Air Force Coach Questions Scheduling Of Bcs Games

MeanGreen61 · April 25, 2008

Article posted on the Muts board by Space Raider.

LAWS OF NATURE: The 'Nature Boy,' left, wouldn't be a fan of some of these soft non-conference schedules for college football teams. On the other hand, as a pro wrestler maybe he'd understand a thing or two about predetermined outcomes.

Scheduling in college football is always an exercise in leverage. The big boys cling tightly to their home games and multi-million dollar gates and rarely venture on the road against teams of lesser stature who might actually stand a chance to beat them. The lower-level teams are constantly in search of the next welfare check. The middle class, in turn, gets squeezed in between.

I'd like to see the NCAA adopt a uniform scheduling policy that requires all games to be returned. Could be a 2-for-1, 3-for-1 or even a 10-for-1, whatever. But if Florida is going to play Troy, the Gators ought to have to go back to Troy at least once. We won't see that because the big schools are too greedy and would play the "nothing-to-gain, too-much-to-lose" card, but I think it would be healthy for college football and would grow the game at all levels.

I'd also like to see some of the low- and mid-major college programs start adding clauses into their coaches contracts that require a home-and-home series or a road trip from any school that raids a head coach. If you are Georgia Tech and and you want to buy Paul Johnson away from Navy, fine, but it'll cost you a visit to his former school where they get a big gate for a game they normally wouldn't be able to get. If you're Baylor and you want to flex some Big 12 ego by plucking Art Briles from Houston, fine. Just be prepared to play in Briles' former stadium.

The chances of that happening, well, are probably not even as good as Air Force's chances of winning in either Norman or Tallahassee.

ARTICLE

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/sports_co...coach.html#more

AnotherEagleFan · April 29, 2008

Article posted on the Muts board by Space Raider.
LAWS OF NATURE: The 'Nature Boy,' left, wouldn't be a fan of some of these soft non-conference schedules for college football teams. On the other hand, as a pro wrestler maybe he'd understand a thing or two about predetermined outcomes.
Scheduling in college football is always an exercise in leverage. The big boys cling tightly to their home games and multi-million dollar gates and rarely venture on the road against teams of lesser stature who might actually stand a chance to beat them. The lower-level teams are constantly in search of the next welfare check. The middle class, in turn, gets squeezed in between.
I'd like to see the NCAA adopt a uniform scheduling policy that requires all games to be returned. Could be a 2-for-1, 3-for-1 or even a 10-for-1, whatever. But if Florida is going to play Troy, the Gators ought to have to go back to Troy at least once. We won't see that because the big schools are too greedy and would play the "nothing-to-gain, too-much-to-lose" card, but I think it would be healthy for college football and would grow the game at all levels.
I'd also like to see some of the low- and mid-major college programs start adding clauses into their coaches contracts that require a home-and-home series or a road trip from any school that raids a head coach. If you are Georgia Tech and and you want to buy Paul Johnson away from Navy, fine, but it'll cost you a visit to his former school where they get a big gate for a game they normally wouldn't be able to get. If you're Baylor and you want to flex some Big 12 ego by plucking Art Briles from Houston, fine. Just be prepared to play in Briles' former stadium.
The chances of that happening, well, are probably not even as good as Air Force's chances of winning in either Norman or Tallahassee.
ARTICLE
http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/sports_co...coach.html#more

It is all about money. If you pay enough they will come to fouts. Not all of them but many of them. The simple fact is that most schools do not have the budget bring the big games to their house.

NT80 · April 29, 2008

It is all about money. If you pay enough they will come to fouts. Not all of them but many of them. The simple fact is that most schools do not have the budget bring the big games to their house.

Texas isn't going to Wyoming in the near future for the $$, and I doubt Nebraska will be back at Hattiesburg for the $$. Many power BCS programs want an easy practice road game before the meat of their season begins, no offense. NT hosts K-State in early 2010, 2-1 series, for the same reason for them.

Edited April 29, 2008 by NT80

AnotherEagleFan · April 30, 2008

Texas isn't going to Wyoming in the near future for the $$, and I doubt Nebraska will be back at Hattiesburg for the $$. Many power BCS programs want an easy practice road game before the meat of their season begins, no offense. NT hosts K-State in early 2010, 2-1 series, for the same reason for them.

