How to make money in semi-pro football

I know, I know, I kind of suckered you in with my title. That’s good! I don’t have all the answers, but I have seen some of the stumbling blocks to making money and have a few suggestions. These stumbling blocks are by no means an exhaustive list, and my suggestions are far from perfect. However, I have attempted to take a stab at the problem of money and semi-pro football.

There are several other variables to be considered such as the structure of the league. For instance, does the money run from the top down like in the major leagues (NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL) or does it run from the bottom upward like most of the minor leagues? Having investors behind a league like in the United Football League can help with the success. Most of the semi-pro football leagues don’t have that luxury.

Further, what it all comes down to is the BIS factor. The what? The Butts-In-Seats factor. One of my favorite columnists, Jennifer Floyd Engel, talks about the need for teams need to focus on putting “butts in seats,” and this is what I am referring to. An empty stadium or arena has multiple ramifications, not just low gate revenue. Sponsors dry up with empty stadiums and arenas. Sometimes it is better to have cheaper tickets for the purpose of filling the stands. More butts-in-seats mean more eyeballs to look at a sponsors’ banner. Empty stands also cause a depressive atmosphere. Players notice; they do.

Here is some of the stumbling blocks that I have noticed.

Stumbling blocks

1. Overhead–The overhead is often too much for semi-pro football. There is the cost of the stadium or arena which often reaches in the thousands of dollars. There is a league fee that also contributes to a team’s expenses. League fees range across the spectrum from a few hundred dollars to the hundreds of thousands of dollars. You might also have to rent a facility to practice. If you add team equipment and scoreboards, yard markers, etc., and, maybe, a payroll, you can find yourself in the red real quick.

2. Media exposure–For most teams, there is no media exposure. If you are the only semi-pro team in a smaller town, you might get some exposure from the local newspaper. You are extremely fortunate if you make the evening TV news. Teams in a larger market like Dallas-Fort Worth have little or no chance making one of the big newspapers or getting any TV coverage.

3. Personal agendas–It’s tough enough to run a semi-pro football team, but personal agendas will kill your efforts faster than an egg frying in the Texas heat. Refusing to cooperate with other team owners and coaches causes isolation and drowns out any kind of communal effort to receive exposure for all the teams. Be a rival on the field, but don’t let it get personal off the field.

4. Lack of marketing–Whatever you do with your team, you will have to market if you plan on having fans. Otherwise, you will play in front of a few dozen of your closest friends and family. Marketing is not easy and it often costs money. Most teams simply do not put much thought in marketing their team. They use “hope” marketing. They throw out a few pieces of information about their team and “hope” people will show up.

5. Organizational Structure–One of the biggest problems with teams is the reality that owners are often either players or coaches. I know you love the game and you can still play, but when you are a coach or a player, you think like a coach or player first. If you are going to be an owner, you need to think like an owner first. For your next game, you need to be thinking about h

ow to get more fans in the stands rather than how you are going to counter the other team’s spread offense.

6. Economy–The economy is tough right now. People don’t have as much discretionary income, and that is w

hat they use to go to semi-pro and arena football games. Keep your games as affordable as often and offer specials to entice p

eople to the games. Utilize local bands to perform halftime shows. Have halftime shows! Create a family and income friendly environment now and people will be willing to come even more when the economy improves. Curb your expectations of revenue during this time and adjust accordingly.

These are stumbling blocks, but the are not fool-proof barriers. I think that teams need to “think outside the box” if they want to make progress. Today’s market is different than 20 or even 10 years ago. There are a lot of options for fans. College baseball and women’s basketball are much bigger today, and that is direct competition to Spring semi-pro football. Golf is much more watched now. Many more sports are being televised now, and it is easier for a fan to just stay home and watch the local college baseball team on TV than go to a semi-pro football game. Teams have to give fans a reason to come watch them play.

Stay tuned for the follow up article on Wednesday.  I will offer some suggestions.

What other stumbling blocks do you know of? Feel free to leave comments below.