Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, August 28, 1994 TAG: 9408260032
SECTION: COLLEGE FOOTBALL PAGE: FB12 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: ANDREA KUHN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Or perhaps, frozen there.
It was on that date that a sellout crowd of 7,304 braved maliciously cold weather to watch Mount Union (Ohio) beat Rowan (N.J.) 34-24. The crowd was the largest in the past decade for the 21-year-old event.
Organizers of the event - the NCAA Division III football championship - have had a chance to thaw and have had nothing but praise for Salem.
The city took about a $7,000 loss, but plans for this year's Stagg Bowl already are in full swing and organizers are confident the game can become a profitable event.
``We really had no idea what [the financial statement] would be until it came out, because we were going into something totally blind just trying to cover ourselves,'' said Carey Harveycutter, director of the game and of Salem Stadium, which will play host to the event at least through 1995.
The 1993 Stagg Bowl, which was televised by ESPN, made money off sales of novelties, programs and concessions. However, the bulk of the event's revenue came from corporate sponsorships and ticket sales.
Under contract, the NCAA was guaranteed the first $25,000 of ticket sales, Salem received the next $10,000 and any additional money was split 60-40 with the NCAA getting the bigger cut. Ticket revenue amounted to nearly $56,000, of which the NCAA received $35,711 - the most ever for the event.
``That's a tremendous figure for us,'' said Wayne Burrow, an assistant director of championships for the NCAA. ``In the past, we've not even gotten to the split part. But to get the guarantee and then go into excess is outstanding.''
Revenue for the event totaled $102,000 and expenses were $109,000, but Harveycutter noted Salem incurred several one-time costs with its inaugural Stagg Bowl. Harveycutter also is working on ways to make this year's game, scheduled to kick off at noon Dec.10, more profitable.
``We'd like to increase our corporate sponsorship,'' he said. ``We'd like to have it up in the neighborhood of $75,000. That way if you have bad weather the week leading up to the game, or you have two teams from far away - although that would be hard to do the way the regions are set up - that would help protect us on the downside.''
Corporate sponsorships last year totaled $55,000. Harveycutter said, based on community response, he thought Salem wouldn't have too much trouble increasing that amount.
``We had a lot of people that were surprised by the response, the publicity and by the quality of play,'' he said. ``We got a tremendous amount of complimentary letters. We tried to put on a first-class show and I think we did. I think creating an event as opposed to just having a football game was the key to it.''
Harveycutter estimated a total economic impact for Salem of a little more than $1 million. Recognition for the city and its facilities, however, is something that can't be measured in dollars, he said.
Also, compared to the hit the NCAA takes for the entire 15-game Division III football playoffs, Salem's loss is minute. Figures aren't in yet for last year's championship, but in 1992, the NCAA lost approximately $350,000 on the Division III playoffs.
The NCAA pays travel expenses for 58 people from each school (48 players, plus 10 others) for up to 2 1/2 days for all 15 games. In 1992, the NCAA doled out $198,903 for transportation and $153,120 for food and lodging for the playoffs.
``One thing the NCAA prides itself on is concern for the student-athlete,'' Burrow said. ``It's important that they know that all of our events are first-class. ... The institution shouldn't have to bear the expense of competing.''
Salem also held a successful NCAA Division III softball tournament in May, and that event is scheduled to return in 1996. In addition, Salem has landed the Division II softball championship for 1995, as well as the Division III men's basketball Final Four in 1996 and 1997 and the Division III baseball World Series from 1995-97.
A lot of that, Harveycutter said, is because of the success of the Stagg Bowl.
``[Playing host to the Stagg Bowl] has given us another foot in the door [with the NCAA],'' Harveycutter said. ``It gives you another opportunity to tell how well you've done on another, similar-type event. It gives you a better track record and that's a great deal of it.''
\ 1994 STAGG BOWL
Date: Dec. 10
Kickoff: Noon
Site: Salem Stadium
Television: ESPN
Tickets: Available through the Salem Civic Center box office and all Ticketmaster locations. $8 in advance; $10 on game day; $5 for high school students and youths.
DIVISION III POLLS
The Sporting News
1. Washington & Jefferson (Pa.)
2. Rowan (N.J.)
3. Wisconsin-La Crosse
4. Frostburg (Md.) State
5. St. John's (Minn.)
6. Mount Union (Ohio)
7. Allegheny (Pa.)
8. Augustana (Ill.)
9. Central (Iowa)
10. Albion (Mich.)
Street and Smith's
1. Allegheny (Pa.)
2. Washington & Jefferson (Pa.)
3. Frostburg (Md.) State
4. Mount Union (Ohio)
5. Rowan (N.J.)
6. St. John's (Minn.)
7. Augustana (Ill.)
8. Albion (Mich.)
9. Wisconsin-La Crosse
10. Wartburg (Iowa)
by CNB