The University of Tennessee at Martin’s athletic program has reason to celebrate considering the payout the school will receive from the NCAA due to the success of Ohio Valley Conference rivals Murray State and Belmont in the men’s NCAA men’s Basketball Tournament.
Murray State and Belmont each played two games in the tournament before bowing out, but projections have the OVC spliting upwards of $7 million.
“At this level, to get two teams in the NCAA Tournament, one an automatic qualifier and the other an at-large bid, is great for the (Ohio Valley) Conference,” said Kurt McGuffin, director of athletics at UTM, “How the funds are distributed is up to the school president and chancellor.”
Not a bad problem to have.
McGuffin said each of the 12 schools in the OVC will receive – in staggered payments – one share each.
“Murray State and Belmont, because they were in the tournament, will receive two shares, and the conference office will receive one share,” McGuffin said, “That’s my understanding.”
Based on a projected payout of $1,681,800 per game played, a ballpark figure would mean Murray State and Belmont would each receive $896,960.
The remaining 10 conference schools – including UTM – and the conference office would receive $448,480.
McGuffin said UTM’s athletic budget is in the neighborhood of $11 million, but the fund will receive another infusion of cash when the school’s football team plays at the University of Kentucky and the University of Florida this fall.
The payout totals $1 million – $500,000 per game.
David Thomas, Twitter – @DavidThomasWNWS
https://www.facebook.com/NewsTalk1015/
