In this series, we unpack the latest data from a national AD survey and share winning plays for dealing with the pressures of the athletic department.
Ten percent of ADs reported budget cuts of seven percent or more last year. More than 20 percent expect further cuts next year. That's not a rough patch, it's a trend line, and it shows up everywhere from your general fund to the gym schedule you're fighting over with three other programs.
This is Part 2 of our four-part series on the state of the AD profession, based on Coach & Athletic Director's 15th annual Athletic Director Survey, published in the magazine's May/June 2026 State of the Industry report.
Last time, we examined the coaching, parents, and other people who can add to an AD's growing list of concerns. Here we're tackling the money problem, top to bottom: where funding is shrinking, where private dollars and public sentiment are shifting, and where the space and facilities you already have can work harder for you.
This one jumped from seventh place to first in a single year, and 87 percent of ADs say they're at least moderately concerned about it right now, just behind coaching shortages as the top issue in the country. Ten percent of ADs reported budget cuts of seven percent or more, and more than twenty percent expect further cuts next year. That is not a blip. That is a trend line, and we need to plan like it.
Audit before you advocate. You cannot make the case for more resources if you do not have a crystal clear picture of where every dollar currently goes. Get specific. Get honest.
When fundraising is simple, people give more, and they give happily.
Diversify your revenue, don't just defend your budget. A quarter of programs report raising zero dollars through fundraising, and nearly a quarter more raise less than ten percent of their budget that way. There is room to grow here for almost everyone. Gate revenue, sponsorships, booster partnerships, and grants all deserve a real strategy, not a once a year car wash.
Make fundraising something families actually enjoy participating in. The old model of selling wrapping paper door to door is dying, and honestly, it should. Programs using Bound's Fundraising tools are running digital campaigns that hit five figure goals in days instead of months, because families can share a link instead of knocking on doors. When fundraising is simple, people give more, and they give happily.
Tell the story with data, not just passion. Administration responds to numbers. Participation rates, academic performance of student athletes, community turnout. When you walk into a budget meeting with evidence instead of emotion, you change the conversation. Centralizing your financial reporting inside a system like Bound's Program Management suite means you're not scrambling to build that report the night before the meeting. It's already there.
Private funding is climbing as a concern, one of the sharpest jumps on the whole list. Public sentiment on spending has crept up too. Communities are watching athletic budgets closer than ever, and that scrutiny isn't going away.
Be transparent before you're asked to be. Publish what you can. Share the why behind spending decisions before someone assumes the worst.
Specificity moves people to act.
Build corporate and community partnerships that go beyond a banner ad. Local businesses want to be part of something with real visibility and real values, not just a logo on a fence. ADs running structured sponsorship packages through Bound's Sponsorship tools are turning what used to be an annual awkward ask into a repeatable, professional revenue stream that local businesses actually look forward to renewing.
Don't overlook the revenue sitting in front of you at every home game. Concessions, gate admission, and merchandise are often under-monetized because they're managed with a cash box and a prayer. Tools like Bound's Concessions and Ticketing and Passes turn game night cash flow into clean, reportable revenue instead of a mystery your business office has to untangle every Monday.
Make the ask specific. "Support our program" raises less than "Help us buy new helmets for 47 football players." Specificity moves people to act.
Facilities dropped nine spots this year, which tells me more ADs are finally getting a handle on it, but it's still a daily grind for plenty of programs sharing gyms, fields, and buses across a dozen different teams.
Use creative scheduling before you ask for a new building. Staggered practice times and shared facility agreements with nearby schools solve more space problems than a capital campaign ever will.
Centralize your facility calendar so double bookings become a thing of the past. I've talked to too many ADs who found out about a scheduling conflict the same way, someone showing up to a gym that was already reserved. Districts running their spaces through Bound's Facility Management tools have cut duplicate bookings dramatically, simply because every reservation lives in one calendar instead of six inboxes.
Involve your maintenance and grounds staff early, not after something breaks. Regular check-ins with facilities staff turn them into partners in your program's success instead of a department you only talk to when something goes wrong.
Money problems are visible. Everyone in the building knows when the budget's tight. The next set of issues is different — they're the ones that stay quiet for years until one bad ruling or one missed protocol turns into the headline. Part 3 is about legal risk, health and safety, and compliance, and why getting ahead of these is cheaper than cleaning up after them.