TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Cost-cutting trims only $252,923 from USF athletics budget

News Channel 8 file photo by BOB HANSEN

Football coach Jim Leavitt's annual average salary of $1.8 million ranks as the Big East's highest.

ADVERTISEMENT

By BRETT McMURPHY | The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 7, 2009

TAMPA - The University of South Florida athletics budget for the 2009-10 school year is only $252,923 less than the 2008-09 school year, according to figures released today by the school.

USF's 2009-10 athletics budget is $32.27 million, compared with $32.52 million in 2008-09. It was $32.6 million in 2007-08.

Because of the economic climate, a number of athletic departments across the country have slashed their budgets for the upcoming school year, but USF's budget will experience only a slight dip.

The school recently announced some cost-cutting moves, including traveling to Tallahassee by bus for its football game against Florida State instead of taking a charter plane. That will save about $50,000. Also, the school will no longer print media guides, which generated an expense of $185,000 the past two years.

Despite USF's budget ranking as the lowest among the eight Big East football members in 2007-08 (the most recent data available according to the U.S. Department of Education's Equity in Athletics study), football coach Jim Leavitt and athletic director Doug Woolard remain among the most highly compensated individuals in the conference.

Last year, Leavitt received a seven-year, $12.6 million salary. His $1.8 million average per season ranks as the Big East's highest salary. Woolard, who earned $476,950, including $55,000 in bonuses in the 2008-09 school year, ranks as the league's second-highest paid AD behind Louisville's Tom Jurich.

Reporter Brett McMurphy can be reached at (813) 259-7928.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT