The Cost of Doing Business

[knapplc]

Great read by Max Olson for the Weird Harold today about our contracts with non-con opponents UT-Chattanooga, Fresno State, Washington and for our trip to Laramie to play Wyoming. Total, NU is paying out $1.075 million for the trips, which is a tremendous bargain based on recent opponents (which Max breaks down in his column, linked below). As previously noted in half a dozen other threads, the Huskers paid in excess of $500k each for the Sunbelt teams we faced a couple of years back.

 

We're paying Washington $300k to visit Lincoln, which is what they paid us last year, meaning a break-even on a two-year budget cycle. For top-tier programs, that's how it should work (are you listening, Boise State?). Basically that three large helps defray travel expenses for the current fiscal budget, which is all you really need. Both the Huskies and Huskers are making bank on ticket sales, especially Washington who saw 7,000 more fans in the seats of Husky Stadium last year than their average for their other five home games.

 

LINK

[da skers]

Great read by Max Olson for the Weird Harold today about our contracts with non-con opponents UT-Chattanooga, Fresno State, Washington and for our trip to Laramie to play Wyoming. Total, NU is paying out $1.075 million for the trips, which is a tremendous bargain based on recent opponents (which Max breaks down in his column, linked below). As previously noted in half a dozen other threads, the Huskers paid in excess of $500k each for the Sunbelt teams we faced a couple of years back.

 

We're paying Washington $300k to visit Lincoln, which is what they paid us last year, meaning a break-even on a two-year budget cycle. For top-tier programs, that's how it should work (are you listening, Boise State?). Basically that three large helps defray travel expenses for the current fiscal budget, which is all you really need. Both the Huskies and Huskers are making bank on ticket sales, especially Washington who saw 7,000 more fans in the seats of Husky Stadium last year than their average for their other five home games.

 

LINK

You can't really yell at Bosie though since it isn't apples to apples. They were to play in Lincoln and then move their game to a neutral site like Denver where they'd have to split the gate with the stadium and NU. Its not like they'd get to sell out their home stadium and keep all the profit. It wasn't quite the win/win it was made out to be, but that being said they ask way too much after running their mouths saying anytime any place.

[knapplc]

You can't really yell at Bosie though since it isn't apples to apples. They were to play in Lincoln and then move their game to a neutral site like Denver where they'd have to split the gate with the stadium and NU. Its not like they'd get to sell out their home stadium and keep all the profit. It wasn't quite the win/win it was made out to be, but that being said they ask way too much after running their mouths saying anytime any place.

 

My understanding was that at least one game would be played in Boise, and it was a multi-year deal, not just a home-and-home. With them demanding in excess of one million dollars to travel to Lincoln, combined with the fact that we couldn't remotely recoup that by traveling to Boise to play in their 30,000 seat high school stadium, even a third game at a neutral site didn't make economic sense to Nebraska with the initial outlay of a million-plus.

[da skers]

You can't really yell at Bosie though since it isn't apples to apples. They were to play in Lincoln and then move their game to a neutral site like Denver where they'd have to split the gate with the stadium and NU. Its not like they'd get to sell out their home stadium and keep all the profit. It wasn't quite the win/win it was made out to be, but that being said they ask way too much after running their mouths saying anytime any place.

 

My understanding was that at least one game would be played in Boise, and it was a multi-year deal, not just a home-and-home. With them demanding in excess of one million dollars to travel to Lincoln, combined with the fact that we couldn't remotely recoup that by traveling to Boise to play in their 30,000 seat high school stadium, even a third game at a neutral site didn't make economic sense to Nebraska with the initial outlay of a million-plus.

The last offer was two in Lincoln and one in Denver. It was pretty close but the folks in Denver botched it as much as anything.

[da skers]

at least that's what I was told by "an official with knowledge of the situation but could not be go on the record because it wasn't public information".

[NUance]

Too bad the Boise thing didn't work out. Would have been a VERY high profile game. And I think Boise isn't as tough as every sportswriter in America gives them credit for.

[knapplc]

Too bad the Boise thing didn't work out. Would have been a VERY high profile game. And I think Boise isn't as tough as every sportswriter in America gives them credit for.

 

With Kellen Moore I think they're as tough as advertised. They have a solid defense, about on par with Missouri's, I'd say. They were in the top five in three of the four major defensive categories last year:

 

Rush D - 7

Pass D - 2

Scoring D - 2

Total D - 2

 

The obvious asterisk next to each of those stats is that they played the 81st-rated SOS, so take that with a grain of salt, sure, but they are a solid team.

 

It'll be interesting to see what happens to them next year without Moore. He's a real-deal field general and has elevated their overall game, big-time. Can they keep it up without him? That's the key question.

[Axl_sued_me]

Can't wait to watch Boise get destroyed in week 1 by Georgia. That will rid us of all of the crying from them this season.

[knapplc]

Can't wait to watch Boise get destroyed in week 1 by Georgia. That will rid us of all of the crying from them this season.

 

If you're putting money on Georgia to win that game, I wouldn't bet a lot.

[da skers]

Can't wait to watch Boise get destroyed in week 1 by Georgia. That will rid us of all of the crying from them this season.

 

If you're putting money on Georgia to win that game, I wouldn't bet a lot.

I agree. I give Georgia 7 wins this year.

[NUance]

Too bad the Boise thing didn't work out. Would have been a VERY high profile game. And I think Boise isn't as tough as every sportswriter in America gives them credit for.

 

With Kellen Moore I think they're as tough as advertised. They have a solid defense, about on par with Missouri's, I'd say. They were in the top five in three of the four major defensive categories last year:

 

Rush D - 7

Pass D - 2

Scoring D - 2

Total D - 2

 

The obvious asterisk next to each of those stats is that they played the 81st-rated SOS, so take that with a grain of salt, sure, but they are a solid team.

 

It'll be interesting to see what happens to them next year without Moore. He's a real-deal field general and has elevated their overall game, big-time. Can they keep it up without him? That's the key question.

We'll find out moore about them on Saturday. Georgia is ranked somewhere around 20. Unless Boise is overrated they should be able to handle the Hairy Dogs by a couple of TDs.

[brasky]

Can't wait to watch Boise get destroyed in week 1 by Georgia. That will rid us of all of the crying from them this season.

 

I'm not counting on it. Everything Boise does is calculated to get them the most hype possible. First, playing an SEC team that isn't/hasn't been all that good but is perceived as a good team. This allows them to play a team they actually have a chance of beating but still get major props for beating an SEC team. Secondly, they always play these high profile non-conference games as the first game of the season. They can spend months preparing for this one game while Georgia is far more concerned about the rest of their schedule. I have no respect for Boise because they just don't have to deal with the grind of preparing for quality opponents on a weekly basis. While teams in BCS conferences will get caught looking ahead, Boise gets to look behind and point to one win they have versus a good opponent.

[philko80]

I would put my money on Boise State. Georgia always seems to under-perform when it matters the most. Since UGA's upset win against Fla. several years back, I don't think they really perform as well as they are expected to, or hope to. I'm especially looking for Boise State to lay a beat-down on them so I can enjoy the crying and whining and moaning down here from the locals.

[BIGREDFAN_in_OMAHA]

A few things missing from the article were the years when these deals were made. The dollar amounts would be less for contracts done a few years ago. Wasn't South Dakota State a last minute replacement? That could be seen in the same perspective of booking a flight at the last minute. No matter what the costs are going up.

[papersun87]

I hate Boise State as much as the next guy. But they're gonna trounce Georgia.