USC in Red, UCLA Is Even

Expenses incurred by the USC athletic department last year outpaced revenues by more than $4 million, according to a report that all universities were required to submit Tuesday with the Department of Education as part of Title IX compliance.

UCLA balanced its athletics budget for the eighth year in a row, a streak that began the year the school cut men’s swimming and men’s gymnastics.

USC, however, was in the red for the third year in a row. Last year the shortfall was $2 million. Administrators said the disparity was attributed to several factors, including an increase in football coaching salaries and buyouts, fewer football season ticket sales and fewer national television appearances.

Appearances in bowl games other than bowl championship series games are break-even propositions for most schools. The Trojans played in the Las Vegas Bowl last December.

USC football generated nearly $20 million in revenue on expenses of just over $13 million.

Men’s basketball generated $3.1 million on expenses of $2.3 million.

Other men’s teams spent $4.4 million and generated about $710,000.

UCLA football generated about $17 million in revenue on expenses of $9.8 million.

Men’s basketball generated $8 million on expenses of $3.8 million. Other men’s sports spent $4 million and generated $874,000.

Nearly $8 million was spent on USC women’s programs that generated only $772,322. UCLA women’s teams generated $772,398 on expenses of $8.4 million.

USC expects the shortfall to end this year.

Two games already have been telecast by ABC, and at least four others are scheduled to be. Also, about 800 more season tickets were sold and there are 12 games instead of 11.

The primary purpose of the report, which is required by the Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act of 1994, is to determine whether colleges are making progress toward complying with gender equity laws.

The goal is for athletics to mirror the gender makeup of the student body.

In the 2001-02 school year, USC’s undergraduate student population of 16,037 was 50.2% male. There were 325 male athletes (52.1%) and 295 female athletes (47.9%).

At UCLA, 55% of the 25,303 undergraduates were women, but only 49.9% of the 702 athletes are women.