You are right...especially about the APR situation and the "money games." I don't know this for certain, but I would believe that DUKE and NC State would pay A&T a fairly-pretty penny (maybe $175,000 to $200,000) to come to Durham or Raleigh and help them out at the turnstile. And I think that they could get over $400,000 from somebody like Tennessee, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Clemson or South Carolina.
We can't play FBS games due to our APR. It will not count as a win for the FBS team towards their bowl win count. So its pointless for them to play us
The fact that we can't play FBS "money games" because of our APR situation
right now has been clearly-stated
for months on this board.
WE ALL KNOW THAT.
Ironically, this article was published today just for your clarification
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GUARANTEED SUCCESS: BULLDOGS' "MONEY GAMES" HAVE BROUGHT OVER $2 MILLION TO PROGRAMLink:
thetandd.com/sports/bulldogzone/article_7afc99c4-ac4b-11e0-8d76-001cc4c002e0.htmlFacing Division I teams was uncharted territory the first 100 years of existence for South Carolina State football.
When the Bulldogs opened the 2007 season at Air Force Academy, head coach Oliver "Buddy" Pough was not surprised about the outcome, a 34-3 loss. At the same time, he also saw the big picture for the program in competing against larger schools.
"I think you've seen a little bit of a change in our team in the time that we've been playing those kind of games," Pough said. "I guess we'll get to the point where eventually we've been a pretty usual customary participant in the playoff structure. I think that kind of sense of urgency that's created by those games being on the schedule helps get your team going. It creates a sense of urgency to get your off-season really going strong and healthy. I think it's a good thing."
Since 2007, S.C. State has made the playoffs and won a share of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title three straight years. Just as important in helping to improve the on-field product, the six FBS games have provided a timely financial boost for the struggling historically black college athletics program.
This season, S.C. State will earn its biggest payday yet. The Sept. 1 season-opener at Central Michigan will earn the school a payout of $300,000, to be dwarfed 16 days later when the Bulldogs travel to Bloomington, Ind. to face Indiana University.
For facing the Hoosiers, S.C. State will receive $500,000 - $15,000 more than the combined guaranteed fees in 2008 against Central Florida ($250,000) and Clemson ($235,000) and $50,000 more than in 2007 for playing Air Force Academy ($220,000) and the University of South Carolina ($230,000) the first time.
In all, S.C. State has made a total of $2.21 million from the six guaranteed contests. More is expected in the coming years when the Bulldogs travel to Arizona in 2012 (tentatively set for Sept. 15 in Tucson), followed by a third meeting against South Carolina in 2013 and a return trip to Death Valley in 2016.
"The revenues that we get from the guarantees basically goes into the revenues that we have to raise for the (athletics) department," S.C. State athletics director Charlene Johnson said. "So of course that is a benefit because we're still trying to increase our season-ticket sales so that we don't have to rely so much on walk-ups. So whenever we get guaranteed money, that is actually money in the bank towards the goal that we have to raise."
Johnson added guaranteed games are becoming more of a preference for smaller schools rather than participating in "Classics" and brings exposure in areas unfamiliar with S.C. State. She credited assistant coach Gerald Harrison with his "networking" to bring S.C. State to the attention of FBS schools.
While board of trustee members had expressed concern about S.C. State facing such opponents, most notably after a 54-0 defeat at Clemson in 2008, Pough insists he "likes the idea of having" Division I teams on the schedule and believes the Bulldogs bring more than just a watchable product on the field.
"I think we've been fortunate recently that ... enough people have seen us play those style of games that they feel comfortable in bringing us in that not only do we bring a pretty class style football team, we also bring a crowd," Pough said. "Our attendance has been good."
Pough is hoping 2012 will offer the best opportunities of breaking through with a victory over an FBS team. Indiana is a perfect 8-0 against FCS teams, but went 5-7 this past season. Central Michigan lost in 2007 to North Dakota State 44-14 and in its only other meeting against a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference school shut out Hampton 33-0 this past season enroute to finishing 3-9.
"The first time we went into one of those kind of games, we didn't know quite what to expect. Now that we've been through a few of them, we feel like ‘Hey, this is a situation that we can play in.' The next step for us is to actually get into one of these games and win. We think we might be getting closer."
GUARANTEED SUCCESS
South Carolina State has played a total of six games against Division I teams since 2007 and have scheduled two more this season. Although the Bulldogs are 0-6 in these contests, it has resulted in $2.21 million for the athletics department:
(2007) Air Force Academy (35-3 L) $220,000
(2007) South Carolina (38-3 L) $230,000
(2008) Central Florida (17-0 L) $250,000
(2008) Clemson (54-0 L) $235,000*
(2009) South Carolina (38-14 L) $250,000*
(2010) Georgia Tech (41-10 L) $225,000*
(2011) Central Michigan (Sept. 1) $300,000
(2011) Indiana (Sept. 17) $500,000
TOTAL $2,210,000
*not including revenue earned from allotted tickets sold.
Contact the writer: tgrant@timesanddemocrat.com or by calling (803) 533-5547. For more information about S.C. State athletics, visit
www.thebulldogzone.com.
Read more:
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