If Kansas University’s athletic programs continue to bout with mediocrity in 2007-08, financial support once again won’t be to blame.

Kansas Athletics, Inc., approved its projected fiscal year 2008 budget on Friday at its quarterly board meeting, and KU’s athletic department once again expects to have even more money to work with.

KU projects an operating budget of $52,985,681 for 2008, up 8 percent from the approved 2007 budget of $49,017,857.

The specific increases expected are predominantly in contributions, marketing rights and football revenue. KU expects more season-ticket sales for football, and an extra home game on the schedule allows for what’s expected to be a 26 percent increase in income.

One of the reasons for an expected increase in contributions is a new donor giving level of $50,000 that was added for FY 2008.

Kansas has seen its budget rise in each year since athletic director Lew Perkins was hired in 2003. Athletic performance, however, took a step backward this year. Though men’s basketball once again ruled the Big 12 roost with a league title and Elite Eight appearance, many other programs struggled among their conference peers.

The Directors’ Cup standings compiled by the National Association of Collegiate Director of Athletics has Kansas ranked 80th in the country so far this year after ranking in the 60s the three years prior.

As for the new dough, KU plans to use the extra income to cover the costs of increasing operating expenditures, an 8 percent rise in salary and fringe benefits (to $20.2 million total) and a slight increase in grants-in-aid, among other small increases.

Other things discussed at Friday’s meeting:

¢ School of Education faculty member Jerry Bailey attended his first meeting as KU’s faculty representitive for Kansas Athletics. He replaced Don Green, who retired after 10 years in the position.

¢ Bailey also was named chair of the chancellor’s advisory committee. He replaced Mike Maddox, whose term soon will expire.

¢ Academic statistics for the spring of 2007 are expected to be released next week, and more than one person who has seen the data was impressed.

Perkins estimated that 10 sports teams had a grade-point average higher than 3.0, and said no team had a GPA below 2.67.