FALCONS IN BLACK FOR THIRD YEAR IN A ROW

0 Comments | Gazette, The (Colorado Springs), Jan 18, 2008 | by JAKE SCHALLER

The Air Force Academy's athletic department had a $1,485,696 surplus for the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, 2007. It was the third consecutive year Air Force finished in the black following fiscal year 2004, which ended with a $2.4 million deficit.

The department benefited from a 2006 football schedule that included home games against Navy and Notre Dame and from the successful men's basketball team that set a record for ticket revenue. Air Force also had increased food and beverage sales, and its gift shop collected the most money it has made since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks restricted access to the academy.

"A lot of things contributed," athletic director Hans Mueh said.

The athletic department receives approximately $13 million of the federal government's allocation for running the academy. The rest of the approximately $27 million athletic department budget is handled by the Air Force Academy Athletic Association, the department's revenue-generating arm.

In the recently completed fiscal year, the AFAAA had gross revenue of $14,198,626 from, among other things, ticket sales, sports camps, distribution from the Mountain West Conference and retail sales. The total was nearly $3.5 million more than the previous year.

Mueh said he was pleased with his department's progress.

"All of the things we have in place I think give us confidence that we can sustain this," said Mueh, who added that the department projects an $815,276 profit for the current fiscal year.

That's a change from little more than a year ago when academy officials fretted they would lose money in fiscal year 2008, which runs through September, in large part because of a 2007 football schedule that lacked marquee home games.

But Air Force averaged nearly 40,000 fans this season, Mueh said, in part because of what he called "the curiosity factor" of a new coaching staff and favorable weather. The department also is benefiting, Mueh said, from its "Lightning Ticket" program, which allows fans to use special tickets as debit cards at events. In addition, Air Force secured an $850,000 payout from the football team's appearance in the Armed Forces Bowl.

Mueh is hoping to recast the athletic department as a federally chartered nonprofit organization so he will be able to generate more revenue, invest reserve funds and solicit donations. The academy's proposal is awaiting approval from the Secretary of the Air Force.

Note

Football coach Troy Calhoun's new five-year contract is close to becoming official, Mueh said. It has gone through the academy's legal office and is in the contracting office. Mueh said the growth of Calhoun's contract was "very, very modest" because Calhoun was concerned with increasing the salaries of his assistants.

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