Roy Lang III

rflang@gannett.com

Unable to reach an agreement for 2017 and beyond, Independence Bowl officials and Camping World, the former title sponsor of Shreveport’s postseason college football game, parted ways Friday afternoon.

Although the parties split midway through a four-year contract, they agreed on the cause.

The numbers simply didn’t work.

Camping World CEO Marcus Lemonis told The Times his company contributed $1.6 million ($700,000 is 2015; $900,000 in 2016) over the first two years of the agreement, but took advantage of the “look-in” clause before a third year (2017), which would have called for the investment to top $1 million.

“When we looked at the economics and the return on investment, we came back to them and said, ‘Everyone thinks we’re leaving, and we’re not telling you we’re leaving. We’re telling you we don’t see the value at this number, we see the value at this number,’” Lemonis said.

Lemonis wanted to remain as the game’s title sponsor, but reduced his offer to $550,000 for one year. It was rejected unanimously (13-0) by Independence Bowl’s executive committee.

Report: I-Bowl had minus $500K net assets for 2014-15

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t totally bummed,” said Lemonis, who received a counter offer of $800,000. “Our concerns were not with the attendance at the game itself, but the TV ratings and the overall experience we think existed there.”

I-Bowl chairman Eric Barkley said game officials felt a new title sponsor search was the better option.

“We’ve been through quite a few (title sponsors) and we’re confident we can find another, and that the bowl will go on,” Barkley said.

Camping World is the seventh sponsor to depart since Poulan begin its relationship with the bowl in 1990.

The 2016 Camping World Independence Bowl was held Dec. 26 and featured a matchup between North Carolina State and Vanderbilt. The announced crowd was 28,995 (lowest in 28 years) and the game drew a 1.27 rating (lowest of any post-Christmas bowl) on ESPN2.

With a lower cost to Camping World, Lemonis was willing to work through, and help grow, the paltry numbers, but questioned the use of the monies collected by the I-Bowl in 2016.

“The hotel tax passed; the committee got a big check from that. I didn’t see that money show up anywhere. The experience didn’t change year over year,” Lemonis said. “In Year 1, they only got $700,000 from us. In Year 2, they got $900,000 from us and $500,000 from the city (through the tax). I didn’t see the experience change at all – nothing.”

The hotel/motel tax (passed in 2015) money is obligated to be paid to the conferences (a total of roughly $2.4 million) represented in the game (this year, the ACC and the SEC).

I-Bowl title sponsor decision looms

In addition to his role as Camping World’s CEO, Lemonis is a TV figure, thanks to his CNBC reality show “The Profit.” Coincidentally, the program searches for promising, but faltering small businesses. This year he brings a second show, “The Partner,” to CNBC. There, he searches for a business manager to assist in running businesses Lemonis invests in on The Profit.

When Lemonis signed on with the I-Bowl in 2015, he vowed to be “hands-on.” I-Bowl executive director Missy Setters recently told The Times Lemonis stayed true to his word.

However, the game never added a major ancillary event.

“Spend more money on the event; make it an event,” Lemonis said. “I don’t know why you wouldn’t bring in a big concert the night before – bring in a big country music act. What did the bowl game do with the money from the city? I know they didn’t waste it. I know nobody took it, but what did they do with it? It didn’t get any better in Year 2.”

Barkley and the I-Bowl team worked on “punch lists” provided by Camping World.

“We tried to do all of those things,” Barkley said. “I don’t know if all of those were done. They were very big on the experience of the bowl. We tried things this year – food trucks on the east side, ice skating afterward and a craft crawl.

“To throw a concert, I couldn’t tell you what (the cost) would be. We tried to have a live band at Fan Fest.”

If the I-Bowl had accepted Camping World’s new offer, Lemonis planned to allocate additional money to help the gameday experience.

“Ultimately I wanted to get the money at $550,000 and told our team, ‘Let’s take another 100 or 150 thousand and spend it on bringing the town to life during those couple of days,’” he said. “I wanted to get more bang for my buck – do more activation in town where the visitors are, maybe buy some more TV promoting the event.”

