Saying he wants the football program to get away from the model of playing non-conference games against FBS opponents, Florida A&M Athletic Director Milton Overton Jr. said he wants to hold a series of future classic games in Miami and Atlanta.
According to the Tallahassee Democrat, Overton wants to establish FAMU-controlled classics against FCS opponents.
Overton said FAMU made about “about $800,000,” in revenue from the Florida Classic against Bethune-Cookman.
That figure, combined with feedback from a fan survey released in September, culminated in Overton exploring the classic venture.
“The surveys, the data and the money all make sense,” Overton said. “The logical move, for FAMU, is to play Classics. I’m grateful and I know FAMU is grateful for the opportunity to play some of these games that we have to play right now. But I preference it by saying we have to play them.”
The key to the classics, Overton said, is that FAMU would get the bulk of the money from the events instead of an independent promoter, which would generate additional dollars for the program
“We were always saying, ‘Who is going to give us a guarantee?’” Overton said. “Even if it’s a classic, the guarantor is always the promoter. It’s almost the same as playing Ohio State. It’s just, ‘OK, how much are you going to give me?’ That’s all we’ll ever earn.
Great idea.