Tennessee will dole out a total of $2.125 million to the three teams playing non-conference games at Neyland Stadium in 2012.
The Vols (1-0) play host to Georgia State (0-1) on Saturday (TV: pay-per-view, 4 p.m.) and will pay the fledgling program $500,000 for the appearance.
Tennessee also is paying Akron $825,000 and Troy $800,000. The Vols play host to Akron on Sept. 22 and Troy on Nov. 3. The figures are in line with past payouts for non-conference opponents and the numbers for other SEC schools.
For comparison, Alabama is paying $2.475 million for three non-conference opponents this year. Tennessee paid $3.1 million for four opponents last season.
The figures illustrate the balance of power between power conferences like the SEC and teams from weaker leagues that make up many of the non-conference opponents.
For a team like Akron, which had a $25 million budget in 2011, the payout will represent a sizeable chunk of its $6 million in revenue that doesn't come from school or student subsidies.
It's increasingly difficult — and expensive — for teams to schedule an opponent without agreeing to play a road game as part of the agreement.
North Carolina State, an ACC school, recently scheduled a home-and-home series with Central Michigan.
Kansas and Oklahoma State, two Big 12 schools, also agreed to future home-and-home matchups against CMU.
In Week 1, Oklahoma visited UTEP and Texas A&M was scheduled to play Louisiana Tech in Shreveport.
Tennessee, like most SEC schools, prefers to avoid those road trips and keep the lucrative home non-conference games at their own stadium.
Although an increasing percentage of cash comes from television, tickets sales still made up $37.7 million of Tennessee's $106.5 million in revenue in the 2011-2012 fiscal year.
The payouts have grown in a sellers' market. Alabama paid Kent State $1.2 million last year.
Auburn paid Arkansas State $1 million in 2010.
Tennessee was originally scheduled to play a home-and-home series against North Carolina, traveling to Chapel Hill in 2011 and playing a game at Neyland Stadium on Saturday.
But UT elected to buy out the contract with UNC, paying $900,000 to add Buffalo as a late replacement in 2011 and filling the slot with Georgia State this season.
Evan Woodbery covers Tennessee football. Follow him at www.Twitter.com/TennesseeBeat.
Oregon sends Lady Vols home from…
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
Comments » 19
NoogaVol55 writes:
I'll play UT for half of what GA. St. is charging. I don't bring much of a crowd though...but I am sure it will make ESPN, for better or for worse.
orangeman1 writes:
The same teams all the other BCS schools schedule. Its not like UT is doing anything different than most schools. NC st is no slouch, and that game was exciting. UT has lots of potential this year, and now is the time to be positive.
BigOrangeFever76 (Inactive) writes:
Hey ***clown....I hear Vandy is taking applications for CommodeDoor fans. Beat the rush and apply now. Please use me as a reference. With "fans" like you, who needs trolls?
BIVOLAR_BEARE writes:
Good point, 2.1 million will be chicken feed if UT has a great year, and they will be operating in the black as long as the cash cow FB continues to flourish..The basketball teams may be really good this year also and a packed TBA will certainly aid in turning a profit..GBO!!
MooseandSquirrelVol writes:
My best guess is Oregon.
Next year.
Quit whinin'.
govolsn3 writes:
Seems to me if you schedule Top 20 teams in your non conference slots the TV money would be much bigger than the 2 plus million in payouts. The stadium would be full also. Here is an idea how about a VA TECH home in home for about 8 years and then a Lousiville rivarly started, I know I wouldn't be listening to it on the VOL network at home. I refuse to pay 300 bucks tommoroow just to go down and watch a GA STATE game when I can go to the local pub and not have to buy the pay-per view. Saved 250 dollars right there. Now if UNC was in town I would be heading down a day early just to get primed for a great college game experience. GO BIG ORANGE VFL
VolzsFan writes:
That is money they could have used when paying DD out in December when they hire Kirby Smart.
brauhuff#295403 (Inactive) writes:
SEC??? Please go to nine conference games and do away with the permanent opponent from the other division. Play the six games in your division and three home and away games from the other division and three cupcakes or two cupcakes and one quality opponent every year. The last thing is make it mandatory to have seven wins before going to a bowl game. Seven wins period. It would make the bowls more meaningful and go back to 20-25 bowl games instead of 35.
TheStupidPolice writes:
Playing weaker teams is nothing new. Check the National Champions from 1951 and you will find Wofford College and Chattanooga.
TheStupidPolice writes:
Sorry about the previous error. UT didn't play Wofford until 1952. The National Championship schedule featured games with Washington and Lee, Tennessee Tech and Chattanooga.
trubleoj#657755 writes:
Why did we pay UCLA and Oregon when we have a home and away deal? Do they pay us the same for LA and Autzen trips? And wasn't Wyoming a home and away where they sold their home to Titan's stadium (possibly a 2 for 1)?
So if I do the math correctly the full cost of the embarrassment and bad PR of buying out UNC is $2,150,000.
Rookie2 writes:
But there's revenue from the additional home game that wouldn't have been there. I'm not crazy about that decision either, but there's much more to it than the casual fan can weigh. The PR wasn't great but UT isn't losing money on that deal.
jt45 writes:
You must be quoting Muschimp !
johnlg00 writes:
Somebody who would make a post like that has no intention of being positive toward the Vols. The article said that Bama is paying more buy-out money than the Vols this year, which tells you all you need to know about that troll.
johnlg00 writes:
Since you posted this before noon, it must have been too early in the day for your mind to work, if it can work at all. This was about your lamest trolling attempt lately, and that is really saying something.
Vol_in_Mich writes:
Chattanooga beat UT in 1956(I think it was)I remember going to look at a piece of the goal post some folks brought back & displayed at a local car dealer.
Sometines cupcakes are not cupcakes (not often)
OBO
trubleoj#657755 writes:
Agreed, it was an additional home game (8) for one season. 100k in seats, $50-$60 a ticket = $5mil to $6mil per game not counting the concession sales and Bookstore. Yet it still brings down the revenue %'s which factors into the AD's office raising ticket prices ($70 for FU, UA, UM!!!). Still don't understand why we are paying home and home teams. If this is a reciprocal payment it shouldn't be listed here.
mocsandvolsfan writes:
Give half a mil! I'd take on UT. I can find 11 people to share it with.
mocsandvolsfan writes:
Arrrrrgh! It seems that I stole this idea from the first poster. sorry
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