LITTLE ROCK — UA athletics budget goes up 8.8 percent
The University of Arkansas athletic department is projecting revenues of $75.6 million for the 2012-2013 fiscal year, according to figures obtained Thursday by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
The revenue total, which includes a projected $28.9 million in revenues from football and $10.7 million in gifts and donations, is up 8.8 percent from last year’s revenue projection of $68.9 million.
Athletic Director Jeff Long, who is in Omaha, Neb., with the Arkansas baseball team at the College World Series, was not available for comment. Long has maintained throughout his tenure that the athletic department projects conservatively, meaning revenues might wind up higher than the projections.
For instance, the Arkansas budget projected $18 million in SEC and NCAA distributions for 2012-2013, the same as projected for last year, and the SEC recently announced its revenue-sharing plan would result in approximately $20.1 million per SEC program.
While the SEC is adding Missouri and Texas A&M in all sports July 1, it is also anticipating adjustments in its broadcast rights that should result in increased revenues.
The Arkansas athletic department’s budget for 2012-2013 also projects expenditures that will equal revenues. The football program is budgeted for $18.3 million in expenditures, which would result in a profit of roughly $10.5 million. The men’s basketball program is projected to take in $6.45 million in revenues and to spend $6.43 million.
- Tom Murphy
Hogs have shot at Cap One Cup
Arkansas is the only school in the country that can overtake Florida to win the Capital One Cup for the 2011-2012 school year.
The Razorbacks have 39 points to rank No. 17, but if the baseball team wins the College World Series, and the 60 points that go along with it, Arkansas could be in position to wrest the cup away from Florida, which won it last season.
The Gators have 89 points and their baseball team is very likely to add points when the final poll is released. Florida entered the postseason as the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, but departed the College World Series with an 0-2 record in Omaha, Neb.
Points are accumulated for top-10 finishes in 19 sports on the men’s side and 20 sports on the women’s side. Football, basketball, baseball, outdoor track and field, soccer and lacrosse are weighted with double the scoring of the remaining sports.
Arkansas scored 18 points for its No. 5 finish in football, 12 points for its No. 2 finish in indoor track and field and 9 points for its No. 8 finish in outdoor track.
The current top five has Florida leading LSU (78 points) by 11, followed by No. 3 North Carolina (75), No. 4 Alabama (72) and No. 5 Kentucky (70). No. 6 UCLA, with 64 points, had a chance to overtake Florida when the baseball NCAA Tournament started, but the Bruins were knocked out at the College World Series and out of contention.
If the Gators finish No. 7, which is worth 12 points, or better in the final baseball poll, they will retain the cup. If Arkansas wins the College World Series and Florida is ranked No. 8 in the final poll, the Hogs will win the cup by a 99-98 margin.
The Arkansas women ranked No. 48 with 11 points, with Stanford taking the cup with 152.5 points.
TRACK AND FIELD
Rogers athlete earns Gatorade award
Chase Lamers of Rogers was named Gatorade Arkansas Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year on Thursday.
Lamers, a 6-2, 175-pound junior sprinter, won the 100 meters with a time of 11.08 seconds and the 200 in 22.27 this spring, leading the Mountaineers to a fourth-place finish at the Class 7A state meet. Lamers also won the 100 (11.04) and 200 (22.24) at the 7A-West Conference meet.
Razorback to represent Nigeria
Arkansas sprinter Regina George won the national title in the 400 meters Thursday in Nigeria and will represent her native country at the Summer Olympics in London.
George finished in 51.17, ahead of Omolara Omotosho’s 51.28 and Bukola Abogunloko’s 51.72.
George won the SEC Outdoors title at 400 meters, and was the national indoor runner-up for Arkansas.
FOOTBALL
Fayetteville’s Allen invited to Elite 11 final
Fayetteville quarterback Austin Allen, an Arkansas commitment, has been invited to compete in the Elite 11 final in Redondo Beach, Calif., on July 18-22. Allen was one of 25 quarterbacks selected Thursday.
Allen, 6-2, 218 pounds, 4.7 seconds in the 40-yard dash, was named the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Northwest Arkansas Offensive Player of the Year after completing 266 of 422 passes for 4,078 yards and 46 touchdowns as a junior. He led the Bulldogs to the Class 7A state title.
He was rated one of the top performers at the Elite Regional in Dallas in March. He was also named the MVP at the recent Nike Football Training Camp in Memphis among approximately 50 other quarterbacks.
Greenbrier’s Neal Burcham was named co-MVP of last year’s Elite 11 competition.
Sports, Pages 23 on 06/22/2012