College teams turning to NFL stadiums to increase revenues
With more than 80,000 and 70,000 seats respectively, FedEx Field in Landover and M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore are becoming increasingly popular venues for college football teams willing to give up a home game for the promise of heftier gate receipts.
The latest to get in on the trend is West Virginia. On Wednesday the school announced it will play at FedEx for the first time, when it meets FCS James Madison on Sept. 15, 2012.
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Both teams have significant fan bases in the Washington area. In exchange for surrendering a home date, West Virginia has received a $2.3 million guarantee, at least $500,000 more than is possible for a home date, according to the school. JMU will get $350,000.
The following season, West Virginia will play Maryland at M&T Bank Stadium. The Mountaineers have also signed to play Brigham Young at FedEx in 2016. West Virginia will play Big East road games at NFL stadiums this year in Cincinnati and Tampa.
“With the ever-changing world of college football and with Big East expansion, it is not a given that we will be able to schedule seven home games every year. This game gives us a chance to make significant revenue over and above a typical home game, while keeping expenses at a minimum,” West Virginia athletic director Oliver Luck said. “JMU certainly has a following in the D.C. market, and we are not responsible for a guarantee to them, which makes this neutral site game even more attractive.”
It will be the second meeting between the teams. West Virginia won the first, 45-10, in 2004 in Morgantown. JMU went on to go 13-2 that season, capturing its first of two Division 1-AA national championships.
“This is a great opportunity for our football program to play a top-level FBS team in an area that is important to the university, our students, alumni and donors,” JMU AD Jeff Bourne said in a statement. “We look forward to the opportunities for outreach with this significant portion of the JMU Nation over the next year to ensure that Coach [Mickey] Matthews and the Dukes are well supported.”
