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Harvard announces non-conference games

mthoopsfan said:
For schools like Drake and CWU, I assume UM nets about $1 million. There is large tickets revenue, and the U gets revenue from concessions and sale of Griz Ware. UM doesn't net anywhere close to that amount on high-pay road games, where UM has to pay its travel expenses out of the game fee.

Home games are incredibly huge for the Missoula community and businesses. Away games bring zero dollars to Missoula.

"One University of Montana home game football weekend brings in $5.2 million in nonresident visitor spending to Missoula County, including almost $1.6 million in lodging and accommodations and more than $1.3 million in restaurants and bars, according to the Bureau of Business and Economic Research at the University of Montana."
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Missoulians obviously care, but please excuse me if I don't. Missoula businesses consistently rip us out-of-towners off and I'm not so sure their level of support for the University and the AD measures up. Ask Gemini about that. Last time I checked, it is still the University of Montana, not the University of Missoula.

Personally, I value the quality of our football schedule over filling the pockets of Missoula businesses.
 
MontanaGrizSoccer said:
Good points but at what costs, FCS loose money on hosting playoff games and making the championship game, last year MSU barley broke even.
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Yes, the NCAA has to pay money for the FCS playoffs, as they sponsor the playoffs. They pay money for and sponsor the NCAA championships in the other sports. Almost no NCAA championship makes money. And the NCAA has to pay money for many other things. FCS teams that go to the championship game choose to take extra people for the experience. They take all of the redshirts and injured players. They often take the band. They take extra people from the athletic department. They don't "lose" money. They choose to spend more money to take and reward more people for the success of the season.

You really don't know much about Griz football. You should learn more before you say all these incorrect things.

"The short answer is yes. The NCAA generally loses money on the soccer championships (both Men’s and Women’s). In fact, of the 90 championships the NCAA oversees, only five are consistently profitable.
While soccer is popular at the collegiate level, the revenue generated from ticket sales and media rights for the tournament does not cover the high costs of travel, lodging, and venue operations for dozens of teams across the country.

The Financial Reality of NCAA Championships​

The NCAA operates on a "subsidized" model. The massive revenue generated by the Division I Men's Basketball Tournament (March Madness) and, to a lesser extent, the College Football Playoff (which is handled separately but impacts overall athletic budgets) effectively pays for almost everything else.
Profitable ChampionshipsTypical "Non-Revenue" Championships
Men’s BasketballSoccer (Men’s & Women’s)
Men’s Ice HockeySwimming & Diving
Men’s LacrosseTennis
WrestlingTrack & Field
BaseballGolf

Why Soccer Championships Lose Money​

  • Travel Costs: The NCAA pays for the transportation and lodging of every participating team. For a 64-team bracket, flying teams across state lines for multiple rounds is a significant expense.
  • Media Rights: While soccer has a dedicated fan base, its broadcast rights are usually bundled into larger packages with other Olympic sports, meaning it doesn't command the standalone billion-dollar deals seen in basketball.
  • Attendance and Venues: Though the "College Cup" (the Final Four of soccer) often sells out smaller stadiums, the early rounds of the tournament frequently see lower attendance, which doesn't generate enough gate revenue to offset operational costs.

The Impact of Recent Legal Changes​

Recent legal settlements (such as the House v. NCAA case) and the rise of Revenue Sharing and NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) are putting even more pressure on these sports. Since schools will soon be sharing revenue directly with athletes in high-earning sports like football, there is less "surplus" money available to cover the losses of soccer and other Olympic sports.

Despite the financial deficit, the NCAA continues to run these championships as part of its educational and competitive mission, viewing them as a "public good" for student-athletes rather than a profit-generating business line." Gemini.
 
kemajic said:
Missoulians obviously care, but please excuse me if I don't. Missoula businesses consistently rip us out-of-towners off and I'm not so sure their level of support for the University and the AD measures up. Ask Gemini about that. Last time I checked, it is still the University of Montana, not the University of Missoula.

