There has been plenty of debate in college football about whether it makes sense for HBCU programs to travel to Power Four schools, take a sizable financial payout and potentially face a significant talent disadvantage.
Prairie View A&M coach Tremaine Jackson isn’t interested in viewing Saturday’s trip to Baylor that way.
The Panthers have intentionally loaded their nonconference schedule with challenging opponents, including FCS playoff team Tarleton State and Stephen F. Austin. Baylor — a Big 12 club — represents another step up in competition, but Jackson said Prairie View isn’t heading to Waco simply to collect a check.
“Make no mistake about it. We expect to win,” Jackson said on Tuesday. “This is not a check game.”
Jackson acknowledged Baylor has a talented roster, but he said the matchup is ultimately about Prairie View improving and playing to the standard it has established for itself.
“It’s not about Baylor,” Jackson said. “It’s about how we can manage and fix our mistakes throughout the week and go and be better than what we were this past week.”
The financial aspect of HBCUs playing FBS programs has become an increasingly common part of the conversation surrounding these matchups. For programs operating with significantly fewer resources than their Power Four counterparts, the payouts can provide valuable revenue.
But Jackson said the money isn’t what motivates his team.
“I know there’s a lot of chatter about checks and things of that nature,” Jackson said. “I don’t know how much we got paid, nor do I care.”
The Bears will pay the Panthers a $400,000 guarantee for the game, according to FBSchedules.
Instead, Jackson views the game through the lens of building Prairie View into the type of program that can consistently compete at a high level in the FCS.
“What I care about is that we go out and take care of our business because that’s what good football programs in the FCS do and that’s what we aim to be,” Jackson said.
That philosophy is reflected in Prairie View’s nonconference schedule. The Panthers aren’t avoiding difficult games, and Jackson doesn’t want his players approaching Baylor as an inevitable loss or a glorified exhibition.
They expect to win.
For Prairie View, Saturday is about more than the check.
It’s about finding out whether the Panthers can take another step toward becoming the program Jackson believes they can be.
