Historically Black Schools Pay the Price for a Football Paycheck

Every Power 5 conference team plays at least one of these "guarantee" games. Its a trade-off, the bigger school gets a win, gets to play everyone down to the 3rd-stringers, and the smaller school gets a paycheck, a chance to play in probably the biggest stadium of their life, and a chance to impress NFL scouts that wouldn't see them otherwise. If you don't agree this system is "fair", suck it up, both teams benefit from the game.

It’s a Jedi mind trick the NCAA acts like they don’t have exhibition games in college football then they schedule these games witch are just practice game for the big schools. Does anyone know how many 150 and 160 lbs players these HBCU teams, have a lot. We talk about concussions then we send these kids out to slaughter. The HBCU are pimping out the kids for money and the big school are exploding the HBCU and yes you can get paid $350000 and still get exploded

SCSU has one of the best programs in football at HBCU boasting 5 NFL players this year as rookies...we are Div I AA about a 25 scholarship difference from I....I believed in playing the bigger schools but I also believe in coaching and being prepared makes a lot of difference also...Furman played Michigan State to a 14-26 score ...they have been beaten by SCSU several times....North Dakota State is a FCS school that prepared and beat No. 13 Iowa......and Georgia State took Wisconsin to the wire last Saturday ...has never beaten SC State ..even though they have moved up to a FBS..my point is not any of these I mentioned can boasted about putting players in the NFL as SCSU has...I respected Buddy Pouch for he has one a lot of MEAC championships and made the playoffs...but the style of coaching it's going to be hard to beat a FBS team or a good FCS team....but as far as having the level of players to compete .....SC State do have the talent...it shows in the NFL....

NC A&T just beat Kent State 2 weeks ago in a MEAC vs FBS game! FCS schools are not going to beat the top FBS schools, but they can be competitive against the lower ranked schools. I think it's an unfortunate but nessary evil.

Clemson gives out 85 football scholarships! Think about that for a second and you will understand everything that is wrong about American collegiate sports. How many of those guys graduate? How many can read - at even a 6th grade level. Read their "Student-athlete" (sic) handbook. The academic requirements are ludicrously low. More entertaining reading includes the Sanctions for Misconduct section which includes:

A student-athlete will be suspended immediately from all athletic activity, if arrested for and /or charged with:

o Any felony offense

o Sports wagering, gambling, game fixing

o Illegal possession of a weapon

o Sexual assault

Help.

I read the word "sad" repeatedly to express what a shameful state of affairs currently exists in college athletics. What is sad is the effort to make a game between FCS and FBS opponents a racial issue. The article and the comments certainly reflect complete ignorance toward sport and competitive spirit.

Thanks, WP, for sharing actual insight into what actually occurred when SC State was "welcomed to death." Everything about this article disingenuously pushes an agenda (all the way down to the ridiculously cropped photo) that seems to lack support from anyone actually involved with the sport. Unfortunately, NY Times readers apparently take everything said in the publication as absolute, objective truth.

I'm sure I won't have space to address all the inaccuracies and uninformed comments, so I will quickly share that FCS wins don't count toward bowl eligibility. I know this because I watch the sport, and I am informed enough to comment. Additionally, I have participated in a sporting event before, so I know that it is exciting to play on a grand scale, even when odds are wildly against you. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if some of those SC State guys came away with Heisman Trophy candidate Deshaun Watson's autograph. FYI...that is the most prestigious individual trophy that is awarded in the sport. Many of you are clearly unaware of that. Also, look up Deshaun Watson. He is what being a student athlete and ambassador to a university and community is all about.

I know or care little about football, but would not these smaller schools do better in Division II or III?

It's not just historically-black, but small liberal arts colleges also suffer, as do most colleges. The big arena sports, in particular, lower academic standards and lose money - yes, there are some exceptions, but even those are sometimes money-losers if full-cost accounting is done - all to give men the chance to watch and play sports. Pure garbage!

Like the games described in the article, the recent game at Yale Bowl was also a blowout in which Colgate demolished Yale. The usual reason for a blowout is that when a team has a comfortable lead its coach sends in the second string and those players want to show they deserve to be on the first strong. Against a tired and discouraged opponent they roll up the score. However the game I saw was more than that. With a 3-TD lead in the 3rd quarter the Colgate coach sent in the field goal team. He did it again in the 4th quarter when the lead was even greater. What was he trying to prove? What a message it sends to the young kids in the crowd! Beat the other team silly! What has happened to sportsmanship in the USA?

Being a clemson fan and born and raised in the town where sc state is located I have to comment. First these smaller schools need this money to fund their programs or they would simply cease to exist. Second it's was written into state law that we play an in state school so the money stays in state to help. Last year USC did the same with the Citadel and happened to have a loss. So they got paid and an amazing victory. Third the score could have been a lot worse, but that is not what Clemson or Dabo is about. If yall watched the game instead of just commenting you would see where our starters came out after the first quarter. You would also see that nearly our entire roster played and we didn't try and score in the fourth quarter. It's truly not about just buying a win. Also if you check the stats SC state puts out a lot of NFL players. A lot of it is due to the exposure they get during these types of games.

