Win equals a big payday - TW (3-9-2006)

[ORUTerry]

Win equals a big payday

By MIKE BROWN World Sports Writer

3/9/2006

Besides an NCAA berth, Golden Eagles also reap financial rewards

The Oral Roberts basketball team earned $35,000 Tuesday night.

That's how much the Mid-Continent Conference annually pays its champion for reaching the NCAA Tournament. And there's more to be made.

The league pays an additional $35,000 for every game played in the tournament until the Final Four, when the payment increases to $50,000.

If the Eagles could somehow get as far as the Elite Eight, they would realize a $140,000 payday -- not to mention how they would benefit the conference.

But more on that later.

The Eagles are likely to reap benefits other than financial from reaching the Big Dance for the first time in 22 years and only the third time in school history.

Think of the prestige.

"It builds pride in your student body and gets your almuni excited," said atheltic director Mike Carter. "Hopefully, it translates into revenue and enrollment gains down the line."

Carter recalled a study that placed the publicity value of Gonzaga's 2001 Sweet Sixteen run at $47 million.

"That's the kind of advertising you can't buy," Carter said.

Oakland (Mich.) coach Greg Kampe became a better recruiter after the Grizzlies upset ORU in last year's Mid-Con final. "You can't believe how many doors it opened for us," Kampe said.

ORU coach Scott Sutton said it will make future teams "hungrier" to relive the experience.

"These guys coming back next year will get a taste of it, and once you get a taste of it, you want it back," Sutton said. "I think it'll make Caleb (Green) and Ken (Tutt) and our other returnees even hungrier to get back next year."

ORU can help the Mid-Con by increasing the amount of money it receives annually from the NCAA revenue pot, which is actually the money the conference uses to pay its champion.

Each conference receives units (about $162,000) based on NCAA appearances and wins over a six-year period. Since the Mid-Con has had one entry per year and no winners since Valparaiso's 1998 Sweet Sixteen run, it receives six units annually -- roughly $972,000.

What's left after the conference has paid expenses and staff is divided among the nine conference members -- about $50,000 to $60,000 annually per school, said conference commissioner Tom Douple.

Even a first-round tournament win by the Eagles would mean an extra unit per year to the conference over a six-year span, meaning about $1 million extra to the conference over that span, Douple said.

Multiply that figure if the Eagles won two or three games.

[ORUTex]

Each conference receives units (about $162,000) based on NCAA appearances and wins over a six-year period. Since the Mid-Con has had one entry per year and no winners since Valparaiso's 1998 Sweet Sixteen run, it receives six units annually -- roughly $972,000.

What, we don't get anything for Oakland's "Opening Round" win last year?

Even a first-round tournament win by the Eagles would mean an extra unit per year to the conference over a six-year span, meaning about $1 million extra to the conference over that span, Douple said.

A BIG reason why all our conference brethren should be rooting hard for us next week.

[rlh]

I think this is correct, the play-in game is not included in the NCAA tournament money. I was surprised when I was told that, but I'm pretty sure that's the way it works. I think the two teams playing might get something, but the conference itself does not. Under that scenario, no one except Oakland got anything from the play-in game. I think it's considered part of the first round or something. Makes no sense to me

[orumom]

I'm surprised the NCAA hasn't made it where 8 teams compete in four play-in games. You'd think that is what they would do to get some more at-large berths.