The black teams of the early 1900s spent most of their time on the road. Teams traveled wherever there was a white or black team that would play them. To make enough money to cover expenses, Negro teams had to be willing to play all of the time. A team might play two or three games in one day, sometimes in two or three different towns. Almost every game was an away game. The road trips could last for weeks, or even months. The team bus was often uncomfortable. Teams usually slept on the bus, because many hotels didn’t accept blacks. They also had to eat on the bus, because they were often refused service in roadside diners and restaurants.

     An owner that could not pay his team would disband it overnight, leaving the team with nowhere to go and no money.  Teams were late for games, or did not show up at all. They would play in dirty uniforms, and stadiums were not well maintained.