Sen. Chesley questions Pacheco

By Ann McBride
Arizona Daily Wildcat
February 5, 1996

PHOENIX - During the hearing following UA President Manuel Pacheco's testimony Friday, the chairman of the joint subcommittee on appropriations did not want to discuss education, he wanted to discuss athletics.

Sen. Larry Chesley, R-Gilbert, said he was "disappointed" by recent reports about the UA's Intercollegiate Athletic Department.

His questions stemmed from a Jan. 25 Tucson Weekly article about the ICA department reporting that ICA produced revenues of almost $20 million for the last fiscal year, yet still received $1.4 million in state funding.

Chesley asked if Jim Livengood, UA athletic department director, was present to discuss a quote from the article in which Livengood said the athletic department was not a business.

Pacheco said Livengood was not present but he was prepared to answer questions. A three-page report was distributed to legislators, press and audience by UA Chief Budget Officer Dick Roberts.

"How can he say it is not a business," Chesley asked Pacheco, "when it makes $20 million a year, which is more than many companies in Arizona?"

"Is athletics a business?" he asked Pacheco.

Pacheco said athletics is an integral part of the educational mission of the university that needs to be run like a business.

Chesley continued to read quotes from the article including one in which Provost Paul Sypherd said he did not consider activity classes such as "golf and tennis and aquatics to be essential to healthy bodies and minds."

Chesley asked if that was an accurate statement, to which Pacheco replied, "I'm sure he doesn't believe that."

Chesley concluded his questioning by saying he did not understand how an organization could make $20 million and receive state subsidies and yet students cannot get tickets to athletic events.

"I have a real problem with that," he said.

ASUA president Benjamin Driggs told Chesley in later testimony that any UA student who wanted to attend a basketball game last year could have done so for $4. He said the single game day allotment of tickets sold out only once.

Rep. George Cunning-ham, R-Tucson, a former UA administrator, asked Pacheco whether other sports would suffer if the UA men's football and basketball teams did not make money.

"Absolutely," he said.

Cunningham also challenged Chesley's comments about athletics being a business, as Cunningham said a business would not maintain losing enterprises.

Pacheco said the use of state money gives him some oversight over the department, and the athletic department adds to the university's prestige and marketing efforts.

After the hearing, Roberts said that it is important for the president to have some control over the athletic department.

Roberts wrote a memo Jan. 31 to Pacheco stating there were several other reasons to budget state resources to ICA, including ensuring a compliance with Federal Title IX requirement for gender equity and recognizing the value of athletics to the institution's outreach programs.

The memo also said that ICA received $20 million in donations to build facilities such as the women's softball field and its swimming facilities, and it has used $11.1 million to remodel smaller athletic facilities. Roberts wrote that ICA is an important source of financial aid through student employment and that ICA doubled its athletic scholarships from $.8 million in 1985-86 to $1.6 million in 1994-95.

In fiscal year 1995, ICA received $1.4 million or .44 percent of the state's general funds. The department also received $466,473 from retained student fees for the same year. Retained fees are also used to pay university debt, cover plant and utilities expenses and for financial aid set aside.

(OPINIONS) (SPORTS) (NEXT_STORY) (DAILY_WILDCAT) (NEXT_STORY) (POLICEBEAT) (COMICS)