Considering the ACC and SEC are sticking with eight games while the Big XII, Big Ten and Pac 12 play nine conference games, I think there will be plenty of SEC teams in BC's future. Teams from both conferences will be looking for decent non-conference, Power 5 matchups and both sides will have plenty of openings. We are unlikely to see Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, or South Carolina, since all already have permanent non-conference Power 5 opponents. However, nearly all the other SEC teams are options. If I were Brad Bates, I would schedule Alabama now. There is no way that Saban is still coaching there in 2025 and beyond. Hell, it is highly unlikely that Bates will be BC's AD in 2025. Might as well look like you've done something big -- schedule the nation's best program -- and leave some other BC administration and coaching staff to actually play the games.
As for Missouri, who knows what they will be like when we play them. They are not good now, but have had plenty of recent success. Traditionally they are a mediocre major conference program. They are the type of team we traditionally can and should compete with. I've never been to a game in Columbia, so I don't know if it will be an exciting trip. Their gameday reputation doesn't come with the expectations of LSU or Ole Miss. But the game matters more than the destination.
Now that the Power 5 aspect of our schedule is filling up, I hope Bates improves the other slots. All FCS opponents should be based in New England or Catholic. That is the only way to generate interest (and justify) those opponents. As soon as Holy Cross is at its full compliment of scholarships, they should be our FCS opponent four out of five years. As for the mid-majors, it is all about our alumni and recruiting. Find programs where we can recruit in their backyard (like Ohio) or where we have local fans (California).
I know smart scheduling helps build a program. We are pretty close to that now with regards to future Power 5s. Now we just need smart football coaching.
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Delighted to year this, though I will likely be too old to care by the time we play them. Now, we just need to make sure that we can be competitive.
Good job Brad Bates
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(give me the opportunity to say this more often!)
Being from Missouri and being a Tiger from fan, I think that this assessment is a little heavy handed. Gary Pinkel who came from Toledo recently was replaced after 14 years as head coach by the defensive coordinator, Barry Odom. In both 2013 and 2014, Missouri won their division. Auburn blew them out in the championship game and then Alabama blew them out the next year. In 2013, they were 12-2 and the next year, they were 11-3. I don't consider that to be a mediocre program. The Mizzou campus compares favorably to that of the University of Tennessee. The stadium holds 71K. I have visited both. Blaine Gabbert and Chase Daniel are quarterbacks of recent vintage. With a new coach, they are rebuilding. They played well and competitively in the Big-12 before going to the SEC a few years ago. This was an upgrade in competitiveness and they did well at first and are now having trouble staying at that level. Right now, I believe that they are on a par with Vanderbilt who plays some close games in the SEC. Georgia clobbered them to be sure recently. However, they are a very good football program and this two game series will be interesting if BC can hold up their end of the bargain with a quality coach having righted a sinking ship.
if our hand was forced and we HAD to schedule a Power 5 opponent, I find this to be somewhat perplexing. is there a big BC alumni base in St. Louis or Kansas City? I suppose Chicago alum might make the trip for this game?
the Northwestern series we did during the Spaz years was ideal scheduling. i met up with a BC alum living in Chicago and Cincinnati for that one, and we got a weekend trip in Chicago out of it. maybe i just don't know enough about Columbia MO, but the prospect of a weekend trip there for me is basically nil. i didn't make it to the USC game in LA, but from friends who attended it sounded like the same thing as the Northwestern game - lots of folks in LA and broader CA (where there are 5 alumni chapters) made the trip.
does anyone have a list of metropolitan areas w/ the most BC alumni? the Northwestern and USC game being good examples, i'd find home and home with Stanford, Cal, University of Washington, UCLA much more exciting.
Maybe not a list, but I remember Fr. Leahy stating that he wanted games in areas with lots of BC alum. Outside of NE/NY, California and Chicago are the top two. I've never seen CA broken down between SoCal and NorCal though. All the same, BC has the Stanford game in the books for those who didn't go south in 2013.
There has been a strong connection between BC and South Carolina on the football team and grads migrating there.
A trip to the other Columbia would be better.
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Such an elitist Miz. Let's only rub elbows with Stanford, northwestern, ND, Vanderbilt and USC
I'll take an SEC opponent any day and travel to see the amber waves of grain any day
O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!
We have an alumni group in Kansas City. It used to be more active but BC is now regulating local groups more. The game is far off but we will organize tailgate/event. St.Louis will have a larger group and Omaha also has an active group.
Good move! Definitely a quality OOC opponent. FWIW during my BC experience there seemed to be a lot of kids from St. Louis
South Carolina would be an awesome place to go for a game but they usually have two out of conferences games inked in pen every year (Clemson and a local FCS school). Only bad thing about Missouri is that you have to drive a decent way to get there.
good to hear of the midwest support in STL, KC and Omaha.
i'd also love a Columbia SC trip.
in sum, this is better than scheduling Wagner.
Umass played Mississippi State and I think is playing South Carolina too,as well as BC.
We played Wagner,Buffalo and UMass. But Bates and Addazio are proud.
Hopefully Bates and Addazio will be long gone when these games take place.
yes, UMass played MISS as a PAID PATSY
"Mississippi State will pay UMass a total of $700,000 in 2017 and 2020. The payout is $325,000 in 2017 and increases to $375,000 three years later. The buyout for either school is $1 million for each game remaining on the schedule at the time of cancellation"
I could see Leahy deciding to use BC as a PAID PATSY (what we are good at now) to raise $$$
we're not a paid patsy to get Mizzou home and home with Alumni first (which probably isn't what you mean, but just in case...)
I could imagine BC BOT start thinking "gee UMass is getting paid to play the big boys ... Maybe we should too. " money for sucking
Presently, BC is MAC team in drag.
Assuming NCSU, FSU, LV are sure loses and - generously - Syr and Wake are 50/50 games, BC has a 25% chance of going 0-8 in ACC play and a 50% chance of going 1-7
If UConn is a 50/50 game
If Yukon 50/50. Then 12.5% chance of toilet bowling
What a joke we are right now.
In this case, joke = very sad!
Go BC - Ever to Excel.
Sadly, we are at the level of "paid patsy" now. You might as well embrace what you have created, Brad. Bring in the $ and use these football players as stooges. What the heck, they're getting the "free" education, even though they are your employees. So use them to make money and increase your personal bonus.
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