Xavier's NC home slate includes Cincy, Georgia, Zags & Purdue

Apparently Purdue (and Georgia, too, for that matter) found a way to schedule a home-and-home vs. a quality (Xavier) and/or BCS program. Will we hear the same tired mantra ("no one wants to play Minnesota", "our open dates didn't match up" -- yadda yadda yadda) if the Gophers again fail to do the same? I would think with the Gophers getting a home game for the Challenge, we'd be looking for a quality home-and-home series that starts on the road?

http://www.goxavier.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/042611aaa.html

SelectionSunday said:

Apparently Purdue (and Georgia, too, for that matter) found a way to schedule a home-and-home (Xavier) vs. a quality and/or BCS program. Will we hear the same tired mantra ("no one wants to play Minnesota", "our open dates didn't match up" -- yadda yadda yadda) if the Gophers again fail to do the same? I would think with the Gophers getting a home game for the Challenge, we'd be looking for a quality home-and-home series that starts on the road?

http://www.goxavier.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/042611aaa.html

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Agreed. This is more about wanting to than being able to. It can be done. The question is- who is calling the shots on the schedule? Is Tubby getting asked by the AD to generate X dollars net from the home schedule? Or is Tubby looking to run up the non-conference record.

Here's where it sure would help if the football team could generate some huge revenue to make the athletic department flush. Then there would be no available excuse for not making some deals to get some name squads in here. Instead, same old schedules with a new premium seating charge attached.

bga1 said:

Agreed. This is more about wanting to than being able to. It can be done. The question is- who is calling the shots on the schedule? Is Tubby getting asked by the AD to generate X dollars net from the home schedule? Or is Tubby looking to run up the non-conference record.

Here's where it sure would help if the football team could generate some huge revenue to make the athletic department flush. Then there would be no available excuse for not making some deals to get some name squads in here. Instead, same old schedules with a new premium seating charge attached.

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Yes. I don't know about a $$ target, but they do have to have a set # of NC home games (8). Maturi has said as much in the past. However, I don't think that precludes them from having at least 1 of the 8 be someone decent. As SS points out, they usually have 1 true road game and since it won't be the ACC game, they could certainly play the road half of a decent home-and-home. Anyone better the Colorado State or St. Joes would be nice.

There's not much for which I credit Dan Monson during his tenure here other than cleaning up Clem's mess (insert Wren's ramblings here), but in terms of scheduling major-conference/reputable programs at home (i.e. scheduling home-and-homes) Monson is light-years ahead of Tubby.

Big 6 Home Games under Monson (excluding ACC Challenge)
1999-00: Marquette
2000-01: Georgia, Nebraska
2001-02: Nebraska, Oregon
2002-03: Georgia, Texas Tech
2003-04: Nebraska
2004-05: none
2005-06: none (hosted historically reputable major-conference schools UAB -- a NCAA qualifier -- and UNLV)
2006-07: Arizona State, Iowa State

Big 6 Home Games under Tubby (excluding ACC Challenge)
2007-08: none
2008-09: none
2009-10: none (hosted historically reputable major-conference school Saint Joseph's)
2010-11: none
2011-12: ????

Monson was able & willing to schedule games vs. schools the casual fan would recognize. I think Tubby's fully capable of doing it as well, if he really wants to. Certainly with preferred seating on its way in a year, I would think a concerted effort will be made to reward season-ticket holders with a decent opponent or two more than usual in November and December?

I wouldn't put the onus on Maturi at all for our home schedules the last few years. Please note, I said before last season (2010-11) that I thought the non-Big Ten home schedule was better (thanks primarily to Wofford & Akron, and to a lesser extent Siena) than Tubby's first three seasons, but only marginally.

When I dropped our season tickets prior to this past season, I was a bit worried that they would start putting together a decent NC schedule and I would regret dropping. No worries. Looks like Tubby and Joel are doing a great job of making sure that I have no regrets. It's quite obvious that putting together a decent non-conference schedule is very possible. Eventually, enough fans will begin to tire of paying for two months of meaningless games and the U will get the message as it sees a reduced season ticket base.

Big Ten Home Games vs. BCS since 2007-08

skoalvikings said:

It's quite obvious that putting together a decent non-conference schedule is very possible.

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If this is any indication of that in the Big Ten. ... I've included confirmed home BCS home games for the upcoming season.

