Non-conference schedule

[Dawg06]

is terrible.

I'll put this here instead of derailing the Syracuse thread.

Tech's RPI schedule strength is #349 out of the 351 Division I schools. At least that will change after today.

Our RPI SOS improved a grand total of 2 spots up to #347 of 351 DI schools after playing Syracuse. Our OOC schedule is a complete joke. Somehow White found a way to make it weaker than last year's joke of a schedule. Nobody wants to watch us play Nicholls State or Southern Arkansas either. Until we find a way to improve scheduling, our at-large hopes are eliminated before our season even tips off.

It's kind of hard when you call EVERY SEC team and most Big 12 teams and they turn you down even going to their place.

Please. Sick of the excuses. I'm not asking for Big 12 and SEC teams. We got two Big 12 teams last year and two ACC teams this year. We don't need more money games. Just a few home-and-homes against respectable teams. A good start would be to STOP scheduling Southland (only UNO/SFA acceptable), SWAC, Samford, Presbyterian, and Southern Arkansas. There are a couple dozen other conferences with decent schools to schedule.

With Tech's schedule, that's all that ever mattered...can't get an at-large bid with a 200+ SOS.

This. ^^^

Our non-conference schedule never gave our guys a chance for an at-large bid this year. It's not fair to our players, and it's not what our fans want to see. This program will not be able to take the next step if our only option of making the Big Dance is being 1 of 14 teams to get hot to win the C-USA Tournament.

[techman05]

It would be awesome to see us play Creighton, Butler, Wichita St, N Iowa, or similar. To me, a 30 game schedule should have more than just 3 big games on it. We might have to suffer and play the first game of a H and H away in a few instances. If all we did was call teams in the P5 ranks to try and get a game then I don't think we tried very hard. In basketball, there are as many good teams in the lesser conferences as there are in the P5.

[boxerdog]

We haven't been able to beat any decent teams so far this year. I don't think we're good enough to earn an at-large (even with a better schedule). There is a chance we could be pretty good by the conference tournament. That's our only hope.

[Dawg06]

We haven't been able to beat any decent teams so far this year. I don't think we're good enough to earn an at-large (even with a better schedule). There is a chance we could be pretty good by the conference tournament. That's our only hope.

True, but my point is that Coach White was Big Dance or bust with this team but never gave our guys a chance for an at-large bid with this OOC schedule. And this schedule does absolutely nothing for our fans.

[boxerdog]

True, but my point is that Coach White was Big Dance or bust with this team but never gave our guys a chance for an at-large bid with this OOC schedule. And this schedule does absolutely nothing for our fans.

I've heard it was difficult to find anybody to play this year, much less come to Ruston. We need more money to pay decent teams. At any rate, I think "finish" is a good motto. You can't finish until the end.

[Dawg06]

I've heard it was difficult to find anybody to play this year, much less come to Ruston. We need more money to pay decent teams. At any rate, I think "finish" is a good motto. You can't finish until the end.

I get that it's not easy, but it can be done. What we got this year is not just bad. It's atrocious. 6 of our 13 OOC games are against teams currently ranked #315 or worse on KenPom. There are 351 DI teams trying to fill out 13-15 OOC slots. There are opportunities for us, and it's really not hard to simply avoid the bottom of the barrel.

And the money issue is really moot. Go play on the road at a similar school for ~$75K. Then use that money to buy another decent opponent for ~$75K. Schedule two pairs of home-and-homes like that, and the money will all cancel out paying out $150K in guarantee money and then receiving $150K in guarantee money.

[Wade_Antley]

Where do we rank vs the rest of CUSA ooc schedules. I just looked at a couple; WKU, Charlotte, UTEP, & ODU and they all had pretty good opponents. Two things that stands out though is they play a selection of local schools and they faced better teams in their tournaments. Also they all had a win over a better school that they could hang their hat on.

[Exes&Ohs]

I get that it's not easy, but it can be done. What we got this year is not just bad. It's atrocious. 6 of our 13 OOC games are against teams currently ranked #315 or worse on KenPom. There are 351 DI teams trying to fill out 13-15 OOC slots. There are opportunities for us, and it's really not hard to simply avoid the bottom of the barrel.

