THE SENATE	S.C.R. NO.	142
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025		S.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII		H.D. 1

SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

REQUESTING THE OFFICE OF THE AUDITOR TO CONDUCT AN AUDIT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII AT MANOA ATHLETICS DEPARTMENT'S USE AND MANAGEMENT OF ITS FUNDS.

WHEREAS, the University of Hawaii at Manoa Athletics Department (Athletics Department) is responsible for the operations of various student sports teams, the teams' training and performance, travel as necessary, and providing educational and mental health support for their athletes; and

WHEREAS, the Athletics Department includes student athletes as well as department support staff tasked with coordinating domestic and national events, managing operations, and providing assistance to student athletes; and

WHEREAS, the Athletics Department receives funding through private donors, the University of Hawaii, legislative appropriations, and various sport-specific distributions for the purpose of supporting department operations and programs; and

WHEREAS, the effective use and management of funds and resources to promote increased interest and participation in collegiate sports should be a priority of the Athletics Department; and

WHEREAS, ensuring that existing support programs are effective in encouraging student athletes' continued improvement and success in both the educational and athletic sectors should also be a priority of the Athletics Department; and

WHEREAS, the Athletics Department does not have a master plan to address its various needs; and

WHEREAS, the University of Hawaii does not have a clear plan to address the potential for, nor implementation of, its Name, Image, and Likeness Program for the purposes of department and athlete exposure or as a new source of revenue; and

WHEREAS, an audit conducted in fiscal year 2024 shows a $2,100,000 deficit between revenues and expenditures for the Athletics Department; and

WHEREAS, the Athletics Department does not have a sustainable funding plan to address the deficit nor the overall needs of the Athletics Department; and

WHEREAS, evaluation of the Athletics Department's use of its funds is necessary for the improvement and efficiency of the Athletics Department as a whole; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2025, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Office of the Auditor is requested to conduct an audit of the University of Hawaii at Manoa Athletics Department's use and management of its funds, including assessing:

(1) Whether the Department's actual expenditures are consistent with its policies and procedures; and

(2) The Department's Name, Image, and Likeness Program; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Auditor and Director of Athletics of the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

Report Title:

Office of the Auditor; University of Hawaii at Manoa Athletics Department; Audit; Use and Management of Funds; Name, Image, and Likeness Program