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When UNO dropped wrestling and football in 2011 and took its other sports teams up to Division I, Chancellor John Christensen called the moves necessary to resolve the athletic department’s finance “nightmare.”

But after UNO’s first year as a full-fledged member of Division I, it’s clear that competing at the NCAA’s highest level can also produce some scary budget numbers. The Maverick athletic department finished the 2015-16 budget year with a $1.8 million deficit.

Christensen and UNO athletic director Trev Alberts certainly don’t believe the numbers show the Division I move was a mistake. They said they knew the transition would pose financial challenges, in part because it will take time for the school to see all the benefits that can come with its new status.

“When we made the decision, it was clear to me this would be a benefit for the entire campus, but there were going to be startup (costs) with that,” Christensen said.

Last year’s deficit added to a $700,000 debt the department had already been carrying, dating to a $1.4 million fee the school had to pay to the NCAA to begin its transition to Division I. The combined $2.5 million debt has been covered by general university cash flows but eventually will have to be reconciled, officials said.