HBCU Gameday: Billy Joe calls mismatch guarantee games “unscrupulous”

Big Ten programs are shelling out a combined total of $4,945,000 to visiting Football Championship Subdivision teams this season. FAMU nabbed the biggest payday with a $900,000 guarantee game against the No. 4 ranked Ohio State University.

But according to a post on the HBCU Gameday blog, former FAMU Head Football Coach Billy Joe says these types of games are “unscrupulous and scandalous.”

Below are a few excerpts from the essay that, according to HBCU Gameday, appeared on Joe’s Facebook page on Monday, September 23:

“I have never been a proponent or advocate of major college division 1A football teams (FBS) competing against division 1AA (FCS) teams. My primary concern is the disparity in physicality that will ultimately cause a catastrophic injury to a Division I AA football player: A player succumbing to paralysis, and even death is an accident waiting to happen! Most major college football players are bigger, stronger, faster and more talented than Division I AA football players. They also have the latest state-of-the-art athletic infra-structure, resources, equipment, and other high-tech weightlifting facilities to get even stronger, faster and bigger than their D-1AA counterpart.”

“It was extremely difficult for me to watch the three HBCU football programs compete against major colleges on television last weekend: FAMU, Savannah State and Bethune Cookman football players played their hearts out, but they were outmatched and overwhelmed as far as physicality is concerned. Those games were a disaster and not actually a legitimate contest.”

“Athletic directors of HBCUs, at the behest of fans, alums and football coaches, please cease and desist with these unscrupulous and scandalous games; presidents of HBCUs, stop genuflecting to the almighty dollar because you are putting your student athletes in harm’s way with these shameful games. Gentlemen, stop prostituting your football programs out to the highest major college bidder when it is more than obvious that the major college teams will have its way with your players. Don't play these games at the football players’ expense when there is no expense (financial reward) forthcoming to them.”

“Let’s bring about an abatement of these games because they do not ingratiate us with anyone, especially major colleges. I will always look at these games with a jaundiced eye because I am literally speaking from personal experiences.”

Read the entire essay here at HBCU Gameday.