2019-2020 Non-Con

[BCPanther]

Some very good games on that schedule and overall it's solid but 2 D3 teams is gross.

Agree. The D3s suck but it's cheaper than bad DIs and doesn't kill your numbers.

I haven't had a chance to really look but there looks to be 7 Quad 1 & 2 games possible.

I think the issue is with a couple so-so home games already , to add 2 D-3 games is a bit overkill. Also based on last season's NET, you have 3 possible Q-2 and 1 Q-1[ you'd only play either WSU/S. Carolina] Now teams like WSU , West Virginia etc could improve on that, but they're already 2 of the Q-2 games.

UNI has scheduled tougher than this historically.

Here's the breakdown, there's more than 3--

Old Domnion--Q2--Top 75 last year and 3 starters back from 26 win tournament team
@NIU--Q2/Q3--NET 140 last year, only have to get to 135 to be Q2. Return 4 starters
Bakersfield-Q4-Yuck, straight buy
No Colorado--Q3--Cancun Challenge
UT Martin--Q4--No choice--Cancun Challenge
v West Virginia--Q1/Q2--Should be right around that Top 50 line
v Wichita/S Carolina--Q1/Q2--Wichita should be Top 50. Carolina right on the line.
@ Colorado--Q1--Sure fire road Q1
@ Grand Canyon--Q2--104 last year with talent returning. Probably can't get to Top 75
Marshall--Q2/Q3--Going to be right on that Top 75 line. 4 of top 6 back from 23 win, CIT champ team.

5 sure fire Q1/Q2 with the possibility for Northern Illinois and Marshall to get there.

Nobody likes the D3s. Nobody. However, spending $10k on a D3 that doesn't count vs spending $75k+ on a SWAC/MEAC that is going to have a NET number in the 300s is a defensible choice.

Frankly, we're not scheduling any different than we have for the last 15 years, the difference is that we lost Iowa/Iowa State and don't have the strongest MTE this year which is a shame because that field looked great when we signed for it 3 years ago. That should get better going forward as we're doing one of the ESPN events in 2020 and going back to Battle 4 Atlantis in 2021.

[BEARZ77]

You're stretching things a bit; it's not that those teams can't make improvements, but you're assuming they will to get your numbers. West Virginia was 113 last year and South Carolina was 100, so expecting top 50 is optimistic. Marshall was 92 and lost their best player. Colorado was 72 so even a slight dip makes them a Q-2. I think the team that has the best chance at moving up is WSU , but you'll have to beat West Virginia to get them most likely. The schedule has a lot of decent teams, but no one you could point to today as a solid Q-1.

[Drakey]

In reviewing this thread all I can conclude is that nobody can put together a good non-conference schedule. might as well expand with any good program we can and play more conference games. i've often wondered what would happen if a conference played nobody outside the conference?

[VUGrad1314]

Then you limit your amount of available data points for the NET. Too many conference games can be a potentially dangerous game for mids. It's great for teams that can buy wins and have scheduling alliances with the other big boys though. I still think Murray State moves the needle enough more years than not to make that risk worth it especially since MVC teams don't use all of their available slots on D1 games or profitable home and homes\ buy games anyway but I wouldn't move beyond that in a round robin setting. Speaking of buy games here's an article from Mark Adams you might find interesting:

https://www.athleticdirectoru.com/artic ... buy-games/