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Coming up Roses? Pasadena visit becomes thorny issue to legislators
Posted: Friday October 22, 1999 09:25 PM
MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- The University of Wisconsin athletic department spent $2.1 million on a money-losing Rose Bowl trip, $2.9 million on travel expenses and $75,000 on memberships at private golf courses for 14 coaches, says an audit report that attracted criticism from legislators. The department lost $1.1 million in the last fiscal year and is expected to lose $89,000 more this year, the Legislative Audit Bureau said. "The bottom line of the audit is expenditures are up more than revenues," Rep. Carol Kelso, R-Green Bay, chairwoman of the Legislative Audit Committee, said Thursday. "That should cause someone to worry." Auditors said the department needs to control its spending to protect its financial health. Without curbing spending, increases in ticket prices may be needed, they said. UW has the second-highest average student football ticket prices in the Big Ten and the fourth highest average general ticket prices. The department lost $286,700 on the Badgers' Rose Bowl appearance last January. That was twice as expensive as the football team's previous trip to the game in California five years ago. It is not unusual for bowl-game appearances to lose money for universities. However, the bureau questioned some of the expenses. The university paid for 832 people to go on the 1999 trip. While six fewer team members took the trip this year, 80 more band members, university officials and others were part of the entourage. Auditors said $103,400 could have been saved if the university had limited the number of people on the trip to the 1994 levels. Money also could have been saved if the university had not paid for 628 tickets that were not used. The university spent $34,400 for entertainment, a 136 percent increase over 1994. Entertainment costs included movies and personal appearances by celebrities. "It's kind of a have-have not reaction we're going to get with Wisconsin residents who are working hard to pay their taxes and we have these types of expenditures for a select few," Kelso said. Athletic director Pat Richter did not address details of the audit but said the department welcomed its findings. "We agree completely with the premise of the audit that ... the division will have to limit expenditure growth and develop strategies for increasing revenues," he said in a statement. The audit also was critical of travel costs, perks and car allowances provided to athletic department employees. The department spent $75,000 for 14 coaches to get memberships at private golf courses, the audit said. UW spent $2.9 million for team travel in 1997-98, second only to Penn State in the Big Ten. The university provides 66 cars to the department, more than any other conference school except Ohio State. Football coach Barry Alvarez, basketball coach Dick Bennett and athletic director Pat Richter each receive two cars, the audit said. "Questions have been raised that need answers, such as why Barry Alvarez and Pat Richter each have two cars," Sen. Gary George, D-Milwaukee, a chairman of the Audit Committee, said. Alvarez and Bennett did not respond Thursday to telephone messages left at the department by The Associated Press. The audit also found: Most of the department's money comes from ticket sales and fund-raising but $576,400 of state taxpayer money goes to the department. The department runs 23 athletic programs, including 12 for women and 11 for men.
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