🏈 Schedule

[BamaGradinTN]

Some have questioned recently whether or not we should play Troy and UAB. I don't know if I'm ready to go there yet or not.

However, as a ticket holder and, therefore, an investor, I'm getting sick of playing teams like W. Carolina, Tulane, ULM, Ark. State, MTSU, and W. KY. From a value standpoint, those tickets aren't worth very much. You can schedule winnable games against teams from major conferences like the Big 10, ACC, Big East, and Big 12.

Remember 1978?

Nebraska...Bham
Missouri...Columbia
Southern Cal...Bham
Vandy...Tuscaloosa
Washington...Seattle
Florida...Tuscaloosa
Tennessee...Knoxville
Va. Tech...Tuscaloosa
Miss. State...Bham
LSU...Bham
Auburn...Bham

I know that we now have to play 8 conference games instead of only 6. But there are plenty of weaker teams from major conferences...Kansas St., Colorado, Indiana, Minnesota, Baylor, Purdue, etc., etc. Games like that would have more interest than Sunbelt or CUSA opponents.

Either play Troy and UAB, or play the non-conference games against weak sisters in major conferences.

 

[imported_Porter]

A lot of those weaker teams, even like a Kansas, are going to want a return trip. That is where the problem lies. Heck, we are already having to oblige Tulane (possibly) and Duke with return trips. The Tulane deal wouldn't be so bad since it would be in the Dome and in the middle of a recruiting hotbed (and basically turn out to be a home game on the road)... but Tulane gets all the money from it. Having to make a trip to Duke is just downright silly.

 

[Guest]

since i live in minnesota now i would love to see an alabama vs minnesota 1 and 1. so that i could see them play.

 

[BamaGradinTN]

Porter, I agree with you to a point, but if you pick the right teams you can look at it as an opportunity to create more exposure in a recruiting market that you are looking to crack into.

 

[Guest]

Porter, I agree with you to a point, but if you pick the right teams you can look at it as an opportunity to create more exposure in a recruiting market that you are looking to crack into.

I'd assume that's one big reason we're playing Ga. Tech in what? 2012, 2014, something like that.

 

[imported_Porter]

Porter, I agree with you to a point, but if you pick the right teams you can look at it as an opportunity to create more exposure in a recruiting market that you are looking to crack into.

Correct, which is why I say the Tulane thing isn't a bad deal. In the grand scheme though, the money is more important than the recruiting exposure. With Saban, we are going to get the exposure regardless... might as well get the money too. If it is a good program like Penn State (or like we did with UCLA and OU), then I love the ideas of a home and home series. I don't even mind a home and home with GT. I even wish they were still in the SEC, to be honest... so I'm not against traveling to play a lot of these teams... I just think some programs are much more deserving of it than others.

 

[TerryP]

There are really a lot of problems when you start looking at this from Athletic Directors standpoints.

First of all, you aren't dealing with a very large pool...

Do the math of the situation.

117 teams play 12 games a year, on average 8 conference games.

Then, consider how many are scheduling 4 OOC games per year the possibilities of scheduling games drop by over 2/3rds. Of course, you have to add in some of the long standing rivalries as well (take a Clemson vs South Carolina or Florida vs Florida State) and that number gets even smaller.

I love the idea of the neutral field game against teams like Clemson and a occasional home and home series.

And, I also like the idea of scheduling BCS opponents. But, seeing first hand the problems teams have with arranging dates that coincide with both teams, then balancing that out with their conference schedule, the field is very, very small in terms of possible teams.

Just as a brief example, I know we tried for a long time to get a home and home with USC recently but never could get the logistics worked out.

Then, freakin' TV rights to the broadcast come into play.

The one good thing for our conference in terms of scheduling teams like the ones you've have mentioned is now we have contracts with CBS for our conference games, then ESPN (which of course includes ABC for a prime time type of game at some points not to mention the duece, etc.)

Last, but not least, considering the financial impact our program has suffered over the last decade (even though we were still turning a profit) games like the ones we scheduled just made good business sense.

Add to that thought this theory...

Do you think the University, the city of Tuscaloosa and Birmingham, make more money with a team like W. Kentucky or a team like Troy?