Worst off is Utah State with a deficit approaching a million dollars. First-year athletic director Scott Barnes is excited about a recently passed student referendum, which will add $2 million per year to USU athletics, but he says even that won't be enough to keep the Aggies above water in the long term.

"Running an athletic department is a lot more expensive than people realize," said Utah's Hill, who has run Utah's successful athletic program for two decades.

Utah's athletic budget is around $27 million, up $5 million from five years ago and approximately triple what it was when Hill took the job 20 years ago.

The university relies on donations from boosters, revenue from three sports — football, men's basketball and women's gymnastics — and student fees. Utah gets some institutional help, but less than most schools, according to Hill. Despite the extra money from the Sugar Bowl and generous donors, Ute athletics won't make money this year.

"We'll be about $200,000 to $300,000 in the red," Hill said. "We'll use some of our bowl money to pay that deficit this year. That's going to help get us through next year also."

While Utah hasn't had to lay off staff, "we've pretty much told everybody, 'Hey, there's no budget increases this year, no salary increases,' " Hill said. "We're cutting out as many things as we can, and we've asked our coaches to keep a flat budget or reduce in certain areas."

One thing that might be noticed by Utah fans is the elimination of the annual Fan Fest in August, which brings coaches and players together to interact with fans. Although the popular event has several sponsors, including the Deseret News, it costs the U. $20,000.

Hill said other possible cutbacks might include a printed newsletter for fans, no outside speakers for the student-athlete conference, putting media guides online or reducing the offseason for nontraditional sports such as soccer, softball and volleyball.

However, of the latter, that wouldn't be done unless there was some NCAA legislation for all schools.

"Unilaterally disarming is a difficult thing," Hill said.

When asked if any of the 100-plus athletic department staff has been cut, Hill replied, "Not yet," indicating that it could happen next year when things are expected to get tougher.

At Utah State, despite another projected deficit, there is optimism thanks to a successful men's basketball program under Stew Morrill, a renewed hope for football under new coach Gary Andersen and an athletic director who is trying to upgrade the program while being handcuffed with one of the smallest budgets among Football Bowl Subdivision schools.

"We already fund most of our programs at a minimum level," Barnes said. "So we've had to really focus on overhauling our funding model. We've run a deficit for so long, our funding model was broke."