Personally, I value the quality of our football schedule over filling the pockets of Missoula businesses.
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And personally, I don't agree with you. Missoula businesses are very important to Griz athletics. If the number of home football games goes down, there will be less money paid by local businesses. Why don't you ask Gemini if they agree with anything you are saying? Do you know how to use AI?
 
mthoopsfan said:
And personally, I don't agree with you. Missoula businesses are very important to Griz athletics. If the number of home football games goes down, there will be less money paid by local businesses. Why don't you ask Gemini if they agree with anything you are saying? Do you know how to use AI?
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Can you show that the level of support for the AD by Missoula businesses justifies tipping the scales in scheduling decisions in their favor? I confess to bias as I've been ripped off by Missoula businesses for so many years.
 
kemajic said:
Missoulians obviously care, but please excuse me if I don't. Missoula businesses consistently rip us out-of-towners off and I'm not so sure their level of support for the University and the AD measures up. Ask Gemini about that. Last time I checked, it is still the University of Montana, not the University of Missoula.

Personally, I value the quality of our football schedule over filling the pockets of Missoula businesses.
Click to expand...
The recent post by the University says home football games bring in an estimated 5.1 million dollars to Missoula County and they now just announced 100,000 to the school to help promote the county better.

The University Inn charged 350/450 night during the football season.
 
mthoopsfan said:
Yes, the NCAA has to pay money for the FCS playoffs, as they sponsor the playoffs. They pay money for and sponsor the NCAA championships in the other sports. Almost no NCAA championship makes money. And the NCAA has to pay money for many other things. FCS teams that go to the championship game choose to take extra people for the experience. They take all of the redshirts and injured players. They often take the band. They take extra people from the athletic department. They don't "lose" money. They choose to spend more money to take and reward more people for the success of the season.

You really don't know much about Griz football. You should learn more before you say all these incorrect things.

"The short answer is yes. The NCAA generally loses money on the soccer championships (both Men’s and Women’s). In fact, of the 90 championships the NCAA oversees, only five are consistently profitable.
While soccer is popular at the collegiate level, the revenue generated from ticket sales and media rights for the tournament does not cover the high costs of travel, lodging, and venue operations for dozens of teams across the country.

The Financial Reality of NCAA Championships​

The NCAA operates on a "subsidized" model. The massive revenue generated by the Division I Men's Basketball Tournament (March Madness) and, to a lesser extent, the College Football Playoff (which is handled separately but impacts overall athletic budgets) effectively pays for almost everything else.

Profitable ChampionshipsTypical "Non-Revenue" Championships
Men’s BasketballSoccer (Men’s & Women’s)
Men’s Ice HockeySwimming & Diving
Men’s LacrosseTennis
WrestlingTrack & Field
BaseballGolf

Why Soccer Championships Lose Money​

  • Travel Costs: The NCAA pays for the transportation and lodging of every participating team. For a 64-team bracket, flying teams across state lines for multiple rounds is a significant expense.
  • Media Rights: While soccer has a dedicated fan base, its broadcast rights are usually bundled into larger packages with other Olympic sports, meaning it doesn't command the standalone billion-dollar deals seen in basketball.
  • Attendance and Venues: Though the "College Cup" (the Final Four of soccer) often sells out smaller stadiums, the early rounds of the tournament frequently see lower attendance, which doesn't generate enough gate revenue to offset operational costs.

The Impact of Recent Legal Changes​

Recent legal settlements (such as the House v. NCAA case) and the rise of Revenue Sharing and NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) are putting even more pressure on these sports. Since schools will soon be sharing revenue directly with athletes in high-earning sports like football, there is less "surplus" money available to cover the losses of soccer and other Olympic sports.

Despite the financial deficit, the NCAA continues to run these championships as part of its educational and competitive mission, viewing them as a "public good" for student-athletes rather than a profit-generating business line." Gemini.
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I think the FCS should make way more money, I think UM is a brand and is not being marketed that way through the BSC, Script Sports or ESPN, especially with their record viewership numbers they had last season.

