Topic: Possible Herd Football Opponent???

[coalherd]

Just read where Michigan cancelled a football series in 2018-19 with Arkansas so the Wolverines could play Notre Dame.

Not sure if the Herd has any openings in those 2 years, but Mike Hamrick may want to contact the AD in Fayetteville about a possible $$$$$ game there.  Seems like both the AD and Coach Bielema (sp). at UA are more than a little ticked at Meechigaaan and Coach Harbaugh, despite the fact that UM paid the Razorbacks a $2 million fee to cancel the series.  The UA people are quite concerned that they may not find a quality opponent or opponents to fill the holes on their schedules in 2018 and 2019.

Believe the stadium at UA holds 70,000+ and if Doc continues to put out Bowl champs and 10+ winning season, surely the Herd would be a very attractive, albeit G5, opponent for UA, even better than some SEC conference foes like Vandy, Kentucky, etc.  If Hamrick could swing a $1,000,000 one game payout, believe he could then get a balancing FCS opponent for a reasonable fee to play at the Joan in the same season.  Have to believe MU would make some decent profit with such a game deal.

[IM4DHERD]

2018 - @ Miami, OH / NC State at home

2019 - @ Boise / OU at home / Cincy at home

2018 date matches up on 9/08;  2019 - 8/31, 9/07

[coalherd]

Thanks, IM4DHERD.  Wasn't sure of our schedules; just throwing this out to see if Herd might have any interest in contacting the Arkansas folks.  We do have openings in both years as you noted.

[herd2win]

We have to do a one and done every year and possibly 2 a year with the new landscape...

[morpheus]

We need a new source of $$$ has to be found, with CUSA TV contracts going down the tubes.  Money games have to be looked at by Hamrick.

[QuickStrike]

We need a new source of $$$ has to be found, with CUSA TV contracts going down the tubes.  Money games have to be looked at by Hamrick.

Exactly.  Hell... a money games with an Arkansas and a home game with an FCS team would be better than a home & away with Miami O.

[MUther]

We need a new source of $$$ has to be found, with CUSA TV contracts going down the tubes.  Money games have to be looked at by Hamrick.

We have Pitt coming in.  I would think 35k would be a decent estimate for that game.  $20 a ticket would also be a decent estimate on average.  That's $700k plus concessions, merchandise, etc for a home game and boost to Huntington economy.  Arkansas will pay us what, $1-1.4 million for a one and done?  Subtract travel costs, ~$200K maybe more.  Let's say we net $900k playing Arkansas @ Arkansas.  Now add in to the conservative estimate of $700k for Pitt game $50-100k from all other revenue streams.  It's about equal.  And the intangible bonuses of getting bigger teams here to help with recruiting, fanbase, enrollment, exposure, local economy boost, big green, etc. 

We need to keep finding these 1 and 1's with mid-level P5s.  The only way I'd do a payday game is like this year where we have a P5 team scheduled at home and at least 6 home games.  Scrap the FCS and go on the road.  I think Hamrick is doing it right, though.  I think an early season FCS game gives us plenty of revenue.  We'll have 25k at least I'd wager.  The mini-packs are a good buy because of this season's structure.  Season tickets have an extra game added so that can make them more enticing to potential buyers (Not counting the money twice, just saying more people may want them because we are at home so much with at least one premium team in the stadium.)  Every season ticket sold is guaranteed money even if weather or crappy opponent kills attendance.
From 2008 I found on ESPN our team travel cost were ~$2.6 million.  Gotta believe the bulk of that is football.  $2 million broke up over 6 games, away, $330,000 per game-ish.  That's a big chunk to subtract from any pay game, compared to revenue at home from a decent team.  We probably spend more now than eight years ago, too.

