Hosting NCAA playoff game benefits school, community, officials say

Southeast Missouri State University’s postseason playoff football game in Cape Girardeau this weekend is expected to generate significantly more revenue and valuable national exposure than it will cost the university to host it, according to school officials.

Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. Saturday at Houck Stadium in the first-round NCAA playoff game between the 12th-ranked Southeast Missouri State University Redhawks and 13th-ranked Illinois State University Redbirds.

The Redhawks won a share of the Ohio Valley Conference championship last weekend by virtue of a 31-24 win over Murray State, finishing with a regular season record of 9-3, and were selected to host Saturday’s playoff game through an NCAA bid process.

This marks the second consecutive year, and only the second time in school history, Southeast has hosted a first-round playoff game.

Last year, Southeast submitted a $70,000 bid to the NCAA to host a playoff game against Stony Brook University. Southeast won that game but was defeated in the second round of the playoffs, losing on the road to Weber State in Ogden, Utah, the following week.

Southeast Missouri State University head foot ball coach Tom Matukewicz, right, links arms with Redhawks players as part of a pre-game ritual before the Redhawks 28-14 win over Stony Brook on Nov. 24, 2018, at Houck Stadium in Cape Girardeau.TYLER GRAEF ~ tgraef@semissourian.com

This year, Southeast officials have declined to say how much they bid to host Saturday’s game, although it is said to be in the $80,000 range.

“My preference would be not to disclose the amount we bid,” said Southeast director of athletics Brady Barke. “The reason being, it’s a competitive process, and so institutions submit sealed bids and the amounts are never disclosed by the NCAA so institutions don’t know what the other institutions’ bids were.”

Although he did not release the bid figure, Barke said the $80,000 cited by at least one media outlet “was not the total bid amount submitted.”

In reference to last year’s $70,000 bid, Barke said, “We felt comfortable with being able to submit a bid that was at least that or better again this year. We definitely were aggressive trying to get a home game.”

The NCAA requires a minimum bid of $30,000 to host a first-round playoff game, $40,000 for hosting in the second round, “and then they go up to $50,000 as you progress through the playoffs,” Barke said, adding the possibility of Southeast hosting additional playoff games is extremely small because other teams are ranked and seeded higher than the Redhawks.

ESPN Radio sportscaster Erik Sean, left, interviews Southeast Missouri State University head football coach Tom Tuke Matukewicz on Monday, Nov. 25, 2019, on the Southeast Coach's Show. Between them is the 2019 Ohio Valley Conference football championship trophy.Jay Wolz ~ jwolz@semissourian.com

Bringing an NCAA playoff football game to Cape Girardeau, he said, “is not only good for the community, but also, quite frankly, gives us our best chance to win a football game, which is ultimately what we’re trying to do.”

Southeast is riding a 13-game home winning streak. The last time the Redhawks lost at Houck Stadium was Nov. 4, 2017.

Barke said the money Southeast is spending to host Saturday’s game is a good investment.

“Last year, we were able to generate about $75,000 in ticket sales alone,” he said. “We’re anticipating a ticket sales number that would be similar to where we were a year ago, but with only one other (playoff) game to base that on, it’s still a little bit of an unknown.”

The Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitors Bureau has also approved a funding request for $10,000 to help underwrite game expenses, and the university can apply for additional playoff funding through the Ohio Valley Conference, Barke said.

In addition to ticket sales and other revenue sources, the local economy will benefit from the playoff game.

“Events like this are very beneficial to the area,” said Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce president John Mehner. “Hotels ... bars, convenience stores and restaurants will all benefit. In addition, the university and the Cape and Jackson metro area will benefit from positive national exposure.”

As for national exposure, Barke says it’s hard to quantify, “but you know it when you see it, and it’s something we’ve really been able to take advantage of as our teams have had success over the past couple of years.”

Saturday’s game will be nationally telecast on ESPN3.

Crowd

Filling Houck Stadium on Saturday will be a challenge for several reasons, Barke said.

“I don’t expect a sellout. I don’t believe Illinois State fans will travel really well, so on the north side, the visiting side, I don’t anticipate as strong of a turnout as we would have had with a game against SIU or something like that, where there’s a little bit of history built in.”

Southeast students will still be on their fall break this weekend.

“That’s the biggest obstacle for us,” Barke said. “With the Thanksgiving holiday and family travel and the fact that we didn’t know the game would be here until the Sunday before the playoffs makes it hard for people to make plans to factor the game in.”

Houck Stadium has a capacity of about 9,600. As of Tuesday afternoon, a little more than 2,000 tickets had been sold, according to Southeast associate athletic director Nate Saverino.

“None of the price levels have sold out yet,” he said. “And we have good seats in our new Field Goal Club (just beyond the west end zone) and some chair-back seats.”

The Field Goal Club seats, priced at $75, include all-you-can-eat food from Sugarfire Smokehouse and unlimited beer (for those old enough to consume alcoholic beverages) and soft drinks.

Barke said general admission tickets, reserved bleacher tickets and chair-back seats are priced the same as they were for last year’s playoff game, ranging from $15 to $25. Tickets are available online through gosoutheast.com or tinyurl.com/qo5p33x and in person at the Southeast Athletic Department office, 1100 Broadway, today and Friday afternoon. Tickets will also be available from the ticket booths in front of Houck Stadium starting at 10 a.m. Saturday.

In his weekly radio coach’s show earlier this week, Redhawks head coach Tom “Tuke” Matukewicz said fan support Saturday is crucial.

“We have faith that you all are going to show up and buy tickets,” he told the radio audience and those attending the show “live” at Wings, Etc. in Jackson. “If you don’t show up and buy tickets, that could be the last playoff game because financially we have to be wise with our money.”

“At the end of the day, you’ve got one of the top 15 football programs in the country having an opportunity to go to the playoffs for only the third time in school history in a game in which we match up pretty well,” Barke said. “It will be a good game and a good test for us and an opportunity for us to make some noise in the playoffs.”

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