So with the announced and yet to be announced additions, we will have three home and three away divisional games per year. What are everyone’s preference on the opponent groupings?

For me.
Split up the Georgia schools for one trip to Georgia per season.
Split Coastal and ODU to have one beach trip per season, and
Split Marshall and JMU to have one northern trip per season.

Thoughts?

Schedule could look like this…

Odd year home games beginning in 2023
Coastal Carolina
Georgia State
Marshall
+ 1 Random draw West Division Team
+ 2 OOC Teams

Even year home games beginning in 2024
Georgia Southern
JMU
ODU
+ 1 Random draw West Division Team
+ 2 OOC Teams

Outcome
Win - You can drive to all East Division road games from most major NC cities.
Win - You get a beach trip road game each year either Coastal or ODU.
Win - You get a historical rival at home each year either Turd or Stink.
Win - You only go to Georgia once a year.
Win - Will cost less to get to games and matches for all sports. Just need to purchase an additional 4-6 App State wrapped buses to transport our teams.
Win - Will sell more season tickets with a solid home schedule every year.

Marshall will travel best then GS or CCU, then ODU then GA St.

Selecting homecoming is going to be tougher.

It really is hard to believe that we made it through this last round of realignment in a regional conference with an old rival or two (depending on how you view JMU) with easy away trips for away games. Every team that we have added, or are soon to add, is closer than half the teams we already had in the Belt. Should make for great schedules.

Saint3333 wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 27, 2021 7:47 pm

Marshall will travel best then GS or CCU, then ODU then GA St.

Selecting homecoming is going to be tougher.

Make the homecoming game whatever team we get from the west division for that year.

Did not want to start another thread but do you think DG can get h/h with ECU for the Marshall match-up in '29? App was scheduled to host Marshall OOC in '29 but now that the Herd will be a conference game, App has a home opening. ECU's only game on the schedule in '29 is ODU at home so the Pirates will need a road game. Currently our last game against ECU is scheduled for Sept. of '26 down in Greenville so there is a couple of years in between.

Not sure why they would change things for current conference members. Don't feel it would be needed.

Odd Years at home

Coastal, Southern, ODU/JMU/Marshall at home

Even Years at home

Georgia State, then two from the ODU/JMU/Marshall group.

Does anyone know if the conference is looking to follow the SEC model of 8 conference games or Big Ten model of 9 conference games?

moonshine wrote: ↑

Thu Oct 28, 2021 10:56 am

Did not want to start another thread but do you think DG can get h/h with ECU for the Marshall match-up in '29? App was scheduled to host Marshall OOC in '29 but now that the Herd will be a conference game, App has a home opening. ECU's only game on the schedule in '29 is ODU at home so the Pirates will need a road game. Currently our last game against ECU is scheduled for Sept. of '26 down in Greenville so there is a couple of years in between.

ECU has a similar situation with Charlotte in 24' and 25'. So that me also open some opportunities (we need a home game in '25, under the current model it would be an FCS as we have South Carolina, Liberty and Toledo on the schedule for that year)

What are the chances UNC backs out of their game at The Rock in 2022?

WASU 93 wrote: ↑

Thu Oct 28, 2021 12:46 pm

ECU has a similar situation with Charlotte in 24' and 25'. So that me also open some opportunities (we need a home game in '25, under the current model it would be an FCS as we have South Carolina, Liberty and Toledo on the schedule for that year)

Maybe DG can get something worked out with USF for '28-'29 or even better, since former stAte AD is leading them now, UCF might be willing to tango.

appstate5 wrote: ↑

Thu Oct 28, 2021 1:26 pm

What are the chances UNC backs out of their game at The Rock in 2022?

I'd say close to zero. Without looking at what UNC is losing, next year is a rebuild for Clark with 6 starters on O and 8 on D graduating. If the Hills want to reach the Mountaintop, next year is as good as any for them, especially with it being the 1st game of the season and App breaking in so many new starters. 2022 is a doozy of a schedule for our guys!

Determining divisions. Do it the old-fashion way. Plot the schools on a map. Draw a line from E to W that puts 7 N and 7 S. Then rotate in 3 schools each year from the other side of the line. 9 games, leaving 3 games for outside of conference schedule. Done.

I think the line needs to be north/south and have east/west divisions to make travel better. I could go with either 8 or 9 conference games. I like even numbers thought so I would prefer 8/4. But 9 SB games would relieve some stress from OOC scheduling

goapps93 wrote: ↑

Fri Oct 29, 2021 9:30 am

I think the line needs to be north/south and have east/west divisions to make travel better. I could go with either 8 or 9 conference games. I like even numbers thought so I would prefer 8/4. But 9 SB games would relieve some stress from OOC scheduling

I would disagree with the relieving stress comment. I would think that a 9 game conference schedule would add to stress. An unbalanced conference schedule means 5 road games every other year. So how do you creatively work your schedule to ensure 6 home games a year?

8 conference games...gives better opportunity to play 2 P5 games if they will play us as well the ECU, Charlotte, etc.

Tbatchelor1977 wrote: ↑

Fri Oct 29, 2021 9:46 am

8 conference games...gives better opportunity to play 2 P5 games if they will play us as well the ECU, Charlotte, etc.

And to add to this, we are about to eliminate two potential, regional Home and Homes and one FCS regional opponents with the new SB additions.

I hope we go with a 9 game conference schedule. I don't want to beg p5's to play and I want to keep our gate.

I thought about starting a thread on this. when we beat Coastal, it was mentioned that we had not beaten a top 25 team since Michigan. It seems like we can only get top 10 P5 teams to pay/play us at their house. How many cracks since Michigan have we had a shot at a 20-25 ranked team? I doubt it has been many. I think we match up well with MANY 20-25 teams. 1 - 10 ranked teams at home is a tough accomplishment. Many teams get a top 25 at home...we rarely (if ever) do.

AppSt94 wrote: ↑

Fri Oct 29, 2021 9:42 am

goapps93 wrote: ↑

Fri Oct 29, 2021 9:30 am

I think the line needs to be north/south and have east/west divisions to make travel better. I could go with either 8 or 9 conference games. I like even numbers thought so I would prefer 8/4. But 9 SB games would relieve some stress from OOC scheduling

I would disagree with the relieving stress comment. I would think that a 9 game conference schedule would add to stress. An unbalanced conference schedule means 5 road games every other year. So how do you creatively work your schedule to ensure 6 home games a year?

True. Even numbers is better.

spacemonkey wrote: ↑

Fri Oct 29, 2021 10:22 am

I hope we go with a 9 game conference schedule. I don't want to beg p5's to play and I want to keep our gate.

I thought about starting a thread on this. when we beat Coastal, it was mentioned that we had not beaten a top 25 team since Michigan. It seems like we can only get top 10 P5 teams to pay/play us at their house. How many cracks since Michigan have we had a shot at a 20-25 ranked team? I doubt it has been many. I think we match up well with MANY 20-25 teams. 1 - 10 ranked teams at home is a tough accomplishment. Many teams get a top 25 at home...we rarely (if ever) do.

There was an interesting statistic out there a couple years ago regarding G5/P5 results. I don’t remember the sample size, but in games where a G5 team prevailed against a P5, the average win total of the G5 for that season was a little north of 7, while the average win total of the losing P5 was just north of 3.

We will play an eight-game conference schedule. Bank on it.