HAA to Continue On Same Budget

The HAA will continue to finance the University's extensive athletic operations on approximately the same curtailed budget that was adopted by the Administration last year, Thomas D. Bolles, Director of Athletics, said yesterday.

He emphasized that despite increasing costs and a restricted budget that the HAA planned no further reduction of teams to "club status" or any significant withdrawal of financial support to various sports.

But he stated that next year would be a temporary "holding operation" to preserve the status quo during which it would be decided whether the University is able or willing to support the intercollegiate and intramural programs in their present form.

Last year the Corporation slashed $100,000 from the proposed athletic budget. The result of this economy move forced the Faculty Committee on Athletics to relegate lacrosse and golf to "clubs" and to withdraw financial support from skiing, sailing, rifle, and pistol.

Corporation Votes Small Cut

For 1959-60 the Corporation has agreed to assume a "net cost" of $713,000 out of a total HAA budget of about $1.3 million. This represents a small cut of $11,000 from last year's share of athletic expenses.

Bolles pointed out that the Corporation was primarily concerned not with the total cost, but with the "net cost" of the athletic budget which must come from general University funds.

The University's portion of the HAA expenditures has more than doubled since 1951, the result of inflationary rises in all types of costs such as travel, supplies, and maintenance. At present more than half of the expense for athletics goes for the maintenance services of Buildings and Grounds.

Faculty to Study Costs

The cost squeeze in which the University is caught will come under close scrutiny of the Faculty Committee on Athletics next year, Bolles stated. Unless further economies can be made, or new sources of income found, it is predictable that appropriations for various sports will be considerably reduced.

There is a possibility that certain economies can be made without impairing the program. In this field, Bolles praised the efforts of the Undergraduate Athletic Council which this year suggested a number of small items that will save the HAA almost $8,000 in 1959-60.

Alumni Support Needed

In face of spiraling costs, however, it is unlikely that any number of minor savings will solve the problem. Unless new sources of alumni support are found, or the University agrees to assume even larger portions of the budget, sweeping changes in the athletic program will become necessary.

This approach has already been considered by a special committee of the Student Council that is now studying the entire athletic system. Abraham F. Lowenthal '61, chairman of the group, said yesterday that the value of intercollegiate participation in some sports would be weighed against their cost. The idea exists that these might profitably be replaced with less expensive intramural programs.

Bolles emphasized yesterday that the Administration was not "anti-athletics" in its attitude, but was greatly concerned with the present level of support that it gives the intercollegiate and intramural activities