ODU Putting Schedule Together

[TexasTerror]

Home and home with Cornell already in the books. They're looking to host home games without doing a return game -- comparing themselves to a program like Montana with the size stadium they have to generate revenue...
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Wanted: Teams interested in a game at Foreman Field

The Monarchs are looking for a few good teams to face in their first football season.

By RICH RADFORD, The Virginian-Pilot
Bobby Wilder has discovered there's no eHarmony.com out there to line him up a date for homecoming.

Or for any of the other 10 Saturdays his Old Dominion University football team has free in 2009, for that matter.

Wilder, his coaching staff and athletic director Dr. Jim Jarrett instead have been working the phones feverishly since March as they try to line up a first-year schedule for the upstart squad.

"We've spent at least 100 man-hours on this and have contacted over 120 schools," Wilder said.

http://content.hamptonroads.com/story.cfm?story=130402&ran=54629

[ChooChoo]

Though we aren't "official" yet, if I was a betting man I'd say there's a 99%chance Georgia State will be on their 2010 schedule.

[bandl]

Home and home with Cornell already in the books. They're looking to host home games without doing a return game -- comparing themselves to a program like Montana with the size stadium they have to generate revenue...
------------------
Wanted: Teams interested in a game at Foreman Field

The Monarchs are looking for a few good teams to face in their first football season.

By RICH RADFORD, The Virginian-Pilot
Bobby Wilder has discovered there's no eHarmony.com out there to line him up a date for homecoming.

Or for any of the other 10 Saturdays his Old Dominion University football team has free in 2009, for that matter.

Wilder, his coaching staff and athletic director Dr. Jim Jarrett instead have been working the phones feverishly since March as they try to line up a first-year schedule for the upstart squad.

"We've spent at least 100 man-hours on this and have contacted over 120 schools," Wilder said.

http://content.hamptonroads.com/story.cfm?story=130402&ran=54629

Since there are a plethora of Virginia FCS teams...I wonder how many ODU will be able to put on their schedule. xreadx

[bandit]

how big is the stadium? The article didn't mention specific capacity. Are they renovating the stadium?

I would think the CAA would help out w/ scheduling.

[bluehenbillk]

Pretty brash for a team that has never played a game yet to compare themselves to JMU, UD & Montana.

I look forward to making a road trip to Norfolk to see the Hens play ODU, hopefully in September when it's still warm enough to enjoy Virginia Beach.

[lizrdgizrd]

I bet we've got some open dates on our 2009 schedule. xnonono2x

[89Hen]

They're looking to host home games without doing a return game
So they're planning on playing a lot of DII's? xeyebrowx For them to think they're going to enter DI football with the same clout of a Montana or Delaware is xnutsx.

[Saint3333]

Though we aren't "official" yet, if I was a betting man I'd say there's a 99%chance Georgia State will be on their 2010 schedule.

I'd enjoy seeing a home and home between ASU and either ODU or Georgia State. It would be nice to begin growing a relationship with larger FCS schools that one day may have the option of moving up to FBS.

[DFW HOYA]

The article speaks to teams within a four hour radius of Norfolk. Within the subdivision, this would include non-CAA schools like Howard, Georgetown, VMI, Hampton, NC Central, Liberty, Morgan State, Delaware State, Davidson, and a new I-AA program beginning at Campbell.

[UAalum72]

Pretty brash for a team that has never played a game yet to compare themselves to JMU, UD & Montana.

To be fair, he only compared the size of the stadiums - "Schools with the size stadium that we have - Delaware, Montana, James Madison ".

Foreman Field holds 20,000, though they're replacing bleachers with stadium seating and adding suites.

[lizrdgizrd]

The article speaks to teams within a four hour radius of Norfolk. Within the subdivision, this would include non-CAA schools like Howard, Georgetown, VMI, Hampton, NC Central, Liberty, Morgan State, Delaware State, Davidson, and a new I-AA program beginning at Campbell.
Davidson is within 4 hours of Norfolk? You must drive really fast. xlolx

[89Hen]

Foreman Field holds 20,000, though they're replacing bleachers with stadium seating and adding suites.
Great, another CAA improving their stadium while ours sits... and they don't even have players or fans yet. xbawlingx xbangx

[Tribe4SF]

how big is the stadium? The article didn't mention specific capacity. Are they renovating the stadium?

I would think the CAA would help out w/ scheduling.

Foreman Field seats over 20,000.

[JMU2K_DukeDawg]

I dunno 89Hen, JMU has been doing a hell of a lot of talking about nothing and even less action... I feel your pain for now ;)

By the way, I can't wait to crush ODU. Nothing I like about that school. They even have frickin' Cowboys colors, which makes it even easier to hate them. And to think my tax dollars support them... such a travesty... :P

[Tribe4SF]

I emailed Rich Radford, who wrote the article, about his use of I-AA with no mention of the name change. He answered that the editors and staff had decided to only use I-AA because the average fan doesn't know what FCS is. Regrettable decision. I hope others will contact him and let him know that if the media doesn't recognize the change, the average fan certainly won't. Shoddy reporting which, unfortunately, is fairly typical of The Pilot.

