The Ohio Bobcats’ trip to the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl garnished more of a cost to the university than one would notice by looking at the team’s final bill.
Ohio University’s main cost was the $123,212 it pulled from the General Fee to bring approximately 70 Marching 110 members to Boise for six days.
It cost slightly more than $9,700 out of the General Fee to put the team on the field, as the Bobcats received $475,000 from the bowl itself and nearly $2,000 more from ticket sales.
Ohio President Roderick McDavis also attended the game and incurred an additional $1,950.84 bill. The price of his trip did not come from the General Fee, but was pulled from his development budget.
Within that bill was nearly $950 that was spent on McDavis’ U.S. Airways flights. An additional $260.89 was spent on his vehicle rental, while $529.26 was enough to put him up in a hotel for four nights.
“The purpose of his attendance at the game was donor development because he hosted donors at the game,” said Becky Watts, chief of staff and special assistant to President McDavis. “When the president does development travel, calls on donors or goes to see donors or does development work with alumni and other donors, that is separate funding that comes from the foundation.”