Athletics has plans for earnings

 
An estimated $435,000 in earnings from the 39^th State Farm Bayou Classic will be utilized in the 2012-13 Southern University Athletics budget.
William Broussard, SUBR athletic director clarified the earnings were always directed to athletics.
Broussard focused on the athletic department bottom line, anticipates using the funds to balance the athletics budget’s expenditures to revenues while, students feel that the revenue should be distributed through the university.
“Every dollar that we make in revenue goes to our projected revenue for the year which then has to balance out with the projected expenses for the year so that there is no general fund for the athletic department,” Broussard said.
There are no general funds or reserve funds for athletics every dollar is allocated to a line item.
“We run like a non-profit organization where we generate the funds with the expectations of it going towards salaries, expenses in the department, equipment costs, travel costs for student athletes, or any of the other 150 line items that we have for expenses,” Broussard said.
Broussard was informed last week ticket sales were up 9 to 10 percent from the 38^th Bayou Classic.
“Outside of our diehard fans chances are the games casual fans have seen us play, we’ve won in relation to the increase in ticket sales for Bayou Classic,” Broussard said.
This year’s attendance was 45,980 Jaguar and Tiger fans, in comparison to last year’s 40,175 and 43,494 in 2010.
Students like Eli Scott, a freshman nursing major from Baton Rouge, does not agree with the funds benefiting athletics directly.
“I think it should go to the school itself because students bought tickets,” Scott said.
“Maybe the largest portion should go to the athletic department, but we all buy tickets.”
He said since the entire university plays a part in the Bayou Classic then the earnings should be divided respectively.
Kai Burks, a freshman political science major from Marksville, La., said the effort of the students should be recognized when distributing the earnings.
“The students put fourth effort and not just the athletic department,” Burks said.
She said without the university there would be no athletic department.
Bryan Garner, a freshman textile merchandising major from New Orleans, felt the same way.
“It should go to whole school,” Garner said.
Garner mentioned the band’s role in the classic experience warrants them a significant portion of the profits.
“The entire school plays a part, not just the football team,” Garner said.
Darius McKenzy, a junior criminal justice major from Baton Rouge believes the profits should be split down the middle.
“I think some should go (to athletics), but not all of it,” Mckenzy said.
The official earnings from this year’s game will be announced in the upcoming weeks.