As you may have seen, BC moved the game against Kansas from Saturday to Friday, September 13. Long story short, this was always BC and ESPN's intention, but Kansas only agreed to it this week, hence it was changed just after the official ACC schedule announcement earlier this month. Friday games can be inconvenient for fans attending the game, but BC and ESPN wanted a BC Friday home game because the "Red Bandanna" game has become important to both the school and the company.
By having a locked in date and time, BC can prepare uniforms, special merchandise and work closely with the Crowther family. ESPN can use a whole week of shows -- especially close to the anniversary of September 11 -- to promote their own award winning feature and pump the ratings for an otherwise ho-hum matchup. It also helps fulfill the ACC's Friday night contractual commitment.
Every year the Red Bandanna game has been a great showcase for BC. I always worry about it feeling exploitative, but clearly the Crowther Family embraces it. Ideally it would have been better to tie things up before the ACC released schedules, but these things happen. The Kansas game was going to be an iffy ticket driver on a Saturday. Moving it to Friday alone wouldn't help, but making it a special game might.
UPDATE: BC wants to make it clear that nothing has been decided about the Red Bandanna game. ESPN and other BC folks strongly feel it will be this game.
Showing posts with label BC schedules. Show all posts
Showing posts with label BC schedules. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 23, 2019
Friday, September 02, 2016
End of the Week rant: Bates needs to stop talking about schedules!
(I am thinking of ending each week with a little bit of a rant. We'll see how long it lasts.)
The New York Times published an article this week on the challenge of College Football scheduling. BC's Athletic Director Brad Bates is one of the featured quotes. You can go read it yourself, but the general message is the BC party line: "it is so hard to find like-minded opponents...blah, blah, blah...it is so hard to schedule non-conference games..."
Is anyone else tired of this whining? Eight games are scheduled automatically (via the ACC). There is one FBS game annually. We have Notre Dame in a rotation. When all is said and done, BC does not have that many games to fill. It is not that hard. The only challenge comes because BC is overly cautious and in who they schedule for those few open games. They want someone good, but not too good. A winnable game, that generates interest and respectability. That sort of game is hard to find because that is what every program wants! If BC's primary schedulers (Bates and Addazio) were smart they would evaluate the supply and demand issue of those games and say: "screw it, let's go schedule the big boys on our terms."
If BC were willing to play a neutral site game opening weekend every year (like they are this year) we could play a Power 5 team annually. Would you like to see BC at Lambeau Field against Wisconsin? How about playing Georgia in the Georgia Dome? Don't want to be in hostile environments like that? Okay, how about playing Alabama at Fenway or Gillette? Those opportunities are out there every year. Hell, ESPN will help broker them. They are profitable. They are exciting. They are different. The only problem is the potential loss. But padding the win total is not doing BC any favors these days. What is going to juice our fanbase and reputation more: beating UMass or losing to Alabama? Because every once in a while we will beat those tradtional powers and it will feel glorious. The best moment of Addazio's career was beating USC. But neither he nor Bates learned the lesson of that night. Instead they are continuing to try to thread the needle of practical scheduling. But because of their caution, the odds are that neither of them will be around for these games they are scheduling.
The New York Times published an article this week on the challenge of College Football scheduling. BC's Athletic Director Brad Bates is one of the featured quotes. You can go read it yourself, but the general message is the BC party line: "it is so hard to find like-minded opponents...blah, blah, blah...it is so hard to schedule non-conference games..."
Is anyone else tired of this whining? Eight games are scheduled automatically (via the ACC). There is one FBS game annually. We have Notre Dame in a rotation. When all is said and done, BC does not have that many games to fill. It is not that hard. The only challenge comes because BC is overly cautious and in who they schedule for those few open games. They want someone good, but not too good. A winnable game, that generates interest and respectability. That sort of game is hard to find because that is what every program wants! If BC's primary schedulers (Bates and Addazio) were smart they would evaluate the supply and demand issue of those games and say: "screw it, let's go schedule the big boys on our terms."
If BC were willing to play a neutral site game opening weekend every year (like they are this year) we could play a Power 5 team annually. Would you like to see BC at Lambeau Field against Wisconsin? How about playing Georgia in the Georgia Dome? Don't want to be in hostile environments like that? Okay, how about playing Alabama at Fenway or Gillette? Those opportunities are out there every year. Hell, ESPN will help broker them. They are profitable. They are exciting. They are different. The only problem is the potential loss. But padding the win total is not doing BC any favors these days. What is going to juice our fanbase and reputation more: beating UMass or losing to Alabama? Because every once in a while we will beat those tradtional powers and it will feel glorious. The best moment of Addazio's career was beating USC. But neither he nor Bates learned the lesson of that night. Instead they are continuing to try to thread the needle of practical scheduling. But because of their caution, the odds are that neither of them will be around for these games they are scheduling.
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
Scheduling is not simple
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.
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.
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
No Thanks
Reader Matt sent an email regarding Notre Dame's annual Thanksgiving trips to California (rotating between Stanford and USC). I had also been thinking about BC's Thanksgiving games. While we won't copy the Irish's west coast swings, I do think the Irish are on to something. I don't think BC should ever play home games Thanksgiving weekend.
The biggest problem with Thanksgiving weekend is that most students are gone. I know campus is still open and they are welcome to return, but changing flights or rides is always easier said than done. This is a problem every school faces, but for state schools, the majority of the student population is still close. BC -- like Notre Dame -- has students from everywhere. Even if the school made an effort to get students back early for Thanksgiving, it is just not going to happen. To a lesser extent, the holiday also keeps some of our fans from outside Boston from making the trip back. They are shopping or traveling or with family.
We've played away games on Thanksgiving night, but I don't think we can ever host one on Thanksgiving Day. Part of it would be competing with the local high school game rivalries and the inevitable challenge from our Newton neighbors. But even a unique game on Thanksgiving or the occasional Black Friday game doesn't gain much for BC. We have our best attendance on Saturdays. When things are outside the norm, our non-local fans again become an issue.
The ACC rivalry with Syracuse is now locked in stone. We will finish our season with the Orange every year, with games rotating between Syracuse and Chestnut Hill. This is our best hope of overcoming the Thanksgiving challenge. If this becomes a heated rivalry, maybe, just maybe, students, non-local fans and even some bandwagon fans will want to get back for the game. Until then just be glad when we finish the season in Syracuse. It is just one less game where our stadium looks empty on TV.
The biggest problem with Thanksgiving weekend is that most students are gone. I know campus is still open and they are welcome to return, but changing flights or rides is always easier said than done. This is a problem every school faces, but for state schools, the majority of the student population is still close. BC -- like Notre Dame -- has students from everywhere. Even if the school made an effort to get students back early for Thanksgiving, it is just not going to happen. To a lesser extent, the holiday also keeps some of our fans from outside Boston from making the trip back. They are shopping or traveling or with family.
We've played away games on Thanksgiving night, but I don't think we can ever host one on Thanksgiving Day. Part of it would be competing with the local high school game rivalries and the inevitable challenge from our Newton neighbors. But even a unique game on Thanksgiving or the occasional Black Friday game doesn't gain much for BC. We have our best attendance on Saturdays. When things are outside the norm, our non-local fans again become an issue.
The ACC rivalry with Syracuse is now locked in stone. We will finish our season with the Orange every year, with games rotating between Syracuse and Chestnut Hill. This is our best hope of overcoming the Thanksgiving challenge. If this becomes a heated rivalry, maybe, just maybe, students, non-local fans and even some bandwagon fans will want to get back for the game. Until then just be glad when we finish the season in Syracuse. It is just one less game where our stadium looks empty on TV.
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