Winthrop to get tough foes, handsome payouts when it plays its SEC, Pac-12 opponents
The Winthrop men’s basketball team is days away from embarking on the toughest part of its tough non-conference schedule — a road trip that features contests against the SEC’s Vanderbilt on Saturday and then the Pac-12’s Washington and Washington State the next week.
But the Eagles aren’t dreading it.
Why would they? It’ll prepare them for conference play. It gets them, at times, in front of a national audience.
And there’s a substantial payday in the mix, too.
In Winthrop’s 13 non-conference games in the 2021-22 season, the program could earn up to $357,000 in net income. The Eagles will take in $365,000 and pay out $8,000, according to game contracts obtained by The Herald via an open records request.
And the biggest money-makers for Winthrop arrive this month.
On Saturday, when the Eagles travel to Nashville to take on Vanderbilt, they’ll make $85,000. And then in the subsequent week, they’ll earn $90,000 when they take on Washington State on Nov. 22 and $100,000 when they play Washington on Nov. 27.
Here’s what’s in store for Winthrop before conference play begins in January 2022.
Winthrop benefits from tough non-conference schedule
Winthrop’s intense non-conference schedule is important to the Rock Hill team.
For one, it’s fiscally beneficial. And it’s particularly so after a year when COVID-19 concerns limited non-conference play and rendered this revenue stream unavailable.
According to the athletic department’s 2019 NCAA financial summary report — the most recent one that gives a “normal” snapshot of income via game contracts — the Winthrop men’s basketball program brought in $325,000 in guarantees. Women’s basketball brought in $57,000 and other sports brought in $15,000.
That $325,000 was substantial: It tripled the amount of men’s basketball ticket sales the university garnered ($94,367) and made up nearly 6% of the men’s basketball program’s revenue that year.
But money isn’t the only compelling aspect of Winthrop’s non-conference gauntlet. A game against high-major teams gives Winthrop the chance to prove its mettle in front of a lot of eyes.
The Eagles took advantage of that in 2019, when it defeated then-ranked Saint Mary’s on the road. That win delivered the program its third win over a ranked team in program history, the first since 2007 and first of all-time in a true road atmosphere.
In 2021, the Eagles want the chance to make history again.
“I expect us to, you know, win games,” Russell Jones Jr. told reporters after his team’s overtime win over Mercer this past weekend. The junior was integral in his team’s wild comeback and overtime win against the Bears and was also important in his team’s upset over Saint Mary’s in 2019.
“Talking to all the (Winthrop greats) — Chris Gaynor, Mike Jenkins, Torrell Martin, even back to the 2000 team when they first won it — they were beating those teams and believed that they could beat them,” Jones said. “Coach (Pat) Kelsey brought that here. Coach (Mark) Prosser brought that here. And if we drop one, I don’t want the fans to get deterred because we’re a good team.”
Winthrop’s non-conference basketball payouts
Here’s a synthesis of the game contracts for each non-conference game on Winthrop’s schedule.
Nov. 9 vs. Mary Baldwin: Winthrop paid the Division III Mary Baldwin $4,000 and funded the opponent’s postgame meal. Winthrop also furnished 50 complimentary tickets.
Nov. 13 vs. Mercer: Winthrop’s contest against Mercer was the first in a home-and-home battle with the Southern Conference team, in which case a payout is not part of the deal. The Eagles agreed to play at Mercer next season on Nov. 19, 2022.
Nov. 16 at Middle Tennessee State: This one marked the first of a home-and-home series — again, no payout. The Eagles will see MTSU next in Rock Hill on Nov. 12, 2022.
Nov. 20 at Vanderbilt: Vanderbilt will pay Winthrop $85,000 as “full and complete compensation” as well as provide 60 complimentary tickets. (The Eagles also agreed to provide game film of previous contests played during the 2021-22 season at the request of the home team.)
Nov. 22 at Washington State: WSU will pay Winthrop $90,000 and allow 25 complimentary tickets. It’ll also pay for two nights of lodging in a Residence Inn at a cost that does not exceed $3,250.
Nov. 27 at Washington: Washington agreed to pay Winthrop $100,000. (In the event the game is held without ticket-purchasing fans present — which won’t happen barring a shocking and fast re-emergence of COVID — the guarantee will be reduced to $50,000.)
Dec. 1 vs. Hartford: Winthrop won’t pay Hartford any guaranteed money for its December game, per the contract, and agreed to furnish 50 complimentary tickets via player pass list. Future plans to play Hartford were not explicitly stated in the contract provided to The Herald.
Dec. 4 vs. Coastal Carolina: This one is part of a four-year agreement — a home-and-home-and-home — that the teams agreed to starting in the 2019-20 season. Thus, Winthrop will not pay Coastal additional monies when the Chanticleers arrive in Rock Hill in December.
Dec. 7 vs. Furman: Winthrop’s contest against Furman will mark the first of a home-and-home series. The final game of the contract is planned to be played Dec. 10, 2022 at Furman.
Dec. 11 vs. Carver College: This contest will be played at the Rock Hill Sports and Event Center. Per Winthrop, this contract was done through the city and Carver College, and therefore the university could not provide a contract for this game.
Dec. 15 at Elon: This game is the second of a home-and-home series that began in the 2020-21 season, when Winthrop beat Elon at home in 2019.
Dec. 21 at Mississippi State: Winthrop stands to make $90,000 for the game. That could shrink if COVID restrictions limit capacity in the Humphrey Coliseum (which is unlikely), but even then the total paycheck won’t be lower than $48,000.
Dec. 31 vs. Converse: Winthrop pays Converse $4,000 and agrees to furnish 40 complimentary tickets via player pass list.
This story was originally published November 16, 2021 at 6:00 AM.
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