Miami Hurricanes games at Group of Five schools is because of money

The Miami Hurricanes game at Toledo on Saturday is primarily because of money. The Miami athletic department is not able to pay out the large guarantees that most state schools are able to pay Group of Five schools for a home game.

Miami Athletic Director Blake James told the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson that many schools want a guaranteed payout of about $1.5 to play at road games. With the home and home the visiting team usually receives about $300,000 according to James for travel expenses.

Miami’s game at Toledo is the fourth year in a row that the Hurricanes have a road game scheduled at a Group of Five School. Miami won 44-20 at Florida Atlantic in 2015, 45-10 at Appalachian State in 2016 and had last season’s game at Arkansas State canceled because of Hurricane Irma.

In an ideal situation, the Miami Hurricanes wouldn’t have to play these games on the road. Their name recognition is strong enough to be able to attract good non-conference games. With College Football becoming more of a business, neutral sites games like Miami’s 2018 season opener against LSU will become more common.

Alabama has often been criticized for not playing a non-conference road game against Power Five Conference school since they traveled to State College to play Penn State in 2011. The Crimson Tide have played a neutral site game against a Power Five School in every season since then.

Alabama has neutral site games scheduled through 2021 when they ironically will play the Miami Hurricanes at Mercedes Benz Stadium to open the season. The Crimson Tide plays at Texas Week two in 2022. Miami will also play Florida in Orlando to open the 2019 season.

Miami generally benefits financially from playing a home and home with Group of Five Schools. Each team keeps the gate receipts from their home games. Hard Rock Stadium has a greater capacity than the Group of Five Schools. Toledo’s Glass Bowl seats just over 26,000.

James spoke to Jackson about why Miami plays Group of Five schools in a home and home.

"“Generally speaking, one home team keeps all receipts for their game…In a perfect world, we wouldn’t. Reality is that sometimes you have to. Guarantee games are becoming more and more expensive, in the neighborhood of $1.5 million.I didn’t schedule the Toledo game [predecessor Kirby Hocutt did], but I scheduled the Appalachian State game. In a perfect world, a game like Toledo would be a guarantee game [without a return trip there].But you have to get games [to fill a schedule], and if the dollar figure to get a guarantee game is so high, at some point you have to concede and do home and homes with these schools. I’m sure that’s what happened with Toledo.”"

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The Hurricanes are able to have a balance of home and home games and paying out guarantees with some Group of Five Schools. Miami hosts Central Michigan next season and UAB in 2020. The Hurricanes also have home and homes coming up with Michigan State and Texas A&M in the future.

Miami tries to get as many non-conference home games in a season as possible. James told Jackson that’s not always a reality.

"“You look for as many home games as possible,…You hope for seven. If eight, that’s great. The reality is six some years.”"

Miami also has a road game scheduled with FIU for 2021. Due to terms of the contract between the schools the game will not be played at the Golden Panthers Riccardo Silva Stadium. The capacity is too small. They will likely play at Marlins Park. Hard Rock Stadium is a possibility with it being an FIU home game.

Saturday’s game is not the first time that the Rockets have hosted a ranked team from a Power Five Conference. Missouri played at the Glass Bowl in 2014. The Rockets have also hosted Kansas, Iowa State, Purdue and Colorado since Toledo Athletic Director Mike O’Brien took over in 2002.