WISCONSIN (8)
Colorado (2007-08)
Georgia (2007-08)
Marquette (2007-08)
Texas (2008-09)
*Duke (2009-10)
Marquette (2009-10)
*NC State (2010-11)
Marquette (2011-12)

OHIO STATE (7)
Florida (2007-08)
*North Carolina (2007-08)
West Virginia (2008-09)
*Florida State (2009-10)
South Carolina (2010-11)
*ACC Challenge (2011012)
Florida (2011-12)

INDIANA (6)
Connecticut (2007-08)
*Georgia Tech (2007-08)
Kentucky (2007-08)
Kentucky (2009-10)
*Maryland (2009-10)
Kentucky (2011-12)

MICHIGAN (6)
*Boston College (2007-08)
UCLA (2007-08)
Duke (2008-09)
*Boston College (2009-10)
Connecticut (2009-10)
Kansas (2010-11)

PURDUE (6)
*Duke (2008-09)
*Wake Forest (2009-10)
West Virginia (2009-10)
Alabama (2010-11)
*ACC Challenge (2011-12)
West Virginia (2011-12)

IOWA (5)
*Wake Forest (2007-08)
Iowa State (2008-09)
*Virginia Tech (2009-10)
Iowa State (2010-11)
*ACC Challenge (2011-12)

MICHIGAN STATE (5)
*NC State (2007-08)
Kansas (2008-09)
South Carolina (2010-11)
Texas (2010-11)
*ACC Challenge (2011-12)

NEBRASKA (5)
^Arizona State (2007-08)
Rutgers (2007-08)
Oregon State (2009-10)
^USC (2010-11)
*ACC Challenge (2011-12)

NORTHWESTERN (5)
Stanford (2007-08)
DePaul (2008-09)
*Florida State (2008-09)
Stanford (2009-10)
*Georgia Tech (2010-11)

PENN STATE (5)
Seton Hall (2007-08)
*Virginia Tech (2007-08)
Virginia Tech (2009-10)
*Maryland (2010-11)
Ole Miss (2011-12)

ILLINOIS (3)
*Clemson (2008-09)
Vanderbilt (2009-10)
*North Carolina (2010-11)

MINNESOTA (3)
*Virginia (2008-09)
*Virginia (2010-11)
*ACC Challenge (2011-12)

* denotes ACC Challenge
^ denotes Pac 10 Hardwood Series

I think our overall nonconference schedules have been serviceable the past two seasons primarily because of the quality of opponents in our exempt tournaments (Anaheim & Puerto Rico). It's the home scheduling that chafes me.

I have been firmly in line with SS on this one.

I think this season's home NC schedule also needs to be improved in part because it doesn't appear as if there will be a schedule boost with this year's Old Spice Classic. There is no Butler or North Carolina or West Virginia. Heck, there isn't even a Texas A&M.

Now some of these teams will likely improve, but here are the other teams in the field:

Arizona State - 12-19 a year ago
DePaul - 7-24 a year ago
Texas Tech - 13-19 a year ago. Has a new coach.
Wake Forest - 8-24
Dayton - 22-14 - NIT last year. Has a new coach.
Fairfield - 25-8 - NIT last year. Has a new coach.
Indiana State - 20-14 - NCAA tournament last year.

Can't see that weekend really bumping up the old strength of schedule numbers.

To piggieback on what anonymous said about the Old Spice Classic field not being a sure thing to help the Gophers' SOS much. ...

DePaul finished 16th of 16 in the Big East.
Wake Forest finished 12th of 12 in the ACC.
Arizona State finished 10th of 10 in the Pac 10.
Texas Tech finished tied for 10th of 12 in the Big 12.
Dayton finished tied for 8th of 14 in the A-10.
Indiana State finished 3rd of 10 in the MVC.
Fairfield finished first in the MAAC.

I think Fairfield has a legitimate shot to win this tournament. Its best player Derek Needham (14.1 ppg, 4.5 apg) returns, as well as productive 7-footer Ryan Olander (10.4 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 2.1 bpg) and impact transfer Rakim Sanders from Boston College. Not to mention its new coach, Sydney Johnson, is coming off a NCAA season at Princeton.

SelectionSunday said:

To piggieback on what anonymous said about the Old Spice Classic field not being a sure thing to help the Gophers' SOS much. ...

DePaul finished 16th of 16 in the Big East.
Wake Forest finished 12th of 12 in the ACC.
Arizona State finished 10th of 10 in the Pac 10.
Texas Tech finished tied for 10th of 12 in the Big 12.
Dayton finished tied for 8th of 14 in the A-10.
Indiana State finished 3rd of 10 in the MVC.
Fairfield finished first in the MAAC.

