Scheduling idea

[PantherRob82]

In basketball we have the Bracket Buster. Teams are decided a few weeks ahead of time. They match them up and the following year the visiting team gets a home game.

Why not set up a deal where 1st Rd playoff games offer a return trip the following year to the visiting team? They keep things somewhat regional and would provide some decent matchups.

Not a perfect idea, but it sucks to see a lot of good teams shceduling cupcakes.

[TexasTerror]

Would you really want to put scheduling that late?

If your not a first round squad and your hoping you are (which all teams that are in AQ conferences plus a few others like GWFC, Big South should), your stuck with a week to fill...

Gotta schedule that thing as soon as you can!

[KAUMASS]

Good concept , tough to pull off.. some of these cupcakes aren't cupcakes anymore-i.e. 2006- Albany beating Delaware, Central Conn. beating Georgia Southern, Montana St losing to a D2 school after beating Colorado...I'm sure there are some more..

[appfan2008]

i agree with some of the other posts... interesting but tough to pull off

[GannonFan]

Also, scheduling problems aren't really the norm - they tend to be the exception, although a very visible exception. UD for instance, has schedule set through 2012 - a lot of schools are similar. When you have issues getting games it comes down to a few reasons why: 1) someone bailed at the last minute and you have to scramble to fill the hole, 2) Your AD just didn't try hard enough - actually, that's about it. Scheduling isn't that difficult anymore, unless you get stuck in a last minute bind because some team bailed on you - if you have problems other than that, your AD just didn't do their job.

[TexasTerror]

When you have issues getting games it comes down to a few reasons why: 1) someone bailed at the last minute and you have to scramble to fill the hole, 2) Your AD just didn't try hard enough - actually, that's about it. Scheduling isn't that difficult anymore, unless you get stuck in a last minute bind because some team bailed on you - if you have problems other than that, your AD just didn't do their job.

Or your AppSt and no one wants to schedule you because your program is back to back national champions...

[AppGuy04]

Or your AppSt and no one wants to schedule you because your program is back to back national champions...

we don't know for sure if thats the case TT, but its safe to assume

[Eyes of Old Main]

In general, I think it's a good idea, but it would be waiting awfully late to set a game date. I think it might work if you schedule the return dates for two seasons down the road. That way, the 2006 playoff rematches would be held in 2008. Just a thought.

I think scheduling could be easier than it seems to be if schools would work together more, but no matter what, it always seems like everybody has one open date they are scrambling to fill. I'm not sure it's solely an AD problem since some of it depends on the conference, available teams and dates, travel considerations, and needs for home or away games.

The SoCon schools have been hurt by having to find an extra OOC game since ETSU left, but that should get better with Samford coming in next season (no matter what anybody thinks of their program). I can imagine the same problem exists in other conferences that have 8 or fewer teams.

[GannonFan]

Or your AppSt and no one wants to schedule you because your program is back to back national champions...

That's just a cop out - how many national champions came before Appy St and how many of them have bemoaned the fact that they couldn't get teams on their schedule???? Other than JMU, I can't think of one, and JMU had the unfortunate situation of not having their 2005 schedule set even before the 2004 season began. If you have a schedule planned out a few years in advance, you don't run into this problem. Using the NC's as cover is just a way to ignore the fact that the scheduling wasn't properly done before they started winning NC's. They get a break with the LSU thing, school's backing out last minute is one thing - but that wasn't the only problem. xthumbsupx

[AppGuy04]

That's just a cop out - how many national champions came before Appy St and how many of them have bemoaned the fact that they couldn't get teams on their schedule???? Other than JMU, I can't think of one, and JMU had the unfortunate situation of not having their 2005 schedule set even before the 2004 season began. If you have a schedule planned out a few years in advance, you don't run into this problem. Using the NC's as cover is just a way to ignore the fact that the scheduling wasn't properly done before they started winning NC's. They get a break with the LSU thing, school's backing out last minute is one thing - but that wasn't the only problem. xthumbsupx

and any levelheaded App fan will agree

We hated the scheduling conflict more than anyone

[PantherRob82]

Would you really want to put scheduling that late?

If your not a first round squad and your hoping you are (which all teams that are in AQ conferences plus a few others like GWFC, Big South should), your stuck with a week to fill...

Gotta schedule that thing as soon as you can!

