2019-2020 Non-Con

[DUBulldog]

Drake plays at Cincinnati on 11/11

[Adunk33]

ILST:
Belmont
ULAR
UCF
NTE: Cincy
NTE: Bowling Green/WKU
NTE: Grand Canyon, Nevada, Fordham, Valpo
D2: Purdue NW
@TCU
Tennesse-Martin
@Northern Kentucky
UIC
@UTSA

Not a ton of road games which is historically where the Birds tend to struggle. Very winnable schedule (though we have a new team) overall against middle-tier teams. I'm guessing there will be a few Q2 games and a bulk of these will end up being Q3. Cincy could be Q1.

[VUGrad1314]

Valpo has added a buy game @SLU

[BCPanther]

I get it but I still don't love taking buy games from the A10 and MW.

[VUGrad1314]

Not thrilled about it either but we have spots to fill after Vanderbilt and George Washington stood us up late in the process. Furthermore, this is apparently part of the university's strategy in light of the advent of the NET. Take buy games when possible and try to steal one or two get the best series they can starting at home and find the best home games they can that are a chance for comfortable wins since the NET is based largely on offensive and defensive efficiency. I don't like the idea because it'll probably lead to weaker home schedules but the strategy makes sense I guess. Our AD was on our local podcast run by Paul Oren our beat writer and called it "The Wofford Effect." They studied the schedules of Wofford UNCG Furman East Tennessee State Belmont and Murray State among others (mids with high NET ratings) and reached this conclusion on how the NET supposedly works. As for conference perception, like it or not, the committee (and the conferences themselves) view the MVC as at least a half step below the A10 and MWC. As much as we would like to view ourselves as a peer conference (and I think we are and can be) we're not viewed that way and we have work to do to change that perception, unfortunately.

[Adunk33]

Not thrilled about it either but we have spots to fill after Vanderbilt and George Washington stood us up late in the process.

Saw the other day that Vandy is playing @Loyola this year after ditching the Valpo game. That's adding salt to the wound.

[VUGrad1314]

I thought the Loyola game was a neutral site game. But yeah dropping us and taking a game against a conference mate (even one with a higher profile) stings quite a bit. At least Valpo got itself a nice payday that I hope they put to good use. We'll see.

[Adunk33]

I thought the Loyola game was a neutral site game. But yeah dropping us and taking a game against a conference mate (even one with a higher profile) stings quite a bit. At least Valpo got itself a nice payday that I hope they put to good use. We'll see.

You're right, my mistake. Its in AZ.

[tribecalledquest]

I get it but I still don't love taking buy games from the A10 and MW.

Agreed. No way should an MVC team take a guy game from St. Louis U.

[Adunk33]

ILST:
Belmont (2nd game of H/H)
ULAR (Buy)
UCF (2nd of H/H)
NTE: Cincy (NTE)
NTE: Bowling Green/WKU (NTE)
NTE: Grand Canyon, Nevada, Fordham, Valpo (NTE)
D2: Purdue NW (Buy)
@TCU (Bought)
Tennesse-Martin (Buy)
@Northern Kentucky (First of H/H)
UIC (Should be last of H/H/H/H- may have to go to UIC one more time-unless it ended up being a 2 for 1)
@UTSA (First of H/H)

Not a ton of road games which is historically where the Birds tend to struggle. Very winnable schedule (though we have a new team) overall against middle-tier teams. I'm guessing there will be a few Q2 games and a bulk of these will end up being Q3. Cincy could be Q1.

Updated with the status of each game.

The more I look at the schedule, the more I realize though it is not glamours by any means, it is a good schedule to test out a mostly new team.