VMI @ Army 2009

[danefan]

Army released its 2009 schedule this morning which includes VMI.

Sept, 5 at E. Michigan (4-8 in 2007)

Sept. 12 vs. Duke (1-11)

Sept. 19 vs. Ball State (7-6)

Sept. 26 at Iowa State (3-9)

Oct. 3 vs. Tulane (4-8)

Oct. 10 vs. Vanderbilt (5-7)

Oct. 17 at Temple (4-8)

Oct. 24 vs. Rutgers (8-5)

Nov. 7 at Air Force (9-4)

Nov. 14 vs. VMI (1-10)

Nov. 21 at North Texas (2-10)

Dec. 5 Navy (8-5), at Philadelphia

http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080516/SPORTS/805160363/-1/SPORTS


I thought some of you might be interested.

[Franks Tanks]

Army released its 2009 schedule this morning which includes VMI.

Sept, 5 at E. Michigan (4-8 in 2007)

Sept. 12 vs. Duke (1-11)

Sept. 19 vs. Ball State (7-6)

Sept. 26 at Iowa State (3-9)

Oct. 3 vs. Tulane (4-8)

Oct. 10 vs. Vanderbilt (5-7)

Oct. 17 at Temple (4-8)

Oct. 24 vs. Rutgers (8-5)

Nov. 7 at Air Force (9-4)

Nov. 14 vs. VMI (1-10)

Nov. 21 at North Texas (2-10)

Dec. 5 Navy (8-5), at Philadelphia

http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080516/SPORTS/805160363/-1/SPORTS


I thought some of you might be interested.

They only play VMI because it is one of the few FCS schools they can guarantee a win against. They wont even schedule Ivy or Patriot schools anymore as they are afraid. They should have never fired Bob Sutton they have been a mess ever since.

[Seawolf97]

We play at West Point in 2011.

[DFW HOYA]

Meanwhile, the Patriot teams are stuck on the sidelines.

[bluehenbillk]

Army needs to forge some kind of identity, what a crappy schedule that is.

[Franks Tanks]

Army needs to forge some kind of identity, what a crappy schedule that is.

I do agree they should play other good academic schools like Tulane, Vandy, and Duke etc. but overall it is a pretty mish-mosh schedule.

Lafayette played Army every year from the Early 80's until 1997. They dropped us and now wont even consider playing us. Army also played Colgate, Bucknell, Lehigh, and Yale in the mid-90's, now not even a sniff. A 4-7 Holy Cross team beat them in 2002 and they have been scared to play the PL ever since.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Ditto with Lehigh. For years Lehigh has pushed to play at Michie Stadium but have been shut out year after year. You should have heard the uproar when Army agreed to play Yale in Lehigh circles... of course, it looks like Army is either backing out of that game or has already backed out of it, does anyone remember?

The perspective at Army is that playing a Patriot League school will give the impression that they will "downgrade" their program to (horror) FCS level - that it's the first step in a long 'slide' to the Patriot League in football. That's basically why they're not doing it. They have accurately determined that they can thumb their nose at the Patriot League in football, since Army and Navy are crucial to all the Patriot League's other sports.

I think you would see this change dramatically if we got more all-sports members. Army and Navy would have "special status" for football to stay in FBS, sure, but they wouldn't have nearly as much leverage in scheduling against PL opponents IMO.

[Franks Tanks]

Did some research and Army has also played The Citadel pretty often in the past.

Also Fun Facts.

They played at Penn in 1985 at Yale in 1986 at Harvard in 83 and at Princeton in 82. Lots of history there.

Army also played Montana in Tokyo Japan in 1984 in something called the Mirage Bowl. It wasnt a post season bowl as they played Navy a few weeks later and Michigan State in the Cherry bowl.

[Go...gate]

We play at West Point in 2011.

I believe you replaced us! xsmhx

[DFW HOYA]

I think you would see this change dramatically if we got more all-sports members. Army and Navy would have "special status" for football to stay in FBS, sure, but they wouldn't have nearly as much leverage in scheduling against PL opponents IMO.

Why would this change? They schedule nationally already and adding (for illustration purposes only) a Bryant or a Monmouth won't change that, unless you are suggesting they become associate members instead, and even that won't work to get PL teams on the schedules.

Behind the curtain is the real reason why USMA and USNA won't even look to Center Valley to arrange a game...bowl eligible wins. Sure, neither are making plans any time soon, but with so many minor bnowls out there, I-A teams are not going to schedule any games that might cost them a bowl invite. The PL teams fall below the threshold for a I-AA team to qualify as bowl eligible.

One way to change this, of course.

[OLPOP]

My understanding is that something like half the PL teams currently have the # of equivilencies to qualify as a bowl eligible win.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Why would this change? They schedule nationally already and adding (for illustration purposes only) a Bryant or a Monmouth won't change that, unless you are suggesting they become associate members instead, and even that won't work to get PL teams on the schedules.

Behind the curtain is the real reason why USMA and USNA won't even look to Center Valley to arrange a game...bowl eligible wins. Sure, neither are making plans any time soon, but with so many minor bnowls out there, I-A teams are not going to schedule any games that might cost them a bowl invite. The PL teams fall below the threshold for a I-AA team to qualify as bowl eligible.

One way to change this, of course.

Fair points, but... Yale wouldn't have counted as a bowl-eligible win. Neither, I believe, does VMI...

I believe one such game can still also qualify for bowl-eligibility, but schools can only have one of those types of games in two years.

IMO I still don't think that scholarships would prove to be enough of a leverage point for USMA and USNA to play more PL schools in football. The PL is desperate to have them stay in the conference in all sports - especially (guess what) men's basketball. Two new members - even Bryant and Monmouth in your illustrative example - would make the situation less desperate.

It may be true that the PL could never replace the USMA and USNA with better schools. But it would be one thing if they could demonstrate that they could live without them if push came to shove. The schools and the PL don't currently have that.

[Seawolf97]

I believe you replaced us! xsmhx

I for one would like to see the PL teams go full scholarship someday. I know your teams are good now without a scholarship program and that says alot about your coaches and recruiting. Looking forward to August 30th it should be a good game on Long Island with the Raiders!

[Go...gate]

I for one would like to see the PL teams go full scholarship someday. I know your teams are good now without a scholarship program and that says alot about your coaches and recruiting. Looking forward to August 30th it should be a good game on Long Island with the Raiders!

Certainly, one casualty for Colgate which has resulted from the PL's staying with "equivalencies" rather than actual scholarships has been the loss of the traditional stretch games which Colgate played against numerous opponents.

[colorless raider]

They only play VMI because it is one of the few FCS schools they can guarantee a win against. They wont even schedule Ivy or Patriot schools anymore as they are afraid. They should have never fired Bob Sutton they have been a mess ever since.

You are exactly right. They won't play Colgate and they dropped Yale. Pretty pathetic for West Point.