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Nov. 2—Shortly after noon on Saturday, the University of Maine had a 7-0 lead over Oklahoma.
The lead lasted 52 seconds, and it was ground into dust as the Sooners scored 52 straight points on the way to a 59-14 win over the Black Bears, but those 52 seconds at least allowed the Black Bears to dream, however briefly. Could the Black Bears pull off the upset of the season in college football? Maybe?
They could not.
When this Maine-Oklahoma game was announced last year, the optimists might’ve said “Cool!” The pessimists probably said “Why?”
The answer is, hey, why not? Maine had nothing to lose in accepting a game against one of college football’s traditional powers. Cape Elizabeth’s Nick Laughlin, a sophomore wide receiver for Maine, will always remember that his first college touchdown came against Oklahoma. Laughlin scored on a 5-yard run in the fourth quarter.
For teams in the Football Championship Subdivision, taking on a Football Bowl Subdivision opponent once or twice each season is necessary for the growth and development of your program. And honestly, it’s good for the athletic department’s bottom line.
The salve for this shellacking is the cool $635,000 that Oklahoma paid the Black Bears to make the trip.
Getting a traveling party of 120 people from Orono, Maine, to Norman, Oklahoma, isn’t cheap. It’s not as if the university has its own plane (Bear Force One?) fueled up and ready to go at a moment’s notice. According to university spokesperson Tyson McHatten, a senior associate athletic director, it costs approximately $200,000 to get the Black Bears to Oklahoma and back. That still leaves a much-needed $435,000 for the athletic department’s operating budget.
Last season, Maine received $250,000 from Florida International (a 14-12 FIU win). In 2022, Boston College paid Maine $400,000 for a game and New Mexico…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/travis-lazarczyk-playing-oklahoma-maine-230000313.html
Author : Portland Press Herald, Maine
Publish date : 2024-11-02 23:00:00
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