Tough Way to Earn Pay

By Jim Gazzolo

Last weekend McNeese traveled into the world of big-time college football to play one of the game’s big boys.

For their efforts, the Cowboys earned a hefty payday, making $500,000 for all their troubles.

Their game at Texas A&M, the preseason No. 20 team in the country, was what’s known in college football as a “money game:” 

Smaller schools use the big checks to help pay their athletic department bills. It is also a good way to get some attention for their programs.

McNeese’s game against the Aggies was on the SEC Network, the Cowboys’ second time on national television in their first three games. So it helped build the brand.

‘It is huge for our football and athletic programs,” said McNeese Athletic Director Heath Schroyer. “Schools our size really need that money to keep things going.”

But these games can prove costly as well.

Several key McNeese players missed practice this week with injuries they suffered at College Station, Texas. Some of those are out for the conference opener Saturday night against Stephen F. Austin. 

Injuries are always a part of sports, and football especially, but playing up a level can expose the smaller schools not used to the physicality.

Before leaving for Texas, McNeese head coach Gary Goff said he wanted two things, his team to play well and to leave healthy. 

“I understand the need for these games,” said Goff, “and our kids love to play in them. They want to compete against the best and see how they match up.”

However, having the game a week before the league opener can be a tough way to go. Originally the Cowboys were to have played the Aggies in the middle of their non-conference schedule. That changed when SFA joined the league late and the schedule was forced to shift. 

McNeese lost the game 52-10, which is about what was expected as an outcome. Of course, not all these games end the same.

Northern Illinois got $1.4 million to play Notre Dame last week and beat the Irish, putting college football on its head. And McNeese has won its share of games against bigger schools, like when the Cowboys beat South Florida 53-21 to open the 2013 season.

McNeese also has two of these games scheduled over the next couple of seasons against LSU, so there may be more of these weeks to come.

Then again there may not. Several bigger schools and conferences are talking about ending such games to play bigger folks themselves. Bigger games make for better television ratings and more income for those schools. 

It is all part of the changing world of college athletics. 

Whether that ends up being good for schools like McNeese or not remains to be seen. It is likely they will have to play money games where they find them and hope the price they pay for such contests doesn’t prove more costly than the money they receive.

Jim Gazzolo is a freelance writer who covers McNeese athletics. He is the host of Poke Nation on CBS-Lake Charles