Two Paycheck Games vs Home/Home With Regional G5

[greenit]

Within the parameters of the hypothetical, which would you prefer?

Continue playing a P5 on the road and an FCS at home

OR

Use those 2 OOC slots for home/home with a rotating combination of G5 schools that are in Texas or border states(only option for these 2 slots). Teams could only come from UH, TxSt, NMSU, UNM, Tulsa, ArkSt, ULM, ULL, Tulane. Under the hypothetical, SMU would be a constant and the other slot (currently occupied with Army) would be a wildcard slot to be used by any other G5 school.

Assuming finances were not an issue (which they currently are) which would you prefer?

[greenit]

I used that limitation for these two spots for regional interest, plus SMU as an OOC rival, plus one at large/wildcard that could be any G5 (possibly an occasional low level P5, but don't want to include that since it is becoming a rare occurrence).

I believe scheduling two regional opponents have the greatest chance of generating interest, but not an easy choice when looking at realistic options.

[GrayEagle]

I believe that the guaranteed paycheck and paying an FCS school would provide a lot more income than two home and homes with most G5 universities. We don't sell out our stadium now and I don't believe that we would with most of those that you named. Now if you can get a home and home with a couple of the upper echelon P5 colleges then we can forego the big money games.

I also don't want to scrap the Army series. Games with service academies are special to me. I wish to hell that Banowsky had been able to talk Army into coming back into CUSA rather than say, FIU.

Also, I hope that in scheduling FCS opponents I hope that the give first consideration to Texas schools; particularly SFA and Sam Houston. I'd take Lamar over Nichols State any day.

[greenit]

Not suggesting giving up the Army series. If you can keep them on the schedule in the slot they are in, great. If not, find another service academy or another G5, or the occasional lower profile P5. Even if you assume the income from the P5 paycheck game is not needed, which it currently appears to be, it is not clear cut that we would move away from the 2 paycheck game model, plus smu, plus whoever we can get to fill the other slot. Just trying to gauge everyone's opinion on 'what if'.

Of course we would all like smu, a service academy and 2 P5 programs on the schedule. That is not in the realm of possibility, at least at this point. I am trying to talk semi realistic options.

[Ben Gooding]

SMU, 2 G5's, and 1 P5 should be the model every single year. Switch to 1 G5 & 2 P5's occasionally, but not annually. Nichols shouldn't be on our schedule, ever again.

[GrandGreen]

I guess this assumes that the finances lost by giving up an away guarantee game are magically going to be replaced.

As I have stated frequently on here, I would prefer having another away and home series and an every other year 5 game home schedule than buying a home game with a lower division school.

Then if NT grows the program enough to not have to rely on a guaranteed big payday game, they can schedule only even series.

[greenit]

Yes, this hypothetical was setting aside the financial shortfall of not having a paycheck game against a P5. Not reality for the program unless financial support grows from one of the existing sources (fans, fees, conference, etc...)

[JesseMartin]

I just don't see us as desperate enough to need the paycheck games anymore. We're not among the richest programs or anything, but we're in a good enough place that we can grow our program without taking money to get crushed. Take home-and-home against Iowa, Minnesota, Fresno, etc...you know, good programs but not the perennial soul-crushers. We'll keep growing and if/when we face LSU, Bama, etc. in bowls in the future, it will be after we sprouted up and are closer to that level of competition.

[UNT90]

2 more years of scheduling inflexibility to overcome before anything like this can even be considered.

We simply don't have the open dates. At least we will have more cash after 2 money games next year...

[GrandGreen]

I just don't see us as desperate enough to need the paycheck games anymore. We're not among the richest programs or anything, but we're in a good enough place that we can grow our program without taking money to get crushed. Take home-and-home against Iowa, Minnesota, Fresno, etc...you know, good programs but not the perennial soul-crushers. We'll keep growing and if/when we face LSU, Bama, etc. in bowls in the future, it will be after we sprouted up and are closer to that level of competition.

You have to factor in that NT probably nets more money on that one game than the rest of their games combined.

I don't think they are in any position to cut that game unless they equally cut expenses (ie: coaches salaries, operating budget).

