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In the world of modern college football, the only thing that seems to matter to Division I programs is how much money they can raise for NIL funding.
It’s hard to blame them. A number of schools have opted out of the House’s revenue-sharing agreement, and several schools that opted in won’t have the full $20.5 million at their disposal.
Which means that programs need to get creative when it comes time to find ways to generate revenue. Enter the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders.
Middle Tennessee State Axes Uniform Combos To Save Big Money For NIL
Middle Tennessee State is one of the minnows of FBS college football, comparatively. The Blue Raiders finished at the bottom of Conference USA a year ago and last made a bowl in 2022.
So finding money to hand out to players isn’t exactly easy. One way to do so, however, is to cut costs. And as it turns out, MTSU was spending a ton of money on fancy jersey combinations.
“How are we going to best compete against different positions if we’re sitting here spending money on stuff that really we’re only wearing one time a year?” new general manager Dana Marquez asked Front Office Sports.
As part of a three-year cost-cutting plan, the program saved $668,000 by eliminating several alternate uniform and helmet variations.
“We just went with one color, and we did a game helmet and a practice helmet,” Marquez said.
MTSU saved $500,000 by reducing the number of helmets and $84,000 each on the uniform variations
Marquez says that the program has earmarked a portion of it to form a pool of cash that will go to players. But it’s not a handout.
“If we’re going to pay you $2,000 a month and you want to make $4,000, you’ve got to work to get the $4,000. And we show you how to do that,” Marquez said.
These are the realities facing programs at the “other” end of the FBS college football spectrum. It’s unlikely that MTSU ever competes for a national championship or even a playoff spot.
But if it wants to remain in existence, it’s these types of creative cash influxes that will allow that to be possible.