As a proud Tennessee State alum, a very financially viable FCS & HBCU football program playing in OVC and at an NFL stadium; going Div II makes no sense.

But for the two conferences MEAC and SWAC, going to DII would possibly help you win more games, but be less nationally relevant just as DII SIAC and CIAA conferences. There still would be a financial burden thats lacking a solution. So, not in favor of DII move.

I personally think HBCU's should only play 1 FBS game a year and then play 3 other FCS games in out of conference. I know funding athletic programs is key, but having SC State play 3 straight road games vs FBS is embarrassing to the winningest program in MEAC history. Its also demoralizing to the program, school and its fans. PWI's starting taking all the top, blue chip minority talent from HBCU's starting in the 1970's and its been a struggle to compete nationally ever since.

This is truly offensive and I indict first the HBCU teams for being paid victims in exchange for their lost dignity and integrity. I indict the NCAA schools who used these Black schools as doormats .

I hope very Black Player on both sides of the ball refuse to participate in this charade .

BLM

Thank you, Joe Nocera, for continuing to point out the hypocrisy, corruption and unrelenting pursuit of the Almighty Dollar in collegiate sports. It is remarkable that so many of our leading universities have sold out their higher ideals and better instincts for better athletes, top coaches and higher rankings. It is disappointing, too, that the HBCU and other smaller institutions are unable to properly fund their athletic teams without sending their football and basketball teams out for a complete humiliation while risking injury. All parties should be ashamed of themselves but especially the rich universities taking advantage of the smaller schools.

Very sad.

I'm a fan of college football but the current system is unethical. Not just these guarantee games but the entire college football enterprise. An obscene amount of money is earned for major schools and coaches while young men sacrifice their health and safety for a lottery - playing in the NFL. Actually, the NFL is culpable as well. They benefit directly by using college football as their farm system. It would be more ethical to establish an NFL farm system similar to baseball.

Just wish the NCAA had marching band competitions.

Went to a Grambling/Southern University game at Yankee Stadium years ago. The best half-time show EVER!!

A couple of points:
1) These predominantly black colleges essentially do not get the best black athletes since they want to play for notable colleges with top-level TV schedules. They are essentially auditioning for the pros and need the best stage to do that.
2) Why then should these colleges humiliate themselves for the modest cash payments which are then mainly used to field a team. Why not concentrate on their true mission of academics for the vast majority of their students who require this for lifetime success.
3) Boston College is mentioned in this article as one that made such a payment in 2015 as they trampled Howard 76-0. But now we see even BC is having problems recruiting top-quality athletes who can succeed academically in this high-ranked university. Their long tradition of both academic and athletic success is fading and they will soon need to decide what direction to go. It could be just ice hockey and other low TV viewing sports for both men and women.

The fact that these games against far weaker opponents make teams bowl eligible is another travesty.

RULE: FBS teams should play FBS schools only. FCS teams should play FCS schools only. Division 2 teams should play Division 2 schools only. Division 3 teams should play Division 3 schools only. NAIA teams should play NAIA schools only.

Whatever--the combined athletic budgets of these two colleges equals the annual budget of a medium sized community college. What's education got to do with it?

i would like to see a double header in Orlando,Washington,dc or New york where the swac,ciaa and meac meet each other.Just 4 teams,,texas southeren vs howard or alcorn playing hampton you get my drift.tailgating starting at 8am(fee) and one game starting at 12pm and then the next game 1 hour later!!Split the proceeds four way!!You could pack the house.

My concerns regarding this issue revolve around exploitation of the players. What happens to the money paid for these games? Does it enhance coaches and administrators salaries? How much is distributed to the general scholarship fund? How much is used to support non-revenue sports? Inasmuch as few HBCU players have professional football careers, how many receive college degrees and substantial employment opportunities for their efforts. Are players injured in these games provided adequate health care? How many former players are still nursing injuries inflicted in one of these games? Answers to these questions should be provided the players and their families.

Money, Money, is just one injury that ruins some young mans future in sports worth it? This is a blight on college football.

NCAA could ban making payments to other teams for appearing, and that would force these smaller schools into Div II where they are competitive.

They would be preventing big schools from buying wins, and would prevent smaller schools from risking players' health just so they can say they are in Div I.

It's sad the amount of creativity that goes into finding ways to fund athletics, but there doesn't seem equal creativity in trying to find ways to fund academics.

I was at the game Saturday. I thought your story was very well done and represented both sides fairly. It is a dilemma and one that needs to be debated out in the open without race being brought into it.
The halftime performance by SC State was amazing. As good as I have ever seen. It was the largest crowd that I have ever seen stay in the stands at Clemson or anywhere else.

"Clemson Welcomes You To Death"? I assume this sign in their football stadium, which looks to be about 6-8 feet tall, is tongue-in-cheek, but even so, it's in extremely poor taste. Big money sports has apparently done away with good sportsmanship, civility and Southern hospitality.

