Hating on the $EC - Mostly Alabama (and a little Georgia too)

[Hannibal]

Cal vs. Hawaii in Sydney. LMAO I still can't believe that shit.

[AlabamAlum]

Cal vs. Hawaii in Sydney. LMAO I still can't believe that shit.

Yeah. But its CFB. So, I will watch.

Austrailia is a grueling trip. Then the Rainbows fly to Ann Arbor to play the Fighting Jump M? Bloodbath in the making.

[Hannibal]

Oh yeah I'll absolutely watch it too. But what the hell were they thinking? If teams can lose money going to shit bowls in the continental US then a game in Sydney has to be a financial disaster.

[AlabamAlum]

I don't know the payout they get, but it helps mid tier schools get notoriety ...and possibly with recruiting.

[Hannibal]

I guess? But boy, does that seem like a high price to pay. Especially for Hawaii, which can barely afford recruiting and then will be flying back across about 13 or 14 time zones to play in Ann Arbor. Sheesh.

I hope that the game gets good TV ratings though. Bring back the late August games, plz.

[AlabamAlum]

I wonder what their payout is?

Commercial airfare from Hawaii to Austrailia can be had at $1000 per person. So, figure the whole team can fly for $100,000, probably less with a charter deal.

Hotel for 100 people (figure 70 rooms) for 3 days is $25000.

Figure $50000 for food, and $5000 for transfers and incidentals.


Looks like you could break even for $200k or so.

[lineygoblue]

But when you think about it, Hawaii and Cal are probably two of the closest college teams to Australia that could be sent to play a game. Think of how expensive it would be to the schools if Rutgers and Maine played there.

I hope that this game doesn't mean that the NCAA is looking at the possibility of adding a bowl game there.

[AlabamAlum]

Yeah, it's a 9.5 hour ride from Honolulu. Double that, or close, from the east coast.

It would also double the cost of airfare. But it wouldn't be prohibitive unless the schools were mandated to buy blocks of tickets the way some bowl games do.

[Hannibal]

I assume that it's Hawaii that gave up a home game. In that event, I wonder who in Australia is putting up the money for this trip. I can't see them packing 60,000 people into a stadium at $100 a pop ala the Jerryworld game. Heck I'd be surprised if they got more people into the stadium than just a regular Hawaii home game.

[AlabamAlum]

SANTA CLARA ? Cal coach Sonny Dykes on Thursday extolled the benefits of opening the season in Australia, citing the cultural experience, the jump start on training camp (compared to Pac-12 competition) and the team-building opportunities that come with a week-long trip overseas.

?It?s a great bonding experience,?? Dykes said during a Bay Area college football kickoff event at Levi?s Stadium.

But the Australian adventure also carries significant financial benefits for an athletic department struggling to balance its budget.

Playing Hawaii in Sydney?s ANZ Stadium late next month will generate approximately $1 million more for the Bears than a typical home game against a lower-level opponent.

That?s enough profit, for example, to cover the annual equipment, supplies and uniform costs for all of Cal?s men?s or women?s Olympic sports.

Here?s how the numbers work:

A home football game against a Sacramento State, Portland State or UC Davis generates a negligible profit. Ticket revenue is usually in the high six figures, but it?s largely offset by game-day operating expenses and the whopping guarantee required by the opponent ? often more than $400,000.

(The increased cost of guarantee games is an under-appreciated aspect of football scheduling and athletic department finances, not only for Cal but all teams in the Pac-12. Buying a win, as they say, costs a pretty penny, and tepid ticket sales make those games anything but lucrative.

(At the same time, the paycheck are vital to the fiscal well being of the FCS schools, which have their own soaring expenses to deal with and understandably squeeze the big boys for every penny.)

The paycheck Cal secured for playing in Sydney is well in excess of $1 million. The Bears are guaranteed a seven-figure profit from the experience, even when all expenses are factored into the calculation.

Those expenses, by the way, include travel and the cost of cancelling the home game that had been scheduled before the Hawaii game materialized.

Compare the windfall from Sydney to what the Bears net off home games against FCS opponents, and the difference is in the $1 million range.

No wonder they?re headed Down Under.

The game is Aug. 27, but please note for viewing purposes: In the Pacific Time Zone, kickoff is 7 p.m. on Aug. 26 (ESPN).

[AlabamAlum]

So, apparently, a Cal home game and they get $1 million++ from someone.

[Hannibal]

Wow. Never would have imagined. Is there really that much of an appetite for amateur American football over there?

[WM Wolverine]

Hawaii can play 13 regular season games so they wouldn't lose a home game.

[WM Wolverine]

I imagine there is an appetite for american football over there, having just one game makes it a bigger event. Hawaii and Cal are probably big names for them, they likely have an affinity for Hawaii & the Pac 12 teams who play more games when they would be awake.

[lineygoblue]

I've been watching some Australian Rules football on Fox lately, and I just find it hard to believe that American football would draw that much attention. Those Aussies seem to like their own brand real well. They have large crowds even for the bad matchups