[bluehenbillk]

I emailed Rich Radford, who wrote the article, about his use of I-AA with no mention of the name change. He answered that the editors and staff had decided to only use I-AA because the average fan doesn't know what FCS is. .


Exactly why most media outlets & fans including myself still call it 1-AA, so people don't look at me like I have 3 heads.

[Go...gate]

The article speaks to teams within a four hour radius of Norfolk. Within the subdivision, this would include non-CAA schools like Howard, Georgetown, VMI, Hampton, NC Central, Liberty, Morgan State, Delaware State, Davidson, and a new I-AA program beginning at Campbell.

Princeton, Monmouth and Wagner would also rate consideration because they are pretty close to I-95. Monmouth and Wagner would get some recruiting benefit out of the trip in the middle atlantic states.

Princeton would have some interest because they have a lot of alumni in the south who sometimes drive 8-10 hours to NJ for a game. They would love to have a more civilized road trip to see the Tigers.

Foreman Field looks like a nice ballpark.

[Tribe4SF]

Exactly why most media outlets & fans including myself still call it 1-AA, so people don't look at me like I have 3 heads.

But I understand from your fellow Hen fans that you, in fact, do have 3 heads.:D

[jonmac]

I too would love to see the Apps make the trip to Norfolk. It would be nice to have them come so close to NE NC. Still love the trips to Boone though. I think it would also be a good gesture for one of the top programs to offer some assistance in getting the ODU program up and running. And that goes for all the programs at the top.

[bigred]

Hate say it boys, but this FCS stuff just ain't gonna stick.

[IaaScribe]

Agreed Red. Just interviewed a player today, who talked about having his school having as nice of a weight room as some I-As. "Or BCS. Or whatever you call it." The players still call it I-A/I-AA. All of the coaches do. I write FCS in my stories, but others don't. And lay off Rich Radford, Tribe. It's not shoddy reporting if an editor has made a decision on something and a reporter follows it.

[lizrdgizrd]

Agreed Red. Just interviewed a player today, who talked about having his school having as nice of a weight room as some I-As. "Or BCS. Or whatever you call it." The players still call it I-A/I-AA. All of the coaches do. I write FCS in my stories, but others don't. And lay off Rich Radford, Tribe. It's not shoddy reporting if an editor has made a decision on something and a reporter follows it.
Editors can be wrong too. xpeacex

[T-Dog]

I dunno about ASU reaching out ot play them if they only want a home game with no return. It would be nice on our part if we accepted to help them out attendance wise but I'm sure we'd push for a return game.

We go to Georgia in 09 and and with Samford on the SoCon schedule, we'll have 4 home games pre-set so if we go to ODU, we'll have to get another home game (or two as we like having 6 home games a year)

Of course if they come to the Rock in 09, all will be good.

[GannonFan]

Hate say it boys, but this FCS stuff just ain't gonna stick.

If it sticks around long enough people will use it - it took years before people started to understand what I-AA was (and heck, for the real casual fan they never did) so don't be surprised if this takes years (even decades) before people become aware.

[henfan]

I emailed Rich Radford, who wrote the article, about his use of I-AA with no mention of the name change.

I'm sure somewhere someone never quite caught up to the I-A/I-AA designations. Probably the same people who refer to their desktops as "that fancy electronic computing machine". xrotatehx

Just the same, it is some pretty irresponsible/lazy reporting. xsmhx Using FBS/FCS designation and then qualifying it with "f/k/a I-AA/I-A" isn't rocket surgery and serves to educate the reader at the same time.

I agree with Gannonfan though. The name change will be an evolutionary process. Still, a sad segment of the population will refuse to evolve and will be forced to slog around with that unnecessary appendage into the distant future. Pitty the poor dodo.

[IaaScribe]

Editors can be wrong too. xpeacex

Absolutely. I'm just saying don't blame it on the writer if the editor has chosen to go with one designation over another. It's out of the writer's hands at that point.

[lizrdgizrd]

Absolutely. I'm just saying don't blame it on the writer if the editor has chosen to go with one designation over another. It's out of the writer's hands at that point.
But isn't it the writer's job to push for what he thinks should be in his article? Or is it that you write your article, turn it in and never see it again until after it's published?

[89Hen]

Still, a sad segment of the population will refuse to evolve and will be forced to slog around with that unnecessary appendage into the distant future. Pitty the poor dodo.
You calling me a dodo? xmadx :p

[IaaScribe]

But isn't it the writer's job to push for what he thinks should be in his article? Or is it that you write your article, turn it in and never see it again until after it's published?

