UMass scheduled a series with Mississippi State and got plenty of BC fans wondering, why didn't we do that? And mixed in with the good news of the Ireland trip is the very real possibility that we will only play five games in Alumni in 2016. Scheduling is tough and I don't think it will get an easier for Bates and Addazio in the next two seasons.
This is what we know. There are very few Power 5 teams not locked into deals for the next few years. (BC's schedule is still impacted by the ACC expansion to include Notre Dame and Syracuse and the ACC's flip-flop on nine conference games.) We are imposing restrictions on our schedule by the desire to have 6+ home games and Addazio not wanting to overburden his program. We also don't want to take 2 for 1 series (like UMass did with Miss St.). What's left? Not much. Unless ESPN steps in and creates a TV-friendly matchup, I think BC has two options for 2016. We either go on the road and only play five games at Alumni or we host a second FCS opponent.
Of those two options, I would prefer the road game. But I don't know if Addazio and Bates agree. 2016 is a critical year. It will be Addazio's fourth in the program. Expectations will be relatively high...or at least high enough to prove that Addazio can build a program. An easy win against a cupcake at home will help perception more than a close loss on the road.
I hope lucks into a great home game, but this is musical chairs. There aren't that many options, so Bates and Addazio will have to make a decision soon.
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We need 9 ACC games. The least desirable opponent in the coastal, Duke, Va.,UNC. Is still better than anything we are likely to come up w/ otherwise.
Are Howard and Maine really considered to be home games? If we win, it only counts as half a victory. Maybe, they are half a home game.
Still have not renewed. BC has very little leverage, but if they get tired of waiting on me and sell my tix to someone else - well, I had a very good run.
Good luck getting 25K for Maine and 18K for Howard. Probably about 37K for FSU on a Friday night and 31K for NIU.
Average attendance 28K for four home games in September.
Yes, scheduling is tough, especially when you take your season ticket holders for granted.
It is just completely ridiculous. Why would anyone get season tickets at this point? If you ask anyone for one highlight of last season, it is the USC game. Nothing else even compared.
I went back to my freshman year to look at this:
2005 OOC - BYU, Army, Ball State
2006 OOC - C. Michigan, BYU, Maine, Buffalo
2007 OOC - Army, UMass, Bowling Green, ND
2008 OOC - Kent State, UCF, URI, ND
2009 OOC - Northeastern, Kent State, ND, C. Michigan
2010 OOC - Weber State, Kent State, ND, Syracuse
I'll stop there but since then our best OOC opponents have been Northwestern and USC. I guess my point is that we're quick to jump on Bates, but the OOC schedule has never been that good IMO. This year is particularly bad with the Howard and Maine games, but it is difficult to get the quality opponents on the schedule. We also have to realize that Miss St is looking at UMass the same way we do - an easy win. Miss St looks at us and sees a team that beat USC last year and took Clemson and FSU to the wire.
It could be worse. Today I received an email from UCONN offering recent alumni season tix for $96 / $16 per game.
I hate this schedule orcastrating stuff, and I think we are amongst the worst offenders. All to get into a crap bowl game like 80 other teams? I’d much rather see real games. I hope uniformity works it’s way into the power 5. Something like this, all must have 9 league games, all must play 2 non conference power 5 games based on random computer selection, and 1 do what ever you want game. A schedule like that would make a season ticket worth something. Instead we get non leauge games that are pretty much the Globetrotters v the Washington Generals.
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