Michigan State plans to allocate about $4M "to its football program from outside the athletic department," according to Chris Solari of the LANSING STATE JOURNAL. MSU BOT Chair Joel Ferguson said of AD Mark Hollis, "He's researched this thing and made a recommendation to the board. We think that recommendation makes a lot of sense, so that's what's going to happen." The university's '13-14 budget includes a $4M increase for athletics spending, a 4.7% increase that "raises the department's overall budget" to $89.1M for the upcoming school year. Ferguson "would not say whether the university's general funds would be used." Ferguson said that the BOT "will not make the decision for what or how the additional funding will be used" (LANSING STATE JOURNAL, 7/9). Hollis yesterday promised that the money "will not come from either the school's general fund or tuition money, nor will it affect the budgets of the Spartans' other 24 varsity programs." Hollis "expects it to come from a combination of licensing rights, concessions income, television revenues and increased donations." Hollis added, "There's no hidden agenda here whatsoever. It's just trying to keep all the balls in the air from the standpoint of being a viable contender in the Big Ten Conference in multiple sports" (LANSING STATE JOURNAL, 7/10).
BLUE IN THE BLACK: In Detroit, Mark Snyder noted Michigan AD Dave Brandon projected an $8.9M surplus as part of the FY '14 budget he brought "to the Board of Regents in June.” That is the total after spending $4.75M on "deferred maintenance on campus projects.” UM with the surplus is “reinvesting in facilities.” There are three projects “ongoing -- painting the stadium, the sports marquee being built on Stadium Drive between Crisler and the Big House and the softball facility” (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 7/6).
