Saint Francis 2010 Schedule

[downbythebeach]

LORETTO, Pa. (March 11, 2010 ) – A challenging non-conference slate, including trips to full scholarship opponents Liberty and Cal Poly, highlight the 2010 Saint Francis Red Flash football schedule in the team’s first season under new head coach Chris Villiarrial.

The 11-game schedule, which features seven road games and four home contests, will pit the Red Flash against tough competition both inside and outside of the Northeast Conference. The 2010 season will also mark the first time that the Northeast Conference champion will receive an automatic bid to the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) tournament.

MORE (http://www.francis.edu/SportsFootballfullstory.aspx?id=41704)

The 2010 Saint Francis Red Flash Football Schedule

Sept. 4 at Liberty TBA
Sept. 11 at Morehead State 1 p.m.
Sept. 18 SACRED HEART* 12 p.m.
Oct. 2 ROBERT MORRIS*(1) 1 p.m.
Oct. 9 at Albany* 12 p.m.
Oct. 16 WAGNER* 1 p.m.
Oct. 23 at Monmouth* 1 p.m.
Oct. 30 at Cal Poly TBA
Nov. 6 BRYANT*(2) 12 p.m.
Nov. 13 at Duquesne* TBA
Nov. 20 at Central Conn. State* 12 p.m.

[DetroitFlyer]

Nice schedule! I am really looking forward to Chris turning SFUP around. I really like the CalPoly game. Get the kids and maybe even some fans out to the left coast. This is exactly the type of thing that can greatly help recruiting. It works in the PFL and it will help with SFUP. I know that at least one Pittsburgh area player chose SFUP over my Flyers this year. Speaking of the Flyers, I sure would like to see the SFUP / Dayton series renewed in the future.

[slostang]

Any St. Francis fans heading out to SLO to see the game against Cal Poly?

[Wildcat80]

Its going to make the NEC conference race much more exciting to get the autobid. same with the big south. Hope SF gets the upset they almost had vs UNH.

[maristdb89]

Nice schedule. Good luck this year.

[Big Al]

Four home games? Ouch.

[aceinthehole]

Four home games? Ouch.

That is becoming the standard in the NEC. Albany will also play all 3 non-conf games on the road in 2010. CCSU and Monmouth did the same in 2009. The fact is very few FCS teams are willing to travel to NEC schools.

Most NEC teams are taking 2 $$ games vs. FCS teams, then the 3rd game is either:
1) another $$ game on the road, or
2) 1 for 1 deals with a FCS team (every other year on the road), or
3) buy a D-II home game.

[aceinthehole]

In the last 3 seasons, the entire NEC has had just 9 home games that were NOT from the PFL/MAAC/Indy/D-II/D-III:

2009 - Maine @ Albany, Hofstra @ Bryant, Bucknell @ Duquesne
2008 - Maine @ Monmouth, Costal Carolina @ Monmouth, Bucknell @ Robert Morris
2007 - Hofstra @ Albany, Stony Brook @ Albany, VMI @ Robert Morris

[danefan]

In the last 3 seasons, the entire NEC has had just 9 home games that were NOT from the PFL/MAAC/Indy/D-II/D-III:

2009 - Maine @ Albany, Hofstra @ Bryant, Bucknell @ Duquesne
2008 - Maine @ Monmouth, Costal Carolina @ Monmouth, Bucknell @ Robert Morris
2007 - Hofstra @ Albany, Stony Brook @ Albany, VMI @ Robert Morris

There was a little wrinkle last year as UMass bought out their game @ Albany (switched to a game at UMass).

Anyway, not all that surprising considering some of the quality OOC opponents that NEC teams have played in the past few years under contracts that weren't home-and-homes.

Look at Albany for example:

2009
@ Georgia Southern
@ UMass

2008
@ UMass
@ New Hampshire
@ Delaware

2007
@ Montana


Those schools really don't travel to any OOC games, let alone an NEC team that they'll actually have to play hard to beat.

[aceinthehole]

Dane,

I don't disagree and I have no illusions of Delaware, Montana, or Georgia Southern returning games to the NEC. But, look at the scheduling that has evolved - it's all one way:

Typical CAA teams:
- Buy 2 FCS opponents for HOME games (no return)
- Get paid for a ROAD game from a FBS team (no return)

Typical Big South teams:
- Get paid for 1 or 2 ROAD games from FBS teams (no return)
- Buy 1 or 2 D-II opponents for a HOME game (no return)
- Limited home/home deals

Typical NEC teams:
- Get paid for 2 ROAD games from FCS team (no return)
- Home/home with PFL or buy a D-II HOME game (no return)

The PL-Ivy home/home agreements are the major exception.

[danefan]

Dane,

I don't disagree and I have no illusions of Delaware, Montana, or Georgia Southern returning games to the NEC. But, look at the scheduling that has evolved - it's all one way:

Typical CAA teams:
- Buy 2 FCS opponents for HOME games (no return)
- Get paid for a ROAD game from a FBS team (no return)

Typical Big South teams:
- Get paid for 1 or 2 ROAD games from FBS teams (no return)
- Buy 1 or 2 D-II opponents for a HOME game (no return)
- Limited home/home deals

Typical NEC teams:
- Get paid for 2 ROAD games from FCS team (no return)
- Home/home with PFL or buy a D-II HOME game (no return)

The PL-Ivy home/home agreements are the major exception.

That's no different than the FBS schedules though. The haves will continue to have and the have-nots will travel. Unfortunatley we're the have-nots in this case.

My issue with these setups is that again Albany doesn't have a home game in September.

We're on the road 4 out of the first 5 weeks with a bye in week 3. The NEC should be accomodating its teams to get them home games when they are playing marquee OOC games that raise the league's profile. Its hard to argue that Albany's (and Central's and Monmouth's as well) OOC games the last 3 years haven't raised the profile of the NEC trememdously. The league should be providing us a date later in the season for a road OOC game and putting some of the league home games in the early part of the season when we can build a fan base in the cold northeast.

[JMUNJ08]

I would also say its the lack of top tier conference opponents near by. The teams named as travelers to NEC sites were over 1/2 just Maine and Hofstra (who no longer exists). JMU has a home and home series with Liberty who is only about an hour away so both fan bases can easily travel. If more big FCS programs were nearby I think it would happen more often but still not the true home/home series you would always be looking for in an opponent.

[downbythebeach]

Any St. Francis fans heading out to SLO to see the game against Cal Poly?

I wishxbawlingx

[downbythebeach]

I'd like to see some games against Bucknell, Lehigh, LC, Nova, or Penn
Bucknell is I think only 2 hours from Saint Franny, but I dont think they have played in decades

[Bogus Megapardus]

I'd like to see some games against Bucknell, Lehigh, LC, Nova, or Penn
Bucknell is I think only 2 hours from Saint Franny, but I dont think they have played in decades

Lafayette played a basketball game in Loretto this year. I couldn't believe it when they said that St. Francis and Lafayette had never played each other despite the basketball history of both schools and their proximity.

I have no doubt the Pards would pencil in St. Francis for a football game, too. Since the Ivies say they're going kick us out of their club for thinking publicly about scholarships, there will be plenty of room on the OOC schedule.