(11-07-2010 06:28 PM)bitcruncher Wrote:  

(11-07-2010 06:18 PM)adcorbett Wrote:  

(11-07-2010 05:17 PM)bitcruncher Wrote:  The Pac Tin has been doing 9 conference games since they expanded to 10 teams.

FYI, the Pac 10 only started playing 9 conference games four years ago. They expanded to 10 teams 32 years ago.

No sh!t? I could have sworn it was longer...

I believe they added the ninth game after the 12th game was added.

With the way Rutgers does their OOC scheduling, I'd prefer 8, otherwise RU fans will never see a good team come to Piscataway.

Something else to consider. If Villanova doesn't move up, Big East programs could still schedule The Wildcats as well as The Hoyas of Georgetown to help fill out their non-conference schedules. If we are going to have to pay millions to get OOC games at our place we might as well keep in the money in our conference and the games would be BEN property.
CJ

(11-07-2010 06:47 PM)General Mike Wrote:  With the way Rutgers does their OOC scheduling, I'd prefer 8, otherwise RU fans will never see a good team come to Piscataway.

After reviewing Rutgers future schedules, looks like you have the same scheduling problems most Big East programs have. Over the next 9 years you only have 4 home games scheduled against BCS programs.

Rutgers Future Schedules

Then again your Knights are better off than UofL. We only have two home scheduled against BCS teams over the next 6 years.
CJ

(11-07-2010 06:41 PM)adcorbett Wrote:  

(11-07-2010 06:28 PM)bitcruncher Wrote:  

(11-07-2010 06:18 PM)adcorbett Wrote:  

(11-07-2010 05:17 PM)bitcruncher Wrote:  The Pac Tin has been doing 9 conference games since they expanded to 10 teams.

FYI, the Pac 10 only started playing 9 conference games four years ago. They expanded to 10 teams 32 years ago.

No sh!t? I could have sworn it was longer...

I believe they added the ninth game after the 12th game was added.

That sounds logical. I defer to your superior knowledge...

I like 8

9 makes it harder to make a bowl.

9 makes it far easier to fill a schedule - and if you're worried about the road to a bowl game your team isn't very good...

Nine game conference schedule is where this thing is headed. It's just a way to limit costs of non conference slates.

Jackson

I prefer a 8 game conference schedule. Pitt likes to play Navy and Notre Dame on a semi regular basis plus a MAC/D1AA and a BCS school. Pitt couldn't schedule the way it wants with only 3 OOC games.

On top of that we'd have a balanced 4 home 4 away conference schedule.

9 does make it harder to become bowl eligible, that's just the way it is. Look at the Pac10, they always have problems filling their bowls due to 9 game schedule. I am in favor of a 8 game schedule, to maintain a clean 4/4 home/away arrangement. With a 9 game schedule, every other year, you are playing 5 conf. away games, making it virtually impossible to have 7 home games as most teams want, unless you buy 1-2 rent a wins, and most BE teams do not buy games like the SEC or B10.

(11-07-2010 06:48 PM)CardinalJim Wrote:  Something else to consider. If Villanova doesn't move up, Big East programs could still schedule The Wildcats as well as The Hoyas of Georgetown to help fill out their non-conference schedules. If we are going to have to pay millions to get OOC games at our place we might as well keep in the money in our conference and the games would be BEN property.
CJ

To the best of my knowledge Georgetown does not give scholarships and thus can not be counted as a bowl eligible win. Villanova would be a perfect opponent but they would probably beat some of the Big East teams and nobody wants that.

As for the thread topic I am in the 9-Game camp. We play everbody in basketball and have always played everybody in football. If we stop doing it this way then we should not limit expansion to 10 teams because it would make no sense to do so. The 10 team two divisional alignment with a playoff is the optimal number for a complete conference. After that point the divisions become too big to play a real conference schedule.

I agree. We should play a 9 game conference schedule if we go to 10 teams. Otherwise, why add anyone except TCU?

(11-07-2010 06:56 PM)CardinalJim Wrote:  Then again your Knights are better off than UofL. We only have two home scheduled against BCS teams over the next 6 years.
CJ

Is Kentucky falling off Louisville's schedule over the next few years?

(11-07-2010 06:40 PM)CardinalJim Wrote:  9 conference games......With every conference maximizing their conference games for their respective TV packages, OOC games will be hard to come-by. Rivalry games will survive but the big time cross conference games will be few and far between. It would be best to follow the lead of the other BCS conferences and play as many conference games as possible for The BEN.
Most teams in the Big East have a rival they play every year to accompany their conference games. That's 10 games a year taken care of. The Big East should then use it's basketball power to get as many regional 1 and dones in football as possible. For instance UofL and UC could trade OOC visits by our basketball programs for home games with Sun Belt, MAC, Southern and Big South Conferences. I have no doubts that basketball first schools like Murray, Chattanooga and Valpo would regularly send their football programs to Big East venues in return for visits from big time basketball programs from The Big East.
CJ

I agree with all of this. Also for most Big East schools, the extra conference game isn't really so much about replacing a buy game as much as getting rid of the home-and-homes or 2-for-1 deals against non-AQ schools. Those are just no-win situations going on the road against those teams. 9 conference games is better for fans, better for competition and it will turn out to be better financially for athletic departments (as paying out $1 million or more to play a home game against a tiny school that will be your worst attended game of the season is starting to become a money-losing proposition).

(11-07-2010 11:32 PM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  

(11-07-2010 06:56 PM)CardinalJim Wrote:  Then again your Knights are better off than UofL. We only have two home scheduled against BCS teams over the next 6 years.
CJ

Is Kentucky falling off Louisville's schedule over the next few years?

