Deion Sanders won't roll over for FBS opponent

Jackson State has what's come to be called a "money game" on Saturday, but head coach Deion Sanders isn't having it.

During the non-conference schedule in college football, there are plenty of “money games”. That is, a school from a Group of 5 conference or the FCS makes a trip to take on someone like Ohio State, Michigan, Washington, etc. The expectation is they’ll lose, often big, but the school will collect a check that will help finance their athletic department.

On Saturday, Jackson State will play the first of two scheduled road games against Louisiana-Monroe. According to USA TODAY, JSU will make $350,000 to play Saturday’s game and the same amount for the second game in 2024.

Jackson State head coach Deion Sanders spoke to the media on Monday, and he talked about Saturday’s game. Via the Clarion-Ledger.

Normally you just get paid to go to get beat, right?" Sanders said Monday during a conference call with Southwestern Athletic Conference media. "That's really the goal, right? Somebody pays you, your program makes more money than they normally will to go get your butt kicked.

I don't believe in that."

Normally when you play against a powerhouse like I see some of the HBCU schools have taken, it helps the budget, but it kills the morale," Sanders said. "How can getting your butt kicked, I mean really kicked, help you as a team? Financially, cool. All money ain't good money.

ULM is 0-1 this season, under new head coach Terry Bowden and with former West Virginia, Michigan and Arizona head coach Rich Rodriguez as the offensive coordinator. With last year’s 0-10 in the middle, the Warhawks’ 12-game losing streak is tied for the longest in the nation. So they’re not a powerhouse, even if they’re more interesting with a couple big names on the coaching staff. Jackson State is 2-0 this season and has emerged as a top HBCU program.

It’s no surprise Sanders is not on board with the idea his team would just roll over for an FBS opponent. While beating ULM would be the technical definition of an upset, and the first win for an HBCU over an FBS team since 2018 (North Carolina A&T over East Carolina), Jackson State is likely to be the best team on the field in Monroe on Saturday. Sanders wants his players to expect to win.