Without Fans, Some College Football Games Won’t Make Financial Sense

When Alabama and Southern California agreed to kick off the season on Sept. 5 in Arlington, Texas, the one certain winner seemed to be the host — the Dallas Cowboys’ owner, Jerry Jones, whose Labor Day weekend game has become a college football staple. Alabama would earn a flat fee of $6 million, according to an agreement the university signed, and U.S.C. was likely to bank a similar amount. But if the teams drew anywhere near the 81,359 fans…