'Guarantee' games are they worth it for the HBCUs


Thank goodness it wasn't up to their incompetent ass.

I can repeat this because the chancellor at that time said it on the radio and it was over 12 years ago. I didn’t go to many football games much while I was working at Southern, nor did I know anything about attendance figures other than what I use to hear in the streets. But I had access to the revenues by working in the Comptroller’s Office. Remember when Southern played 3 games in New Orleans-- Jackson, Tulane, and the Bayou Classic? The fans were complaining about too many games being played in New Orleans and preferred to play Jackson on campus I guess because of the game day atmosphere. Well that year Southern made more money playing Jackson in New Orleans than the Bayou Classic. The revenues were larger for the Bayou Classic but Southern had to split that with Grambling. But, the revenues for that Jackson game was all for Southern and the only other major expense was renting the building. Also, the net amount I saw on the books was close to being larger than all other home games combined that year. But again the fans complain and they didn’t do it again. So I understood the rationale by not wanting to play games on campus and playing games with upfront guarantees, “money games.”
 
I can repeat this because the chancellor at that time said it on the radio and it was over 12 years ago. I didn’t go to many football games much while I was working at Southern, nor did I know anything about attendance figures other than what I use to hear in the streets. But I had access to the revenues by working in the Comptroller’s Office. Remember when Southern played 3 games in New Orleans-- Jackson, Tulane, and the Bayou Classic? The fans were complaining about too many games being played in New Orleans and preferred to play Jackson on campus I guess because of the game day atmosphere. Well that year Southern made more money playing Jackson in New Orleans than the Bayou Classic. The revenues were larger for the Bayou Classic but Southern had to split that with Grambling. But, the revenues for that Jackson game was all for Southern and the only other major expense was renting the building. Also, the net amount I saw on the books was close to being larger than all other home games combined that year. But again the fans complain and they didn’t do it again. So I understood the rationale by not wanting to play games on campus and playing games with upfront guarantees, “money games.”


That's understandable even though your comparison is apples and oranges. You originally stated that he/she felt that way because of the headaches not cost. Also I can understand the Tulane game being a guarantee but why would the JSU/SU game be a guarantee when it was SU who decided to move the game and use the Superdome as its home field? Not to mention the understanding I had for the reason that they stop it was because the hassle wasn't worth the lititle change that they did make.
 



That's understandable even though your comparison is apples and oranges. You originally stated that he/she felt that way because of the headaches not cost. Also I can understand the Tulane game being a guarantee but why would the JSU/SU game be a guarantee when it was SU who decided to move the game and use the Superdome as its home field? Not to mention the understanding I had for the reason that they stop it was because the hassle wasn't worth the lititle change that they did make.

It’s a matter of point of view. For some people cost is a headache especially when resources are limited. Neither the Tulane nor the Jackson game was a guarantee. I put those games and the upfront guarantee like the La Tech game together because Southern didn’t have to deal with the cost associated with playing a game on campus. Now as for as the JSU game in New Orleans being a what you said a “little change”, again Ed Jackson Sothern’s chancellor at the time said on the Jaguar Journal radio show that Southern made more money from that game than the Bayou Classic because they had to split the gate with Grambling. I’m just confirming what he said. Now the Tulane game was some little change. That was some kind of weird split deal that I didn’t know much about. But Pete Richardson said in the Advocate something of the effect that playing them was not financially in Sothern’s best interest and I am confirming what he said also.
 
Without question, HBCU athletic programs participating in such games continue to negatively affect the HBCU athletic brand.

Yes I agree. If a HBCU have to play games like that to fund athletic, then cost need to be cut. Baby boomer HBCU alums don’t want to hear this but it’s costing too much to play at the division 1 level if you have to put your kids in a blood bath to make money. It negatively affects the brand as you put it and to me that’s exploitation.
 
I guess people don't realize that most FCS, and even G5 FBS teams still and will continue to play these games. It's not going anywhere.
 
I guess people don't realize that most FCS, and even G5 FBS teams still and will continue to play these games. It's not going anywhere.


