Article about the budget cuts WAC schools are facing

About how they have had to cut their budget, BSU coach Chris Petersen said:
"We've had to make some hard decisions." (HA)

About how he had to turn down a $75 purchase that his equipment manager wanted to make recently, Petersen said:
"We're not going to get it. We don't have $75. Those are the conversations we've had." (HA)

HA Note: "The California state schools also have been hit hard. There has been talk of ordering furloughs for employees."

About the budget cuts that SJSU and other California schools face, Dick Tomey said:
"We're going to have to see what the state mandates." (HA)

About cutting their budget, Tomey said:
"we're trying to go line by line (over the budget) and see where we can help the effort." (HA)

About how they might have to not have the football team stay in hotels the night before home games, Tomey said:
"The idea of staying in a hotel the night before a game might become passe. I don't think it's an essential item." (HA)

HA Note: "This year, only four WAC schools, including Hawai'i, printed media guides. Nevada cited "continuing efforts of financial responsibility" in its decision to not print "traditional media guides.""

Looking on the bright side, Hill said:
"At least we're not laying off anybody yet. There might be layoffs. It's a difficult time." (HA)

HA Note: "But Derek Dooley, Louisiana Tech's athletic director and football coach, said his athletic department "didn't get caught up in the hysteria. The first thing people tend to do is panic." Instead, Louisiana Tech made "strategic cuts" while still funding "areas we needed to invest in. We made more investments than cuts." He said the athletic department purchased a new video scoreboard, formed a partnership with TicketMaster, added new sky suites to the football stadium and formed an events-management staff. Dooley said the "investments" will help recruiting and increase the fan base by making the game-day experience more enjoyable. Dooley said the school needed to "make tough investments" that will pay off in the "back end." He cautioned against "putting money in a mattress." "

HA Note: "In his annual state-of-the-league address, WAC commissioner Karl Benson reiterated that the conference will receive an additional $5 million from the larger BCS and ESPN agreements. While ESPN's seven-year contract extension begins this football season, the extra payments won't be made until 2010. The money then will be funneled to the member schools."

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