Editor’s note: Mustang News previously reported on how much St. Patrick’s Day weekend cost the City of San Luis Obispo. In comparison, this article examines Cal Poly’s monetary contributions.
Cal Poly spent $1,167,157 on St. Patrick’s Day weekend this year, according to university spokesperson Matt Lazier.
Total costs included funding for the Morning on the Green — A Mustang Music Festival, police and security, and miscellaneous expenses including the Emergency Operations Center, temporary camera set up, event signs and more.
Funding for St. Patrick’s Day enforcement and programming was sourced through revenue collected over time from “procurement activities” such as rebates on purchases and credit card usage.
According to Lazier, none of these costs were covered with the state-based tuition or fee revenue that makes up Cal Poly’s operating fund.
Meanwhile, the City of San Luis Obispo spent a combined $115,000 — $86,000 on overtime pay and $29,000 in expenses to fund St. Patrick’s Day containment efforts, in contrast to the university.
Cal Poly spent over $1 million more than the city, covering nearly 10 times the city’s investment.
The concert, which makes up the largest fraction of the monetary breakdown, cost the university $657,657. Additionally, Cal Poly funded police and security for $419,660.
The total cost for police and security includes lodging, which Lazier indicated as the university paying for hotel rooms for police officers from departments out of the area who assisted with enforcement over the weekend. For the event, Cal Poly received support from agencies all over the state.
Cal Poly spent an additional $89,840 on other affairs such as temporary camera setup, event signs, magnets, hand warmers, blankets, battery backups, vests, water, coolers, headsets, food for support staff and general operational supplies such as binders and bins.
When asked about the future of the event in February, Mayor Erica A. Stewart said, “Realistically, 4 a.m. music in the morning is probably not what anyone wants to see here, but if this is what works, then we’re willing to continue to partner.”
With Cal Poly switching to the semester system in 2026, it is currently unclear whether the administration will continue to allocate similar funding for future St. Patrick’s Day programming and enforcement.