True, and that's the motivation for some of these top-tier FCS programs to build and move up to FBS ... it's a money grab. Plain and simple. You move up to FBS (it's going to cost you to move up), but it opens your ability to earn money through them beatdown games more than you are as an FCS program. Plus, you get some regional TV bread if you're in a conference.

Like I've said months before, individual HBCUs are going to have to make some hard decisions when it comes to athletics in the near future.
 
Yes I agree. If a HBCU have to play games like that to fund athletic, then cost need to be cut. Baby boomer HBCU alums don’t want to hear this but it’s costing too much to play at the division 1 level if you have to put your kids in a blood bath to make money. It negatively affects the brand as you put it and to me that’s exploitation.


I didn't see any blood Saturday in Ruston. As a matter of fact the only thing I saw close to blood this Past week was in Ga. when a couple of Ga. Tech players limped of the field.
 
True, and that's the motivation for some of these top-tier FCS programs to build and move up to FBS ... it's a money grab. Plain and simple. You move up to FBS (it's going to cost you to move up), but it opens your ability to earn money through them beatdown games more than you are as an FCS program. Plus, you get some regional TV bread if you're in a conference.

Like I've said months before, individual HBCUs are going to have to make some hard decisions when it comes to athletics in the near future.


I believe it's actually going to be the conference as a whole
 
"But aren’t the athletes being pimped or exploited? Sure. Every single college athlete at every level is, too, but just in different forms."
The above was taken from Kendrick Marshall's article, Money Games Won't Be the Death of HBCU Football. I would say to your statement being pimped can mean a number of things. However in your context there is a difference with being pimped, you get a small amount of money, but for "athletic slavery" you only get a place to sleep and food. At most HBCUs the players didn't even get to keep their Pell Grant money, it goes toward their scholarship.
 
I wouldn't compare athletics to slavery, though.

You are right. It’s not slavery because a slave was forced to work. Nobody’s forcing these kids to play sports. However, a better comparison is more like a relationship of a drug dealer and a user. Especially when I hear statements like, “the athletes want to play these games.” Well, users want to get high, but we put most of the blame of drugs destroying our communities on the drug dealer. Even though without users there are no drug dealers. Also, you hear drug dealers justifying what they are doing by saying “if I don’t do it, somebody else will.” Still does not make it right.
 
You are right. It’s not slavery because a slave was forced to work. Nobody’s forcing these kids to play sports. However, a better comparison is more like a relationship of a drug dealer and a user. Especially when I hear statements like, “the athletes want to play these games.” Well, users want to get high, but we put most of the blame of drugs destroying our communities on the drug dealer. Even though without users there are no drug dealers. Also, you hear drug dealers justifying what they are doing by saying “if I don’t do it, somebody else will.” Still does not make it right.

That's not a good one either.
 



You are right. It’s not slavery because a slave was forced to work. Nobody’s forcing these kids to play sports. However, a better comparison is more like a relationship of a drug dealer and a user. Especially when I hear statements like, “the athletes want to play these games.” Well, users want to get high, but we put most of the blame of drugs destroying our communities on the drug dealer. Even though without users there are no drug dealers. Also, you hear drug dealers justifying what they are doing by saying “if I don’t do it, somebody else will.” Still does not make it right.


I never heard of any community being destroyed by receiving a half a million dollars to invest in it.

Valley didn't receive anything but an ass whupping last night, but they will still be there tomorrow and maybe better.
 
I never heard of any community being destroyed by receiving a half a million dollars to invest in it.

Valley didn't receive anything but an ass whupping last night, but they will still be there tomorrow and maybe better.

Money from these games is used before the year is out. There is nothing being invested. I posted the revenues and expenses for 220 D1 schools on another thread and even the top school Oregon don’t have much money left at the end of the year. Valley is in the SWAC, they get beat that on them
 
Money from these games is used before the year is out. There is nothing being invested. I posted the revenues and expenses for 220 D1 schools on another thread and even the top school Oregon don’t have much money left at the end of the year. Valley is in the SWAC, they get beat that on them


Even more of a reason to have some than none I would think. Having said that every ones budget isn't the same and if I recall correctly in one of those threads showing expenses SU was doing better than most by being less dependant on subsidies.
 
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