RK   TEAM   TUITION   VISITORS   COACH_PAY   RECRUITING   TEAM_TRAVEL   GAMES   MARKETING   TTLEXP
91   Rams   $4,883,542   $480,601   $4,675,709   $421,366   $1,519,846   $1,098,498   $1,431,365   $23,953,191
92   Thundering Herd   $4,626,443   $530,398   $3,836,842   $591,723   $2,583,048   $723,604   $820,133   $23,575,610
93   RedHawks   $7,504,012   $347,054   $4,274,913   $569,979   $1,888,539   $551,505   $284,927   $23,320,946

[banker]

Southern Miss just signed a two game deal, both at Auburn.  They are getting $1.7MM for the first one in 2018 and $1.85MM for the second in 2020.

[MUther]

Southern Miss just signed a two game deal, both at Auburn.  They are getting $1.7MM for the first one in 2018 and $1.85MM for the second in 2020.

That's a lot.  Our travel costs may very well be double the 2008 numbers with the price of fuel increases.  I really don't like the idea of breaking our 1 and 1 stance, though.  Each time we do it will be that much easier for a team to say no when we ask because they can point to team x as a bodybag game we played and if they feel they're on that level why would they give us a home and home.

[backontrack]

I can live with one/dones as long as we have six homes...besides, I recall the days when we played those games with the idea that we could compete and WIN...

[iherdya]

I can live with one/dones as long as we have six homes...besides, I recall the days when we played those games with the idea that we could compete and WIN...

except we lost most of them, the idea of winning isn't as great as actually winning.

[yogiherd]

That's a lot.  Our travel costs may very well be double the 2008 numbers with the price of fuel increases.  I really don't like the idea of breaking our 1 and 1 stance, though.  Each time we do it will be that much easier for a team to say no when we ask because they can point to team x as a bodybag game we played and if they feel they're on that level why would they give us a home and home.

I looked up the prices for a 105 seat football  team charter and the cheapest price was $147,775, but that didn't include the snacks/meal in flight or the gas surcharge plus federal tax on airport usage. i know when the team flew to UAB in 2014 it was on a US Air charter Boeing 737; i think it was 737-600 model seating for 110 passengers. Maybe The Herd has a special arrangement with the charter company with having to charter for several trips, but with the large jets I would say getting one for around $150,000 is the usual rate.

I would guess the hotel costs would be high because they stay in pretty nice places and the charter buses to and from the hotel.

If they do sign a money game I hope it's around the Sou Miss deal to clear a million for the athletic department to deposit in the Big Green account. 

[coalherd]

We have Pitt coming in.  I would think 35k would be a decent estimate for that game.  $20 a ticket would also be a decent estimate on average.  That's $700k plus concessions, merchandise, etc for a home game and boost to Huntington economy.  Arkansas will pay us what, $1-1.4 million for a one and done?  Subtract travel costs, ~$200K maybe more.  Let's say we net $900k playing Arkansas @ Arkansas.  Now add in to the conservative estimate of $700k for Pitt game $50-100k from all other revenue streams.  It's about equal.  And the intangible bonuses of getting bigger teams here to help with recruiting, fanbase, enrollment, exposure, local economy boost, big green, etc. 

We need to keep finding these 1 and 1's with mid-level P5s.  The only way I'd do a payday game is like this year where we have a P5 team scheduled at home and at least 6 home games.  Scrap the FCS and go on the road.  I think Hamrick is doing it right, though.  I think an early season FCS game gives us plenty of revenue.  We'll have 25k at least I'd wager.  The mini-packs are a good buy because of this season's structure.  Season tickets have an extra game added so that can make them more enticing to potential buyers (Not counting the money twice, just saying more people may want them because we are at home so much with at least one premium team in the stadium.)  Every season ticket sold is guaranteed money even if weather or crappy opponent kills attendance.
From 2008 I found on ESPN our team travel cost were ~$2.6 million.  Gotta believe the bulk of that is football.  $2 million broke up over 6 games, away, $330,000 per game-ish.  That's a big chunk to subtract from any pay game, compared to revenue at home from a decent team.  We probably spend more now than eight years ago, too.

