Georgia

Georgia, SEC schools look to trim athletic department spending to make way for revenue share

Published

6 months ago

May 29, 2025

Georgia, SEC schools look to trim athletic department spending to make way for revenue share

MIRAMAR BEACH, Fla. — Most Georgia Bulldogs fans probably don’t know the names behind the scenes in the Butts-Mehre building that crunch the numbers and spent months making decisions when putting together an athletic budget.

People like Stephanie Ransom, Scott Hallberg and Derek Hammock.

“They’re not the most popular people in the athletic department right now,” Georgia athletic director Josh Brooks said.

On a fourth-floor conference room in Brooks’ AD suite, the senior administrators who oversee the finances and business operations of an athletic department that supports 21 teams have held meetings with every sport and department.

“I can walk into those meetings and play good cop, bad cop depending on what mood I’m in that day and help them out,” Brooks said. “It’s been a lot of work to really refine the budget.”

Brooks said crafting the $223 million fiscal year 2026 budget is more “complex” in the first year of expected direct player payments of about $20.5 million — including $2.5 million of new scholarships — as part of the House Settlement which is awaiting final approval.

Brooks said he approached it wanting minimal impact on the experience of the Georgia athletes.

He asked programs to rank their priorities to find areas that Georgia could be more efficient in, like team travel.

He’s got plenty of company at athletic departments across the country, including colleagues in the SEC who are holding their spring meetings this week at the Sandestin Hilton.

“Every school I’ve talked to has tightened the belt and cut expenses and tried to continue to be good stewards of those dollars,” said Auburn executive deputy athletic director Jared Benko, the former Georgia Southern athletic director. “From a revenue standpoint, you’re always looking to grow in revenue.”

At Georgia, softball is expected to produce $127,500 in ticket revenue after the school began charging for tickets this past season. That’s a far cry from the $43,008,842 projected for football ticket revenue in the next fiscal year which includes a ticket price increase to $80 for all games.

If the SEC goes to nine conference games, more money is expected to flow in through its TV contract with Disney.

“That $20.5 million, that comes from somewhere,” South Carolina football coach Shane Beamer said. “We have to come up with it. All of us as coaches are certainly cognizant of that.”

On the expense side, Georgia athletics has cut its annual payment to university programs to the university from $4 million to $2 million.

Spread out throughout Georgia’s budget numbers is the phrase “reassessment of needs and spending efficiencies,” with cuts to travel, supplies and other areas. Georgia cut its “outsourced meals” from $1.4 million to $834,921 as it prioritized in-house meals over catered meals. Costs for pregame basketball, softball, soccer, gymnastics, tennis and volleyball meals were trimmed.

Georgia projects $1.25 million in revenue for a new, non-athletic related events.

Brooks said the school is eyeing a spring Sanford Stadium concert, but has brought in Top Golf in the stadium in the past.

“We have to look at potentially other things we can bring to Stegeman,” he said. “Now that we have turf on the baseball field, maybe there’s opportunities for maybe a small concert there.”

Oklahoma is cutting 5% of its athletic employees, athletic director Joe Castiglione confirmed this week.

“It’s a massive reimagination of the structure that we need for college athletics, the ecosystem for it and obviously the economics behind it,” he said. “I would say it’s a strategic re-org, streamlining.”

At Auburn, Benko said: “We’re looking under every single rock and tightening the belt.”

A year ago, Texas A&M athletic director Trev Alberts said here: “We don’t have a revenue problem in college athletics, we have an expense problem.”

A year later, here’s how he’s addressed that in College Station.

“We’ve just tried to look at how do we find a way to eliminate redundancy of expenses, how to do a better job of running our business like a business,” said Alberts, noting that student services and academic support make the business of college athletics unique.

Alberts said Texas A&M won’t add additional debt service on facility upgrades so those must be fully funded. That includes a project that would add baseball suites and club seats.

Benko said Auburn is “making things as efficient as possible but still being in position for championships…We’ve put controls in place so every dollar is justified.”

Source link

Click to comment

Georgia

Pitt and Georgia Tech squaring off in primetime with College Football Playoff implications

Published

3 hours ago

November 21, 2025

Press Room

Pitt and Georgia Tech squaring off in primetime with College Football Playoff implications

A shot at the College Football Playoff is on the line for both No. 15 Georgia Tech and Pittsburgh ahead of a prime-time matchup Saturday night.