No, you see it again. And you can push for what is right. I had an editor last year who said to refer to the Virginias and Virginia Techs of the world as Division I, and the Libertys and Richmonds of the world as Division I-AA. Of course, if you go that way, you're insinuating that I-AA schools are not Division I schools. I told him he was wrong. We argued. We agreed to disagree and I continued to refer to Wake Forest as a I-A opponent until he relented.

Back on topic ... if an editor has chosen to go with I-AA/I-A across the board as opposed to FBS/FCS, he's going to change it every time.

Here's the problem. Everyone still calls it I-AA. Yes, we're trying to educate the readers, but it becomes very cumbersome to have to write Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) in x number of stories throughout the year. It's a tough decision. Do you go with what's right? Or do you go with what your readers know?

[henfan]

Here's the problem. Everyone still calls it I-AA. Yes, we're trying to educate the readers, but it becomes very cumbersome to have to write Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) in x number of stories throughout the year.

Well, not everyone still calls it I-AA.

If thes message is consistent to the readership for at least a short period of time, the publication shouldn't have to refer to the f/k/a title ad infinitim. At some point, it's up to the reader to take responsibility. If we're a year or two out and people are still confused by the term FCS, they have only themselves to blame.

I'm not sure how a publication/media can ever expect the new term to come into common useage unless they play some role in educating readers. Afterall, one of the primary roles of the media is to inform.

[Tute79]

So back to ODU's dilemma -

Does anyone know at what point they become official members of the CAA football league ?
At that point ODU is one of 13 teams in the league, and I assume the CAA league office will dictate that a certain number (maybe 8) of the other 12 CAA Football Schools have to play ODU, in a given year. Perhaps the league office even determines who has to schedule whom every year, or creates the schedule for intra-league games, right ?

[GannonFan]

So back to ODU's dilemma -

Does anyone know at what point they become official members of the CAA football league ?
At that point ODU is one of 13 teams in the league, and I assume the CAA league office will dictate that a certain number (maybe 8) of the other 12 CAA Football Schools have to play ODU, in a given year. Perhaps the league office even determines who has to schedule whom every year, or creates the schedule for intra-league games, right ?

ODU becomes eligible for the CAA conference championship in 2011, at which time they will play a full conference schedule. And yes, there will be 8 conference games at that time. And yes, the conference determines what the conference schedule is, in coordination with all member institutions, just like any other conference.

[89Hen]

ODU becomes eligible for the CAA conference championship in 2011, at which time they will play a full conference schedule. And yes, there will be 8 conference games at that time. And yes, the conference determines what the conference schedule is, in coordination with all member institutions, just like any other conference.
That may be a pretty big assumption at this point. 2011 is a long way away and we may not even have 9 football playing members of the CAA by then. xeyebrowx :D

[Saint3333]

Sure you will:
UMass
Delaware
Towson
JMU
ODU
ASU
UNCC
Georgia St.
GSU

xsmiley_wix

[89Hen]

Sure you will:
UMass
Delaware
Towson
JMU
ODU
ASU
UNCC
Georgia St.
GSU
No offense, but...

:pumpuke: xsmiley_wix

[rufus]

Sure you will:
UMass
Delaware
Towson
JMU
ODU
ASU
UNCC
Georgia St.
GSU

xsmiley_wix
I'm not so sure Towson and Georgia State will ever have the fan support to fit into that group, but I like where you're going. For most of those schools, that line up would be a better fit than existing conferences.

[89Hen]

For most of those schools, that line up would be a better fit than existing conferences.
xconfusedx xsmhx That would be horrible for football. Everyone would be 7-4 and none of us would make the playoffs.

[Ruler 79]

I would ASSUME/HOPE/PRAY that Albany is in the mix by 2011!!!!!

[Saint3333]

True, but the regular season would be great. Is that the only reason you didn't like the conference?

I think the Gateway teams may realize this problem once the XDSUs join and 6 legit teams are fighting for 3 playoff slots (none of which are seeded).

[89Hen]

True, but the regular season would be great. Is that the only reason you didn't like the conference?
Yes. Also, I would only be for a conference in which we were an all-sports member.

[ChooChoo]

Georgia State just reached $1million in pledges.
http://www.georgiastatesports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=12700&KEY=&ATCLID=860313
It was #1 on our list of goals. We have to now get an $85 athletic fee passed through the SGA, get the blessing of our President, and lastly, the approval of the Board of Regents. It's all very do-able, but it is not a done deal. Again, it's a VERY GOOD sign.
Don't worry, if we get football (which is now HIGHLY likely) support will be there.
The CAA, in one way or another, will look different in 5 years.

[Saint3333]

Yes. Also, I would only be for a conference in which we were an all-sports member.

I agree, this was under the assumption that ODU, UNCC, and Georgia St. field a football program.