SAUL LOEB/Arizona Daily Wildcat UA's Athletic Director Jim Livengood, backed by NAU's Athletic Director Jim Fallis and ASU's Athletic Director Gene Smith, tells regents yesterday that the athletics department will likely finish the year with a $1 million surplus at their meeting at the Student Union Memorial Center.

Livengood tells Board of Regents athletic budget looking 'pretty good'

UA athletic director Jim Livengood told the Arizona Board of Regents yesterday he projects the athletics department to have a surplus of more than $1 million at the end of the year.

Athletic directors from the UA, Arizona State University, and Northern Arizona University presented reports on their financial status as well as how their student-athletes are faring to the regents yesterday.

"Things look pretty good. We've been able to operate with a positive fund balance," Livengood said.

"Our expenditures are covered by our revenues," said UA President Peter Likins.

The UA athletic budget has finished with a surplus every year for about two decades.

UA's athletic department even managed to escape debt last year despite firing head football coach John Mackovic and hiring current head coach Mike Stoops.

ASU, on the other hand, had a $400,000 deficit in their athletic department budget during the last fiscal year, said Gene Smith, ASU athletic director.

Smith also said the ASU athletic budget has a continuing deficit of $1.6 million.

To help cut athletic expenditures, the UA athletic department has cut about 15 full-time positions, according to the Arizona Daily Star.

Livengood told the Arizona Daily Star those employees were not necessarily laid off and some were

positions that remained unfilled after employees left the UA.

Athletic director Jim Livengood also reported the UA has been successful in graduating its student-athletes.

The graduation rate is on the rise, increasing from 60 percent last year.

"This past year our graduation rate has risen to 65 percent," Livengood said.

That mark is 10 percent higher than the average for all students attending the UA.

Student-athletes in 12 of 19 sports had a 2.75 or better cumulative grade point average last year, Livengood said.

Last year student athletes had an overall GPA of 2.8. The average UA student GPA was 2.86.

In comparison, ASU student athletes maintained an overall GPA of 2.85 last year, but only had a 58 percent six-year graduation rate.

One of the regents voiced concern over the zero percent six-year graduation rate for the UA men's basketball freshman class who enrolled in the 1997-98 school year. The zero percent rate indicates that of those players who began six years ago, none of the players graduated from the UA within six years.

Livengood attributed this percentage to many players departing early for the NBA. Likins added that players transferring away from the UA count against graduation rates – even if those players leave in good academic standing.

In recent years, the UA men's basketball team has seen the departure of Dennis Latimore, who transferred to Notre Dame a year ago, and Will Bynum, who transferred to Georgia Tech midway through the 2002-03 season. Both left in good academic standing, Likins said.

Livengood reported UA student athletes also give back to the community.

Last year, they donated 1,875 hours of service to 22,000 community members, Livengood said. 339, or 79 percent, of UA student athletes participated.

By comparison, ASU student athletes have completed 1,300 hours of community service over the past year.