I think Fairfield has a legitimate shot to win this tournament. Its best player Derek Needham (14.1 ppg, 4.5 apg) returns, as well as productive 7-footer Ryan Olander (10.4 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 2.1 bpg) and impact transfer Rakim Sanders from Boston College. Not to mention its new coach, Sydney Johnson, is coming off a NCAA season at Princeton.

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Good gracious...but then again, we were 9th of 11 teams in the Big Ten so I guess we fit right in lol

Monty519 said:

Good gracious...but then again, we were 9th of 11 teams in the Big Ten so I guess we fit right in lol

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And we're probably the favorite despite losing 10 of our last 11 least season.

Turned out to be a bit of bad luck for the Old Spice organizers. It's always had a quality field in its short existence, but this year they have the misfortune of having most of the participants coming off sucky years the previous season.

SelectionSunday said:

I wouldn't put the onus on Maturi at all for our home schedules the last few years. Please note, I said before last season (2010-11) that I thought the non-Big Ten home schedule was better (thanks primarily to Wofford & Akron, and to a lesser extent Siena) than Tubby's first three seasons, but only marginally.

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I don't know this for a fact, but IMO the home schedule is driven by Maturi for the most part. The home and home scenario against a BCS opponent, while good for the fans, comes at a cost to the Athletic Dept budget. Let's say we have 2 such home and home arrangements with BCS opponents each season - that would mean one less home game per year (14,000 tickets at overinflated prices adds up to a significant amount) - that's a cost Maturi is unwilling to endure - he's all about keeping alive all the minor sports nobody gives a @#!$ about and sticking it to the fans of the revenue-producing sports. BB home and homes will never happen as long as Maturi is in charge

Southpaw said:

BB home and homes will never happen as long as Maturi is in charge.

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Respectfully, never is an awfully strong word. Maturi has been the Athletics Director since July of 2002, I think, and we've had quite a few home-and-homes since then. Only two were initiated by Tubby's staff, Colorado State and Saint Joseph's.

Starting with Maturi's tenure as AD, it looks like home-and-homes (by Monson) were scheduled and, hence, approved by Maturi with Nebraska (2003-04 & 2004-05, unless it was a pre-existing 4-year contract), Arizona State (2005-06 & 2006-07), UNLV (2005-06 & 2007-08 ended up being part of an exempt tournament), UAB (2005-06 & 2006-07) and Iowa State (2006-07 & 2007-08).

So making a safe estimate, there have been at least 6 or 7 home-and-homes scheduled since Maturi became the AD. I wouldn't consider that never. What I see is the current staff is a lot less willing to schedule (decent) home-and-homes than the previous staff.

Gophers/UNLV

SelectionSunday said:

Starting with Maturi's tenure as AD, it looks like home-and-homes (by Monson) were scheduled and, hence, approved by Maturi with Nebraska (2003-04 & 2004-05, unless it was a pre-existing 4-year contract), Arizona State (2005-06 & 2006-07), UNLV (2005-06 & 2007-08 ended up being part of an exempt tournament), UAB (2005-06 & 2006-07) and Iowa State (2006-07 & 2007-08).

So making a safe estimate, there have been at least 5 or 6 home-and-homes scheduled since Maturi became the AD. I wouldn't consider that never. What I see is the current staff is a lot less willing to schedule (decent) home-and-homes than the previous staff.

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Fyi, the exempt tourney in Las Vegas was not part of a home-and-home.

2005-06 UNLV played at Williams Arena (W 72-67)
2006-07 Gophers played at Thomas & Mack to end the home-and-home (L 58-62)
2007-08 Gophers played at Thomas & Mack again as part of Duel in the Dessert (L 64-81).

Odd fact, the Gophers played UNLV 3 years in a row under 3 different head coaches (Monsan, Molinari & Smith).

Thanks. I had forgotten we played @ UNLV in 2006-07. At least that confirms that we did indeed have a home-and-home (under Maturi/Monson) with the Runnin' Rebs.

bga1 said:

Agreed. This is more about wanting to than being able to. It can be done. The question is- who is calling the shots on the schedule? Is Tubby getting asked by the AD to generate X dollars net from the home schedule? Or is Tubby looking to run up the non-conference record.

Here's where it sure would help if the football team could generate some huge revenue to make the athletic department flush. Then there would be no available excuse for not making some deals to get some name squads in here. Instead, same old schedules with a new premium seating charge attached.

Click to expand...

Follow the money, the worse the attendance the more of this problem you will see.