HBCU alumnus and media star Shannon Sharpe didn’t mince words in his reaction to Flordia A&M‘s 59-6 loss to Miami on Saturday. The Rattlers have been on an amazing streak, becoming the HBCU National Champions at the conclusion of last season and starting out two 2-0 under new head coach James Colzie III. Still, their talent wasn’t enough to allude to a Miami program that looks poised to seize a spot in the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff.
Sharpe and his cohost Chad Ochocinco reacted to the game and the Savannah State alumnus gave his thoughts on HBCUs playing money games.
“HBCUs, when these Power Five schools ask you to come, don’t y’all take less than a million dollars, and y’all make them pay for your travel.”
Sharpe then used Northern Illinois, which upset Notre Dame, as an example.
“Northern Illinois got $1.4 million to travel to South Bend, Indiana. They be paying these schools and know Cho by the time I pay for travel and they…guess what they always require you to bring the band.”
Ochocinco then let Sharpe know that the Marching 100 didn’t attend the game and even speculated that the $700,000 that Florida A&M was paid was only that because the schools aren’t that far from each other.
Sharpe still was effusive in his point, saying, “Nah, I need a [million]…at least a [million]. They got it….I ain’t coming unless it’s a [million]. And you’re gonna pay for my travel. Because hell, if I bring all of those players and charter a flight, that’s $200,000.”
Sharpe’s comments are not far off from Deion Sanders’s take on HBCU money games against top-tier FBS programs when he was coach of Jackson State. Florida A&M was once again the topic of discussion as they were paid $450,000 to play the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill in Week 0 of the 2022 season.
“If we gone get our butt kick shouldn’t it be worth it. How in the world are we settling for the peanuts in the little minute droppings that they giving us when everybody’s darn near $500,000-600,000…You’re going to lose pride and dignity when we sit up and telling you we’re just as good but you go out there and show that we’re not as good. We’re not nearly as good. And then you lose in three to four players because of the type of beating that you’ve got.”
Sanders continued, “Who is negotiating this? Should we get together and huddle up as the HBCU and say we’re not playing these beat-down games unless we get this,” he said. “You can negotiate above that has the level be $750,000 or 1 million. Have something make it worth your team’s wild because you’re going to lose players. The millions should go directly to your football department. They’re out there getting their butts kicked, not the rest of the school. They’re out there getting injured, and then you want to spread it out amongst the school. I don’t agree with that.”
Both Pro Football Hall of Famers are aligned on HBCU money games and the necessity that the payments should be higher for these matchups. But, still, HBCUs are not hitting those figures. Florida A&M is the only team that received between the $700,000 to $1 million allotment for the games. Other programs have received even lower amounts for their money games.
But, the practice will continue as HBCU athletic programs work to secure more funding and operate at the highest efficiency.
Follow Us
Subscribe
