When the University of Connecticut squared off with the University of Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl, not only did the Huskies come away with an ugly 48-20 loss, they came away with a considerable financial deficit.
According to UConn's school newspaper, The Daily Campus, the school lost nearly $1.8 million for its Fiesta Bowl trip this season.
The paper obtained bowl-related documents that revealed that the school's total expenses for participating in the game equaled $4,280,998. Conversely, UConn received a payout of only $2,523,200.
Not surprisingly, though, the biggest reason for the deficit was reportedly ticket-related. The Huskies scrambled to try to sell their alotment of 17,500 game tickets, a number they fell well short of. Of those tickets, the university sold just 2,771. They then had to make up for that huge difference to the tune of just under $3 million.
That figure contributed to most of the expenses, a number that was high when compared to past bowls. According to The Daily Campus, the largest loss for a bowl team was absorbed by Virginia Tech following the 2009 Orange Bowl. The Hokies lost $2.2 million, on the back of $3.8 million in expenses. UConn, meanwhile, lost nearly as much money after totaling nearly $4.3 million.
While the figures don't factor in bonuses for the coaching staff or athletic department, it also doesn't take into account merchandise or sponsorship money.
