App Finishes Out 2020 Schedule

[Stonewall]

I also understand the reasoning behind FCS games, but I wonder what it would cost to bring WCU, Furman, Citadel to KBS. I would love to see those three in the future. Especially The Citadel. I still have a bad taste in my mouth just thinking of those guys.

Dog fans really rubbed our faces in it during and after our last football visit down there.

[AppSt94]

A FCS, and especially one against a MEAC team, is an easy buyout. I have no problem with it.

Gotta have somebody to offset the game at Wisconsin. Personally I'd rather buy out UMass.

Why would you rather buy out UMass?

Like an FCS game, they're bad enough that beating them does nothing for us. Unlike most FCS teams, they have FBS recruits, which means they have a puncher's chance of beating us if we don't show up (as we already saw once).

UMass also brings nothing to the table in terms of regional interest, recruiting footprint... basically anything. In short, it's the worst series we've signed since moving up.

OK. I get what your saying and they are valid, cogent points. I agree with you that the UMass agreement didn't/doesn't make sense for the points that you brought up. But neither did Akron. We really don't have alot of options other than the local schools, (ECU, Charlotte, and Marshall, ODU). But if you look within our recruiting footprint, what options do we have? SC and Georgia don't offer non P5 FBS option, Alabama offers UAB but we already have two schools in our conference there. Louisiana the same thing. Mississippi, Tennessee and Kentucky offers one option each. It would be nice to set up series with an USF, UCF, FAU and FIU, but they might look at us the same way you look at UMass i.e. recruiting footprint and we definitely have the players to punch them in the mouth. Lastly on that point, you have to have someone willing to work out a deal with you.

Another point, buying out the back end of a home and home, when you are the home team doesn't make a lot of sense economically. But again. I don't disagree with your points. Just adding my thoughts.

[Saint3333]

Guys to get a P5 game every third year at home on average we're going to need to schedule FCS opponents the majority of years if you want six home games - math.

2016-2025 App has four P5 home games and five FCS home games on the schedule. Even if we sign two more FCS opponents for those years, getting a P5/FCS ratio of greater than 1:2 over a ten year period is pretty good.

For some perspective, GS will have a 0:5 ratio over that period with two five home game years. Ark St.'s ratio is 2:5, Troy is 1:4.

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

A FCS, and especially one against a MEAC team, is an easy buyout. I have no problem with it.

Gotta have somebody to offset the game at Wisconsin. Personally I'd rather buy out UMass.

Why would you rather buy out UMass?

Like an FCS game, they're bad enough that beating them does nothing for us. Unlike most FCS teams, they have FBS recruits, which means they have a puncher's chance of beating us if we don't show up (as we already saw once).

UMass also brings nothing to the table in terms of regional interest, recruiting footprint... basically anything. In short, it's the worst series we've signed since moving up.

Beats the heck out of playing Gardner Webb.

Any idea what else was available? Things move around but was that about as good as it was going to get. Not the most compelling I agree.

[GregPercussion]

Guys to get a P5 game every third year at home on average we're going to need to schedule FCS opponents the majority of years if you want six home games - math.

2016-2025 App has four P5 home games and five FCS home games on the schedule. Even if we sign two more FCS opponents for those years, getting a P5/FCS ratio of greater than 1:2 over a ten year period is pretty good.

For some perspective, GS will have a 0:5 ratio over that period with two five home game years. Ark St.'s ratio is 2:5, Troy is 1:4.

Exactly, we have some pretty good games scheduled over the next few years. And least we forget we were once an "FCS school that no one took seriously".
Crazier things have happened. It's all part of the circle of life of football y'all.

[T-Dog]

When we moved to FBS, I said App shouldn't play any former SoCon team minus ETSU for 10 years.

Not happy about Elon in 2021, but that's not as bad as others would have been in that spot.

I'd extend a moratorium on Wofford, Furman, El Citadel and Western an extra 10 years to 2034.

[EastHallApp]

A FCS, and especially one against a MEAC team, is an easy buyout. I have no problem with it.

Gotta have somebody to offset the game at Wisconsin. Personally I'd rather buy out UMass.

Why would you rather buy out UMass?

Like an FCS game, they're bad enough that beating them does nothing for us. Unlike most FCS teams, they have FBS recruits, which means they have a puncher's chance of beating us if we don't show up (as we already saw once).

UMass also brings nothing to the table in terms of regional interest, recruiting footprint... basically anything. In short, it's the worst series we've signed since moving up.

