Mississippi Valley State is expected to lose an estimated $350,000 after Mississippi State canceled the 2013 season opener between the two schools due to scholarship concerns.
“When the talk started about us playing Mississippi State, I didn’t think it was ever going to come to pass because of the lack of scholarships,” Delta Devils head coach Karl Morgan said. “We weren’t going to miraculously jump from where we were to where we needed to be.”
The game, which was scheduled to take place Aug. 31, 2013 in Starkville, was nixed due to an NCAA rule that mandates FBS teams from counting wins against FCS schools that fail to meet financial aid requirement.
MVSU doesn’t reach that guideline because it does not provide scholarships to at least 90 percent of its players, per NCAA requirement.
Mississippi Valley interim athletic director Donald Sims said the school has been attempting to rectify the situation so games against FBS schools could be played.
