It is concerning that expenses for athletic programs at the University of Kansas are increasing at a pace that is significantly faster than revenues.
The finances may explain why KU hasnt walked away from a $191 million contract with Adidas, despite the fact that an FBI indictment alleges that an Adidas executive victimized KU by paying the families of two top basketball players more than $100,000 total to get those players to commit to Kansas. The financial reports indicate KU may need that Adidas money more than ever.
From 2006 to 2017, revenues for the nonprofit corporation Kansas Athletics Inc. increased by 68 percent. But during the same period, expenses increased an alarming 93 percent. This trend appears to be worsening. From 2016 to 2017, revenues increased by just 1.2 percent while expenses rose more than 7 percent.