The bill for the bailout of the University of Hawaii athletic department ran about $1.7 million more than originally projected.

The Board of Regents Committee on Independent Audit was told by an outside auditor Wednesday that it took a "$14.7 million capital infusion" to wipe out the more than decade-long accumulated net deficit this year.

When Manoa chancellor Tom Apple announced plans in May to forgive the deficit, the amount was originally pegged at $13 million.

But the deficit for the 2013 fiscal year that concluded June 30, 2013, topped more than $3 million, regents were told. Athletic director Ben Jay said a loss of $575,000 in subsidy from the Hawaii Tourism Authority, a shortfall in licensing revenue and the costs of underwriting conference opponent travel all contributed to the deficit.

The bailout was to leave athletics with a clean slate entering the current fiscal year, which began July 1, 2013, and Apple has mandated that athletics must close the next three fiscal years with no more than a $1 million annual deficit in each year.

Jay said, "Chancellor Apple set that as our target and that is still our goal," though the department is running almost $1 million in the red in the new fiscal year, largely due to lower-than-projected ticket revenue in football.

Jay said he will review December financial reports and begin looking at areas where the department’s approximately $30 million budget can be cut. Jay said he expected to cut first in administrative areas and not spend on some budgeted items.