By Shelby Brown–
The U of L Athletic Association board approved a $104.5 million budget June 2, up $8.1 million from 2016-17. Executive Senior Associate Athletic Director Kevin Miller said ULAA’s revenue grew four percent this past year.
They also approved hiking men’s basketball tickets by $3 to pay a larger arena facility fee to the KFC Yum! Center. It had been $2.
“We value Yum! and what it means for our team,” U of L Interim President Greg Postel said. “We’re all having to do our part, even to the part where it hurts a bit.”
The money will go directly to the arena. Athletic Director Tom Jurich emphasized the fee can’t fund other sports.
The yearly $100 student athletic fee was again questioned by former Student Government Association president Aaron Vance. During his term, Vance advocated removing the fee.
“It’s just part of the budget,” Miller said, adding it makes up one percent of ULAA’s budget. Postel said he wants to continue talking with SGA about the fees.
Newly elected SGA president Vishnu Tirumala said he wants transparency. “There are a lot of questions because it’s not always clear where the money is going,” he said.
Jurich had already received a performance review at ULAA’s mostly-closed personnel committee meeting May 25. Postel called the results of Jurich’s review “uniformly positive.”
Jurich had no new info to report on the NCAA investigation into the men’s basketball team. “I don’t think anyone could’ve been more upfront or honest than us,” Jurich said. “This is something that we want to put behind us and look forward.”
Photo by Shelby Brown/ The Louisville Cardinal
