Price to Play NCAA Cupcakes Reaches $800K

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As the early weeks of the college football season elapse and the schedule enters conference play, the Youngstown States of the world fall once again into relative obscurity, taking their freshly filled coffers and big paydays from BCS giants back home. It’s a win-win. The small schools like YSU or Altoona Community College collect a huge paycheck, larger schools get an easy win at home and the millions of dollars that go along with sellouts and concession sales, and obscure sports (I’m looking at you field hockey) get funded for the year.↵↵The price of business, however, is climbing steeply, according to a recent story from Bloomberg, because there are literally fewer and fewer cupcakes, and, since 2006, a possible 12th game for everyone to play. Improved competition may be good for the fan, but nobody wants to be the next Michigan. The laws of supply and demand dictate that with fewer 100%-beatable teams in the land, those that can serve as a doormat for Big Ten and SEC schools are hiking up their payday. Since 2005, average prices for these weak, non-conference games have grown by over $100,000 -- from $320,144 to $456,277. And for big time BCS powerhouses like OSU and LSU, price tags can top $800,000, which is what the Buckeyes will fork over to play Troy this year.↵

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↵↵⇥Schools like Fresno State and Miami University of Ohio used to be perfect for an early win, “but now they can be giant killers,” [former Stanford Athletic Director Ted] Leland said. “They don’t just give you a loss. They hurt season-ticket sales, could ruin your bowl-game aspirations and can even cost your coach his job. ↵⇥↵⇥ “So as the list of beatable teams grows smaller, the price goes up and up and up,” he said.↵⇥

↵↵It’s curious to think that schools with the available funds to purchase a small country, let alone pay for a cupcake game, would start to balk at the costs, but it seems that some are concerned about being prohibitively priced out of the market.↵↵⇥“I understand it is market driven, but when is enough enough?” asked Mark Alnutt, an associate athletic director in charge of scheduling at the University of Missouri, No. 6 in last year’s final BCS rankings. “It’s getting to the point where you might not be able to afford an opponent.”↵↵What this means for the future of scheduling remains to be seen. Games and opponents are set so far in advance -- sometimes up to 15 years -- that any effects from the current market will not be evident for some time. Maybe this will mean a more competitive, ambitious schedule for BCS giants, something many college fans have been clamoring for for years. Instead of the Youngstown States and Ohio’s, maybe the non-conference schedule will include more BCS-to-BCS match-ups with more home-and-home arrangements like the USC-OSU agreement for this year and next. ↵↵As my ECON 101 professor told me that one time I went to class, the market will always adjust. Here’s to hoping these prices reach $1 million, because maybe then the market will adjust in the direction of better football.↵

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