Proof the ucIf is part of Floridas "Little Three".......

[TyBull]

Why Are Gators Playing FAU?

Published: Nov 13, 2007

GAINESVILLE - University of Florida football fans may hate this week's matchup with Florida Atlantic. They may wonder why the Gators didn't use the NCAA-approved 12th regular-season game to play a home-and-home matchup against Texas, Oregon, Notre Dame or some other intriguing program.

Florida won't do that. Officials don't want to give up a $2 million home game, and besides, they say, a Southeastern Conference schedule and an annual matchup with Florida State is hard enough.

Still, peeved Florida fans can take solace in the fact that by playing FAU, the Gators are easing a financial burden on a few of their fellow Floridians - specifically, the folks who pay tuition for the students at FAU. Thanks to the $500,000 the Owls will receive to take their whipping at Florida Field, only 12.3 percent of FAU in-state undergraduate students' tuition will be used to subsidize the athletic department.

University of Florida associate athletic director Greg McGarity laid out several thick folders on his desk a year ago this week and proceeded to explain how Florida ended up with an abominable matchup against Division I-AA Western Carolina in this schedule slot. McGarity said the first inquiries he made when trying to line up a Week 12 opponent for last season were to smaller state universities such as FAU and Florida International.

As the richest athletic department in the state, Florida receives some political pressure to help out its little brothers in the state university system. Florida State and USF don't really need the help, but FAU, FIU, Central Florida and plenty of smaller schools can use the dough that comes from a guarantee game.

In FAU's case, the athletic department requires about $12.2 million to run, according to budget documents posted on the school's Web site. Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley probably could find more than that in the cushions of his office couch, but Florida football has been a cash cow for a long time. FAU, meanwhile, earns only a few million in athletic revenue, mostly from a football program that debuted in 2001 and jumped to Division I-A in 2004. The rest has to come from somewhere, and this year about $8 million is coming from students who must pay $13.75 of each $112.23 credit hour to athletics.

Florida also charges an athletic fee to offset the cost of free and discount student tickets. Each in-state undergraduate student at Florida pays $1.90 of each $108.55 credit hour (1.8 percent) to athletics. In this year's budget, Florida's athletic department expected to receive $2.55 million in student fees. Of course, the athletic department donated $6 million to the university in August to fund academic scholarships, wiping out any profit gained from the wallets of UF's students and their parents.

So, Florida fans, while you may not get much satisfaction from Saturday's probable pummeling, just remember this: If you meet the father or mother of an FAU student, tell them that because of the Gators, they're writing a slightly smaller tuition check.

http://www.tbo.com/sports/MGBIOBRXX8F.html

[achiever1911]

Truth hurts.

GO BULLS!

[DawgPound]

There is truth in that we don't get BCS money.  However, what the article failed to mention was how UCF changed their scheduling practices and has indefinitely moved the second game of a 2-0 contract.  Also fails to mention that USF has scheduled to play at Florida.

Just saying...

[Henry Jones Jr.]

There is truth in that we don't get BCS money.  However, what the article failed to mention was how UCF changed their scheduling practices and has indefinitely moved the second game of a 2-0 contract.  Also fails to mention that USF has scheduled to play at Florida.

Just saying...

We took the same agreemnet you did back when we were non-bcs. Since then we have pushed both games back, and I doubt if we play both road games.

[DawgPound]

We played one cause it was them or Tennessee and why would we waste any time or resources on UT when we could help fill a slot of an in-state brother.  Florida got moved so NCState could enter.

[MavTechKNIGHT2]

Truth hurts.

GO BULLS!

What truth?  That was an opinion.  Nothing more.

If it was the truth, why is UCF not playing these types of games anymore?

THAT truth hurts.

[Qbanbull]

Why Are Gators Playing FAU?

Published: Nov 13, 2007

GAINESVILLE - University of Florida football fans may hate this week's matchup with Florida Atlantic. They may wonder why the Gators didn't use the NCAA-approved 12th regular-season game to play a home-and-home matchup against Texas, Oregon, Notre Dame or some other intriguing program.

Florida won't do that. Officials don't want to give up a $2 million home game, and besides, they say, a Southeastern Conference schedule and an annual matchup with Florida State is hard enough.

Still, peeved Florida fans can take solace in the fact that by playing FAU, the Gators are easing a financial burden on a few of their fellow Floridians - specifically, the folks who pay tuition for the students at FAU. Thanks to the $500,000 the Owls will receive to take their whipping at Florida Field, only 12.3 percent of FAU in-state undergraduate students' tuition will be used to subsidize the athletic department.

University of Florida associate athletic director Greg McGarity laid out several thick folders on his desk a year ago this week and proceeded to explain how Florida ended up with an abominable matchup against Division I-AA Western Carolina in this schedule slot. McGarity said the first inquiries he made when trying to line up a Week 12 opponent for last season were to smaller state universities such as FAU and Florida International.

As the richest athletic department in the state, Florida receives some political pressure to help out its little brothers in the state university system. Florida State and USF don't really need the help, but FAU, FIU, Central Florida and plenty of smaller schools can use the dough that comes from a guarantee game.

In FAU's case, the athletic department requires about $12.2 million to run, according to budget documents posted on the school's Web site. Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley probably could find more than that in the cushions of his office couch, but Florida football has been a cash cow for a long time. FAU, meanwhile, earns only a few million in athletic revenue, mostly from a football program that debuted in 2001 and jumped to Division I-A in 2004. The rest has to come from somewhere, and this year about $8 million is coming from students who must pay $13.75 of each $112.23 credit hour to athletics.

Florida also charges an athletic fee to offset the cost of free and discount student tickets. Each in-state undergraduate student at Florida pays $1.90 of each $108.55 credit hour (1.8 percent) to athletics. In this year's budget, Florida's athletic department expected to receive $2.55 million in student fees. Of course, the athletic department donated $6 million to the university in August to fund academic scholarships, wiping out any profit gained from the wallets of UF's students and their parents.

So, Florida fans, while you may not get much satisfaction from Saturday's probable pummeling, just remember this: If you meet the father or mother of an FAU student, tell them that because of the Gators, they're writing a slightly smaller tuition check.

http://www.tbo.com/sports/MGBIOBRXX8F.html

Ouch! 

[goodknightfl]

that is just a stupid article.. UCF has been doing everything it can to get rid of body bag games.. not add them.. Tribble and Oleary have both said they are not scheduling any more 1 or 2 for nothings.. and are going away from 2 for 1s.. so the statement in the article is just flat out wrong.

[SANJAY]

How many "body bag games" does UCF have left on their future schedules?  As for getting away from 2-1 deals, how many BCS programs are scheduling you straight up?  Texas got a 2-1 to open the stadium.  Pitt got a 2-1 which you guys are either rescheduling or getting out of the 2 games at Pitt.  You have a 2-1 with Miami.  Texas was signed recently, I don't know when the others were signed.  You do have a 1-1 with NC State.

I imagine that at some point the philosophy of no 2-1 deals will create some pretty poor home schedules, given that some of your conference brethren are not very good.

[goodknightfl]

I am not sure how many we have left... UM deal is at least 4 or 5 years old.. as was the Pitt deal.. Tex was done with ESPN for the TV and opening of stadium.. Pitt is gone.. I believe the Clemson deal is gone now as well for this year.. Oleary said on his show a week or 2 ago.. that we would be having 7 home games per year for the next 3. 

  The only point I was making is the article talked like we were looking for Big $$$ road games.. and that is exactly the opposite of what they are doing.