On the eve of the most anticipated game of the season, Richmond Times-Dispatch’s Michael Phillips writes that UVA is reaching out to donors to pay out Al Groh’s remaining two years as Cavaliers head coach: a total $4 million.
Phillips argues that tomorrow’s game against Virginia Tech, to which UVA has lost each year since 2003, will be the last for Groh. The team’s stats for the season stand at 3-8 going into tomorrow’s Commonwealth Cup.
According to Phillips, UVA is fundraising because of the huge drop in attendance at football games.
In 2007, when Groh was named ACC Coach of the Year, UVA Athletics sold close to 60,000 seats per game. This year, however, it’s more in the range of 48,000.
Of further note: Football revenue at UVA per year is slightly over $20 million. And that’s twice as much as much as basketball.