Kansas University athletic director Al Bohl has apparently returned all or part of the salary bonuses he received while serving as AD at Fresno State.

Fresno State officials say Bohl concealed the truth about the school’s athletic department finances by transferring funds from the non-operating budget to the operating budget without approval of the school’s athletic board.

Bohl spent five years as Fresno State’s AD before taking over at Kansas on Aug. 1, 2001.

Although not admitting guilt, Bohl has apparently sent the school a check for an undetermined amount of money. The Fresno Bee reported Bohl received $72,000 in salary bonuses during his tenure at the school, including a $20,000 bonus last summer of which $15,000 was for balancing the budget.

Fresno State president John Welty told the Bee that the school and Bohl have agreed to a resolution, but Welty would not say if it included restitution from Bohl. Meanwhile, Bohl has referred all questions to Doug Vance, KU’s director of media relations.

Vance issued a statement Sunday, quoting Bohl as saying: “The dispute has been resolved and both parties are satisfied with the resolution.

“I’m eager to get on with my work at the University of Kansas.”

Bohl was scheduled to leave this morning for the National Association of Collegiate Athletic Directors’ three-day convention in Dallas.

In a story that appeared in Sunday’s editions of the Bee, the school’s business manager said he was following Bohl’s instructions when crafting overly optimistic budgets during the past five years by inflating revenues and understating expenditures.

For example, an audit report showed that $1.16 million in non-operating revenue was used to balance budgets from 1998-2000.

Les Snyder said he did not report the inaccuracies because he was afraid of losing the job he had held for 17 years. After the improper transfer of funds came to light, Snyder was asked to resign or be terminated. He resigned.

“What I did was wrong,” Snyder told the Bee. “Now I’m crucified, and I’ve been crucified unjustly. I’ve lost my job and my future. Somebody had to take the fall. Al’s too far away.”

Asked why he hadn’t come forward years ago, Snyder said: “Because it would have been insubordination and my word against (Bohl’s) word.”

All along, Bohl has insisted he acted in good faith while at Fresno State. At a Kansas University Athletic Corp. board meeting in early May, he told board members he did “nothing inappropriately.”

Bohl said that while he was at Fresno State the budget was reviewed by the university, again during an NCAA certification process and finally by the Bulldog Foundation, which raises money for athletics.

“I’m confident,” Bohl said, “we followed proper procedures.”

After that May meeting, board chair John Ferraro said he was “very satisfied” with Bohl’s response, adding: “He feels innocent and I’m convinced he is.”

Ferraro, who heads the speech and hearing department at the KU Med Center, was a member of the search committee that recommended to Chancellor Robert Hemenway that Bohl be hired.

Bohl’s annual salary at Kansas University is $255,000.