Large paydays coming ISU football's way

Cincinnati, Penn State games will bring dollars

By Todd Golden

TERRE HAUTE — It’s a reality every Football Championship Subdivision team has to face … the money game.

Nearly every FCS school plays at least one Football Bowl Subdivision team. The reason is twofold: the exposure of playing up against the “big” schools, but more importantly, it’s the money. The dollars made from the monetary guarantee paid out by much-wealthier FBS schools goes a long way toward sustaining FCS teams.

With that in mind, Indiana State .

The Sycamores will play at Cincinnati in 2010 and at Penn State on Sept. 3, 2011. The prestige of playing the Bearcats and Nittany Lions — Cincinnati was a BCS participant in 2008, Penn State is a household name and traditional power is nice. The combined $775,000 ISU athletics will get from the games is even better from ISU’s perspective.

“It means exposure. Cincinnati was a BCS team last year, and Penn State is Penn State,” ISU football coach Trent Miles said. “But obviously, from a financial standpoint, it means a great deal. We’re making some money.”

According to ISU senior assistant athletic director John Sherman, who assists in football scheduling, the Cincinnati guarantee is $325,000. The Penn State guarantee is $450,000. They are the largest guarantees ISU has received since it was paid $275,000 to play at Texas Tech in 2005.

In recent years, ISU has taken lesser payouts to play at MAC schools like Eastern Michigan and Northern Illinois. Miles wanted to change that philosophy.

“Rather than play two MAC schools, let’s play schools to make real good money,” Miles said.

With more money comes more scheduling flexibility for ISU to pay smaller school teams to play in Terre Haute. In 2010, Quincy will make a second visit to Memorial Stadium and St. Joseph’s will play at ISU for the first time since 1998. The St. Joe’s game is scheduled for Sept. 18, 2010. On Sept. 10, 2011, Butler will play at ISU for the first time since 1974.

“I looked back to who we were playing when [Jerry] Huntsman was coaching. They played Butler, Evansville, St. Joe’s, DePauw, some of those schools. If we’re going to play somebody, we might as well play schools that most people recognize,” Miles said.

On Sept. 17, 2011, ISU will also visit Western Kentucky — a one-time Gateway Football Conference rival and now a FBS school — as a return visit for WKU’s Homecoming visit to ISU in 2007.

ISU anticipates announcing a two-game series with another in-state foe soon.

• Voluntary workouts — As ISU awaits official activity in August, voluntary workouts are currently ongoing for the Sycamores themselves. Though Miles is not allowed to take part, he’s heard participation is unprecedented.

“Every single one of our returning scholarship players is working out. They’re busting their butts. I can’t see them do it, because I can’t watch them, but that’s what everyone’s telling me. It’s a great thing. We’ve never, ever had that kind of offseason participation.”

Miles noted the some incoming freshman who have graduated from their respective high schools have taken part too.

• Coaches hired — Three new assistant coaches have been hired since spring practice ended in April.

Miles hired Luke Powell to be the defensive backs coach. Powell was a teammate of ISU offensive coordinator Troy Walters at Stanford.

Jesse Minter was hired as running backs coach. Jesse Minter was the linebackers coach at Cincinnati for two years. Minter is the son of Rick Minter, one-time head coach at Cincinnati, though Jesse Minter (a graduate of Mount St. Joseph’s) was not on Rick Minter’s staff.

Morgan Turner was hired as quarterbacks coach. He is the son of Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Ron Turner and nephew of San Diego Chargers head coach Norv Turner.

In addition, recently graduated Jayden Everett will join the staff as an assistant linebackers coach.

The four new coaches replace Edmund Jones, Bill Diedrick and Ted Unbehagen, all of whom left shortly after the 2008 season was completed. Shortly after spring practice was completed, Troy Johnson (who is now head coach at Mattoon High School in Illinois) and Kyle Caskey (hired as an assistant at Mississippi) also left the staff.

Miles anticipates completing his staff in early July.

• Burke to be redshirted — Miles announced that offensive lineman Pat Burke — a three-year starter — will be redshirted for the 2009 season after he suffered a season-ending shoulder injury.