Razorbacks' payout to Tulsa 2nd largest in program history

An Tulsa football helmet sits on the sideline before an NCAA football game against SMU, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2015, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Jim Cowsert)
An Tulsa football helmet sits on the sideline before an NCAA football game against SMU, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2015, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Jim Cowsert)

FAYETTEVILLE — The University of Arkansas will pay Tulsa a game guarantee of $1.085 million for Saturday’s homecoming game, but that’s not the entirety of the financial agreement.

The Razorbacks also agreed to pay a “scheduling fee” of $365,000 to the Golden Hurricane last June in an amendment to the original contract.

The original contract, signed on Feb. 16, 2017, by then-UA Athletic Director Jeff Long and Tulsa Athletic Director Dr. Derrick Gragg, called for a game guarantee of $1.5 million.

However, after Tulsa asked that a portion of the guarantee be paid last summer, the overall payment was reduced by $50,000 to equal $1.45 million, a source with knowledge of the deal said. That $1.45 million is believed to be the second-largest guarantee paid by Arkansas for a football game, behind a $1.5 million payout to Coastal Carolina last season.

UA agreed to pay Tulsa $365,000 by June 30, 2017, as per the amended agreement, signed by Long on May 23 and by Gragg on June 7. The final payment of $1.085 million is due within 90 days of Saturday’s game.

All of the monetary figures in the contract and the amendment obtained by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette through public records requests, were redacted by the UA, which maintains that revealing the game guarantees puts the university at a competitive disadvantage.

The cost of game guarantees continues to escalate for Power 5 teams. Arkansas State received a reported $1.7 million to play at Alabama this year, and got $1.65 million for facing Nebraska last season.

Colorado State holds the record guarantee of $2 million for a game at Florida this season that was part of a the agreement when Coach Jim McElwain left the Rams to take the Gators’ reins in December 2014.

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