Vingle: Ticket News Good for WVU in Football, Basketball

[WVBlue]

Charleston Gazette Mail
Mitch Vingle


http://www.wvgazettemail.com/sports-mitch-vingle/20161031/mitch-vingle-ticket-news-good-for-wvu-in-football-basketball

 

[WVex-pat in GA]

Simple formula... win and sales go up!

 

[WVBlue]

Simple formula... win and sales go up!

Ticket sales have comprised approximately 20% of West Virginia's annual athletic department revenue.

In an April 2016 interview with Mitch Vingle, AD Lyons explained:

WVU’s income statement (unaudited) for June of 2015 actually shows $91,764,805 in revenues collected, which is more than USA Today reported. Most of that came from four areas: contributions through the Mountaineer Athletic Club/WVU Foundation ($25,887,301), NCAA/Big 12 distribution and tournament fees ($23,172, 936), ticket sales ($18,536,077) and royalties, advertisements and sponsorships ($10,966,959).

“I’d imagine it was a [WVU] record for revenue,” said WVU athletic director Shane Lyons.

“You’re talking salaries; you’re talking travel,” Lyons said. “We have to pay the university $10 million for scholarships. You have to run the facilities. There’s debt service ...”

In football, WVU and its contributing arms pay the football staff around $5.75 million. Head coach Dana Holgorsen is at $2.9 million. Basketball coach Bob Huggins is at $3.325 million. The total for all coaching staffs, including benefits, was $15,154,569 in 2015. The cost for the support staff was $13,160,525. So that’s a grand total of $28,315,094 for personnel.

Lyons said benefits, including insurance, can run up the costs of salaries 27 to 30 percent.“It’s a numbers game,” Lyons said. “It depends on how you play with them.”