1. Look at Duke, (I know Montana is not Duke) they just announced having 3 basketball games on Amazon Prime, bypassing the ACC media deal. You hear every year that their is not enough football games on the west coast to fill all the time slots now with the CW, TNT,TBS airing games, why doesn't the the AD Dept/BSC look into bypassing Scripts or ESPN plus and see if other avenues would be pay more. For the record viewer ship vs Brawl of the Wild and the playoff games, what did Montana receive as revenue.

As far as the FCS playoffs, it's time for private equity to take over. For MSU 2024-2025 playoff run, MSU lost 40K dollars. Despite hosting three playoff games, the NCAA required 85% of the revenue, leaving the university with only $190,000.

FCS playoffs are a financial drain for most of the 24 teams. Could private equity change that? | FOX Sports

Commissioners of Football Championship Subdivision conferences are exploring the possibility of bringing private equity investment into the FCS playoffs
www.foxsports.com www.foxsports.com
 
5280Griz said:
Harvard Yale same thing
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You know…I’ve lived on the east coast for about 24 years now, and I get tired of people constantly mixing UM and MSU up (especially this year — there’s nothing more awkward than being congratulated on “our” national championship by a friend who knows I am a Griz fan, and having to explain that it wasn’t actually “ours.”)

I like to think that our fan base is better than that.
 
Grizlaw said:
You know…I’ve lived on the east coast for about 24 years now, and I get tired of people constantly mixing UM and MSU up (especially this year — there’s nothing more awkward than being congratulated on “our” national championship by a friend who knows I am a Griz fan, and having to explain that it wasn’t actually “ours.”)

I like to think that our fan base is better than that.
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We are. Most other fan bases aren't. It feels good when we can return the favor.
 
Grizlaw said:
You know…I’ve lived on the east coast for about 24 years now, and I get tired of people constantly mixing UM and MSU up (especially this year — there’s nothing more awkward than being congratulated on “our” national championship by a friend who knows I am a Griz fan, and having to explain that it wasn’t actually “ours.”)

I like to think that our fan base is better than that.
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Why didn't you just say "thanks"?
 
MontanaGrizSoccer said:
I think the FCS should make way more money, I think UM is a brand and is not being marketed that way through the BSC, Script Sports or ESPN, especially with their record viewership numbers they had last season.

1. Look at Duke, (I know Montana is not Duke) they just announced having 3 basketball games on Amazon Prime, bypassing the ACC media deal. You hear every year that their is not enough football games on the west coast to fill all the time slots now with the CW, TNT,TBS airing games, why doesn't the the AD Dept/BSC look into bypassing Scripts or ESPN plus and see if other avenues would be pay more. For the record viewer ship vs Brawl of the Wild and the playoff games, what did Montana receive as revenue.

As far as the FCS playoffs, it's time for private equity to take over. For MSU 2024-2025 playoff run, MSU lost 40K dollars. Despite hosting three playoff games, the NCAA required 85% of the revenue, leaving the university with only $190,000.

FCS playoffs are a financial drain for most of the 24 teams. Could private equity change that? | FOX Sports

Commissioners of Football Championship Subdivision conferences are exploring the possibility of bringing private equity investment into the FCS playoffs
www.foxsports.com www.foxsports.com
Click to expand...
Just because you think the FCS should make more money, doesn't make that statement true. The FCS and NCAA are way closer to it than you are and are already trying to make more money. Sorry, but UM isn't Duke and isn't even in the same ballpark. Why do you think the U and the Athletic Department aren't trying to improve things and take advantage of opportunities?

Gemini doesn't agree with your article on playoff costs and game expenses. I'm not saying Gemini is right, as I don't know: "These home games generated over $200,000 in net profit per game after the NCAA took its 85% cut of ticket sales, effectively "paying" for the trip to Nashville.