Complementary events are handcuffed by the date and time of the game – things determined by ESPN.

"We don’t love the day of the week the game is on, or the time, but we don’t control that. We do love the market it’s in. We’re building a new store there. We’re happy to be there. We love it," Lemonis said.

The game’s name was also a topic of discussion. At 41 years old, the I-Bowl is the 11th-oldest postseason affair. In one way, the tradition was detrimental to Lemonis’ attempt to attach his company’s name to the game.

I-Bowl continues grind

Lemonis made an offer with Independence Bowl as a major part of the game’s name and another with Camping World as the focus – much like the AdvoCare V100 Bowl accomplished here in 2013.

“The number was lower, but last time I checked, it’s $550,000 -- to have our name on a bowl game that really doesn’t bear our name. It’s still known as the Independence Bowl,” Lemonis said. “It’s seems very reasonable to me. I’m terribly disappointed we weren’t able to make it work. I enjoyed being in that market. We’re going to have to spend $550,000 somewhere else.

Lemonis was baffled by the "lack of creativity" by the I-Bowl committee.

“They have to pay ESPN for the spots, there is a price for that and I understand that,” Lemonis said. “If the bowl would have come back and said, ‘If you only want to pay 550, and instead of eight spots, you get seven, would you be willing to give up one of your spots to Shreveport to promote tourism?’ Something.

“It became too much about money and not, ‘How we can make this work?’”

Lemonis said he was open to a figure that would rise if attendance and TV ratings rose.

“I was even willing to do to $550,000 per year and revisit it, but people have to perform,” he said. “This isn’t a right; this isn’t a charity. If the numbers go up, I’d be willing to pay more.”

Therefore, three days before the “look-in” deadline, the relationship ended.

“I just couldn’t see $800,000 worth of value,” Lemonis said. “Now, they are going to go back to the drawing board. They are going to go out and try to find another sponsor, there is going to be another change – it doesn’t make sense to me. But it’s a business decision by the committee, too, and I have to respect that.”

While Lemonis wasn’t thoroughly impressed with the forward thinking of the I-Bowl committee, he was complimentary of executive director Missy Setters.

Is sagging bowl attendance a concern?

“She could not have been any nicer or more professional – could not have been better, amazing,” he said.

Camping World will continue to invest in college athletics.

"The $550,000 we put on the table will be deployed somewhere else. It won’t go back into the coffer," Lemonis said. "We are going to continue to spend money in college sports, because we think it’s fun for the town, it brings a younger demographic."

Camping World recently purchased the naming rights to the former Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida.

“I have a reference points for these numbers,” Lemonis said. “The cost of the naming rights to the stadium were slightly more than the Independence Bowl sponsorship, and that stadium has three major bowl games and the Pro Bowl in a city like Orlando.

“We’ll figure out another way to do sponsorship (in the Shreveport area). I’m sure there is a way for us to give back.”

Barkley’s news conference provided answers regarding the breakup with Camping World, but it also raised a few questions. There was a hint of reservation at the certainty of a bowl game this winter.

“Our plans are certainly to have a bowl this year,” Barkley said. “In the bowl business, you’re always under the possibility of having to search for a title sponsor. We have to do a better job of getting people to attend the game. We will find another sponsor and move past this.”

Barkley was also unsure if the game was “in the black” or would be with typical revenues, including a title sponsor at the $900,000 level and the hotel/motel tax.

“It’s a tough business,” he said. “We don’t have all the (2016) numbers in yet. I don’t know. I suspect it’s going to be a tough year for us. With ticket sales, title sponsorship and all the (revenue) streams – if we get all those clicking just right, I think we’ll be just fine.”

The willingness and attempts to grow the game by AdvoCare and Camping World serve as a positive as the I-Bowl readies to begin another sponsorship search.

“That’s the message the community needs to hear,” Barkley said. “Not only did we want them back, they wanted to come back. We do have people that want to work with us – people that see great value in being part of the Independence Bowl. It’s a situation where the terms couldn’t quite be worked out.”

Twitter: @RoyLangIII