Here's what UE paid to play USI, and what Kentucky will pay UE

Although most men's college basketball teams will start their seasons on Tuesday, the University of Evansville is in a stretch of 11 days off between its lone exhibition and next weekend's regular-season opener.

So, without any basketball to discuss, let's talk Benjamins.

The Courier & Press has obtained game contracts from Monday's crosstown exhibition with the University of Southern Indiana as well as the Nov. 12 game at Kentucky through Freedom of Information Act requests with USI and UK, both public schools.

Evansville’s 71-68 overtime win over USI enthralled fans until the finish while the Aces said afterward it exposed some of their weaknesses before results truly count. It was their fifth all-time meeting and the schools’ first since 2012.

Insider:Aces get a wake-up call from close win over USI

UE paid USI a $5,000 base sum to face off again, while USI will receive, at minimum, an additional $7,500 from VenuWorks, which operates Ford Center. That latter figure is the result of USI collecting $3 per single-game ticket purchased – there was an announced crowd of 6,263, but the paid number is fewer.

UE athletics director Mark Spencer said revenue splits like that are unusual.

Interestingly, the Courier & Press reported in June the exhibition was going to be renewed, but Spencer didn’t sign the contract until Aug. 8 while USI’s Jon Mark Hall put pen to paper on Aug. 26.

There’s no language involving any future meetings.

The contract between UE and Kentucky was drafted on March 10 and signed the following day, and it even includes UE coach Walter McCarty’s signature above the schools' respective athletics directors.

McCarty, of course, played for UK from 1993 to 1996, a run that included the Wildcats’ sixth national title his senior season. He had informally discussed his desire to return to his alma mater since not long after he was hired at UE. The schools have never previously met.

Kentucky, ranked No. 2 to begin the season, will pay Evansville a fixed sum of $90,000 for the Nov. 12 game inside Rupp Arena starting at 6 p.m. CST on SEC Network. 

Spencer said that's about the same amount the Aces received for each of their high-profile road games to open last season at Illinois and Xavier.

"That’s kind of the going market when the bigger schools are paying," Spencer said. "They’re right around $80,000 to $90,000, though some of them will actually run up to $100,000 if they have a bigger stadium and really need a very specific date. It wasn’t super generous; it was right in the ballpark and we utilize that money for the most part to cover our operating costs."

That money essentially will be recycled through to cover UE's own home non-conference games. Spencer added UE will usually pay low-to-mid-major opponents in the vicinity of $60,000 to come to town.

“Our money gets to stretch a little further because we don’t pay $90,000 for anybody else," Spencer said.

For the UK game, UE also will receive 100 complimentary tickets – 50 in each level, including 12 behind the Aces’ bench. No future meetings are listed, but this one will undoubtedly be memorable for all affiliated with the Aces.

"To be able to go back to where I played college and had a lot of success is a tremendous opportunity for our program," McCarty said when the game was announced in the spring. "I am grateful to (UK head coach) John (Calipari) for helping to make this happen."

The Aces will officially begin the regular season next Saturday at 6 p.m. when they host Ball State. This is a return game for UE after they split a pair of meetings last year, with each winning on their home court. 

You can peruse the full contracts with USI and Kentucky below.

Contact Chad Lindskog of the Courier & Press by email, clindskog@gannett.com, or on Twitter: @chadlindskog.