Justin,
One way we purchased a mat for less was to buy it at the 4A-6A tournament about 5 years ago. Companies often provide mats to state tournaments in hopes that when the coaches/schools see the quality of their product, they'll want to purchase one. We got a great deal, at least that's what the former coach said, on a mat that was used during the tournament, but had no lettering on it. It's not fancy, but from what I understand, we got it for almost half price (rumors range from 3,000 to 5,000). You might also check into a used mat and getting it reconditioned. Hope this helps.