Georgia Tech's projected FY '15 budget of $73.7M is "about a 10 percent increase" over the FY '14 budget of $66.9M, according to Ken Sugiura of the ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION. However, a "considerable chunk of the increase is a one-time expenditure" on improvements to the baseball program's Russ Chandler Stadium "that will be paid for out of a draw from the department’s long-term support fund." Distribution of funds from the ACC also shot up by 32% to $23.6M, and while the increase "largely comes from ESPN" after the conference renegotiated its media deal following the addition of Notre Dame, Pitt and Syracuse, funds also came from the ACC grant of rights agreement and the upcoming CFP. Revenue from ticket sales, while "budgeted conservatively, is projected to drop" from $11.6M to $9.8M. It is the "second-largest source of revenues after the ACC distribution." A projected "slight drop in season ticket sales, six home games (as opposed to seven) and the even-year schedule without a home game against Georgia are primary factors." Sponsorship revenue is budgeted at $6.8M, which is "actually down" about $1.7M from last year, but the department received a one-time $1M bonus from IMG and another $800,000 from IMG "to pay for a scoreboard project." The ballpark renovations will require a $4.5M "draw off the long-term support fund, but no long-term debt is anticipated to be carried." Overall, the budget "projects to break even." FY '14, which ended in June but still has "outstanding revenues and expenses," also is "expected to break even." For FY '15, the "largest expense" is salaries, which at $23.3M mark an increase of $675,000 (AJC.com, 7/7).
