The University of Wisconsin athletic department had to work around having one fewer home football game and a conservative projection for men's hockey ticket sales in putting together its budget for the 2016-17 season.
Playing six home football games next season instead of the customary seven will cost the department a little less than $3 million in ticket revenue, associate athletic director for business operations Mario Morris told the Athletic Board on Friday.
The board approved an overall budget increase of more than $3.3 million, or 2.8 percent, for next year.
The total spending authority of $121,884,457 for 2016-17 is projected to leave a net surplus for the season of more than $164,000 and includes a small increase in funding for capital projects and a reduction in payments toward debt service.