University of Hawaii lowers athletics budget deficit projection

The University of Hawaii athletic department’s projected deficit for the current fiscal year has been lowered by $400,000 to $8.9 million, the Board of Regents was told Thursday.

Regent Simeon Acoba, who chairs the committee on intercollegiate athletics, provided the update based upon a report provided by the department.

In September, athletics had initially forecast a $9.3 million deficit largely due to the impact of COVID-19. Both figures were based on a 16% reduction of state general revenues provided by the UH Budget Office, the report read.

Athletic director David Matlin said in an email that the figure for the fiscal year that closes June 30, 2021, “continues to be a fluid number.”

The report cited, “various cuts to supplies, recruiting, wages, officials, managers and ticket-office fees” as among the contributions to lowering the deficit.

Meanwhile, the report read athletics has refunded $300,000 of an assessed $1.5 million student-athletic fees for the 2020 fiscal year that ended June 30, 2020, due to suspension of spring sports because of COVID-19.

Based upon the current policy of fans not being allowed to attend games, the athletic department said it is working on a “full refund of fall semester fees.”

Acoba lauded athletics for its COVID-19 results noting 10 positive cases out of 2,205 tests.