Mocs to play Bulls in '12

Thursday, July 28, 2011

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga has finalized its agreement with South Florida and the Mocs football team will open the 2012 season against the Bulls in Tampa at Raymond James Stadium.

The Tampa Tribune reported Wednesday that South Florida, which plays in the Big East, will pay UTC $435,000 for the game. Mocs athletic director Rick Hart said that's been about UTC's average haul from recent games against Football Bowl Subdivision programs.

UTC received $425,000 for the 2010 trip to Auburn and Nebraska is paying the Mocs $475,000 for this season's Sept. 3 opener in Lincoln.

"The goal for our guarantee games is to net $400,000 and for the most part we've been able to do that," Hart said.

While the trip to Nebraska has its upsides for the Mocs program, it won't do much for recruiting other than showing that UTC plays against some of the FBS' marquee programs. That's not the case with the game in Tampa, which is in the middle of the state, an area that UTC recruits heavily. The Mocs have five incoming freshmen from Florida.

The Mocs' non-conference games for 2012 are at South Florida, at Jacksonville State and at home against Presbyterian.