University of Maine President Peter Hoff felt there were plenty of reasons to justify retaining the men’s soccer and men’s and women’s swimming and diving programs.

So on Monday he accepted the University of Maine’s Athletic Advisory Board’s recommendation to keep those programs in the wake of an athletic department budget cut of $202,000 for fiscal year 2003.

The board voted unanimously Thursday to make that recommendation to Hoff.

Hoff could not be reached for comment because he was in Oregon, where he is one of three finalists for the chancellor’s job in the Oregon University System.

However, in a press release issued by the university, he said, “Having received the recommendations of the department and the AAB, and having heard directly from many stakeholders, I have concluded that UMaine should continue these varsity sports, as part of a strategy intended to set a new course for the university’s athletic department.”

That new strategy calls for aggressive fund raising, increased ticket sales and, possibly, increased ticket prices to raise the revenues generated by the athletic department. Parking fees are another possibility.

“In the context of the UMaine and University System budgets as we know them today, this strategy will allow us to continue to provide opportunities for Maine student-athletes to compete at the highest levels, in a wide range of sports and programs,” Hoff said.

“As has been demonstrated during the past few weeks, there is widespread support for this approach,” he added. “In order for us to be able to continue at this level over the long term, it is critical that we develop a workable, sustainable approach to athletic budgeting.”

He believes in the strategy, Hoff said, “if the many people who rallied to the support of the UMaine athletic programs over the past several weeks will make that support real by attending events and contributing financially to the furtherance of these programs.”

Approximately 350 people turned out at a public forum last week to show their support for the programs.

University spokesman Joe Carr also said the athletic department is developing a “long-term approach to deal with the ongoing issues. The idea is to develop and sustain a plan that will help deal with issues as they arise.”

Outgoing athletic director Sue Tyler said, “We took the first step when the coaches agreed to consolidate their fund raising.

“The donors can still earmark their donation to a particular sport. But having all the money go to one fund helps us organize better,” added Tyler.

She said records are now being kept so donors can make sure their donations are going to their particular sport of choice.

“A lot of donors fear their money will get lost in a great abyss,” Tyler said.

She also pointed out the importance of donors knowing that if they donate a specific amount to a program, the athletic department won’t take that amount out of the money it has budgeted for that program.

“That’s a myth,” said Tyler.

The athletic department budget, according to Tyler, has swelled from “under $5 million to $10 million” during her seven years at Maine.

“We have to find new donors and we also have to take care of our regular donors better,” said Tyler.

She has heard several of them complain about being solicited by several different factions within the university system and athletic department. She feels the consolidation will be helpful in putting that to a halt.

Paul Bubb, the university’s senior associate athletic director since last fall, said there would be additional solicitation of donor money “for special events like a season-opening tipoff banquet for women’s basketball.”

Bubb said the university is in the process of hiring people to fill “two key positions” in the athletic department: a director of athletic development and director of marketing and promotions.

“Those people will be critical [to fund-raising efforts], and we’d like to have them onboard by July 1. At the same time, the governor [Angus King] is looking at another hiring moratorium, so I’m a little concerned. We’re putting together a plan, but we need the personnel to execute it,” said Bubb.

Bubb feels it is important to “be more aggressive raising money” and improve attendance figures at football and men’s and women’s basketball games.

“Season ticket sales for our men’s and women’s basketball programs have gone down each year over the past three years,” said Bubb, who also would like to see a significant increase in attendance at football games.

Football attendance averaged 5,000 per game at the 10,000-seat Morse Field last season. Hockey averaged 4,994 at the 5,641-seat Alfond Arena, while women’s basketball drew 1,966 and men’s basketball attracted 1,614 per game.

Reducing the price of season tickets would be one of his solutions to attract more season ticket holders.

Season ticket holders in football, men’s and women’s basketball and hockey pay the same per game admission price as those who buy single-game tickets.

A hockey ticket is $15, basketball tickets are $10 and football is $10 normally except for a $12 fee for the two special weekends: Homecoming and Parents and Friends Weekend.

“The only benefit season ticket holders receive is knowing their seats are guaranteed,” said Bubb.

Baseball is $4 for a doubleheader and $3 for a single game, and women’s hockey is $5.

The other sports are free.

“We can’t charge for men’s and women’s soccer and softball because we can’t secure the facilities. People can just walk up and watch,” said Bubb.

He also indicated they would continue to offer more activities before, during and after games so fans would be treated to more of an eventlike atmosphere than just a game.

He also said it is important to seek out donors who “can give us $100 a year, not just the major donors. It’s going to take a group effort.”

Men’s soccer coach Travers Evans and men’s and women’s swimming and diving coach Jeff Wren were pleased by Monday’s news.

“There have been a lot of good people involved in this process and it’s a real sound decision. We have some real challenges that we as a department and as a team need to conquer,” Evans said.

“My hope is that everyone who showed tremendous support for our athletic programs throughout the process will continue to support us through attendance at our games and financial help to the best of their abilities,” he added.

Wren, whose program was on the chopping block on two previous occasions, said, “We’re still kicking.”

He praised Tyler for supporting the programs and added that it is up to the athletic department and each sports program to attract some new donors.