Schedule is out:

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I actually really like that schedule. Will be good to see Albany finally, and Rhody again.

Yeah, and no SBU, UD, or UNH. Very late bye week to prepare for Villanova and make a push for the playoffs.

Wow, I really like this schedule at first look! Plenty of solid teams in there. Colgate will look much better on the resume than NSU, and we finally get some of the traditionally weaker CAA teams. Could be a good set up year for something really special in 2019.

Pretty solid schedule. Seems like 4 of the games (Elon - First game, Colgate - Family Weekend, Maine - HoCo, and Richmond) should be well attended.

I predict super low student attendance next year. No one wants to see Elon, Colgate, Albany, and Maine. Maybe Maine because it's a state and most students know their states.

Anyway, first time in a long time that we'll have one of the easier CAA schedules. That will be nice at least.

Bye week happens in early November, and that is great. A welcome change.

Maine for homecoming just sucks. Empty visitor section... and as zablenoise points out, that section will be empty all season except for Richmond

If we are rolling next year, that section will fill up with our people. Family weekend and Richmond are both big draws as well. It seems like of the five home games, the home opener, family weekend, homecoming, and Richmond/JMU draw well. Ideally that's four of the five home games. The fifth is then the one where season ticket holders are offered two or four free tickets to help fill things up.

I think it really hurts not having UD on the schedule next season. We should try to play at least Delaware, Villanova, JMU, and Richmond each season. That way you have two home games with schools people know.

I get having JMU, Elon and UR as permanent league games - I thought UD was as well. Looks like it's Towson. Bummer.

I like the schedule though. Some new opponents.

Students will show up fine for Elon, Family weekend and HC. The opponent doesn't matter. Most of these kids applied to ACC and Ivy schools anyway.

2019 home games are JMU, Towson, URI and Villanova. Plus one - believe it is Lafayette.

Delaware may be off but glad to see rival Villanova back.

(11-01-2017 04:47 PM)zablenoise Wrote:  I think it really hurts not having UD on the schedule next season. We should try to play at least Delaware, Villanova, JMU, and Richmond each season. That way you have two home games with schools people know.

Agree! Some of these long standing rivalries should be protected.

(11-01-2017 03:37 PM)zablenoise Wrote:  I predict super low student attendance next year. No one wants to see Elon, Colgate, Albany, and Maine. Maybe Maine because it's a state and most students know their states.

Anyway, first time in a long time that we'll have one of the easier CAA schedules. That will be nice at least.

Elon will make the playoffs this year and we now regularly play them in all CAA sports. Think that will be a good student turnout- What if Elon actually upset JMU at home in then final game of the season...

Give the College students credit for paying better attention to this ............

(11-01-2017 06:32 PM)Sitting bull Wrote:  I get having JMU, Elon and UR as permanent league games - I thought UD was as well. Looks like it's Towson. Bummer.

I also thought that Delaware was one of our permanent opponents. Better them than either Towson or Elon.

So it looks like going forward we will have these duos alternating: Delaware/Villanova, Stony Brook/Albany, and UNH/Maine/Rhode Island (2 of these 3 at a time).

Re TheRealTribe saying it will be good to play the "traditionally weaker" teams again: Be careful what you wish for -- Rhode Island lost to UNH by only 1 or 2 points this year and they would have beaten FBS Central Michigan if their kicker had not missed a chip shot FG. So it looks like URI is getting better again, just in time to get back on our schedule. During the preceding 4-5 years when they really stank, they were too busy being on JMU's schedule and getting beat 70-0 (or something like that).

(11-02-2017 09:19 AM)Zorch Wrote:  

(11-01-2017 06:32 PM)Sitting bull Wrote:  I get having JMU, Elon and UR as permanent league games - I thought UD was as well. Looks like it's Towson. Bummer.

I also thought that Delaware was one of our permanent opponents. Better them than either Towson or Elon.

So it looks like going forward we will have these duos alternating: Delaware/Villanova, Stony Brook/Albany, and UNH/Maine/Rhode Island (2 of these 3 at a time).

Re TheRealTribe saying it will be good to play the "traditionally weaker" teams again: Be careful what you wish for -- Rhode Island lost to UNH by only 1 or 2 points this year and they would have beaten FBS Central Michigan if their kicker had not missed a chip shot FG. So it looks like URI is getting better again, just in time to get back on our schedule. During the preceding 4-5 years when they really stank, they were too busy being on JMU's schedule and getting beat 70-0 (or something like that).

I know I should have phrased that differently. I should have said it will be good to have teams that are finishing in the back half of the CAA this year on our schedule next year. URI, UA, Villanova, and Towson are all currently at the bottom of the CAA with us this year so it will be nice to have them back on our schedule next year mixed in with the usual powerhouses JMU, UR, and what is looking like a legit Elon team (haven't looked into who they return next year yet).

Believe me, I know everyone in the CAA is a challenge, something we definitely learned this year. And I wouldn't have it any other way!

I do wish we were playing Delaware though, one of my favorite conference rivalries.

Do you think we get a say as to which teams we have as permanent games? Because I can't imagine we took Towson and Elon over Delaware and Villanova.

Best schedule would be 'Nova, UD, JMU, UR, Towson/Elon, SB/Albany, and choose 2 URI/UNH/Maine.

I think even better would be having all the full member schools permanently (so UD, JMU, Towson, and Elon) and then add Nova and UD. Then you can fill the other two games with whatever teams.

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I like having Rhody and Albany on the schedule; not because they are weaker opponents, rather, I don't think we should have to wait a decade to play conference opponents.

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(11-02-2017 09:19 AM)Zorch Wrote:  

(11-01-2017 06:32 PM)Sitting bull Wrote:  I get having JMU, Elon and UR as permanent league games - I thought UD was as well. Looks like it's Towson. Bummer.

I also thought that Delaware was one of our permanent opponents. Better them than either Towson or Elon.

So it looks like going forward we will have these duos alternating: Delaware/Villanova, Stony Brook/Albany, and UNH/Maine/Rhode Island (2 of these 3 at a time).

Re TheRealTribe saying it will be good to play the "traditionally weaker" teams again: Be careful what you wish for -- Rhode Island lost to UNH by only 1 or 2 points this year and they would have beaten FBS Central Michigan if their kicker had not missed a chip shot FG. So it looks like URI is getting better again, just in time to get back on our schedule. During the preceding 4-5 years when they really stank, they were too busy being on JMU's schedule and getting beat 70-0 (or something like that).

Bite your tongue! As long as I live in exile here in North Cackalacky, I won't Elon on the schedule every year.

(11-02-2017 10:21 AM)zablenoise Wrote:  Do you think we get a say as to which teams we have as permanent games? Because I can't imagine we took Towson and Elon over Delaware and Villanova.

Best schedule would be 'Nova, UD, JMU, UR, Towson/Elon, SB/Albany, and choose 2 URI/UNH/Maine.

I think even better would be having all the full member schools permanently (so UD, JMU, Towson, and Elon) and then add Nova and UD. Then you can fill the other two games with whatever teams.

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I doubt we had unilateral power, I would guess each school gets some say in their protected games.