Contract Duffle Bag: July 8th, 2022

The first sign that the 2020-21 season would not go as planned was at the slow pace at which teams released their non-conference schedules. However, this rate appears to the new norm as the quantity of released schedules thru early July remains in single-digits, while from 2014-2019 that total was between 38 and 64. The most likely factor to this could be the growing divide, financially, between the power conferences and the rest of the division. This gap is on full display in conference realignment tug of war being played out the last two summers. Behind the scenes it is playing out differently as more and more teams find themselves looking to collect guarantee checks rather than writing them.

While complete schedules are few and far between, the non-conference canvas is still being pieced together, and somehow these contracts keep finding their way into my duffle bag.

Below are a collection of contracts received in the last couple of weeks:

Game: Eastern Illinois at Illinois
Date: November 7th, 2022
Terms: $100,000 Guarantee

Game: Alabama A&M at Illinois
Date: December 17th, 2022
Terms: $92,500 Guarantee

Game: Bethune-Cookman at Illinois
Date: December 29th, 2022
Terms: $95,000 Guarantee

Game: Tarleton State at Arizona State
Date: November 7th, 2022
Terms: $80,000 Guarantee

Game: Weber State at Tarleton State 
Date: November 29th, 2022
Terms: 2nd game of 2-Game Series

Game: Maryland-Eastern Shore at Charlotte
Date: November 14th, 2022
Terms: $60,000 Guarantee

Game: Presbyterian at Charlotte
Date: November 26th, 2022
Terms: $65,000 Guarantee

Game: Appalachian State at Charlotte
Date: December 2nd, 2022
Terms: 4th game of 4-game series

Game: Navy at William & Mary
Date: November 7th, 2022
Terms: 2nd game of 2 Game Series

Game: William & Mary at Old Dominion
Date: December 7th, 2022
Terms: 1st game of 4-Game Series

Game: William & Mary at UMBC
Date: December 18th, 2022
Terms: 1st game of 2-Game Series

Game: Montana at Southern Miss
Date: November 29th, 2022
Terms: Return game for MTE participation

Game: Maryland-Eastern Shore at Old Dominion
Date: November 7th, 2022
Terms: $70,000 Guarantee

Game: East Carolina at Old Dominion
Date: November 26th, 2022
Terms: 2nd game of 2-Game Series

Game: Old Dominion at Charleston
Date: November 29th, 2022
Terms: 2nd game of 2-Game Series

Game: Valparaiso at Toledo
Date: November 7th, 2022
Terms: 2nd game of 2-Game Series

Game: Toledo at George Mason
Date: December 3rd, 2022
Terms: 1st game of 2-Game Series

Game: Toledo at Marshall
Date: December 17th, 2022
Terms: 3rd game of 4-Game Series

Game: Toledo at Vermont
Date: December 20th, 2022
Terms: 1st game of 2-Game Series

Game: Alcorn State at Stephen F. Austin
Date: November 15th, 2022
Terms: $48,000 Guarantee

Game: Jackson State at Stephen F. Austin
Date: December 2nd, 2022
Terms: $50,000 Guarantee