Inside the Budget

For the past three years, The University of Memphis' football team has lost more money than any other sport.  

In the 2010-2011 academic year, the football team accumulated about $4.6 million in losses.  That same year, the basketball team earned about $1.3 million in excess of their expenses.

"The cost of buying what it takes to practice football with and to outfit a football team drastically exceeds what it takes to outfit a golf team or men's or women's basketball team," said William Lofton, associate athletic director of business and finance.

In the 2009-2010 year, The University was buying out former head football coach Tommy West and his staff, topping total losses for the football team to over $7.5 million for that year.

Now, in accordance with his contract, recent head coach Larry Porter will be bought out as well, adding another $2.2 million of debt for the football team over the next three years for Porter alone.

Lofton said a variety of factors play into the football team acquiring significant losses each year, but it is mostly due to the lack of revenue received from ticket sales.

"We've recently seen a decline in season game ticket sales and individual game ticket sales," Lofton said. "Also, we are in a conference that does not generate as much money through TV packages as other schools do."

Fred Stewart, manager of the Athletic Business Office, said it ‘s important to keep in mind that the football team hosts more players than any other sport by far, with about 90 athletes.  

Eighty-five of those students receive scholarships covering full tuition at The U of M, courtesy of the athletic department.

Over $2.8 million of the team's slightly more than $11.5 million budget is designated for scholarship assistance for tuition, books, support for the scholarship board, or meals for the scholars.

With a group so large, travel and eating out is more difficult, Lofton said. He said when the entire team flies, they have to do so with air charter services.  Typically, the team will have banquet-style meals in hotels because it isn't feasible to take them all to a local restaurant.

More than $1 million of the team's budget is dedicated to travel. That includes travel expenses for the team, recruits who are brought in and individual travel for the coach.

"The men's basketball team does not have near the expense that football has… .(Basketball games) practically sell out the FedExForum in season tickets. We are basically maximizing the total amount of revenue we can in seasonal basketball," Lofton said.

According to Lofton, the athletic department is working with a public relations firm to develop an overall marketing plan for the football team once a new coach is named.

"We lost some customers over the past three years," he said. "We are going to make every effort we can to start to get them back. I hope with change we will increase ticket sales – particularly season ticket buyers."