And the money issue is really moot. Go play on the road at a similar school for ~$75K. Then use that money to buy another decent opponent for ~$75K. Schedule two pairs of home-and-homes like that, and the money will all cancel out paying out $150K in guarantee money and then receiving $150K in guarantee money.

How do we stay in business like that? Take in a dollar from one team and hand it to another leaves zero balance in the kitty. How do we pay the bills?

[PawDawg]

How do we stay in business like that? Take in a dollar from one team and hand it to another leaves zero balance in the kitty. How do we pay the bills?

Football pays the bills.

[Black]

This is the only thing that makes yesterday less painful. It didn't cost us a shot at an at-large, that was probably out the window after the Temple loss with our schedule.

I wouldn't mind playing SFA/Sam Houston and even NWST(just not every year cause we could schedule worse teams), and try to get some Missouri Valley and Ohio Valley teams. No, it doesn't have to be Creighton and Wichita's. Try to get some home and homes with Indiana St, Belmont, Murray St, Illinois St, etc. Add those type of games with 2 or 3 games against the big conferences and the RPI is a little better. Nicholls and the swac schools have to go.

[BruceWillisDawg]

True, but my point is that Coach White was Big Dance or bust with this team but never gave our guys a chance for an at-large bid with this OOC schedule. And this schedule does absolutely nothing for our fans.

Yep, it's win the conference tourney or back to the NIT - no chance, unless we go undefeated the rest of the way with one loss in tourney championship. So 4 total losses is the only chance to go at large. It's a long season, hopefully we will take care of business and win tourney.

[Dawg06]

How do we stay in business like that? Take in a dollar from one team and hand it to another leaves zero balance in the kitty. How do we pay the bills?

That's the point of the home-and-home guarantees, for the guarantees to net $0 while getting four quality opponents with two at home.

Please tell me how playing home-and-homes against respectable schools/programs will negatively affect our ability to pay the bills compared to playing home-and-homes with jucos from the SWAC, Southland, Samford, etc.?

And basketball doesn't pay the bills anyway.

[techman05]

This is the only thing that makes yesterday less painful. It didn't cost us a shot at an at-large, that was probably out the window after the Temple loss with our schedule.

I wouldn't mind playing SFA/Sam Houston and even NWST(just not every year cause we could schedule worse teams), and try to get some Missouri Valley and Ohio Valley teams. No, it doesn't have to be Creighton and Wichita's. Try to get some home and homes with Indiana St, Belmont, Murray St, Illinois St, etc. Add those type of games with 2 or 3 games against the big conferences and the RPI is a little better. Nicholls and the swac schools have to go.

Thank you for filling in more names from the smaller conferences. My brain couldn't get past the mainstay programs.

[Exes&Ohs]

That's the point of the home-and-home guarantees, for the guarantees to net $0 while getting four quality opponents with two at home.

Please tell me how playing home-and-homes against respectable schools/programs will negatively affect our ability to pay the bills compared to playing home-and-homes with jucos from the SWAC, Southland, Samford, etc.?

And basketball doesn't pay the bills anyway.

Maddog, in a post above, states that football pays the bills. There have been a lot of links leading to sites like USA Today, Dept of Education, and even our own financial reports that show the Tech athletic programs are not generating even HALF of the money need to cover its annual operating expenses. The balance needed to balance income with expenses is transferred to athletics from school funds thus football is not carrying even their own load.

I did not put much though into basketball scheduling prior to submitting my post and agree the guarantees are a wash. The question though would be whether or not Tech would make more off TWO home games against the whomevers after paying a nominal fee for no return or more from the ONE game against Wichita State, etc.

[PawDawg]

Maddog, in a post above, states that football pays the bills. There have been a lot of links leading to sites like USA Today, Dept of Education, and even our own financial reports that show the Tech athletic programs are not generating even HALF of the money need to cover its annual operating expenses. The balance needed to balance income with expenses is transferred to athletics from school funds thus football is not carrying even their own load.

Thanks for the info.. Yes, we understood how things work before the idiots at USA Today, and the Dept of Education did the studies. Many of us know what the numbers are because we read those numbers each year. Don't spout numbers that you are not familiar with.

Yes at this point, Football carries the load for the entire athletic budget,