Exeter City Supporters’ Trust, which owns the club, has lent it more than £600,000 in the past few months after an overspend last season.
Liverpool University football finance expert Kieran Maguire estimates the tie could earn City around £350,000, as the club will get 45% of the gate receipts after match costs are deducted.
With Exeter not having wealthy backers, they struggle to compete financially in the third tier.
“If you take a look at League One, where Exeter City are currently playing, the average losses are £120,000 a week,” Maguire told BBC Radio Devon.
“For a club such as Exeter City, which is fan-owned, clearly Exeter can’t incur that level of losses.
“Even trying to compete at League One level has been a major contributory factor to where we find the club today.”
