CIF increases individual sport championship meet fees

The fees schools pay to the CIF San Diego Section for athletics participating in championship meets and tournaments for individual sports will increase for the 2017-18 seasons.

The fees which for the past 10 years have been $10 per individual with a maximum of $50 per school will now be $25 for one athlete, $50 for two to four athletes, $75 for five to 10 athletes, and $100 for more than 10 athletes. The new fee structure approved at the May 24 CIF Board of Managers meeting will increase CIF revenue by $23,404.

"For us it makes a significant difference," said CIF commissioner Jerry Schniepp.

A separate May 24 action approved the CIF's 2017-18 budget which includes $1,957,000 of income. The 2016-17 budgeted income was $1,844,000. Playoff revenue including tickets as well as fees for individual sports accounted for $937,300 in the 2016-17 budget and is expected to provide $956,100 of 2017-18 income. Member dues accounted for $214,000 in 2016-17 and will likely provide $215,000 during 2017-18. Sponsorships and broadcasting rights revenue will increase from $312,000 to $322,000.

The increase was actually proposed by the cross-country advisory committee, which has benefited in recent years by the use of electronic equipment.

"They know it's very expensive and they believed it was time we increased the fee," said Schniepp.

The track and field championship meet will contribute the most additional revenue of any of the nine meets and tournaments involved, and that sport was the only one of the nine whose championship has not operated at a deficit. The increase will increase that meet's budgeted net revenue from $14,365 to $19,370.

Gymnastics will be the only sport to change from a deficit to a surplus with the increased fees. The deficit of $548 will change to a surplus of $28. The $4,784 deficit for the cross-country meet will be reduced to $99. The deficits will be reduced from $9,722 to $8,842 for girls golf, from $1,939 to $709 for girls tennis, from $9,180 to $5,617 for wrestling, from $12,123 to $10,898 for boys golf, from $11,012 to $6,042 for swimming and diving, and from $1,760 to $590 for boys tennis.

The total increases will reduce the CIF deficit for the meets and tournaments of those nine sports from $36,703 to $13,299. "We will continue at a loss," Schniepp said.