We wait that long anyway. ;)

[PantherRob82]

I wish ASU and UNI could've worked it out, but we both needed a home game.

[henfan]

Why not set up a deal where 1st Rd playoff games offer a return trip the following year to the visiting team? They keep things somewhat regional and would provide some decent matchups.

I don't mean to pee on your fire, but that idea just won't work as proposed. For one thing, it offers a tremendous financial advantage to the playoff visiting team. They are guaranteed home revenue with an automatic home date the following year. Where's the financial incentive for the playoff home team? Certainly not with their 1st Round game, as the NCAA pockets a large share of playoff proceeds.

Also, how do you force schools who have their schedules locked in years in advance to break contracts with noncon opponents to accomodate this idea? That would be a nightmare across the FCS and D-II and could actually cause more teams to end up scrambling for games.

Football finances and scheduling are not at all like hoops. While your idea might be interesting from the competitive standpoint, especially for FCS geeks like me, it's really not feasible at all. Good intentions though!xthumbsupx

[Black Saturday]

I think if the NCAA/FCS playoff selection comittee would have STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE closer to the top of the list for earning a playoff position, then a lot of these so called scheduling nightmares within the FCS would probably go away for these ADs, because I bet some would be breaking their legs to get games instead of being afraid of taking a loss. If this were so then maybe APP plays NAU and Northern Iowa this year.

[PantherRob82]

I think if the NCAA/FCS playoff selection comittee would have STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE closer to the top of the list for earning a playoff position, then a lot of these so called scheduling nightmares within the FCS would probably go away for these ADs, because I bet some would be breaking their legs to get games instead of being afraid of taking a loss. If this were so then maybe APP plays NAU and Northern Iowa this year.

We would be in trouble with a non-conf of App St, Iowa St, and SDSU. :D

[Green26]

I have no doubt that lower level I-A teams would be hesitant to play App St. I suppose some I-AA teams might thing twice about playing App St.

However, App St. has also been asking for a sizeable fee to play certain I-AA teams (think teams like Montana). Thus, I wonder if some of their scheduling woes are self-imposed. I also wonder if App St's AD is trying to make some bigger bucks to pay for facilities and the App St juggernaut that appears to have been created. I have no issue with seeking bigger fees or working to pay for their continued success, but I don't think their main issue comes from teams being afraid to play them.

If someone knows more about this than I do, feel free to correct me.

[BearsCountry]

Its too hard for football to move a team. NFL can do it bc they have cash and not as big traveling parties as a college team.

[gvilleapp]

I have no doubt that lower level I-A teams would be hesitant to play App St. I suppose some I-AA teams might thing twice about playing App St.

However, App St. has also been asking for a sizeable fee to play certain I-AA teams (think teams like Montana). Thus, I wonder if some of their scheduling woes are self-imposed. I also wonder if App St's AD is trying to make some bigger bucks to pay for facilities and the App St juggernaut that appears to have been created. I have no issue with seeking bigger fees or working to pay for their continued success, but I don't think their main issue comes from teams being afraid to play them.

If someone knows more about this than I do, feel free to correct me.
Of course, every team is going to do what is in their own best interest. I think for App, starting next year we will have 8 conference games with four at home and four away every year. That is a very good thing. We'll always look for that one premier game at a large BCS, LSU, Michigan, NCSU, etc but the other two dates are going to be home games if at all possible because of finances.

As far as I know, the only OOC game set for '08 is at JMU, so we probably are looking at only five home games then.

When you start to draw paying fans in the numbers that Delaware, Montana, App draw it only makes sense to play in front of the home folks when given an option unless there is a huge pay day out there like we are getting to play Michigan.

[BigApp]

That's just a cop out - how many national champions came before Appy St and how many of them have bemoaned the fact that they couldn't get teams on their schedule???? Other than JMU, I can't think of one, and JMU had the unfortunate situation of not having their 2005 schedule set even before the 2004 season began. If you have a schedule planned out a few years in advance, you don't run into this problem. Using the NC's as cover is just a way to ignore the fact that the scheduling wasn't properly done before they started winning NC's. They get a break with the LSU thing, school's backing out last minute is one thing - but that wasn't the only problem. xthumbsupx

yeah. one of our problems was that Delaware, when asked if they wanted to play, said no. xrolleyesx

[appfan2008]

most schools dont have the same trouble asu did this year, correct?

[BigApp]

correct!