PULLMAN, WA – The Washington State University Regents are set to briefly transfer nearly 100 million dollars in the annual exercise to cover Cougar Athletics’ cumulative debt.
State law in Washington requires the regents to transfer the money needed to cover the athletics department’s total debt at the end of the fiscal year. The regents will need to approve the brief transfer during their special meeting Thursday.
Documents to the regents show that Cougar Athletics stayed on budget this fiscal year that’s wrapping up. The department took in and spent 77.5 million dollars.
Previously, Cougar Athletics ran annual deficits, which currently total 99.8 million dollars. To show a balanced budget at the end of the fiscal year, the university will briefly transfer money from other departments to athletics. Sixty-five million dollars will come from housing and dining, 10 million dollars will be moved from parking and transportation, and 24.8 million dollars will be transferred from central, non-core reserves.
Those monies will appear in the Cougar Athletics budget at the end of the fiscal year, June 30th, to show a balanced budget. Those funds will then be moved back to their respective units once fiscal year 2026 begins July 1st. Documents to the regents from WSU CFO Leslie Brunelli point out that, come July, the cumulative debt will once again be recorded as an obligation of WSU Athletics.
The WSU Regents are meeting virtually on Thursday morning starting at 8:00.