As athletics rake in money, students still pay

But the fees UGA students pay pale in comparison to what students at many other schools have to pay, say UGA administrators.

And the athletic association gives back more to the university than it collects in fees, administrators point out. And students get cheap tickets, they add.

The athletic association is a private, nonprofit corporation that manages UGA football and other NCAA sports teams. The association is governed by a board of directors, whose chairman always is the UGA president.

The association had about $89 million in income during the 2009-10 fiscal year, including about $3.2 million in student fees, according to reports filed with the NCAA and the U.S. Department of Education.

It made about $9.3 million more than it spent last year, making UGA one of just 22 major-college athletic programs that had more income than expenses that year, according to a recent analysis by USA Today.

UGA students pay a fee of $53 per semester -- and students pay more at every other public four-year college in the state, said UGA athletic director Greg McGarity.

"We're without question the lowest," McGarity said.

At Georgia State University, which just started fielding a football team, students will pay $263 per semester this fall, according to a list of student fees published by the University System of Georgia. Georgia Tech students will pay $127, and Savannah State students must hand over $271.

The athletic association has no plan to raise UGA's fee, McGarity said.

Even though the athletic association had $9.3 million to put in the bank at the end of the last fiscal year, it still needs the student fee money, he said.

"If we didn't have that, we'd have tough decisions on where to cut," McGarity said. "It may seem like a small number in the big picture, but cutting seven figures out of the budget would be tough to deal with."

The cost of running UGA's athletic programs continue to rise, he said. Only two sports actually bring in more than they cost, football and men's basketball. Those two -- especially football -- pay the lion's share of expenses for all the other men's and women's sports, he said.

This year, athletic expenses will go up by $5 million, mainly because of a $2.7 million hike in the cost of athletic scholarships because university tuition goes up this fall.

And even though the athletic association has built up a reserve fund of about $60 million, it also has a debt load of about $125 million, money borrowed to pay for building projects such as the recent expansion of Butts-Mehre Heritage Hall, Sanford Stadium expansions and improvements, or the women's athletic complex on South Milledge Avenue.

Tickifieds - Cheap Vanderbilt vs Georgia Football Tickets

Looking for the cheapest Georgia at Vanderbilt tickets? Well, we have 2 tickets to Georgia at Vanderbilt at Vanderbilt Stadium on 10/15/2011 for only $39.00. The seats are located in section I row 23 - get them now before they are gone!

University of Georgia off the record

About them Dawgs!, Georgia football's memorable teams and players

Football Feuds, The Greatest College Football Rivalries

University Of Georgia College Prowler Off The Record

Politics in Georgia