UNLV slashes athletic budget

The UNLV athletic department is making significant budget cuts after learning it will receive $1.8 million less from the state for the fiscal year that is about to end and the upcoming fiscal year.

However, athletic director Mike Hamrick said the department met the three main goals of avoiding layoffs, not dropping any sports and not cutting any scholarships.

UNLV, nevertheless, is receiving about $700,000 less from the state for the current fiscal year, which ends June 30 and about $1.1 million less for the 2009-10 fiscal year.

For 2009-10, each sport's operating budget will be decreased between 10 and 12 percent. Another $125,000 will be cut from equipment and apparel, $100,000 from chartered air travel (the football team will fly commercial airlines to UNR and Texas Christian), $75,000 from athletes' insurance (walk-ons will be required to carry own insurance) and $50,000 for cell phones among other items.

One cut that will not be made is the football team's annual retreat to Ely for training camp. That trip cost $265,000 last year, but was slashed to $228,000 for the camp this August. Practicing in Las Vegas would have been about $20,000 more expensive because of higher rates in valley hotels.

The athletic department will receive an additional $500,000 to $550,000 from a student fee increase, the first since 1985. UNLV had received $1.9 million from student fees before the increase. Mountain West Conference schools average $4.5 million from student fees.

UNLV's current budget is $26 million, with $6.8 million coming from the state.