Humiliating payday
MAC schools cash in on non-conference matchups
Posted: Thursday September 03, 1998 01:42 PM
NEW YORK (AP)-- There's a reason many Mid-American Conference schools are willing to suffer the humiliation of losing to the nation's biggest football powerhouses by scores like 82-6, 58-0 or 59-14.
It's payday.
Unlike self-sufficient schools from bigger conferences such as the Big Ten, MAC schools need outside help to pay the soaring costs of their athletic programs.
Schools in major conferences -- figuring on an easy victory -- oblige with hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Miami of Ohio, with an annual athletic budget approaching $10 million, got $285,000 to open this season at North Carolina. The money is placed in the general athletic fund, which supports all of the school's sports teams.
"We have 22 sports programs and a majority don't generate any revenue," said Miami athletics director Joel Maturi. "No sport at Miami University makes enough money to cover itself, including football."
Miami's football ticket revenue is about $500,000. The team's budget is $2 million, he said.
"To get nothing versus [$285,000], that's a big difference. I don't think we can afford to not do that," Maturi said. "We'll never be self-sufficient."
Mid-American Conference athletics directors and coaches have decided the benefits outweigh the costs of bruised egos from losses like Central Michigan's 82-6 defeat last year at Florida, Kansas State's 58-0 shutout of Bowling Green and Akron's 59-14 loss to Nebraska.
"I don't think there's any question that teams are looking for the best payday they can get, said Ball State coach Bill Lynch, whose squad lost to Purdue and Indiana of the Big Ten last year and will play at South Carolina on Saturday.
"I don't particularly like playing the best teams in the nation every year, but there are certainly benefits for it," he said.
Miami coach Randy Walker, whose teams have lost to Michigan, Michigan State and LSU since 1990, doesn't have a problem with the system.
"Intercollegiate athletic programs do wonderful things for the schools, athletes and alumni. But it takes money to fund those programs," he said. "It's not negative. It's part of the business."
At Akron, coach Lee Owens has reason for optimism.
Akron made $450,000 by opening its last season at Nebraska and losing 59-14. Two weeks later, another big payday sent the Zips to LSU, where the outcome was even worse: 56-0. But this year, its non-conference opponents are the less intimidating Temple and Pittsburgh.
"You know before the season ever starts, the odds of having a better record are in our favor," Owens said.
He said Akron, with a $7.3 million athletic budget, fell victim last year to overscheduling.
"It helps to balance the budget and give you some exposure you couldn't get otherwise, but doing it again? I wouldn't recommend that," he said.
Owens thinks playing one game a season against a strong opponent is good, as long as you can avoid injuries.
"We didn't get players hurt, played before a great crowd and against one of the best teams in the country," he said of the Nebraska game. "Would I do that again? Absolutely."
But overscheduling could plague Miami, Ohio University and Toledo this season as players are forced to battle deeper, stronger and faster teams in hostile environments.
"The big thing for us is going to be injuries," Ohio U. coach Jim Grobe said. "If we lose a lot of starters, we go to a young guy who just hasn't played a lot of football. That can hurt you if you're banged up."
Miami plays just four home games this season, with non-conference road games at North Carolina, Army and rival Cincinnati. Ohio U. travels to North Carolina State and Wisconsin and plays host to East Carolina.
Toledo must play in front of 95,000 hostile fans at No. 1-ranked Ohio State in its second game. The Buckeyes, who haven't lost to an in-state school since 1921, will probably be 30- or 40-point favorites.
Walker said he's not too concerned about the schedule, or the possibility of blowout losses.
He thinks Miami victories over No. 14 Virginia Tech last year and Northwestern in 1995 -- dealing the Wildcats their only loss in a season they played in the Rose Bowl -- dispel notions that the MAC is a second-tier conference that cannot compete nationally.
"I don't like the term of taking your lumps for the dollar," he said. "I never saw a player get stronger by lifting a weight he can already handle. You have to put more weight on the bar."
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