For Purdue, no bowl means more dough

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - For college football fans, the months of December and January are all about the bowl games. There are 35 bowls involving 70 teams this season, but Purdue didn't make the cut.

The Purdue Football team played its last game of the year on November 27, a 34-31 loss to rival Indiana. The team ended the season with a record of 4-8, no bucket, no bowl game. It was a frustrating finish.

"It is kind of unbelievable, how you can start off 4-2 and end the year not going to post-season play," said senior All-American Ryan Kerrigan. "It is disheartening, especially to be a senior and have that happening."

But the news isn't all bad for Boiler Nation, at least not financially. According to Big Ten Conference Assistant Commissioner for Communications Scott Chipman, Purdue still stands to make money, even though the team won't "go bowling."

Here's how the numbers break down:

In eight bowl games played by Big Ten teams, more than $44 million is paid out to the conference. Once you subtract $14 million in travel reimbursements, a little more than $30.5 million is left.

After the conference takes its share, the remaining money is split 11 equal ways. According to Chipman, Purdue will get around $2.7 million when it's all said and done, without even playing a down.

Purdue Associate Athletics Director Glenn Tompkins said that figure is misleading because universities often shell out more than what they're reimbursed for.

He said an example was the Rose Bowl during the 2000 season. Tompkins says the trip to Pasadena was far from a money-making trip: "We came back with about $600."

Tompkins reminds it's not all about dollars and cents. He said playing in a bowl game gives the university national notoriety. It also gives a shot in the arm to recruiting.

"The individual increases in licensing, revenue, fund raising. These are opportunities that all make a bowl trip a very valuable experience," Tompkins said.

That's even more incentive for the Gold and Black to end their 3 year bowl-less streak in 2011.

For those Purdue football fans already looking ahead, the Boilers begin their 2011 season on September 3rd, where the Gold and Black will be hosting Middle Tennessee State.