Herb was on the Jack Ebling show in Lansing yesterday and Herb did a great job of selling the program. Apparently Herb has spent the past two weeks in Florida recruiting. They asked about the insane schedule for this year and who was to blame for that. Herb handled it well. I'm trying to a tape of the interview to post here as Jack Ebling posts tapes of his show on YouTube. Herb got Jack to try to get CC on his show-great move because as we know EMU has gotten some great players of out mid Michigan in the past Andy Schmitt, Bridger Buche Jacob Wyatt to name a few. Herb also got a nice plug in the upcoming football camp.

Not sure I follow you on 'insane schedule'.

EMU almost always plays two 'money' games on the road and has been trying to open at home vs a FCS school. I'm guessing we'll get say 1.25 - 1.5M for our MSU and Florida games and have to pay say 200K+ to Morgan State. (Any FCS opponent can command top dollar as they are in demand by FBS schools).

We are starting home and home with ODU so we get a home game next year.

What hurts is that the MAC has been giving us one of our two bye weeks in late September and then open our MAC schedule on the road.

If there is 'blame' in the schedule it is with the MAC office which is responsible for the early bye week and having our 1st MAC game on the road.

For anyone wanting to think more about it, the OOC schedule was set maybe one or two years (or more years ago, e.g., MSU game) ago. The MAC schedule was set back in February, I believe.

I'm using Haygood's own words about playing 6 of the first 7 games on the road. Having no home games in September and none until mid October does imo nothing to help fan support or attendance. Haygood seemed to blame the 2014 schedule on someone who came from down the road in Ann Arbor-a veiled reference perhaps to Gragg or English I assume.

Here is the interview for your listening:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlqAn_QlxZg

(05-29-2014 10:02 AM)emu79 Wrote:  I'm using Haygood's own words about playing 6 of the first 7 games on the road. Having no home games in September and none until mid October does imo nothing to help fan support or attendance. Haygood seemed to blame the 2014 schedule on someone who came from down the road in Ann Arbor-a veiled reference perhaps to Gragg or English I assume.

That may be true. Guess I know more about the business than he. Actually, I remember the 2013 season. Us EMU fans lived the 2013 season. He didn't. It is something he read about.

The schedule which we have this year is comparable to what we've had for many years.

MAC teams are lucky to get two OOC games at home. We should next year, presumably a FCB and ODU.

As I indicated, and I'm SURE Mr. Haygood know, EMU doesn't control the conference scheduling, and should know (if he is reading this post) that we got a conference home game in September last year.

The conference has the problems every year of trying to get each school a conference game in September so that teams aren't on the road for 4 - 5 weeks.

Last year we got a September conference home game:

http://www.emueagles.com/schedule.aspx?s...h=football

This year our first conference game is on the road.

It balances out over a 2-year scheduling cycle.

The conference also had a season ending home and home matchup.

For years EMU and NIU flip flopped home games on "Black Friday".

Then you and Mr Haygood would have an interesting discussion.

(05-29-2014 11:20 AM)emu79 Wrote:  Then you and Mr Haygood would have an interesting discussion.

Mr. Haygood, if you are out there reading this, PM me.

Thanks, EMU Steve

BTW, the best way to 'combat' this problem is when we play Army in October. Then we only play three OOC games in September thereby allowing for a possible September conference home game OR

Two FCS teams at home in September but that costs money.

In years pasts, FBS schools seemed agreeable to scheduling OOC in October but that has fallen out of favor as they don't like having an OOC game in the middle of their conference schedules.

Just a clarification the 2013 schedule had 3 home games between the end of August and mid October when we played Army at home.

The 2014 schedule has no home games between the end of August and October 11.

(05-29-2014 12:41 PM)emu79 Wrote:  Just a clarification the 2013 schedule had 3 home games between the end of August and mid October when we played Army at home.

The 2014 schedule has no home games between the end of August and October 11.

Actually that is not correct. In 2013, we played at Army. Our 3rd home game was October 19.

http://www.emueagles.com/schedule.aspx?s...h=football

Here are the (tentative) football schedules going forward (page 51)

http://www.emueagles.com/custompages/foo...allest.pdf

One can see how our OOC games stack up. Fortunately we have some OOC games in Oct and Nov (thanks to Army which can be scheduled in Sept, Oct or Nov) which mean we can get maybe two conference games (one at home and one on the road) during the 2nd half of Sept or first week of Oct.

One can note that we are playing home and home with ODU, Wyoming and Charlotte. Most believe that to be a good thing to schedule home and home against other non-power FBS conferences.

BTW, on 2014: One will note that MSU moved up our game from Sept 27 to Sept 20 (I remember hearing that MSU wanted the game move to the earlier date). I wonder if the game remained Sept 27 if we could have played a home conference game Sept 20????

BTW2: Starting in 2015 (or at least 2 years) we will be playing only one team from a power conference (e.g., MSU, LSU). The other three OOC games should be non-power conference teams.

(05-29-2014 01:39 PM)emu steve Wrote:  

(05-29-2014 12:41 PM)emu79 Wrote:  Just a clarification the 2013 schedule had 3 home games between the end of August and mid October when we played Army at home.

The 2014 schedule has no home games between the end of August and October 11.

Actually that is not correct. In 2013, we played at Army. Our 3rd home game was October 19.

http://www.emueagles.com/schedule.aspx?s...h=football

Yes but show me another schedule that EMU has played that is similar to the 2014 schedule and the absence of any home games in September.

(05-30-2014 11:16 AM)emu79 Wrote:  

(05-29-2014 01:39 PM)emu steve Wrote:  

(05-29-2014 12:41 PM)emu79 Wrote:  Just a clarification the 2013 schedule had 3 home games between the end of August and mid October when we played Army at home.

The 2014 schedule has no home games between the end of August and October 11.

Actually that is not correct. In 2013, we played at Army. Our 3rd home game was October 19.

http://www.emueagles.com/schedule.aspx?s...h=football

Yes but show me another schedule that EMU has played that is similar to the 2014 schedule and the absence of any home games in September.

I agree with you. To me, winter in Detroit begins October 15.

For most MAC teams, having as many games as possible before October 15 is a must, esp. September games.

I believe we'll have a few next year.

(BTW, I remember the days when the MAC season ended the 2nd Saturday in Nov. - now after Thanksgiving.).