Anyone know who Tech is scheduled to play in 2015-2016

[HoDo-Tech70]

When pigs fly...

Like I said - economics at this level doesn't make this very feasible

Is spending $15k on travel for one game or two games worth it when you have to travel 9 times in conference that only has 3 or 4 bus rides?

I would rather schedule 4 money games against A-5 schools and throw the 15K towards a BUY a win at home...

This is very near to what we did this year. We had 3 money games and bought a game vs. DII Central Arkansas. To save expenses, we played bus trip games against nearby lower RPI teams. That may seem best economically, but it almost guarantees that we have to win the C-USA tournament to get a bid. I'm convinced there's a better way.

As you have said before, we could be a top 30 RPI team and still not get an at-large. I assume you mean that's the result of a shortage of quality wins and a lower SOS.

Why can't we 1) make money, 2) improve our SOS, and 3) get quality wins all at the same time? If we start scheduling back to back games with top 100 teams with situations similar to ours, we could. We don't have to give up the money games against the A-5 (P5) and we still keep our conference schedule and tournament.

Imagine playing Richmond and VCU on the same trip. They are less than 20 miles apart so a trip to Richmond/VCU may only require 1 extra hotel night and meals. The next season, VCU and Richmond would travel to Ruston. I would expect at least 1000 to 1500 more in ticket sales for each game (compared to Jackson State, et. al.) and at $15 a ticket that would be $30 to $45,000 in extra revenue for the 2 game homestand.

The gain in revenue would offset the increased expense of our travel to Richmond and those games will net us a higher RPI because we are playing teams who should have a better record and whose opponents will have a better record. That's how other conferences get higher RPI's.

If Richmond (56) and VCU (15) won't agree, then find two non A-5 top 100 RPI teams who will agree. It could be a matchup with George Washington (84) and Richmond/VCU, or Butler (31) and Valparaiso (50), or Northeastern (86) and UMass (81), Colorado St. (29) and Wyoming (71), or several other pairs in close proximity. We would have to partner with another top 100 RPI school in close proximity such as SMU, SFA, or other.

Schedule another pair in alternating years for 2 top 100 road games and 2 top 100 home games each season. Winning some of these 4 top 100 games plus any top 100 conference games and top 100 money games would help us get an at-large, if we don't win the tournament. It would also help with seeding

Get 6 to 10 teams involved in a rotation and it would benefit all the schools and provide exciting OOC games for the fans. This could benefit attendance during the conference season.

I think this is the easiest way to 1) make money, 2) improve our SOS, and 3) get quality wins. #2 and #3 are key to getting an at-large bid. #1 is probably the most important for the long term health of the program. It may be necessary to survive because the regional "power conference" schools have locked us out by refusing to play us.

[HoDo-Tech70]

Aren't the CAJUNS going to get a chance to make it 3-0 next year????

Best of luck to you guys in this years NCAA tournament.

[Dwayne From Minden]

55 has sold out 60+ straight home games...

Doubt they are coming to North LA to play us and ULM on a road swing

Its just wishful thinking

Win one of those OOC games this year and we jump 10 pts and the rpi

Don't lose to UNT or Usl and we jump another 10pts in rpi

I would like to see our SOS about 175 to 200 - but that is more ON luck of the draw from one year to the next than scheduling prowess

[Dwayne From Minden]

VCU has sold out

[HoDo-Tech70]

Yeah, VCU doesn't need any help from us or SMU or SFA. However, Richmond and George Washington (Washington DC) might. They are top 100 teams who may get left out of the tournament unless they win their conference. We could all improve our SOS, RPI, and tournament chances and seeding by playing each other. The nlulm Wartchickens would not help us enough so they should not be included. We certainly don't need to give them any help.

Doing things like I've suggested is how the Big 12, SEC, and ACC lock out smaller schools from getting at-large bids. They play their OOC schedules at home against strong non-P5 teams. They generally win most of these games. They want all the at-large bids for themselves. Every bid they gain is one the smaller schools lose.

We need to start working the system like the "bigs" are already doing. Unfortunately, we have money considerations that, most times, dictate what we can do. That's why any plan for better scheduling needs to generate revenue. I'm fairly certain that better scheduling with a partner, as I've suggested, will generate more net income than making bus trips to ULLLL, McNeese, or Southern. We still get to keep money games vs a power conference team. We may not win many, but we could win some and any win could be the one that guarantees an at-large bid.

[Tech77]

You meant SAU, I think, Ho-Do.

[HoDo-Tech70]

You meant SAU, I think, Ho-Do.

THANKS!!! Oh, I certainly did mean SAU was the division II school we played last season. My excuse - NCAA tournament game must have distracted me. I know the difference.