Contract spells out cash split from Alabama-Auburn hoops clash

By Michael Casagrande | mcasagrande@al.comLate-season intensity filled the BJCC when Alabama met Auburn in a basketball exhibition Oct. 22.Tensions rose in the Crimson Tide’s wild 87-85 win, which was more than just a preseason tune-up. In the revenue-generation era, nobody dances for free.And the contract between Alabama and the game’s organizer spells out how that cash was distributed. The deal, obtained by AL.com through an open records request, spells out the revenue split between the schools and Birmingham-based sports agency Knight Eady.Alabama was paid a flat $20,000 participation fee, plus a share of revenue from ticket and sponsorship sales.Once sales hit $325,000, each school would get a 35% share of the gross revenue above that amount. Knight Eady would keep the remaining 30%.The compensation language in the contract between Alabama and Knight Eady for "The Feud" exhibition basketball game played against Auburn on Oct. 22 in Birmingham.ProvidedBased on attendance and the number of sponsors throughout the arena, the $325,000 threshold was easily met.The Thursday night crowd was announced at 13,184 with a range of ticket prices. The limited number of the least expensive seats sold for $30. Even if the entire announced crowd bought the cheapest tickets, that revenue alone would approach $400,000.And premium seats sold for hundreds. Face value lower bowl tickets were more than $100 and those seats were packed.Knight Eady paid all the event-related expenses, including venue rental. Alabama’s deal also allocated the school 6,800-7,200 tickets for sale in its seating sections. The 17,000-seat arena was split in half between Alabama and Auburn sections.Alabama was responsible for marketing those tickets and all sales ran through Knight Eady’s ticketing platform. The contract Auburn supplied through a records request included the same language for tickets. The compensation section listed a fixed sum of “$0,000.” A follow-up request from AL.com for clarification through Auburn’s open records portal received no response.The exact amount each school made from the game remains under wraps. So is the payout each school got for playing in separate Birmingham exhibitions a week earlier. Knight Eady also organized the Ballin in Boutwell event with five games played between Oct. 13-15.AL.com requested the contracts for both Alabama and Auburn’s men’s games played that week. Both schools responded, but the contracts listed participation compensation as “$0,000” for Auburn and “$0” for Alabama. The games were played in the 2,316-seat Boutwell Auditorium located a few blocks from the BJCC in downtown Birmingham. Alabama beat Mississippi, 92-84, in its men’s game while Auburn lost to Florida State, 82-71. Both Alabama and Auburn women’s teams won their games in Boutwell.The description in Alabama’s open records portal referred to that deal was the “redacted copy” of the contract with Knight Eady.This is the third year of the event, which began with just one game in 2024. Alabama played Wake Forest that October under different NCAA exhibition game rules.They required a charity donation then, and Knight Eady told AL.com it would contribute at least $10,000 to Children’s of Alabama. The 2024 contract obtained that year also paid Alabama a flat rate of $25,000 for participation.Michael Casagrande is AL.com's opinion columnist and senior sports reporter. He started his new role in 2023 after covering Alabama football and Nick Saban since 2009, joining AL.com in 2013. Michael worked at...