By Dave HickmanMORGANTOWN - Mike Parsons isn't quite resigned to the fact that circumstances beyond his control will likely dictate that West Virginia's football team won't always play the seven home football games it desires.
Shoot, even one of the Big East's stated and accomplished goals - adding a ninth member, TCU beginning in 2012, to balance the league's home and away schedules - will work against Parsons.
"That doesn't mean we won't try,'' the WVU deputy athletic director said Monday. "But the fact of the matter is, as hard as we've tried in the past and as hard as we will continue to try, it will be difficult to continue scheduling seven home games every year.''
All of which makes it seem just a bit strange that right away West Virginia seems to be giving away one of those home games for next season. Although no deals have been struck or signed, Parsons admitted that the school is very seriously discussing and negotiating a deal to play James Madison in 2012 at FedEx Field, the home of the Washington Redskins.
The Mountaineers already have six home games next season - four in the Big East and non-league dates with Marshall (the final game of the series) and Maryland. They have no FCS opponent
cheduled and buying one (let's face it, that's what's done) would give them an easy seventh home game. It would delay until 2014 the inevitable six-game home slate because 2013 is already set.
So why even consider giving up that seventh home game in order to play that same FCS opponent at a neutral site? Well, money.
"We would not do it,'' Parsons said, "unless the difference was significant.''
Well, that seems to be a matter for debate.
On the surface, the numbers quoted in private so far seem to make the game a relative wash from a financial point of view whether it is an FCS opponent in Morgantown (not necessarily JMU) or James Madison in Washington.
The money generated seems as if it will be about the same. West Virginia will get about $2 million for playing in D.C., which is roughly what the school makes on a home game, even one against an FCS opponent. And since there won't be a payout to the visiting team, but there will be travel expenses involved, all in all it seems close to a financial wash.
Parsons, though, points out that the deal is not done. What the ultimate payout will be remains to be seen. What the university can arrange in the form of ticket incentives is unclear. There are any number of ways the school can market this and make money not available at a home game, so let's give the school the benefit of the doubt for now.
If the school can make, say, between $200,000 and maybe $700,000 more, so be it. That's hard to pass up.
There are other considerations besides money, however. Some of them are sure to be raised either as pros or cons. Or both.
Source http://wvgazette.com/
Shoot, even one of the Big East's stated and accomplished goals - adding a ninth member, TCU beginning in 2012, to balance the league's home and away schedules - will work against Parsons.
"That doesn't mean we won't try,'' the WVU deputy athletic director said Monday. "But the fact of the matter is, as hard as we've tried in the past and as hard as we will continue to try, it will be difficult to continue scheduling seven home games every year.''
All of which makes it seem just a bit strange that right away West Virginia seems to be giving away one of those home games for next season. Although no deals have been struck or signed, Parsons admitted that the school is very seriously discussing and negotiating a deal to play James Madison in 2012 at FedEx Field, the home of the Washington Redskins.
The Mountaineers already have six home games next season - four in the Big East and non-league dates with Marshall (the final game of the series) and Maryland. They have no FCS opponent
So why even consider giving up that seventh home game in order to play that same FCS opponent at a neutral site? Well, money.
"We would not do it,'' Parsons said, "unless the difference was significant.''
Well, that seems to be a matter for debate.
On the surface, the numbers quoted in private so far seem to make the game a relative wash from a financial point of view whether it is an FCS opponent in Morgantown (not necessarily JMU) or James Madison in Washington.
The money generated seems as if it will be about the same. West Virginia will get about $2 million for playing in D.C., which is roughly what the school makes on a home game, even one against an FCS opponent. And since there won't be a payout to the visiting team, but there will be travel expenses involved, all in all it seems close to a financial wash.
Parsons, though, points out that the deal is not done. What the ultimate payout will be remains to be seen. What the university can arrange in the form of ticket incentives is unclear. There are any number of ways the school can market this and make money not available at a home game, so let's give the school the benefit of the doubt for now.
If the school can make, say, between $200,000 and maybe $700,000 more, so be it. That's hard to pass up.
There are other considerations besides money, however. Some of them are sure to be raised either as pros or cons. Or both.
Source http://wvgazette.com/
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