OK. I get what your saying and they are valid, cogent points. I agree with you that the UMass agreement didn't/doesn't make sense for the points that you brought up. But neither did Akron. We really don't have alot of options other than the local schools, (ECU, Charlotte, and Marshall, ODU). But if you look within our recruiting footprint, what options do we have? SC and Georgia don't offer non P5 FBS option, Alabama offers UAB but we already have two schools in our conference there. Louisiana the same thing. Mississippi, Tennessee and Kentucky offers one option each. It would be nice to set up series with an USF, UCF, FAU and FIU, but they might look at us the same way you look at UMass i.e. recruiting footprint and we definitely have the players to punch them in the mouth. Lastly on that point, you have to have someone willing to work out a deal with you.

Another point, buying out the back end of a home and home, when you are the home team doesn't make a lot of sense economically. But again. I don't disagree with your points. Just adding my thoughts.

The Akron series didn't do much for us, but that one was one of the first series we scheduled after we moved up and just needed to fill the schedule, so it was understandable. Every H&H series we've scheduled since Gillin took over, without exception, has been a good one IMO (as were the UNCC, ODU, Southern Miss and Wake series we signed under Cobb/Beasley). We've had no problem finding appealing matchups.

None of the schools you mentioned have reason to look at us the way I described UMass because we are a good football program. Playing a good team always has value, regardless of geography.

[AppSt94]

I didn’t say that schools in Florida DID look at us that way, just that they might. So playing Wyoming made sense to you? Playing a UMass is an easy way to expand the footprint. They are between some areas heavily populated with athletes with limited options in the north. Many of them would go south to play. Again, anytime that you can get your name in the paper or on tv, it’s an opportunity for exposure to those who may not know your name.

If ou think that I am wrong about the Florida schools, I invite you to take a look at their H/H opponents. Two of them are playing UMass.

[huskie3]

Gardner Webb is D1 FCS like we used to be. Quit having a superiority complex.

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

I don't have a problem playing GW per se. One FCS a year is ok by me. However GW had one win last year and that was over DII Shorter. Sometimes you don't know what you are going to get when you schedule a few years out, but right now this is not the most compelling FCS game. The next time we play then maybe that will not be the case and maybe GW will be bettet this year for our sale.

[EastHallApp]

I didn’t say that schools in Florida DID look at us that way, just that they might. So playing Wyoming made sense to you? Playing a UMass is an easy way to expand the footprint. They are between some areas heavily populated with athletes with limited options in the north. Many of them would go south to play. Again, anytime that you can get your name in the paper or on tv, it’s an opportunity for exposure to those who may not know your name.

If ou think that I am wrong about the Florida schools, I invite you to take a look at their H/H opponents. Two of them are playing UMass.

Wyoming was another one of the early series scheduled under Cobb. No, not a great one there either, although they've gotten pretty decent the last couple years.

I'm not saying we'll never sign a player from New England, but it's some of the least fertile recruiting ground in the country and we'll never commit resources to recruiting there.

Let me put it this way: If I ranked every FBS program in the country in terms of desirability for a H&H series for App, I could count on one hand the ones that would be less desirable than UMass. And maybe have a couple fingers left over.

Anyway, we're both entitled to our opinions obviously. I'm just glad we've upgraded scheduling since those early days in FBS.

[EastHallApp]

As for GW and whichever FCS we're playing in 2020 (I've already forgotten and don't care enough to scroll up) - they get a paycheck and we get a home game against a sacrificial lamb. Personally I'm fine with it.

[97APP]

As for FCS scheduling, I really only look for 2 things: the right price and a somewhat local team that may buy a few tickets. That pretty much narrows it down to MEAC and Big South teams. For the most part, SoCon, OVC, and CAA teams will want more than we're willing to pay. Just like when we were in FCS, with our FBS opponent we looked for a big time experience/atmosphere along with a big time paycheck. There will always be some outliers like when we play Elon in 2021or when we were fcs and traveled to Hawaii and Wyoming, but for the most part I expect the above to be the norm.

[appfanz]

I heard Karl Benson on sports radio last week and he said the Sun Belt model was to play one FCS game per year.

[ncman071]

i know this is redundant, but really irritates me that Phil Steele has us with the 129th "toughest" schedule in FBS. @ So. Carolina, @UNC...face troy and G.Southerns....i mean these are not purshovers....just goes back to fact that Sunbelt is percieved to be such a weak conference. But i would argue given Sunbelt's success vs MAC and CUSA that we are actually a better conference than both of those

[AppSt94]

Why do you care about one person's opinion on the matter? Who cares. Just win baby.

[ncman071]

Why do you care about one person's opinion on the matter? Who cares. Just win baby.

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