Every non conference school gets paid to come to your house. Believe it or not. Some schools require less money then others. (like every business deal it depends on what everyone wants). If you want 3 AQ BCS teams at your house every year you can do it all you have to do is pay. If you don't think that money has anything to do with it then why do schools buy out contracts. Many AQ BCS schools will pay you to come to their house for your 2 away games but when it is time for the AQ team to visit your home they offer a payout that you cannot refuse. Why, cause they really dont want to come and they have the money to throw at you. Those easy practice road games are only available when your team is always questionable and then they are still few and far between. When you get good they are harder to schedule and you have to pay. We played Alabama for years in Birmingham but they would never think of coming to Hattiesburg so we dropped them. But guess where they went last year and then guess why. And those games are not free it is a 2 for 1. IT helps them out more then it helps you.

But congrats on K-State I hope that RV can continue to keep those teams coming into Denton.

Arkstfan · April 30, 2008

Texas isn't going to Wyoming in the near future for the $$, and I doubt Nebraska will be back at Hattiesburg for the $$. Many power BCS programs want an easy practice road game before the meat of their season begins, no offense. NT hosts K-State in early 2010, 2-1 series, for the same reason for them.

The smart coaches and athletic directors understand that the computers and to some degree the pollsters will give you greater credit for road wins even if not over a great team, so those with national title aspirations are going to find some road game to play. They might go play another big name school for the benefit of TV or they will go to someone they expect to beat.

AnotherEagleFan · April 30, 2008

The smart coaches and athletic directors understand that the computers and to some degree the pollsters will give you greater credit for road wins even if not over a great team, so those with national title aspirations are going to find some road game to play. They might go play another big name school for the benefit of TV or they will go to someone they expect to beat.

Maybe. Of all the "big 6" non conference games only 21 are on the road. When you consider the number of AQ Teams (65) and that most have 3 non conference games the number is pretty small. Just using basic Mississippi math I come up with 195 "big 6" non conference games. With "big 6" teams traveling a total of 21 times we are looking at just over 10%. So the chances are pretty great that if you want to play one of the teams you will have to go to their house. Or you can play a non AQ team at home.

Vanderbilt at Miami University, Aug. 28

Mississippi State at Louisiana Tech, Aug. 30

Minnesota at Bowling Green, Sept. 6

West Virginia at East Carolina, Sept. 6

Maryland at Middle Tennessee, Sept. 6

Texas Tech at Nevada, Sept. 6

Texas A&M at New Mexico, Sept. 6

Connecticut at Temple, Sept. 6

USF at UCF, Sept. 6

UCLA at BYU, Sept. 13

Wisconsin at Fresno State, Sept. 13

Arizona at New Mexico, Sept. 13

Stanford at TCU, Sept. 13

USF at Florida International, Sept. 20

Iowa State at UNLV, Sept. 20

Cincinnati at Akron, Sept. 27

Oregon State at Utah, Oct. 2

Cincinnati at Marshall, Oct. 3

Louisville at Memphis, Oct. 10

Washington State at Hawaii, Nov. 29

Cincinnati at Hawaii, Dec. 6

Something else that is interesting is the number of games the "big 6" schedule against 1AA opponents. Why because they are cheap wins that only hurt recruiting if they do not win.

2008: 51 games

2007: 41 games

2006: 47 games

2005: 31 games

I found the data in a Yahoo article sorry but I do not have a link.

NTPhiKap99 · April 30, 2008

Texas isn't going to Wyoming in the near future for the $$, and I doubt Nebraska will be back at Hattiesburg for the $$. Many power BCS programs want an easy practice road game before the meat of their season begins, no offense. NT hosts K-State in early 2010, 2-1 series, for the same reason for them.

You're right on occasion pigs do fly but if it started happening everyday I think I might just freak out.

Edited April 30, 2008 by NTPhiKap99

April 30, 2008

And really if you look at that list of AQ schools that are on the road at Non-AQ schools, you could make a case that they are the lower-end of the AQ schools. Stanford, Texas Tech, Cincinnati are not exactly tearing up the BCS. You have a few like Wisconsin, Oregon, and Lousville that have pretty good programs, but I certainly don't see Michigan, Ohio St, Florida, LSU, or USC on the list.

Arkstfan · April 30, 2008

And really if you look at that list of AQ schools that are on the road at Non-AQ schools, you could make a case that they are the lower-end of the AQ schools. Stanford, Texas Tech, Cincinnati are not exactly tearing up the BCS. You have a few like Wisconsin, Oregon, and Lousville that have pretty good programs, but I certainly don't see Michigan, Ohio St, Florida, LSU, or USC on the list.

Folks like Vandy and Oklahoma State who don't have a strong TV draw when they whine to ESPN about lack of games televised are being told go on the road against the lesser conferences. While ESPN may not be fired up about Oklahoma State - Iowa State, they are thrilled when they can use a game like Oklahoma State - Troy to help satisfy their contractual obligation to carry a Sun Belt game.

Plus a lot of those schools just can't afford $750,000 to get a home game.