Jackson State head coach Deion Sanders has yet again spoken on behalf of HBCUs. This time, it is regarding the payouts they receive compared to other division one schools across the nation.
Deion Sanders made his opinion felt during the Swac coaches call.
Sanders brought up the pay difference that HBCUs receive in comparison to other teams when it comes to playing Power Five teams.
According to J.T. Keith of the Clarion Ledger, Sanders stated, “I’m glad we have an opportunity to play against these Power Fives.”
But even with the opportunity, many of these matchups against the Power Five teams do not end in favor of the HBCU. And Sanders believes that the outcome of these losses is felt through the program.
Deion Sanders also took the time to break down the payouts, and why he disagrees with how it is handled.
Over the weekend, there were several upsets of the top 25 teams. In many of these games, these schools made drastically more than an HBCU would have in the same position.
Appalachian State, who took down Texas A&M, received $1.5 million. Marshall, who took down Notre Down, received $1.25 million.
The highest payout to an HBCU this season belongs to Southern, who was paid $750,000 to take on LSU. This game ended with Southern losing 65-17.
When speaking about this, Deion Sanders stated, “If we are going to get our butt kicked, shouldn’t it be worth it?”
Sanders noted that the typical pay they receive is just around half a million dollars. He then went on to say, “You can negotiate above, but have the level be $750,000 to $1 million dollars. Have it be worth your team’s while, because you are going to lose players and you are going to lose pride and dignity when we sit up here telling people we are just as good.”
Deion Sanders was sure to note how these drastic losses can impact the program. When losing in such a manner, it can become demoralizing to the program. And in turn, ripple effects are felt.
After explaining his issues with the pay disparity, Sanders brought up the idea of a committee to help handle these issues. He stated, “Can we get together and form a committee or something? And say we are not doing this unless we get a $1 million or something. Negotiate up but don’t negotiate down. That million should go directly to your football department. They are the ones getting their butts kicked, not to the school; they’re abused, hurt, injured, and now you want to give the money to the school? No, I don’t agree with that. If there are out there playing, they should reap the benefits of the sacrifices they are making. I just don’t like what I’m seeing: $1.4 million, $1.2 million and we get peanuts. I don’t like that; it means that we are not doing well business-wise.”
There have been several starts to break out within HBCU football programs. One of them being Deion Sanders' son Shedeur Sanders. Given time, more and more stars will continue to make their presence felt. And this group will become even more competitive.
While many HBCU football programs have drastically become better, they are still not on the level of the top Power Five teams. Given time, this gap will surely continue to close.
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