Money is exchanging hands at a rapid rate in this era of college sports. Between Name, Image and Likeness deals, schools buying out coaches’ contracts and any number of smaller transactions, college athletic departments across America have already spent billions of dollars this academic year. 

A small source contributing to all of those billions are “buy games.”

Buy games are a term in college sports for when one school pays another to come play them. This happens most often in nonconference contests for football and men’s basketball. Many people associate buy games with games where the supposed gap in play is large, like in Missouri’s 106-68 victory against Virginia Military Institute on Nov. 9. 

The truth is, money changes hands in almost every nonconference game in men’s basketball. 

In fact, all 11 of the nonconference games on the Salukis’ schedule this season involve money changing hands one way or another, with the guarantees for this year alone totaling $314,000 according to information obtained by the Daily Egyptian through a Freedom of Information Act request. 

There’s a lot to think about when planning what games to schedule and how much to pay for certain games. 

“We’ll sit down before the season and we’ll look at what we’re trying to do,” SIU athletics director Tim Leonard said. “How much money do we need to bring in this year and how much money is going to go out? And what’s that right balance that we’re looking for this year?” 

There are two games on the SIU schedule that don’t have price tags this year: the Nov. 17 contest at North Dakota State and the Dec. 3 game at High Point. However, the Salukis did have to pay for home games earlier in the contract. 

SIU ponied up $64,000 total for home games in 2023 and 2024 against NDSU, while the High Point price tag was a somewhat more modest $40,000 up front for home games in 2024 and 2026. So, even though the Salukis are paying for these schools to come to Carbondale, these schools aren’t reciprocating when SIU travels to them.

All in all, SIU is paying $144,000 for four home games and two neutral site games in Jacksonville, Florida. Some of these games are relatively cheap, like the $5,000 check the university wrote for the Nov. 7 win against the University of Missouri-Kansas City. The Nov. 3 matchup against Division II McKendree was even cheaper, at only $4,000. 

The two remaining home dates on the nonconference schedule both carry five-figure price tags. The Nov. 29 contest against Arkansas-Little Rock will cost $25,000, while the Dec. 10 matchup against another Ohio Valley Conference school in Tennessee-Martin will carry a much higher price tag of $60,000. 

Leonard said he isn’t too thrilled with how few home games are on the schedule this year.

 “Obviously we’d like to have more home games, it just gives you a better chance of winning, it’s good for our fans. It’s good to build up a fanbase this way. I’m hoping next year we get to have at least one more home game.” he said.

SIU is also paying $50,000 to be a part of the Jacksonville Classic on Nov. 23 and 24 where they will take on Delaware and Alabama-Birmingham.

It’s not even just money changing hands, as both UMKC and Little Rock added 15 hotel rooms in Carbondale to their contracts. Late-night games also mean hungry players, which might explain why UMKC and McKendree also asked for postgame pizza to be provided.

SIU is also raking in quite a bit of money this season, adding $170,000 to the bank account via three road games. The Nov. 12 loss to Nevada came with a $65,000 check. The Salukis still have an $80,000 game at University of Memphis on Nov. 26 and $25,000 at University of Richmond on Dec. 13 to look forward to, as well.

The Memphis game especially is one Leonard was excited to get on the schedule.

“I really like the Memphis game because of, again, playing a program like them and their tradition and history but most importantly because it’s a three hour bus trip,” he said. 

The Salukis came out in the black this season, adding $26,000 to the team bank account via game guarantees, even without playing a team from a power five conference.

So while the Salukis don’t have any huge paydays awaiting them this winter, they still managed to come out ahead.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story has been updated to add quotes from SIU athletics director Tim Leonard.

Sports reporter Eli Hoover can be found at [email protected] or on Instagram at @hoovermakesart 

Advertisement