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News Nuggets, 10.30.03
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Compiled from staff reports and electronic dispatches

Memphis bean counters still seeing red

The University of Memphis athletic department lost $1.4 million in its fiscal year ended June 30, the Memphis Commercial Appeal reported on Wednesday, and the deficit was covered by university subsidies that will not be available in future years.

A profit of $1.4 million by the Tigers' high-profile men's basketball team was the only positive entry on the ledger of a department which hasn't finished in the black in 11 years.

The U of M athletic program generated slightly more than $20 million in revenues in the most recent year, noted the paper, but spent almost $21.5 million — with the shortfall being made made up by the university.

School officials, under budget pressures of their own, have said said such subsidies will no longer be available.

The Tigers football team ran up a deficit of $2.4 million and women's basketball lost $1.3 million, according to the report, while women's volleyball was more than $600,000 in the red and baseball had a negative bottom line of more than $400,000.

Increased student activity fees and rising attendance at football games offer the potential to help the department bridge the gap in making its current $22 million budget.

The Tigers are averaging 38,366 after four home games and are expecting a crowd of about 35,000 for Saturday's Conference USA battle at the Liberty Bowl with East Carolina.

Memphis goes into the game with a 5-3 record and a win over the 1-7 Pirates would put the Tigers in a favorable position to earn their first bowl bid since 1971.

Tigers athletic director R.C. Johnson is also employing other tactics to keep expenditures in line with revenues.

"I'm asking everyone to watch their spending,'' Johnson told the Commercial Appeal. "We're going to have everyone scale back and try to do more with less. I'm confident we'll make it this year, but I am concerned about the future."

Johnson indicated that tuition increases could compound the financial pressures. He noted that a one percent increase in tuition adds an additional $50,000 to the cost of funding the Tigers' 300 athletic scholarships

TCU's Schobel makes Lombardi dozen

Texas Christian defensive end Bo Schobel has been named as one of 12 semifinalists for the 34th Rotary Lombardi Award, which honors the top lineman in Division I College Football. The winner will be announced on December 10 in Houston.

Schobel, a 6-5, 268-pound senior from Columbus, TX, is the Conference USA leader in sacks with 10.5 and is tied for the top spot in the conference with 16 tackles for loss. He has established a new school record for sacks in a season, breaking the old mark of 10.0, set by his cousin, Aaron Schobel, in 1999.

A total of eight defensive players are on this year's list, including four defensive ends, three linebackers and one defensive tackle. The offensive side of the ball is represented by two tackles, a center and a tight end.

Others on the semifinal list include defensive tackle Tommie Harris and linebacker Teddy Lehman of top-ranked Oklahoma, linebacker Jonathan Vilma and tight end Kellen Winslow of the second-ranked Miami Hurricanes, offensive tackle Shawn Andrews of Arkansas, defensive end David Ball of UCLA, offensive tackle Robert Gallery of Iowa, linebacker Matt Grooteegoed of USC, center Jake Grove of Virginia Tech and defensive ends David Pollack of Georgia and Will Smith of Ohio State.

Bulls basketball loses Oglesby to transfer

TAMPA — Danny Oglesby, a sophomore in the South Florida men’s basketball program, asked for and was granted a release from his scholarship commitment during the past week. He plans to transfer following the end of the fall semester.

Oglesby, a shooting guard from Hamden, Conn., averaged 3.8 points and 1.1 rebounds-per-game as a freshman. He played in 27 of the Bulls' 29 games and started the final five games of the regular season.

News Nuggets are compiled periodically from staff, ECU, Conference USA and its member schools, and from Associated Press and other reports. Copyright 2003 Bonesville.net and other publishers. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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