Donations, cuts help UNLV balance sports budget

Jim Livengood’s two greatest fears were having to cut athletic programs and jobs.

The UNLV athletic director, despite facing what at one time appeared to be a drastic financial crisis, used a combination of increased donations and spending cuts to save programs and jobs and ensure the Rebels won’t run a deficit.

Livengood said Tuesday he expects the athletic department to finish the fiscal year June 30 with perhaps a $150,000 to $200,000 surplus.

"It’s really a tribute to the coaches, staff and getting ($2.5 million) from the Thomas & Mack," Livengood said. "A lot of people played a huge part."

UNR will not release its budget numbers until June 30. The school had an $800,000 shortfall last fiscal year, and cut its skiing programs, which saves $312,000 this year and $462,000 beginning in 2012-13 when the scholarships expire.

Livengood credited Julio Freire, senior associate AD for athletic development, and his staff for increasing donations by nearly 21 percent to reach the goal of $4.4 million.

"We could meet the number, or I would have to tell Jim we would have a $400,000 shortfall and he’d have to make cuts," Freire said. "Our response was to meet the number."

About $2.9 million came from priority seating in which fans who buy men’s basketball or football season tickets pay an amount in addition to the ticket price.

The number of Rebel Athletic Fund members increased 1,329 to 1,603, with the number donating at least $10,000 going from 34 to 77.

The RAF created a large-gifts fund in which 33 families, companies or foundations gave or pledged at least $25,000 up to a five-year period. That added $1.1 million in immediate money and $3.625 million in pledges.

Included in the program was the newly created Loyalty Circle, in which 25 donors each pledged $50,000 — $10,000 annually — to cover the costs of books and room and board for a designated athlete over a five-year period.

Freire said his goal is to increase RAF membership to 2,012 next year and donations to more than $5 million.

In addition to raising funds, Livengood instituted a number of cuts for the 2011-12 fiscal year that will save $250,000 on summer school, $140,000 on cell phones (employees now pick up the tab), $100,000 on part-time single-event wages, $50,000 each on recruiting and travel and $40,000 on athletic equipment.

Basketball coach Lon Kruger’s departure to Oklahoma represented a nearly $450,000 in staff salary savings. New coach Dave Rice earns $400,000.

Athletic-department employees will take a 4.8 percent pay cut — a 2.5 percent salary reduction and another 2.3 percent through six furlough days.

"One of the things I considered was another 5 percent," Livengood said. "I’d rather do it through summer school and cell phones."

Deputy athletic director Jerry Koloskie created "cost containment policies and procedures" that address how money is spent from travel to meals to media guides. The football team will fly commercially to Texas Christian next season, and might do the same for the UNR trip.

UNLV hasn’t had much room for error after taking a $1.7 million reduction in state aid, though the cut was expected to be far worse.

All 17 sports were saved, a net five jobs were lost. But no additional positions were eliminated in the next budget, which will be about $27 million, about $1 million less than the current one.

The process, though, never ends, and beginning July 1, Livengood will begin working to keep next year’s budget in the black.

He is hopeful, saying if all goes as planned that "come June 30, 2012, we should be OK.

"Then we’ll start looking to 2013."

Contact reporter Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2914. Follow him on Twitter: @markanderson65.