Nope, we are locked in with them and we are their only BCS school they will schedule OOC. The only other BCS school that is currently on our schedule coming up is Georgia next year in a home and home.

8 give's you the right balance...4 home 4 road. The football coach's are sick of the 4-3***3-4 game format. Why would they wanna do the same thing with a 5-4***4-5 format? It's common sense really.

(11-07-2010 06:18 PM)adcorbett Wrote:  

(11-07-2010 05:17 PM)bitcruncher Wrote:  The Pac Tin has been doing 9 conference games since they expanded to 10 teams. They haven't had any problems, except for a lack of exposure in the east due to the late kickoff times for everyone not named USC....

FYI, the Pac 10 only started playing 9 conference games four years ago. They expanded to 10 teams 32 years ago.

IMO, due to the cost of OOC games these days, I would assume a 9 game conference schedule would be suitable. However, you do lose a couple of games in a TV package with nine games over 8, so if the next TV contract includes a Big East Network for second tier games, 8 conferences games would be more suitable.

The more conf games (i.e. more meaningful games) you can provide a TV partner, the more $$$$ a conf will receive.

Big East is now stuck with some saturdays with just ONE conf game to offer its tv partner...which limits their value.

Add to that some "unattractive" non-conf games (Big East teams have to schedule 5 each and every year), that's another reason why the Big East TV contract is so low.

As the Big 10 and now the Big 12 (soon to be new big 10) all jump to 9 conf games to capitalize off their new/expanded tv deals, it would be wise for the Big East to follow suit...or...be stuck as the "internet" option conf on ESPN3.com

(11-08-2010 08:07 AM)KnightLight Wrote:  

(11-07-2010 06:18 PM)adcorbett Wrote:  

(11-07-2010 05:17 PM)bitcruncher Wrote:  The Pac Tin has been doing 9 conference games since they expanded to 10 teams. They haven't had any problems, except for a lack of exposure in the east due to the late kickoff times for everyone not named USC....

FYI, the Pac 10 only started playing 9 conference games four years ago. They expanded to 10 teams 32 years ago.

IMO, due to the cost of OOC games these days, I would assume a 9 game conference schedule would be suitable. However, you do lose a couple of games in a TV package with nine games over 8, so if the next TV contract includes a Big East Network for second tier games, 8 conferences games would be more suitable.

The more conf games (i.e. more meaningful games) you can provide a TV partner, the more $$$$ a conf will receive.

Big East is now stuck with some saturdays with just ONE conf game to offer its tv partner...which limits their value.

Add to that some "unattractive" non-conf games (Big East teams have to schedule 5 each and every year), that's another reason why the Big East TV contract is so low.

As the Big 10 and now the Big 12 (soon to be new big 10) all jump to 9 conf games to capitalize off their new/expanded tv deals, it would be wise for the Big East to follow suit...or...be stuck as the "internet" option conf on ESPN3.com

The problem with an "unattractive" league is that it needs to schedule more attractive OOC opponents if it wants to get on national TV Saturday afternoons. And then beat those opponents so that by November, the conference match-ups are attractive enough for national TV Saturday afternoons.

Unless the Big East gets a new TV partner that is serious about challenging ABC/ESPN it will always be relegated to weekday evening games as well as ESPN3.com regardless whether or not the league plays 8 or 9 conference games.

If your school hopes to be one of the invites, your fans should get use to this notion now.

We are, and will remain, the red-headed stepchild of the BCS Cartel.

Cheers,
Neil

(11-08-2010 08:17 AM)omnicarrier Wrote:  

(11-08-2010 08:07 AM)KnightLight Wrote:  

(11-07-2010 06:18 PM)adcorbett Wrote:  

(11-07-2010 05:17 PM)bitcruncher Wrote:  The Pac Tin has been doing 9 conference games since they expanded to 10 teams. They haven't had any problems, except for a lack of exposure in the east due to the late kickoff times for everyone not named USC....

FYI, the Pac 10 only started playing 9 conference games four years ago. They expanded to 10 teams 32 years ago.

IMO, due to the cost of OOC games these days, I would assume a 9 game conference schedule would be suitable. However, you do lose a couple of games in a TV package with nine games over 8, so if the next TV contract includes a Big East Network for second tier games, 8 conferences games would be more suitable.

The more conf games (i.e. more meaningful games) you can provide a TV partner, the more $$$$ a conf will receive.

Big East is now stuck with some saturdays with just ONE conf game to offer its tv partner...which limits their value.

Add to that some "unattractive" non-conf games (Big East teams have to schedule 5 each and every year), that's another reason why the Big East TV contract is so low.

As the Big 10 and now the Big 12 (soon to be new big 10) all jump to 9 conf games to capitalize off their new/expanded tv deals, it would be wise for the Big East to follow suit...or...be stuck as the "internet" option conf on ESPN3.com

The problem with an "unattractive" league is that it needs to schedule more attractive OOC opponents if it wants to get on national TV Saturday afternoons. And then beat those opponents so that by November, the conference match-ups are attractive enough for national TV Saturday afternoons.

Unless the Big East gets a new TV partner that is serious about challenging ABC/ESPN it will always be relegated to weekday evening games as well as ESPN3.com regardless whether or not the league plays 8 or 9 conference games.

If your school hopes to be one of the invites, your fans should get use to this notion now.

We are, and will remain, the red-headed stepchild of the BCS Cartel.

Cheers,
Neil

With a BEN in addition to the ESPN or other network contracts for football, the Big East will move more games to Saturdays rather than espn3.com or some such outlet.