Kansas men's basketball team in '17 generated a total of $15.1M in ticket salesGETTY IMAGES
Kansas Athletics from '06-17 has "seen its revenues increase" by 68%, but while its revenues have gone up, its expenses also "have increased" by 93%, according to Chad Lawhorn of the LAWRENCE JOURNAL-WORLD. This comes as KU "hopes to make the biggest bet in its history" -- $350M of facility upgrades. The projects -- about $300M would be "used to improve facilities for the school's struggling football program -- would add to Kansas Athletics' debt totals and put more pressure on donors, who already are called upon to cover basic day-to-day operating expenses of the department." A review found that KU "lost money" in '17, and donors "had to cover" a more than $19M operating deficit the department posted for the year (LJWORLD.com, 4/29). Meanwhile, Lawhorn notes the KU men's basketball team in '17 generated $15.1M in ticket sales. But KU's "woes on the football field haven't put the athletic department at a financial disadvantage." KU football in '17 "generated only" $3.4M in ticket sales, but overall, the school "had a total" of $18.9M in ticket sales. Kansas State had $15.2M in total ticket sales, while Missouri "also trailed KU in total ticket sales" with $17.9M (LAWRENCE JOURNAL-WORLD, 4/30).
