A larger-than-expected Big Ten Conference bowl payout should help the University of Wisconsin athletic department's financial bottom line for this school year.
The department is projecting a net surplus of more than $214,000 for 2016-17, associate athletic director for business operations Mario Morris said Wednesday at a meeting of the Athletic Board's Finance, Facilities and Operations committee.
The projected surplus is 30 percent higher than what was included in the budget.
A successful football season for the Big Ten was one of the biggest drivers of the surplus increase, Morris said.
The conference distributed $8.