The Yellow Jackets (9-1, 6-1) will clinch a spot in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game on Dec. 6 if they beat Pitt (7-3, 5-1), while a Panthers’ victory would keep them alive for the same goal heading into their regular-season finale against No. 14 Miami.

“This is a championship game in its own right,” Georgia Tech coach Brent Key said Tuesday. “That’s the way we’re viewing it, that’s the way we’re approaching it. It’s on everybody to get the job done.”

Regardless of the outcome, the ACC standings remain in flux. No. 19 Virginia, SMU, Miami and Duke are all in the mix for the title game, but Georgia Tech is the only team completely in control of its destiny.

Key said simply put, games this time of year are “different,” and he doesn’t “shy away from that.”

Georgia Tech trailed Boston College (1-10, 0-7) 28-17 late in its game last week, but rallied to escape with a 36-34 victory. Still, the scare against the conference cellar dweller coupled with a Nov. 1 loss at N.C. State has created an uneasy feeling around the Yellow Jackets, particularly with their struggling defense.

Georgia Tech leads the Football Bowl Subdivision in total offense, but resides near the bottom of 136 teams in total defense.

“I got after them pretty good,” Key said of his defense. “But it’s telling them, ‘You’re good. Let’s fix it and go play that way.’”

Pitt is coming off a disappointing game in its own right, albeit one with no bearing on ACC positioning. The Panthers stepped out of conference play and fell flat in a 37-15 defeat against No. 9 Notre Dame, but still would reach the conference title game with wins in their final two games plus one loss by either Virginia or SMU.

“We just take it one game at a time,” Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi said. “We treat everything the same. The word pressure is bad. Our guys know what they’ve got to do. They’ve got to go out and win one football game.”

Pitt is seeking its third trip to the ACC title game under Narduzzi and first since 2021, while Georgia Tech is aiming for its first appearance since 2014.

___

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

Source link

Georgia

Students learn trades at Georgia Skills Challenge in Augusta

Published

21 hours ago

November 20, 2025

Press Room

Students learn trades at Georgia Skills Challenge in Augusta

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – A competition at the Augusta fairgrounds offered more than trophies or scholarships Thursday afternoon.

The event could kick start careers for student competitors.

Thirteen schools from across the region competed in team and individual challenges that test every skill of a tradesman. Projects included welding, framing, electrical work and plumbing.

Judges evaluated competitors not just for the competition, but also looked at possible future employees.

Scott Clark, CEO of RWI Construction and parent of a competitor, said the event serves multiple purposes.

“It’s a great thing and it’s even better when we can hire them, and so that’s the ultimate goal is to get these kids educated in our industry and get them hired locally,” Clark said. “It gives them an opportunity for great employment great salary and compensation and it’s just a joy to see them when they come on board.”

Kenneth Price, a Lincoln County parent, said he enjoys watching his child’s progress in the trades.

“I’m enjoying watching everything he does and he comes home from school and tells us about his welding and everything and I just enjoy hearing it,” Price said.

Winners of the competition will advance to compete at the state level in Atlanta.

Source link

Georgia

How likely are you to see a bear in Georgia?

Published

2 days ago

November 19, 2025

Press Room

How likely are you to see a bear in Georgia?

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) — The state of Georgia is home to three geographic areas with black bear populations: the North Georgia Mountains, the Ocmulgee River drainage and the Okefenokee Swamp.

Adult black bears are typically around six feet long, about three feet tall at the shoulder and can weigh anywhere from 300 to 500 pounds. Despite their size, they are generally shy, solitary animals that avoid human interaction.

Sometimes nicknamed “garbage bears” because of their proclivity to rummage through trash, black bears in Georgia are considered relatively harmless. No fatal bear attacks have ever been reported in the Peach State’s history, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

Encounters also rarely escalate as long as people give bears space, secure their food and garbage, and keep dogs leashed, officials said.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife officials reported that bears were once common all over Georgia, but there was a serious population decline in the 18th century due to habitat loss, unrestricted hunting and deterioration of their environment.

Since then, with the help of wildlife management, black bears have recovered to a population of about 5,100, according to DNR research from 2021.

Sightings remain uncommon for most Georgians, but they have begun increasing as populations slowly grow and habitats continue to overlap with expanding neighborhoods.

While unlikely, if you do spot one, give the bear space, appreciate their rich color and move away slowly.

“Seeing a black bear in its natural habitat is a thrill and a privilege, and not something to be feared,” said Adam Hammond, state bear biologist with the Georgia DNR, in a statement on the agency’s website.

Source link