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By Alex Byington Sports Writer
TUSCALOOSA ā As Alabama has learned five times in the last decade, playing for a national championship can be costly.
That has been especially true during the Crimson Tideās three consecutive College Football Playoff appearances that have produced two national titles, including for last season.
Including bowl bonuses paid out to football staffers, Alabamaās athletic department bill for its most recent title-winning run through the 2017-18 playoffs totaled nearly $7.6 million, up slightly from its 2016-17 playoff appearance.
Alabamaās combined expense report for its recent CFP appearance totaled more than $5.37 million, including in excess of $2.8 million for its national semifinal win over Clemson in the Sugar Bowl and another $2.5 million for its title victory over Georgia in Atlantaās Mercedes-Benz Stadium, according to documents released through a public records request by The Decatur Daily.
Those figures are up slightly from the more than $5.1 million total for the 2016-17 playoff run that saw Clemson and senior quarterback Deshaun Watson spoil the Crimson Tideās potential for a three-peat in the final seconds of the 2017 national championship game.
An increase in the cost for transportation and lodging/meals for this past seasonās Sugar Bowl trip in New Orleans accounted for a difference of about $837,000, including nearly $688,000 more spent on lodging and meal per diem expenses for the team/staff, band/cheerleaders and the teamās official travel party.
In all, the programās travel party ā including team/staff, band/cheerleaders, and the official party, which involves athletic department personnel and faculty employees ā dropped from 944 for the Sugar Bowl to 927 for the championship game.
Also factoring into the difference between games is the fact that Alabamaās athletic department spent an additional $773,000-plus on tickets absorbed (more than $391,000) and awards (nearly $382,000 more) for the national title game compared to the Sugar Bowl.
The Tide did not sell any of its 750 allotted tickets in the $175 price range, which was the cheapest of the four ticket ranges that went from $675-475 before a drop-off to $175 apiece.
Thatās not to say Alabama didnāt sell its share of tickets, raking in more than $9.3 million on nearly 17,600 tickets sold between the three highest price ranges.
And, no title run is without its yearly championship bonuses.
Alabama paid out nearly $2.22 million in bonuses for winning the national title, more than $1.6 million of which went to head coach Nick Saban ā who received $400,000 for winning his sixth career national title ā and his nine on-field assistant coaches, along with $96,300 to head strength coach Scott Cochran and $27,000 to special assistant Bobby Williams.
That total figure includes nearly $600,000 to five coaches no longer a part of the Crimson Tide staff, including $450,000 combined to former coordinators Brian Daboll and Jeremy Pruitt. Pruitt was named Tennesseeās head coach prior to the playoff, while Daboll left after one season to become the offensive coordinator for his hometown Buffalo Bills.
By Alex Byington Sports Writer
Alabama spent more than $5.37 million on 2017-18 CFP trip
That has been especially true during the Crimson Tideās three consecutive College Football Playoff appearances that have produced two national titles, including for last season.
Including bowl bonuses paid out to football staffers, Alabamaās athletic department bill for its most recent title-winning run through the 2017-18 playoffs totaled nearly $7.6 million, up slightly from its 2016-17 playoff appearance.
Alabamaās combined expense report for its recent CFP appearance totaled more than $5.37 million, including in excess of $2.8 million for its national semifinal win over Clemson in the Sugar Bowl and another $2.5 million for its title victory over Georgia in Atlantaās Mercedes-Benz Stadium, according to documents released through a public records request by The Decatur Daily.
Those figures are up slightly from the more than $5.1 million total for the 2016-17 playoff run that saw Clemson and senior quarterback Deshaun Watson spoil the Crimson Tideās potential for a three-peat in the final seconds of the 2017 national championship game.
An increase in the cost for transportation and lodging/meals for this past seasonās Sugar Bowl trip in New Orleans accounted for a difference of about $837,000, including nearly $688,000 more spent on lodging and meal per diem expenses for the team/staff, band/cheerleaders and the teamās official travel party.
In all, the programās travel party ā including team/staff, band/cheerleaders, and the official party, which involves athletic department personnel and faculty employees ā dropped from 944 for the Sugar Bowl to 927 for the championship game.
Also factoring into the difference between games is the fact that Alabamaās athletic department spent an additional $773,000-plus on tickets absorbed (more than $391,000) and awards (nearly $382,000 more) for the national title game compared to the Sugar Bowl.
The Tide did not sell any of its 750 allotted tickets in the $175 price range, which was the cheapest of the four ticket ranges that went from $675-475 before a drop-off to $175 apiece.
Thatās not to say Alabama didnāt sell its share of tickets, raking in more than $9.3 million on nearly 17,600 tickets sold between the three highest price ranges.
And, no title run is without its yearly championship bonuses.
Alabama paid out nearly $2.22 million in bonuses for winning the national title, more than $1.6 million of which went to head coach Nick Saban ā who received $400,000 for winning his sixth career national title ā and his nine on-field assistant coaches, along with $96,300 to head strength coach Scott Cochran and $27,000 to special assistant Bobby Williams.
That total figure includes nearly $600,000 to five coaches no longer a part of the Crimson Tide staff, including $450,000 combined to former coordinators Brian Daboll and Jeremy Pruitt. Pruitt was named Tennesseeās head coach prior to the playoff, while Daboll left after one season to become the offensive coordinator for his hometown Buffalo Bills.
By Alex Byington Sports Writer
Alabama spent more than $5.37 million on 2017-18 CFP trip