"For the 2026 FCS National Championship (which concluded the 2025 season), the financial and logistical landscape shifted significantly as the game moved from its long-time home in Frisco, Texas, to Nashville, Tennessee.

Since the game took place on January 5, 2026, we have a clearer picture of the costs and the historic outcome for the Bobcats.

The Nashville "Price Tag"​

Moving the game to Nashville's FirstBank Stadium (Vanderbilt) increased the baseline cost for Montana State compared to previous years in Frisco.

  • Total Expenditures: Montana State spent approximately $410,000 for the championship trip alone. This is about a 15% increase over the ~$360,000 spent during their 2022 Frisco run, largely due to higher lodging rates in downtown Nashville and increased logistics for the "FCS Showcase" events held that weekend.
  • The NCAA Subsidy: The NCAA provided a travel allowance of roughly $145,000 to MSU. This covered the chartered flight and basic per diems for the official travel party of 145 people.
  • The "Gap": MSU had to cover the remaining $265,000 through athletic department funds and donor contributions (the Bobcat Club). This covered the band, additional support staff, and extended stays for the team to participate in the new NFL scouting events.

The Financial Trade-off​

While the trip was a net "loss" on paper, the season was a massive financial success due to the playoff path:

  • Home Game Revenue: Because MSU entered the playoffs as the No. 2 seed, they hosted multiple games at Bobcat Stadium. These home games generated over $200,000 in net profit per game after the NCAA took its 85% cut of ticket sales, effectively "paying" for the trip to Nashville.


The Historic Result​

The investment proved worth every penny for the university and the state of Montana:

  • The Score: Montana State defeated Illinois State 35-34 in a thrilling overtime finish.
 
"The "Gap": MSU had to cover the remaining $265,000 through athletic department funds and donor contributions (the Bobcat Club). This covered the band, additional support staff, and extended stays for the team to participate in the new NFL scouting events." Gemini, from the above Gemini.

Like I said, the championship game has a shortfall, because the schools take more people to the game. Including the band, which also had to raise some of its funds.
 
kemajic said:
Missoulians obviously care, but please excuse me if I don't. Missoula businesses consistently rip us out-of-towners off and I'm not so sure their level of support for the University and the AD measures up. Ask Gemini about that. Last time I checked, it is still the University of Montana, not the University of Missoula.

Personally, I value the quality of our football schedule over filling the pockets of Missoula businesses.
Click to expand...
you just don't like missoula because it is a largely liberal town. sometimes it is too left wing even for me, but you've got to take the good with the bad. and regarding getting ripped off, i thought you were a right-wing capitalist? if you are going to whine about businesses following free market strategies, maybe you ought to change parties....
 
argh! said:
you just don't like missoula because it is a largely liberal town. sometimes it is too left wing even for me, but you've got to take the good with the bad. and regarding getting ripped off, i thought you were a right-wing capitalist? if you are going to whine about businesses following free market strategies, maybe you ought to change parties....
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Nope, just change where I do business on game weekends. We find Anaconda most receptive. As a ghost town they work hard for the business unlike those in Missoula. That's the capitalist way. Free competition.

And it breaks up our drive both ways. Missoula can stay wrapped up in itself. We do games. Period.
 
UncleRico said:
I think it would be fun to have a home and home series with one of the good Ivy League teams. Yale, Darmouth or Harvard would be a fun road trip in the Fall. Even a game at Columbia in NYC would be fun. Cool historic campuses in pretty fun areas. And I think Yale proved last Fall that the football is pretty good. With FCS losing some good schools almost every year and the Ivies now in the playoffs it would be smart for FCS schools to promote these games.
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Agree, few FCS conferences have any of the IT factor with all the move ups. Love 'em or hate 'em you can't say that about the Ivy League
 
Hey guys. I am new here. Is this the way Griz fans act ? or is it just that MSU won the Natty and will play Harvard while UM plays a quality team like Drake.
 
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