Southeastern Louisiana football coach Mike Lucas left Hammond, La., on Friday afternoon with 57 able-bodied football players in tow. By the time Lucas and his team returned home late Saturday night, only 50 remained unscathed.
What horrible plight befell the Lions during those 32 hours? The Kansas Jayhawks.
The bigger, stronger and faster Jayhawks spent Saturday evening dismantling the Lions in a game that was over before the visiting team stepped off of the bus. The disparity of talent between the two squads was evident on the scoreboard, which read 62-0, and the training room, where seven Lions recuperated from their injuries.
“We’re a very young team and we have a program in its fifth year,” Lucas said. “We tried to come up here and not get demoralized, but when your best defensive lineman breaks his arm – he’s just lying on the sideline, yelling, with all of the other kids looking at him – it’s a bad scene.”
But the gap between Kansas and Southeastern Louisiana is not measured best in terms of total yards, points, pounds or inches. Millions of dollars separate the wealthy athletics departments at larger schools such as Kansas and the lower-budget departments at smaller universities in the vein of Southeastern Louisiana.
The small schools, often in need of some financial help, are turning to their more well-established counterparts for a little assistance. By traveling to play games against major-conference opponents, lower-tier Division I FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) and Division I FCS (Football Championship Subdivision) programs are earning up to $300,000 each weekend of the football season. The more affluent schools from the FBS face restrictions when scheduling non-conference games against fellow FBS teams. But FBS programs are allowed to schedule FCS teams without being required to repay the smaller school with a visit in the next season.
Southeastern Louisiana pocketed $275,000 to fly north to Lawrence, lose and return home seven players short. To Kansas, which, according to the U.S. Department of Education, brought in an approximate total of $23 million last year, $275,000 is not a massive chunk of change. But for an athletics department that earned about $1.9 million last year, last weekend’s winnings represent a significant sum. Especially considering the school’s athletics department spent $450,000 more than it brought in last year.
“We are certainly not dependent on the guarantees paid to us,” said Dr. Joel Erdmann, Southeastern Louisiana athletics director. “They do help create opportunities for all of our other athletic programs that may not bring in as much revenue as a sport like football, but the money is not the sole reason the games are scheduled.”
The Southeastern Louisiana football program pulled in about $1.2 million last year, according to the U.S. Department of Education. The payout from last weekend’s Kansas game alone would account for about one-fourth of that total. The fact that three of Southeastern Louisiana’ s four non-conference games are against Division I FBS schools suggests the Lions are not earning the lion’s share of their revenue through ticket and merchandise sales.
“Playing up,” or playing higher-level teams in return for financial compensation, is not a phenomenon exclusive to Kansas. Across the nation, it has become a common practice in major college athletics, most notably football.
Schools everywhere are adding payout games to their schedules with the idea in mind that the games affect both participating programs positively. The big school that coughs up $250,000 easily recoups that and more by selling 40,000 tickets for $50 each and sends the fans home happy after an easy victory. The small school that comes to visit usually loses the game but also emerges a winner by potentially making enough money to fund its women’s basketball program for an entire year.
“You’ve got to schedule with the best interests of the program in mind,” Kansas associate athletics director Jim Marchiony said. “The key is to schedule for success. Bringing smaller teams in usually is a win-win for everyone involved.”
Kansas is one of many football teams that scheduled with success in mind this season. The Jayhawks’ non-conference slate includes three small-conference FBS teams, Central Michigan, Toledo and Florida International, and FCS foe Southeastern Louisiana. The games, which will most likely end with Kansas on top, will cost Kansas just over $1.1 million in all. If Kansas sells 40,000 tickets to each game, the school will bring in $2 million even before adding in merchandise and concession sales.
There is one possible drawback to this scheduling philosophy. If Kansas should lose to one of its four non-conference opponents, the team could lose respect from fans and be second-guessed by media. But during the tenure of Kansas coach Mark Mangino, the Jayhawks have never lost to an FCS opponent and have handled small-conference FBS teams with relative ease.
“I don’t mind playing one FCS team each year,” Mangino said. “And a lot of those teams are willing and eager to do it because it helps subsidize their programs.”
Smaller programs must find funding for non-revenue programs like volleyball, tennis and softball somewhere, and major-conference schools are often replete with funds they are willing to part with to ensure an easy victory. For the athletic director at a school such as Southeastern Louisiana, the decision to put New Mexico State, Kansas and Tulane – three sure losses – on the schedule is an easy one.
“Playing upper-level teams is really positive in two different ways,” Erdmann said. “In one way it’s positive because it generates some revenue through the financial guarantees. In another way it’s good because it can be a good experience for the players.”
Erdmann said the Southeastern Louisiana campus was full of excitement the week leading up to the football team’s trip to Kansas and the players’ adrenaline was pumping in anticipation of playing in a venue like Memorial Stadium.
After Saturday’s game, the $275,000 paycheck did not improve the mood of the Lions’ coach.
“You just hate to lose players, and we have five guys who are questionable for next week and two who are out for the season, including our best defensive player.” Lucas said. “It’s really not worth it. It’s not worth a nickel to lose a kid like that for the season.”
Lucas’ frustrations are most likely not over. Chances are, he will endure another drubbing in order for his school to enjoy a windfall when the Lions visit Tulane Sept. 22.
Worth it or not, the practice of scheduling payout games seems here to stay. Three weeks into the 2007 season, 47 of the 119 FBS teams have faced a foe from the FCS ranks. Thus far, the smaller schools have lost 45 of the 47 games – on the field, at least.