Clemson vs. SC State: Joe Nocera's article underlines the embarrassment that SC State had to endure at Clemson on Saturday. I think Clemson should be the ones to be embarrassed. Did the Tigers prove that they're a real Bowl Championship contender with this game? Did they show what good sports they are by signing up an opponent they knew they could slaughter? Did Clemson fans, many of whom would probably say , with a straight face, that they are all for "fair play" seem anything but elated that their team walloped a completely outclassed SC State team? The answer to all these questions is a resounding NO! And then Clemson paid the Bulldogs a paltry, by their standards, $300,000 to come over and be humiliated.
Why isn't it required by our highly vaunted, and terribly overvalued, big college athletic teams to only schedule opponents of similar abilities? That game wasn't a real contest, it was more like throwing a bunch of poorly armed peasants into the Coliseum with a pride of hungry lions. And all for the entertainment of the Big Boosters. I guess Clemson feels better because the officials talked everybody into shortening the last two quarters by three minutes. Was that supposed to be a mercy killing?
What a sorry spectacle, made even sorrier by the fact that this goes on in all the Big Time conferences at the beginning of every season.

so, big time sports further degrades the university by indulging in these encounters, call them "athletic favors" in exchange for money, some "character building," some "school pride"...gaudeamus igitur, y'all.

I read this article the morning following its appearance. Only 3 readers commented in 24 hrs. Thank you, Joe for writing it. I must conclude from the paucity of interest evidence by 3 previous comments that football fans really could care less about this clear case of abuse of college athletes. Smaller colleges that support these games show that $ is more important than the well being of their football players. Their players, I'm sure play their hearts out and risk injury, all for what, in the final analysis? This is an extreme example of the dark side of what it means to be a man in our country. You, coaches, players, administrators, have you no shame? Does the health and safety of your students mean so little to you? And you, readers, do you care so little about this sad situation just as long as you get your dose of football entertainment?

These games are a travesty. You would never approve of a novice boxer going in the ring against a top notch contender because they would be so outmatched that a serious injury could occur. But we do the same thing with these small schools, using 19 year old kids as cannon fodder to fund the athletic department.

The big school that schedule these games are equally shameful. Every top school has a couple of non-conference gimmes's to pad their record and allow their back ups some playing time. This isn't serious sportsmanship or competition. If the HSBC's want to continue football they should shift to Division II. The paychecks will be smaller but the competition will be fairer and the game might return to where it should be--entertainment and physical exercise for the students.

Isn't it time to discard the label "Sports"?

I don't know if Nichols fits this category, but those guys nearly beat us, UGA, last week after being paid to play us.
And then there his NDSU, a white school from a white state with many black players, moving up a division and getting paid to play, and beating a ranked university.
SCSU has had money, administration and other problems including enrollment. The school is right by the farm I worked on each summer as a child.

You have overlooked the past history of discrimination against these schools, the professionalization of Bowl division "collegiate" football, and the singular interests of those Professional class program in Black athletes rather than Black students.

I love to watch football as much as the next person but isn't anyone bothered by the "Clemson welcomes you to death" sign?

No different than a "Prize fight" in Boxing in which someone is taking a DIVE ! Difference ~ They are Paid $ for it -- Look at the S. Louisiana bench: what are the physical & emotional costs ?

It is not a contest as much as a spectacle reminiscent of hungry lions and Christians in the Coliseum. In this case, the lions pay the Christians for the privilege of dining on them. It is still a case of the rich devouring the poor.

Another reason to hate college football! Destroying young minds and bodies to assuage the egos of administrators and alumni at good ole State U! Only in America!

The corruption is not in poor schools trying to make ends meet, but in the reasons why big schools play them. First of all, it is to reach the ludicrous small minimum required (6 victories) to be eligible to play in a bowl game. That's why most bowls games are boring. The second reason is that the biggies get to play an extra game to their large audiences thus making more money. The third is to give the team a more challenging game than an inter-squad game, thus getting a chance to gain "game" experience. It is also true that players of smaller schools are eager to test themselves against good competition and it makes them better players, provided that they escape injuries.

A friend of mine played football for two years at a small, very prestigious southern university. One of the highlights of his short career was going to play at the University of Georgia, "between the hedges." They were killed. But my friend loved it. and he said his teamates loved it. they got a chance to play in the big leagues, and measure themselves against the big leagues. The KIDS love it. And on those rare occasions when they win, look out.

Players don't get a Nickel of the cash- and their fans want to see Brand name School so they put up with it- they really don't care if they get clobbered - let the athlete pay the price - School gets the cash

Given what we now know about the long term damage that football causes these schools could always drop football.

Or they could hold out for more money. I know it would be tough because they're not really in what would be considered a strong negotiating position but they could simply say to the Marylands and Clemsons of the world:

"Hey, pay us more or go schedule NDSU, Montana, Youngstown State, Northern Iowa, etc.."