Athletics’ travel, international recruiting budgets may see cuts

The doorbell rings, and Skip Bertman stands on the stoop of a former LSU baseball player's home.

The athlete doesn't need an explanation for Bertman's presence.

"If I go see an old player, he usually knows why I'm coming there," the former athletic director said with a chuckle. "You know what I mean."

Bertman means money.

And though the U.S. economy is flailing its arms in the midst of a yearlong recession, Bertman hasn't stop asking for it.

Bertman's position as athletic director emeritus is designed to channel his fundraising strengths into the Forever LSU campaign and the Tiger Athletic Foundation's project funds.

In times like these, every dollar helps. Some may be skeptical of the Athletic Department's financial needs since the LSU athletic brand is nationally known for its lucrative earnings.

A Washington Post report of 2007 athletic department revenues ranked LSU as the nation's No. 11 highest revenue earner, totaling $76.5 million.

Athletic Director Joe Alleva said he is aware his department is in a healthier state than many national competitors.

But the question remains: For how long can one sit comfortably without feeling the pinch from national economic woes?

That time could be running out.

RECESSION PROOF?

A Sports Illustrated article in October suggested "college football may prove to be recession proof" in the midst of national financial chaos.

Football is certainly LSU's cash cow. The athletic department earned a 67 percent profit margin — $31.7 million — in 2007 off the sport.

But the premise that football powerhouse athletic programs may be immune from the recession is an incorrect assumption, according to prominent sports economist Andrew Zimbalist.

"The notion that there is true insulation here is far-fetched," Zimbalist, an economics professor at Smith College, said. "The real financial collapse started in late September, when most of the financial commitments that support college football had already been made. No one had to take more money out of its pockets."

Zimbalist said most commitments such as season ticket purchases, advertising contracts and big booster donations had already been locked in when the crisis began.

"We went through a season where there was insulation from the economic downturn," he said.

Zimbalist predicts boosters will significantly "pull back" because of the major losses they may face. He said sponsorship levels and luxury seat purchases will probably decrease while negotiation of media contracts may "take a hit."

Athletic construction projects are dependent on the bond market, which Zimbalist said could be much more difficult to navigate.

"All of these things are crimping the resources of college football," he said.

INCREASING OVERSIGHT

It's difficult for Alleva to predict how much of a hit his department will take. He said he is preparing for the worst by cutting corners in hopes of not harming competitive efforts.

One area of cutbacks could be the Tigers' travel funds, which amount for about 6 percent of the athletic department's $75 million budget.

The LSU women's basketball team was allotted nearly $213,000 for seven charter flights this season, including a $45,000 flight to Hartford, Conn. 

The men's basketball team's original charter budget of about $187,000 for seven flights escalated after a canceled commercial flight to Utah. Poor weather forced the men to charter a flight costing about $45,000.

Mark Ewing, senior associate athletic director of business, estimates a commercial flight to Connecticut or Utah would have cost about $12,000 to $15,000.

But Ewing said flying charter has its perks, including minimal academic disruptions because of faster transit and seamless travel.

The men's flight to Utah and the women's flight to Connecticut cost a significant chunk of change, but it's merely a fraction of what the football team will shell out to fly to Washington for the 2009 season opener.

"It's going to cost a ton," Ewing said. "Probably around $250,000 to $300,000."

Even though there might not be much money to squeeze out of the travel budget, Alleva wants to take a closer look.

"I've already put in place that all charter flights have to be approved by me," he said. "Probably pretty soon, we're going to have to put in place that all flights in general will be approved by me."

The economy could also affect the department's willingness to schedule long distance, out-of-conference opponents.

"You may not play Utah [in basketball] anymore," Alleva said. "You may say, ‘That's too far away.' You may say, ‘We're only going to play [non-SEC] teams that are within a bus ride.'"

The basketball teams typically bus to SEC opponents within a six-hour radius but only if the game is scheduled on the weekend to avoid class conflicts. Busing a team costs just $3,000 to $4,000.

COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

Ewing projects the international recruiting budget, which totaled about $24,500 for the past fiscal year, could take a hit as well.

The sports most likely affected will be track and field, swimming and diving, tennis and golf.

Swimming and diving coach Adam Schmitt has athletes on his roster from Germany, Estonia and Denmark. Schmitt said many of his international athletes have committed to LSU "sight-unseen," made possible given the great strides in technological recruiting efforts.