SPOKANE, Wash. — An internal audit has found extensive mismanagement within the budget-challenged Washington State athletic department, including the possible inflation of home football attendance figures and the improper distribution of free tickets to football games.
"The environment within Athletics ... did not support a culture of compliance or fiscal responsibility," according to the audit, which was completed in mid-April.
The document comes as leaders of the school grapple with a $67 million athletic budget deficit built up over recent years.
The audit was initially intended to examine the distribution of tickets and passes to Washington State football games to ensure regulations were being followed.