University of Virginia Library

Timeout

Playing
For Pay

With Bill Berno

IN SEPTEMBER OF 1971, the Wahoos traveled to Ann
Arbor, Mich., to make some money. In the process, they
played a game against the Rose Bowl-bound Michigan
Wolverines, and were trounced to the tune of 56-0.

At the time, it seemed insane for a weakling like Virginia to
mix it up with the big boys like Michigan, or in 1973.
Missouri. People fail to realize that we don't send our kids
there because they have a good chance to win, we send them
there primarily because there's plenty of money in the deal
(over $100,000 from Ann Arbor).

IT COSTS OVER ONE MILLION DOLLARS ANNUALLY
to support athletics at the University. This money is raised
from three sources; gate receipts from football and basketball,
the "revenue" sports; funds from student activity fees; and
alumni donations through the Student Aid Foundation.

Over half of the estimated $1.2 million athletic budget
comes from the revenue sports. Football is the big money
maker. As Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Steve Sebo puts
it, "in any large program, you've got to have a successful
football program." Success isn't measured entirely by
performance on the field. Drawing power at the gate is just as
important to budget-minded administrators.

THAT'S WHY WE HAVE TO PLAY THE MICHIGANS
AND MISSOURIS each year. When 80,000 people pay seven
dollars to see a game, there is a crucial portion of our budget
riding on one Saturday afternoon.

But money is not the only concern of Mr. Sebo, who is in
charge of scheduling for all University athletics. He tries to
build a well-rounded schedule in each sport. In the minor,
"non-revenue" sports, he listens to the suggestions of each
respective coach in picking the teams to schedule. In football
and basketball, he has to go on his own because the scheduling
problems are much greater in those sports.

"WE TRY TO GET THE MOST GLAMOROUS TYPE OF
SCHEDULE WE CAN," says Mr. Sebo. "We schedule first
within the conference and then try to fill out the schedule
based on relative toughness. We try to put objective thinking
into it." There are four basic criteria used in the selection of
non-conference opponents.

Most important is the caliber of team. This is difficult to
determine when schedules are made up so far in advance.
Right now, Mr. Sebo is completing the football schedule for
1987.

Beyond the quality of the team, the school itself is
considered. "As we move around the country, we know a lot
about various schools and various coaches," remarked Mr.
Sebo. Teams which rate their athletic programs far above their
academic programs are not appealing to Virginia. You will
probably never see an Oklahoma State or Florida State on the
Wahoo schedule.

ANOTHER DECISION IS WHETHER TO PLAY AT
HOME OR ON THE ROAD. "We play where we'll draw the
best," is Mr. Sebo's simple explanation. However, it is better
to alternate home and away games, rather than have the team
disappear from its fans for a month at a time. The 1973
Wahoos will play five times in Scott Stadium, but Mr. Sebo
adds, "if the people will support the team, we could have
seven home games in a year."

A good example of scheduling practices is the VMI game
September 8. It's always nice to open the season at home if
possible. The Keydets are traditional rivals, there should be a
good turnout, and with powerhouses N.C. State and Missouri
the following two weeks, the Wahoos would like to start out
with a win.

ONE UNIQUE PROBLEM THAT HAS EMERGED
RECENTLY IS CALENDAR CHANGES. Almost every school
in the country has recently undergone, or will soon undergo,
changes in its calendar. "It's really gotten everybody out of
whack," comments Mr. Sebo. With next year's Christmas
break to extend from December 21 to January 14, the
basketball team is faced with a real dilemma. "Basically, we
schedule when the students are here." But there is no way to
schedule nearly a month of road games.

NON–REVENUE SPORTS SCHEDULES ARE MADE UP
LESS THAN A YEAR IN ADVANCE. At this moment,
basketball is the only winter sport that has a complete
1973-74 schedule. Scheduling for the minor sports is less
important; it requires ACC foes only once every three years. This
leaves more room for traditional, competitive opponents.

Football and basketball are more restricted in scheduling
because their main goal is to draw fans. Don Lawrence can't
say, "I want to play more Big Five schools," because he would
be costing the Athletic Department money. The idea is to
maximize gate receipts. This is one of the big reasons for
expanding the seating capacity of Scott Stadium. Not only will
it hold more people, but better teams can be coerced into
coming to Charlottesville.

SO, REGARDLESS WHETHER THE TEAM IS 11-0 OR
NOT, IF THE FANS COME, then Mr. Sebo has done his job.
The 11-0 part is the responsibility of Mr. Lawrence and his
players. Let's hope everyone does his job well.