RK   TEAM   TUITION   VISITORS   COACH_PAY   RECRUITING   TEAM_TRAVEL   GAMES   MARKETING   TTLEXP
91   Rams   $4,883,542   $480,601   $4,675,709   $421,366   $1,519,846   $1,098,498   $1,431,365   $23,953,191
92   Thundering Herd   $4,626,443   $530,398   $3,836,842   $591,723   $2,583,048   $723,604   $820,133   $23,575,610
93   RedHawks   $7,504,012   $347,054   $4,274,913   $569,979   $1,888,539   $551,505   $284,927   $23,320,946

All well and good, MUther.  However, the power conferences seem to be adding more CONFERENCE Games to their schedules:  this year Big 10 will play 9 conference foes out of 12 game schedules.  That means that they will be looking for MORE HOME GAMES in nonconference slate.  Thus, look for Power Schools either look to sign home 1 and done deals with either FCS schools, if not prohibited by their conferences, or else 1 and done deals with G5 schools.  That means, obviously, less and less opportunities for G5 schools like MU to get HOME and HOME deals with a Power team.  Have to believe if Hamrick could get another deal like he has with Pitt and NC State, he would have already done so and announced it (2018 is ONLY season after the next).

In my opinion, we'll be seeing more and more G5 schools ending up with deals like the Auburn-So. Miss deal (Wasn't it not that long ago there was a "rumor" floating around about MU playing a game at Auburn?).  Anyway, we'll continue to see several home and home MAC deals on future schedules and, personally, I'd just as soon see MU playing home and homes with MAC teams including BG, Toledo, Miami, OU, Kent, Akron, etc., and eliminate the one and done FCS deals with a bunch of dog teams, which apparently Hamrick goes to great lengths to sign.  I cannot believe that under the best of all circumstances and conditions on September 10 that we will come anywhere close to having 30,000 fans at the Joan for the "titanic struggle" with Morgan State!!  And the above mentioned MAC schools allow reasonable travel to away games, meaning more attractive for Herd fans who want to go to road games and also LESS TRAVEL costs for the Athletic Department!

Otherwise, I'd just as soon see MU sign a one and done with someone like Purdue for 7 figures if we can.  A Power team, nice stadium, 68,000 seats, only about 45,000 filled when we played there in 2012, I believe.  NOT an intimidating atmosphere for a road team, I recall, and certainly not that difficult of a drive from Huntington-Charleston.  And an even easier drive for many MU fans in Ohio, Ky and Midwestern areas.

Finally, MUther, the only other possibility for MU to attain a potential power opponent with an opportunity for a lucrative payout would be if we continue to win big in both regular season and in the bowls, enhancing our image, and possibly making it to the G5 big bowl game.  Then, perhaps, the major networks will perhaps consider MU for one of those "made for TV" games at a neutral sight big venue, like the Boise State-VA Tech game at FEDEX/Redskins Stadium a few seasons ago and the BYU-WVU game this fall at the same stadium.

[MUther]

adding a conference game doesn't affect this as much as you think.  It means 5 home games one year and 4 the next in conference.  Custom made for a 1-1 with the away games falling on the 5 home conference games years.

[coalherd]

adding a conference game doesn't affect this as much as you think.  It means 5 home games one year and 4 the next in conference.  Custom made for a 1-1 with the away games falling on the 5 home conference games years.

May be.  But don't see that much of a rush by Power Teams to sign such deals with G5 teams.  One possible exception appears to be some ACC schools, as our games with Pitt and Louisville show.  Also, ODU has landed similar deals with schools like NC State, and a multi game deal with VA TECH, despite their "small" stadium due mainly to the fact that the Virginia Peninsula/Norfolk area commonly referred to as the "757", which is the area code, is a PRIME RECRUITING AREA!.  Herd Fans holding their breath for another 1-1 deal with a Power Opponent may be in for a long, long wait, resulting in a very, very (Furman Paladin) Purple facial color!! :)