Participating in the I-AA playoffs doesn't make sense for historically black colleges. Here's why:
The marginal Division I-A schools that have moved up from I-AA status -- thinking now of the 1987 I-AA champion Northeast Louisiana (now ULM), which destroyed Alcorn State 78-27 in the 1992 playoffs -- have done so SPECIFICALLY because there is no money to be made in the post season at that level. They do it because these predominantly white colleges don't have the instant draw of a "classic" game.
So, a secondary contest like the New Orleans Bowl -- which ULM would be invited to in the Sun Belt, where it to ever not suck at the I-A level -- is more lucrative than any combined revenues from the I-AA playoffs (assuming, of course, they got a home game.)
Even the championship game is suspect. It's not a I-AA "bowl." They hold it in ... Chattanooga. Not exactly New Orleans. The game has averaged 12,000 to 13,000 people over the past few years.
In keeping, small (that means cash-strapped) schools like those in Grambling can scarcely afford to abandon the payday of a Bayou Classic in favor of the so-called "respect." Respect from whom? Everybody knows about USC and LSU, but can you name the current I-AA champion??? Most I-AA teams who are so-called names are simply scheduled patsys for the BCS powerhouses.
The SWAC, meanwhile, is the only conference to win a I-AA attendance crown since the NCAA began naming attendance leaders in 1978. Keeping it at home only makes sense.
Here's a look at what winning the I-AA championship did for Georgia Southern in 1999:
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Twelve months later, however, one could argue that the national title could just as easily be considered worthless as priceless. The trophy, after all, is just another wooden stage for dust particles. And Georgia Southern failed to see the six- or seven-figure check presented annually to its Division I-A brethren or land a lucrative television contract.
As the Eagles close in on another possible championship this weekend, the payoffs from last year's title run are suspect. Coach Paul Johnson admits the diamond-encrusted ring on his finger certainly adds to his recruiting pitch. And the university cannot put a price tag on the publicity and exposure generated by last year's team.
The financial ledgers, on the other hand, fail to reflect favorably on GSU's fifth national championship. Even with three home playoff games a year ago, Georgia Southern struggled to break even, says athletic director Sam Baker. And the indirect economic benefits from a national championship - namely the growth of the Eagle fan base - fell short of expectations.
"It's hard to say" what the payoffs are, Baker says, "although it obviously helps the reputation of the university and the football program. There are 150 schools out there who would like to make it to the national championship just once, and to be there three times in a row is a tremendous boost."
Baker's boost is relative. The economics of Division I-AA - or more precisely, non-Division I-A - football are not exactly strong. Unlike bowl games which pay participants anywhere from $250,000 to $12 million, playing in the Division I-AA championship does not include a guaranteed payout. In fact, the revenues go back to the NCAA's general fund, not to the game participants or the 16 playoff qualifiers.
The NCAA does pay the team's travel expenses for the playoffs and the championship game, but the generosity of collegiate athletics' governing body does not extend to university officials, cheerleaders, the marching band, etc. GSU generated approximately $40,000 during the 1999 playoffs and netted close to $30,000. But after buying the championship rings, the university actually lost money.
And with just two home playoff games this season, GSU stands to lose more than $25,000 on another national title, says Tom Norton, GSU's assistant athletic director for business.
"It's expensive," Baker says. "We'll be happy to break even. It's tough because college athletics is a business."
MORE HERE: http://www.savannahnow.com/features.../brimmer1.shtml
No, the SWAC hasn't had much success in the I-AA playoffs. But the larger issue is that McNeese -- like Georgia Southern -- had great success (they were runner up two seasons ago in their tournament), but couldn't find a way to capitalize on it financially.
Contrast that with the Bayou Classic, which generates hundreds of thousands of dollars for both schools. Literally.
At that level, football is not about respect or even recruiting. It's a business. And black schools depend upon those dollars to survive. That's how you pay for new chemistry labs. Not by losing to Delaware in the third round of an unwatched I-AA playoff game.
Then, there is the rich beauty of a great game. As Sports Illustrated said after this year's Bayou Classic:
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The Southern-Grambling game is not a black version of storied college rivalries. It is not a black version of Florida-Florida State. It is a storied college rivalry.
http://216.239.57.104/search?q=cach...+classic+&hl=en
Why this incessant worry about what somebody else is doing?
There is no money in I-AA ball outside of black schools, which have the unique quick-cash infusion of set-up games called "classics." Thus you have so many clearly I-AA programs like Arkansas State and Florida International being forced to move up, if only to fail in I-A. They need the money.
And it's why so many black schools are not only staying put in I-AA ... but are scheduling fewer and fewer non-"classics" around their conference schedules. They can make the same money without getting embarrassed.
A McNeese only WISHES it could establish a Soul Bowl, or some such. If they don't soon, they'll probably try to move up, too.
Enjoy what you've got. Heck, REVEL in it. This is a beautiful thing.
