There\u2019s nothing simple about the way Long Beach State is budgeting. Athletics Director Andy Fee used the theory of a zero-based budget to get attention from the hiring committee two years ago, and now that\u2019s how The Beach is figuring out its funds.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s very complex because there\u2019s so many different variables,\u201d Fee said of the new budget system that is rare for large institutions. \u201cA zero-based budget basically means you build your budget every year. It\u2019s been a departure from the typical government budgeting cycle. It\u2019s a little different and people get a little nervous, but I always say \u2018Look at who I am and what I\u2019ve done\u2019 and hopefully that makes a difference.\u201d<\/p>\n
While most colleges budget their entire athletic department at the beginning of each fiscal year based on the available funds, the zero-based budget means that availability can change season to season. With zero-based budgeting, a program can adjust on the fly and be flexible, while a traditional budget doesn\u2019t allow for that to happen because all of the money has already been allocated.<\/p>\n
One downside of a zero-based budget is that the successful programs on campus will continue to have bigger budgets because they\u2019re able to raise more money, which could eventually leave the less successful teams on campus with smaller budgets every year. However, Fee said if that were to happen, a zero-based budget would be the only way to quickly and efficiently move funds to those struggling programs.<\/p>\n
We sat down and talked to Fee and LBSU men\u2019s volleyball coach Alan Knipe about the unique budget last week on The LB Fee Show podcast.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s one of the biggest things to happen to our athletic department,\u201d Knipe said. \u201cIt\u2019s going to help us coaches in every area possible. It\u2019ll allow us to schedule better opportunities for better student-athletes experiences.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fee said shifting funds has allowed the department to provide things like the new Taraflex playing surface for both volleyball teams in the Walter Pyramid.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe model we had for a long time gave us a small amount of money that was very unrealistic and usually about 45 percent of what we\u2019d spend in a year,\u201d Knipe said. \u201cWe would have to fill it in on the back-end all year long and hope that we had enough money and fundraising to cover the budget at the end of June. It\u2019s not a lot of fun being in the middle of the season on a trip and thinking about how we\u2019re $10,000 light in fundraising and how are we going to make it up when we get home.\u201d<\/p>\n
You can listen to our full conversation with Fee and Knipe here:<\/p>\n