percent received.

"That 43 percent is about $11.6 million. Of that, about $7 million is through student fees or tuition waivers. So that money doesn't cost the university anything. And, of course, the students get tickets, etc. So the university really puts into our athletic department about $4.6 million.

"Recently, the university did a report, though, and said the student-athletes not on full scholarship generate another $4 million. So the real cost to our university is about $600,000."

Hamrick said Marshall was No. 3 among Conference USA schools in generated revenue outside of institutional support and No. 11 in support received.

"My goal by this time next year," Hamrick said, "is to be No. 1 in generated revenue through ticket sales and outside income."

WVU's income statement (unaudited) for June of 2015 actually shows $91,764,805 in revenues collected, which is more than USA Today reported. Most of that came from four areas: contributions through the Mountaineer Athletic Club/WVU Foundation ($25,887,301), NCAA/Big 12 distribution and tournament fees ($23,172, 936), ticket sales ($18,536,077) and royalties, advertisements and sponsorships ($10,966,959).

"I'd imagine it was a [WVU] record for revenue," said WVU athletic director Shane Lyons.

What's more intriguing, though, is the answer to this question: How in the world can the top schools spend that kind of money each year? $173 million by Texas in one year?

"You're talking salaries; you're talking travel," Lyons said. "We have to pay the university $10 million for scholarships. You have to run the facilities. There's debt service ..."

In football, WVU and its contributing arms pay the football staff around $5.75 million. Head coach Dana Holgorsen is at $2.9 million. Basketball coach Bob Huggins is at $3.325 million. The total for all coaching staffs, including benefits, was $15,154,569 in 2015. The cost for the support staff was $13,160,525. So that's a grand total of $28,315,094 for personnel.

Lyons said benefits, including insurance, can run up the costs of salaries 27 to 30 percent.

"It's a numbers game," Lyons said. "It depends on how you play with them."

Still, it's difficult for some, even within the athletic ring, to comprehend.

"It's hard for me to imagine how any athletic department can spend $87 million," Hamrick said. "Connecticut made and spent $72 million and we beat them in a bowl game. Maryland is over $92 million and did you see what we did to their [football] team two years ago? With the sports we play WVU, we're very competitive.

"I just look at some of these schools and wonder. How can Texas spend $100 million?"

Hamrick said the system is broken.

"College athletics are the most unfair competition in the sports world," he said. "Look around. In the NBA, there's a salary cap. In Major League baseball, there's a salary cap. But there's no cap in college athletics.

"How far can it go? Every time you pick up the newspaper someone is building a Taj Mahal. We're guilty of it too. We have one of the best indoor practice facilities in the nation. But can we continue that at Marshall? Will we ever have an $80 million budget? Heck no. So we just work hard, hire good people and give our fans good bang for their buck. We win with less."

Less, however, is more than ever.


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