The financial realities of college athletics have long forced programs like Florida A&M to schedule what are kindly called "guarantee games" against powerhouse opponents like the No. 7 Miami Hurricanes Thursday night.
Playing two games on three days rest at Hard Rock Stadium, the overmatched Rattlers were buried by UM 77-7 in a money game as the Hurricanes set a school record for yards and tied the mark for points in a game. The contest was so one-sided that the teams agreed to shave five minutes off the fourth quarter, setting the clock for 10 minutes instead of the standard 15.
FAMU (1-2), which lost to fellow HBCU South Carolina State on Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium, was paid $760,000 by Miami (2-0) to play Thursday night's matchup. The guarantee package included $40,000 to cover travel expenses for the Rattlers' nationally renowned Marching 100 band.
The outcome, however, left many FAMU fans questioning on social media whether the financial payoff justifies the cost. While guarantee games can provide much-needed revenue for athletic departments, critics argue the payouts often come at the expense of player safety, roster depth and the program's public image.
"I don't care about these money games for HBCUs" pastor and lobbyist Darrick McGhee posted on Facebook. "We must stop. Not sure how these games build our teams or players."
#games #stadium #famu
Playing two games on three days rest at Hard Rock Stadium, the overmatched Rattlers were buried by UM 77-7 in a money game as the Hurricanes set a school record for yards and tied the mark for points in a game. The contest was so one-sided that the teams agreed to shave five minutes off the fourth quarter, setting the clock for 10 minutes instead of the standard 15.
FAMU (1-2), which lost to fellow HBCU South Carolina State on Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium, was paid $760,000 by Miami (2-0) to play Thursday night's matchup. The guarantee package included $40,000 to cover travel expenses for the Rattlers' nationally renowned Marching 100 band.
The outcome, however, left many FAMU fans questioning on social media whether the financial payoff justifies the cost. While guarantee games can provide much-needed revenue for athletic departments, critics argue the payouts often come at the expense of player safety, roster depth and the program's public image.
"I don't care about these money games for HBCUs" pastor and lobbyist Darrick McGhee posted on Facebook. "We must stop. Not sure how these games build our teams or players."
#games #stadium #famu
13 hours ago
