Author: Lauren Rewers
Despite a record $537,000 in booster donations to the Athletics Department this year, athletes are not likely to see the funds result in bonuses for varsity sports teams. According to the department, the donations will be budget-relieving for Athletics rather than budget-enhancing.
With a delegated allotment of $2.1 million from the college’s administration and approximately $200,000 from tickets sales, facilities rentals, camps and clinics, Athletics is forced to raise additional funds to make up the deficit of around $500,000 between its initial revenue and actual expenses of just over $2.8 million.
“Just to exist, we have to fundraise,” Budget Manager Anahit Aladzhanyan ‘07 said.
Therefore, the donated funds will go toward paying officials, assistant coaches and travel costs rather than providing added benefits to teams such as new uniforms because the record-breaking donations barely allow the department to break even.
According to this year’s budget, even the $2.8 million total revenue statistic is only two percent of the college’s entire operating budget. This figure is far lower than several comparable schools in SCIAC, according to Aladzhanyan.
“[Occidental’s budget situation] is pretty unusual for our conference,” she said. “Maybe like three or four of those schools have to fundraise at all, and no one fundraises nearly as much as we do, not even remotely as much as we do.”
The Athletics budget is determined at the beginning of every fiscal year in June and July. Each coach meets with Aladzhanyan to discuss how much money is required for their specific program. When the administration informs Athletics how much money will be allocated by the college, the department can then determine how much fundraising is required in any particular year.
“Based on our goals and needs in Athletics, one of the primary responsibilities we have basically assigned ourselves is fundraising,” Director of Athletics Jaime Hoffman said via email. “We have growing needs and, in Athletics, we are resourceful. Rather than tug at the sleeves of our CFO when the costs go up, we raise money.”
According to Aladzhanyan, the department’s ability to be self-sufficient in the fundraising process may be a motivating factor for the administration to distribute funds away from Athletics and instead divert the money to areas without a donor base or the ability to fundraise.
“[The administration] could always look at it the other way: ‘[Athletics is] able to fundraise, so they’re fine,'” she said. “They’re not looking at one department, they’re looking at every department and figuring out how to split that pie.”
Paul Finchamp ’80, President of Occidental’s booster organization, Tiger Club, attributed this year’s success in donations to greater efforts by the players, Hoffman and the club itself in spreading awareness of the necessity for extra support.
The make-up of the Tiger Club, which Finchamp estimates consists of hundreds of members, is mainly Athletics alumni and the parents of current students.
In addition to requesting donations, the Tiger Club also sponsors general and sport-specific events designed to involve the community in Occidental Athletics.
One such endeavor was the establishment of the Hall of Fame last October to showcase exceptional Tiger athletes from the past.
“It is fair to say that this group has a vested interest in providing the richest possible athletic experience athletes can enjoy at Oxy,” Finchamp said via email.
The Tiger Club consistently comes through on Finchamp’s goals, as those involved in the Athletics Department most readily give back to the institution out of all groups on campus, according to Aladzhanyan.
Varsity, club and intramural sports combine to account for nearly half of the current Occidental student population.
“We, Athletics, account for the college’s largest affinity group,” Hoffman said via email. “There are plenty of folks who attribute their current success at least in part to the lessons learned on the playing field. We believe in the value added to the Oxy experience through athletics, and our success in fundraising would indicate that we have alumni and parents that share that belief.”
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