Taking A Win For Grant----ed

As this blog has noted the financial (near) imperative to have 7 and even 8 home games in the new 12 game season has resulted in a bidding war for the sacrificial lamb schools most of whom resided at the bottom of the pre and post season rankings. The poster child for this cash grab with which to build your program is prominently featured in a the New York Times In College Football, Big Paydays for Humiliation . As discussed earlier in this blog, the University of Buffalo failed to notify West Virginia University this past spring that they will not be showing up for the game scheduled for September 9, 2006. This action left WVU scrambling for a team any team to fill the void. Eventually I-AA Eastern Washington (a team that would have a good chance against UB) was contracted at a higher price than originally promised to UB. The contracts in college football are written with a cancellation clause which is best exercised by contacting the other party, something UB and the MAC failed to do. And by the way WVU is still waiting for the $200,000 check for canceling although it is not know if the UB or the MAC name will be on it.

Florida Atlantic has an brief home schedule with just four games and as detailed in NCAA Financial Reports Database 2004-05 the team had an income from ticket sales of $270,722 but as the article details will pocket $1.8 million for being a home game win for Clemson, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, and South Carolina during the first four weeks of the season. When those kids finally play UL Monroe they are either going to be surprised and relieved to be playing against an equal or so beat up as to unable to play.

Try to think of how to word that pre-game speech just before the Owls take the field to face the Gamecocks…neither can I.