The UL Athletics Department's deficit has increased more than $600,000 since last year, a review by the state Legislative Auditor shows.
The review of procedures, which is done annually to comply with NCAA rules, shows an operating deficit of $13,293,425 compared to $12,607,582 in last year's report.
In the year ended June 30, 2025 the Statement of Revenues and Expenses showed the athletics department's total revenues were $33,096,621 in fiscal year 2025 compared to total expenses of $46,393,046, resulting in a deficit of $13,296,425.
In the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024, the Statement of Revenues and Expenses showed the athletics department's total revenues were $33,569,616 compared to total expenses of $46,177,198, for the deficit of $12,607,582. There was a $472,995 decrease in income, and a $215,848 increase in expenses.
The auditors found a couple of errors in the university's reporting, but the dollar amount was significantly less than the errors in last year's report.
You can read both reports by scrolling down.
Like last year, auditors found that most of the procedures that were checked were clear of problems or mistakes, but they found a few errors:
One instance in which athletic student aid was understated by $46,100
One instance in which athletics-related debt was overstated by $15,150
The amount of individual contributions transferred to the department from the UL Foundation was understated by $152,502.
Between 2024 and 2025, there were decreases in several revenue streams, including:
Ticket sales income dropped from $2,192,743 in 2024 to $1,934,322 (a $258,421 decrease)
Direct institutional support dropped from $16,533,599 in 2024 to $16,522,804 (a $10,785 decrease)
Contributions dropped from $4,444,373 in 2024 to $3,948,616 (a $495,757 decrease)
And there were increases in several expenses, including:
Student aid increased from $8,572,888 in 2024 to $8,826,220 in 2025 (a $253,332 increase)
Coaches' salaries and benefits increased from $8,575,761 in 2024 to $8,614,420 in 2025 (a $38,659 increase)
Support staff salaries and benefits increased $7,386,195 in 2024 to $7,523,864 in 2025 (a $137,668 increase)
Severance payments increased from $214,214 in 2024 to $257,600 in 2025 (a $43,386 increase)
Several expense categories also posted decreases, including team travel costs, which decreased from $3,954,699 in 2024 to $3,064,923 in 2025 (an $889,776 decrease)
Expenses in three programs were listed separately:
The football operational deficit decreased from $10,195,702 in 2024 to $9,848,631 in 2025 (a $347,071 decrease)
The women's basketball operational deficit decreased from $2,249,063 in 2024 to $2,014,814 in 2025 (a $234,249 decrease)
The men's basketball operational deficit increased from $2,226,368 in 2024 to $2,543,781 in 2025 (a $317,413 increase)
Here's the report issued this week on the fiscal year ended June 2025:
And, here's the report on the fiscal year ended June 2024: