If We Go Independent In Football... Scheduling

[uconnflyer88]

Try checking back in 20 minutes instead

thanks

 

[ConnHuskBask]

I don't see how this is really beneficial to any of the teams involved.

Aside from UConn and UMass playing every year home/home in November, I don't see why a) JMU/UDel/Nova would leave their FCS leagues, b) Army would forego it's scheduling flexibility c) UConn/UMass would resign themselves to playing 3 FCS teams a year.

 

[Pudge]

Why do teams leave FCS conferences?

Money . TVs stream your ballgames. You get twice the payday playing Pitt or Clemson or Wisconsin

Why are there 10+ recent FCS SunBelt promotes ... and zip in the MidAtlantic to Northeast? The correct answer is money.

Yes. CUSA & SunBelt conference have given them slots - some having not yet fielding a Program (Charlotte & Old Dominion). Don’t miss the massive infrastructure some in our region has put in place. New stadiums & football training. Our backyard CAA are playing Syracuse & Pittsburgh & West Virginia.

Money. Things change.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Why do teams leave FCS conferences?

Money . TVs stream your ballgames. You get twice the payday playing Pitt or Clemson or Wisconsin

Why are there 10+ recent FCS SunBelt promotes ... and zip in the MidAtlantic to Northeast? The correct answer is money.

Yes. CUSA & SunBelt conference have given them slots - some having not yet fielding a Program (Charlotte & Old Dominion). Don’t miss the massive infrastructure some in our region has put in place. New stadiums & football training. Our backyard CAA are playing Syracuse & Pittsburgh & West Virginia.

Money. Things change.

You're making the assumption that the "Eastern Alliance" would garner any TV money?

 

[History Geek]

Ahem, Temple and Cincy can join UConn and UMass in the future of northern independent football schools who park all sports in the BE. I'm good with that. We are not going to raise the profile of JMU, Delaware and Nova as part of the process....never. And Army is Army, its own thing which is fine.

I think Villanova and Xavier may have a problem with Temple/Cincy joining the MBE

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

I think Villanova and Xavier may have a problem with Temple/Cincy joining the MBE

Indeed, they might even veto the proposition a la bcu

 

[Exit 4]

I think Villanova and Xavier may have a problem with Temple/Cincy joining the MBE

Yep - totally.... but I don’t.

 

[Zissou]

I think Villanova and Xavier may have a problem with Temple/Cincy joining the MBE

A10 for a conference home, if the AAC fails them.

 

[uconndogs]

You can keep the hockey.

My recommendation is for FBS independent.

The first step was to help you with Big East Basketball. Welcome conference brother. Now I can help you on football.

Great,we have Chief and now this yahoo!..............helping us?

 

[Adios]

Great,we have Chief and now this yahoo!....helping us?

Do not underestimate the power of message boards.

This dude wants us in an "alliance" with Villanova and Delaware in football.....

 

[freescooter]

2020 Dates - decided to list the dates that are filled rather than open.

UConn (has 9/3, 9/12, 9/19 and 9/26 filled with UMass, at Illinois, Maine and Indiana respectively), so four games set.

• Miami (has 9/5, 9/19 and 9/26 filled)
• Vtech (has 9/5, 9/12 and 9/19 filled)
• SMU (has 9/5, 9/12 and 9/19 filled)
• UCF (has 9/5, 9/19 filled)
• FIU (has 9/26 and 10/24 filled)
• La Tech (has 9/5, 9/12 and 11/21 filled)
• Southern Miss (has 9/5, 9/26 and 10/24 filled)
• UAB (has 9/3, 9/19 and 9/26 filled, usually plays an OOC in Nov)
• Air Force (has 9/19, 10/3 filled and a tbd with Army)
• Arkansas (has 9/5 and 9/12 filled - usually plays an OOC in late Oct or Nov)
• Coastal Carolina (has 9/12 and 9/26 filled and a tbd with South Carolina, has Oct and Nov OOCs planned in future)
• Louisiana Lafayette (has 9/5, 10/24 and 11/21 filled)
• TCU (has 9/5 filled)

Game #5: Get TCU on the calendar for October as a body bag game. If that can't be, then try for 9/19 and rebook Maine for October.

Game #6; Get UCF signed up for a home and home for an October game. Their schedule is wide open. Toss in basketball if you must.

Game #7: Try to set up a home and home with VTech....or if not, a pay day game. Try to make it a Nov game.

Game #8: Set up a home and home with Coastal Carolina for an October or November game.

Game #9: Any chance SMU would do a home and home? October game?

Game #10: FIU for a home and home? October game?

Game #11: Pick one of UAB, Southern Miss, LA Tech or LA Laf for a home and home. October game. (this is like playing Tulane or Tulsa)

Game #12: Whoo - this is hard! Set up a home and home with Air Force, if no luck - just visit. Or Pick another from the UAB/SM/LaTech/La Laf pool.

Another game, swap any of the above for a payday game with Arkansas.

In summary: you have
2 B1G games,
1 ACC game,
1 B12 game (or maybe SEC if you swap Arkansas for TCU) for a total of four P5 games.
Then we have perhaps from G5 we have
2 AAC games,
3 CUSA or Sunbelt games
1 Mountain West
1 independent
and
1 FCS.

Not easy to build a five game P5 line up on short notice. We would need to take three payday games in 2020; TCU, VT and Arkansas to do that.

Long term, beyond 2020 I would be looking to set up home and series with Cincy, Temple, Pitt (really anyone in the ACC), Buffalo, Army, Old Dominion or Coastal Carolina and Rutty. I would be looking to Fox to help us get a couple B12 home and homes (wont be easy! maybe WV, Kansas, Kansas St or Iowa St?) and maybe even a P12 home and home (maybe Oregon St / Washington St or Colorado). Yeah, I understand the B12 and P12 is a long shot, but got to try.

Not so sure B12 or P12 would be that tough to schedule. Colorado I think is on UMass and I suspect we could get deals with Iowa State KState Kansas West Virginia. Probably not Texas but you never know. But I see UMass as a regular opponent. I’d also expect to see Army Navy, would love a Home-Home with Air Force and it won’t be long before there is a Space Force Academy too . Then 3-4 P5 games. A 1aa game I keep hearing that BYU is interested in a long term series with us which would be good too. We likely fill in some MAC and Sunbelt games along with Cincy and Temple type AAC games. The really tricky part seems to be mid-October on when teams are largely in Conference schedules.

 

[Zissou]

Great,we have Chief and now this yahoo!....helping us?

I’m there for you brother.

Chief might buy into this plan, only because it’s reasonable and logical.

 

[Zissou]

Do not underestimate the power of message boards.

This dude wants us in an "alliance" with Villanova and Delaware in football.....

Butch knows. He was also one of the 9% against the move to the Big East.

 

[B1GEast]

Could Uconn charge for a Roku channel and stream their own content?

 

[CL82]

Could Uconn charge for a Roku channel and stream their own content?

"... on the UConn Television Network..."

 

[uconnell]

True dat. Hathaway wasn't a strategic thinker or a dynamic leader. He thought he'd garner lots of attaboys from the BOT by getting PP for cheap money and making CT HS Coaches happy.

The cheap money he used was to his benefit as a compensation to him for saving the AD $$$$. He was a terrible AD

 

[Pudge]

Ahem, Temple and Cincy can join UConn and UMass in the future of northern independent football schools who park all sports in the BE. I'm good with that. We are not going to raise the profile of JMU, Delaware and Nova as part of the process....never. And Army is Army, its own thing which is fine.

Each school is a totally different story.

(i.) Villanova we know. Thought about. Studied & spent money. Can’t & wont do it. Neighborhood won’t let the Stadium expand. Happy as is

(ii.) Delaware is a weird case. Most years through any era / decade, they’ve drawn well. They like where they are. They want to win ...but not effort too much. Can draw 24,000 easily. But no interest in anything more.

(iii.) James Madison will advance. Need the right circumstances. Their 20,000+ seat stadium can be 40,000 easily. I think they are looking for something special (read: not CUSA or SunBelt)

SUNY schools are ones to watch. There are 4 University College level (equivalent to Berkeley & UCLA & UC Davis etc in California system): Buffalo, UALBANY, Stony Brook & Binghamton (which doesn’t play football). Both UALBANY & Stony Brook have spent $30-50m recently on Football, Training, Specialized Athletics dorms. None of the other CAA outside Madison have done that. And the schedules include Pitt, BC,Syracuse,Army now. Eyes open.

SUNY schools did nothing for decades. Buffalo promotes their 2030 Masterplan - hoping to double in size. The other 2 are drafting off that ambition

So. Not too much Near term possibilities

 

[Exit 4]

Each school is a totally different story.

(i.) Villanova we know. Thought about. Studied & spent money. Can’t & wont do it. Neighborhood won’t let the Stadium expand. Happy as is

(ii.) Delaware is a weird case. Most years through any era / decade, they’ve drawn well. They like where they are. They want to win ...but not effort too much. Can draw 24,000 easily. But no interest in anything more.

(iii.) James Madison will advance. Need the right circumstances. Their 20,000+ seat stadium can be 40,000 easily. I think they are looking for something special (read: not CUSA or SunBelt)

SUNY schools are ones to watch. There are 4 University College level (equivalent to Berkeley & UCLA & UC Davis etc in California system): Buffalo, UALBANY, Stony Brook & Binghamton (which doesn’t play football). Both UALBANY & Stony Brook have spent $30-50m recently on Football, Training, Specialized Athletics dorms. None of the other CAA outside Madison have done that. And the schedules include Pitt, BC,Syracuse,Army now. Eyes open.

SUNY schools did nothing for decades. Buffalo promotes their 2030 Masterplan - hoping to double in size. The other 2 are drafting off that ambition

So. Not too much Near term possibilities

Thanks, but my analysis is much shallower. FBS football simply cannot support more new mouths to feed w/o diluting talent. The more talent we dilute here in the northeast the further we fall behind the top P5 programs. Adding more programs will simply pull us down rather than lift us up.

 

[CL82]

Their 20,000+ seat stadium can be 40,000 easily.

Not so sure about that:

 

[CL82]

Thanks, but my analysis is much shallower. FBS football simply cannot support more new mouths to feed w/o diluting talent. The more talent we dilute here in the northeast the further we fall behind the top P5 programs. Adding more programs will simply pull us down rather than lift us up.

Agree with our second sentence but not the rest. If another decent FBS level team emerged as a rival it would help both programs. So I wouldn't mind seeing UMass get their sheet together. (Of course I wouldn't mind UConn getting its sheet together either.)

 

[Exit 4]

Agree with our second sentence but not the rest. If another decent FBS level team emerged as a rival it would help both programs. So I wouldn't mind seeing UMass get their sheet together. (Of course I wouldn't mind UConn getting its sheet together either.)

UMass is already FBS....same with Buffalo and Army, so I dont really have an issue there per se as it is what it is.
Instead, my issue is with this the silly notion that it would be good for northeast football (and UConn) if other programs jumped from FCS to FBS. Temple has played better the past 6 years and how has that helped us? And we play them twice a year. Making more mouths to feed (and by feed, they need to be fed with players and revenue) will not help us. I'm totally against elevating Nova, Albany, Stony Brook, Towson or any other FCS program. Enough is enough. No more dilution. There are what, 129 other FBS programs out there?...play them instead.

 

[Zissou]

Each school is a totally different story.

(i.) Villanova we know. Thought about. Studied & spent money. Can’t & wont do it. Neighborhood won’t let the Stadium expand. Happy as is

(ii.) Delaware is a weird case. Most years through any era / decade, they’ve drawn well. They like where they are. They want to win ...but not effort too much. Can draw 24,000 easily. But no interest in anything more.

(iii.) James Madison will advance. Need the right circumstances. Their 20,000+ seat stadium can be 40,000 easily. I think they are looking for something special (read: not CUSA or SunBelt)

(1) Nova studied the issue internally and recommended the move up. By the time they dithered an acceptance, the invite was stale. A slow-to-move program, no doubt. But the planning did force them to seek a stadium use at Talen Energy Stadium, 18 miles south down I-476 (20-30 minutes on a Saturday). 18,500 capacity and engineered to grow to 30,000, but I don't think expansion is necessary. The Linc is also a possibility (NFL Eagles 70,000 seats) for a game or 2 per year. The Temple-Nova series could become annual. Temple has brought both ND and Penn State to Philly, so it's possible. No investment in Stadiums needed.

(2) Nobody really likes where hey are in FCS. In the past there weren't many good options for a FCS school to move up. With the Liberty precedent, a move can happen to independent. While it might not make sense for any of these individual programs to do it alone, moving together provides some stability. An Alliance, with other independents already ripe for a partnership (Army, UMass, UConn). Many Delaware fans have interest to do more!

(3) JMU is most ready to advance, but they will never have the perfect invite. Maybe this Alliance is good enough. Yes, their stadium is built to expand.

 

[Zissou]

my analysis is much shallower

agreed

 

[LoyalFanCT]

Interesting: William & Mary to open 2020 football season at Stanford. UConn should try to schedule Stanford, too. W&M may want to consider FBS division.

 

[jdb50]

Not so sure B12 or P12 would be that tough to schedule. Colorado I think is on UMass and I suspect we could get deals with Iowa State KState Kansas West Virginia. Probably not Texas but you never know. But I see UMass as a regular opponent. I’d also expect to see Army Navy, would love a Home-Home with Air Force and it won’t be long before there is a Space Force Academy too . Then 3-4 P5 games. A 1aa game I keep hearing that BYU is interested in a long term series with us which would be good too. We likely fill in some MAC and Sunbelt games along with Cincy and Temple type AAC games. The really tricky part seems to be mid-October on when teams are largely in Conference schedules.

Hey that new Mormon Temple adjacent to Rt 4 in Farmington has to count for something right. Schedule them in November.