Clemson to spend over $1.5 million in payouts for home football ‘guarantee games’
How much were last month’s non-conference football home games against Furman and Louisiana Tech worth to the Clemson athletics department?
Just over $1.5 million, according to game contracts obtained by The State through an open records request.
Clemson will pay out $415,000 to Furman and $1.1 million to Louisiana Tech by Feb. 15, 2023 for their football teams’ visits to Memorial Stadium on Sept. 10 and Sept. 17, respectively. That’s $1.515 million in total.
For reference, South Carolina will pay out a combined $3.35 million to 2022 non-conference opponents Georgia State, Charlotte and South Carolina State, The State previously reported.
The Tigers – currently undefeated and ranked No. 4 nationally at the midpoint of the 2022 season – cruised past the Paladins and the Bulldogs by a combined 51 points in what amounted to a two-game tuneup before their ACC schedule began in earnest.
Also known as “buy games” or “guarantee games,” these meetings between Power Five teams and Group of Five FBS or FCS teams are frequent occurrences in college football and mutually beneficial arrangements for both parties.
The smaller school gets national exposure and a hefty payday to help for its own athletics budget, while the larger school, in theory, gets an easy win that makes hitting the NCAA’s six-win bowl-eligibility mark that much simpler.
In 2022 alone, App State’s win at Texas A&M, Marshall’s win at Notre Dame, Georgia Southern’s win at Nebraska and Middle Tennessee State’s win at Miami prove that “guarantee games” are far from a guaranteed victory.
Clemson avoided such a fate this season by beating Furman 35-12 and Louisiana Tech 48-20 in consecutive weeks last month. Here’s a closer look at each contract.
Sept. 10 vs. Furman
Clemson and Furman, an in-state FCS program based 30 miles east in Greenville, initially agreed nine years ago to play the 2022 contest in Memorial Stadium.
Under that original July 12, 2013 contract, Clemson would pay Furman $385,000 for a game on Sept. 3, 2022. A contract amendment effective June 3, 2019 changed the date to Sept. 10, 2022 and increased Clemson’s Furman payment to $415,000 (a $30,000 bump).
Clemson must pay that fee on or before Feb. 15, 2023.
Other notes
Per the contract, Furman got 2,000 complimentary tickets and 50 sideline passes.
In the event of cancellation without mutual consent, the school breaching the contract would have owed the other $385,000 within 30 days of the scheduled gameday.
Sept. 17 vs. Louisiana Tech
Conference USA program Louisiana Tech initially agreed to a Sept. 24, 2022 game at Clemson in a March 6, 2015 contract. Clemson agreed to pay La Tech $1.1 million for the contest.
The guarantee amount stayed the same after the schools signed a March 7, 2018 amendment to change the game’s date to Sept. 17, 2022. Clemson must pay that $1.1 million to Louisiana Tech on or before Feb. 15, 2023.
Other notes
Per the contract, Louisiana Tech was allotted 500 complimentary tickets. La Tech could also request up to 4,000 tickets for sale to its fans by June 1, 2022 and return any unsold tickets to Clemson up to 14 days before the game.
Clemson provided Louisiana Tech with 60 team bench area passes, 16 all-access passes, eight coaches’ booth passes and six team/coaches video passes.
For travel from its Ruston, Louisiana, campus, La Tech got parking passes “for use by the football program and administration for one equipment truck, one equipment van, four buses and six cars.
Louisiana Tech got 90 free game programs delivered to its dressing room at least an hour before game time, according to the game management section of the contract.
In the event of cancellation without mutual consent, the school breaching the contract would have owed the other the full $1.1 million on or before Feb. 15, 2023.
Clemson schedule trends
The 2022 season marked the 15th consecutive year that Clemson has played an in-state FCS program at home. Furman, Presbyterian, South Carolina State, The Citadel, Wofford and Coastal Carolina (pre-FBS transition) have all visited Memorial Stadium in that span.
The Louisiana Tech game also fell into Clemson’s general scheduling philosophy for its four-game non-conference slate: play two Power Five teams (one being rival South Carolina), one Group of Five FBS team and one in-state FCS team.
No. 4 Clemson (6-0, 4-0 ACC) travels to Notre Dame on Nov. 5 and hosts South Carolina on Nov. 26 to round out its 2022 non-conference schedule.
Clemson future non-conference opponents
2023: Notre Dame, at South Carolina, Florida Atlantic, Wofford
2024: Georgia (in Atlanta), South Carolina, App State, The Citadel
2025: LSU, at South Carolina, Troy, Furman
2026: at LSU, South Carolina, Georgia Southern, Charleston Southern
2027: Notre Dame, at South Carolina, Wofford
2028: at Notre Dame, South Carolina, Troy