Some forget that the student athletic fee is necessary to pay off the stadium and by Texas government edict is limited to the amount that can be used for operations. Even with these funds, NT has had to supplement the athletic department and with the financial mess NT is currently in that money may dry up.

Edited July 10, 2014 by GrandGreen

[UNT90]

It is like people start these threads just to get you to comment.

It seems some need constant reminding, what can I say?

[forevereagle]

It seems some need constant reminding, what can I say?

Or you could just let the 10% of your post count that you have dedicated to the topic speak for itself. Just a thought.

[DT 90]

Speaking from now a casual fans stand point, games that I would drive to Denton to see:

What's with all the love of the service academies??? No, No and No.

I'd push for a two for one with any non-Texas mid to lower level Big 12, SEC, or Big 10 team. Gives them reason to come to Texas to recruit the Metroplex. Most have decent local fan bases.

I'd be all over any MAC team for a Home and Home series too.

If Houston or Tulsa wanted a home and home. That would be great too.

I wouldn't touch a Mountain West team or any FCS team... unless its SFA or SHSU. Those would be the only FCS teams I would schedule. They bring the house when they travel.

Edited July 10, 2014 by DT 90

[forevereagle]

What's with all the love of the service academies??? No, No and No.

Why no love for the service academies? There is a Joint Reserve Base in FW and a lot of former service folks in the area that come out for those games.

Edited July 10, 2014 by forevereagle

[GrandGreen]

Speaking from now a casual fans stand point, games that I would drive to Denton to see:

What's with all the love of the service academies??? No, No and No.

I'd push for a two for one with any non-Texas mid to lower level Big 12, SEC, or Big 10 team. Gives them reason to come to Texas to recruit the Metroplex. Most have decent local fan bases.

I'd be all over any MAC team for a Home and Home series too.

If Houston or Tulsa wanted a home and home. That would be great too.

I wouldn't touch a Mountain West team or any FCS team... unless its SFA or SHSU. Those would be the only FCS teams I would schedule. They bring the house when they travel.

Obviously, you are not opposed to light home schedules because that is exactly what happens when you start 1 home game and multiple away game series.

[Ben Gooding]

1 P5, 2 relatively close G5's (Tulsa, Houston, ULL, A-State, etc.) and SMwho.

[UNT90]

Or you could just let the 10% of your post count that you have dedicated to the topic speak for itself. Just a thought.

When the way we schedule changes, I'll stop talking about it.

[forevereagle]

When the way we schedule changes, I'll stop talking about it.

Then you will find something else to complain about, I'm sure.

[GrayEagle]

Then you will find something else to complain about, I'm sure.

Well, he'll always have RV to fall back on.

[DT 90]

Why no love for the service academies? There is a Joint Reserve Base in FW and a lot of former service folks in the area that come out for those games.

You have Former Service Academy folks. 95% of former service folks don't give two cents about the academies. Most are die hard fans of their favorite schools , just like you and me.

Edited July 10, 2014 by DT 90

[forevereagle]

You have Former Service Academy folks. 95% of former service folks don't give two cents about the academies. Most are die hard fans of their favorite schools , just like you and me.

Navy and Army both had good showings when they played here.

[DT 90]

Obviously, you are not opposed to light home schedules because that is exactly what happens when you start 1 home game and multiple away game series.

Obviously I would prefer Home and Home.

[Travis]

Obviously I would prefer Home and Home.

I would consider a 2 for one if we also buy a team like SHSU or SFA to come in on a return year or two.

[DT 90]

Navy and Army both had good showings when they played here.

Good showings but do they bring 10 to 12,000 ala K-State. Sam Houston and Stephen F. Ausitn drew over 40 K to Reliant last year. Two FCS schools. I'd drive to Denton to see either one of those teams play the Mean Green, not so much the Academies. Academies are a bad choice to begin with. They run offense that you don't see for several seasons. They have nothing in common with any other opponent that you will play the rest of the year. Night mare to prepare for. And they do nothing for your strength of schedule.

Edited July 11, 2014 by DT 90

[UNT90]

Then you will find something else to complain about, I'm sure.

One problem at a time.

Or we could just continue an irrational discussion about impossible scenarios...