Looking at attendance figures, the VCU game last year was ODU's most attended home game in a runaway (7,919 on hand). Meanwhile, VCU packs the Siegel Center no matter the opponent. Nonetheless I will miss this series, lots of fun games over the years.

I guess ODU will just have to focus on their rivalry with JMU. They'll get to play them twice a year now in basketball.

In the broader sense, I do have a fear that college football and college basketball have forgotten what made them exciting sports (I'm talking about rivalries and water cooler talk). Growing up in Raleigh, it's still crazy to me that the 4 NC ACC schools don't play annually in football and twice a year in basketball. Coach K didn't play in PNC arena in his final season... so that we could get Pitt-Duke?

(06-14-2022 07:59 AM)inutech Wrote:  

(06-14-2022 07:13 AM)Captain Bearcat Wrote:  This is coming from a school that hasn't made the Sweet 16 in a decade and whose last NCAA victory came 7 years ago. Not exactly the time to be pulling a power move.


VCU getting awfully big for their britches.

Pick a lane. If we're going to criticize them for not improving in basketball, how can we criticize them for trying to improve in basketball?

They don't owe anybody this game. If their fans want it bad enough, it'll happen.

The real question is whether they gave sufficient notice per the contract to break the agreement.

I see what you're saying.

However, ticking off a portion of your fanbase and giving up local media attention from dominating a local near-peer is not the way to improve a basketball program.


Cincinnati is experiencing this same issue in football with longtime rival Miami (Ohio), except the current gap between Cincinnati & Miami is greater than VCU-ODU (both on the field and as institutions). Cincinnati chose to keep them on the schedule.

(06-14-2022 11:53 AM)Captain Bearcat Wrote:  

(06-14-2022 07:59 AM)inutech Wrote:  

(06-14-2022 07:13 AM)Captain Bearcat Wrote:  This is coming from a school that hasn't made the Sweet 16 in a decade and whose last NCAA victory came 7 years ago. Not exactly the time to be pulling a power move.


VCU getting awfully big for their britches.

Pick a lane. If we're going to criticize them for not improving in basketball, how can we criticize them for trying to improve in basketball?

They don't owe anybody this game. If their fans want it bad enough, it'll happen.

The real question is whether they gave sufficient notice per the contract to break the agreement.

I see what you're saying.

However, ticking off a portion of your fanbase and giving up local media attention from dominating a local near-peer is not the way to improve a basketball program.


Cincinnati is experiencing this same issue in football with longtime rival Miami (Ohio), except the current gap between Cincinnati & Miami is greater than VCU-ODU (both on the field and as institutions). Cincinnati chose to keep them on the schedule.

Sometimes it makes sense to play nearby teams with which you have lots of history. I'd even say most of the time. But sometimes it doesn't.

If they think they can find a "better" opponent (however they want to define "better") then that's a reasonable decision to make. You just have to accept everything that comes with it.

(06-13-2022 06:24 PM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  I’ll take the apparently unpopular opinion here: VCU (or anyone else) should be scheduling entirely in its best interests and shouldn’t apologize for it. I can understand why they wouldn’t want to go on the road any further against a team moving to the Sun Belt regardless of history. Over the past few years, it looks like VCU has been able to schedule home-and-home series with P5 and Big East schools with regularity. It doesn’t necessarily mean that the ODU game would be replaced by a guarantee game at all. VCU is the school with the comparative leverage here with a lot more scheduling options - they’re under no obligation to help ODU.

You might want to look at some of the complete garbage basketball programs that VCU plays OOC... and in conference for that matter. This is a stupid move by VCU.

(06-14-2022 07:59 AM)inutech Wrote:  

(06-14-2022 07:13 AM)Captain Bearcat Wrote:  This is coming from a school that hasn't made the Sweet 16 in a decade and whose last NCAA victory came 7 years ago. Not exactly the time to be pulling a power move.


VCU getting awfully big for their britches.

Pick a lane. If we're going to criticize them for not improving in basketball, how can we criticize them for trying to improve in basketball?

They don't owe anybody this game. If their fans want it bad enough, it'll happen.

The real question is whether they gave sufficient notice per the contract to break the agreement.

The previous contract between the teams expired. VCU chose not to sign a new agreement.

For better or worse, there are now dozens of teams in college hoops that choose to play only one or two non-conference road games each season, and buy a bunch of home games against teams like Texas Southern instead of playing several home/away series with other teams.

(06-14-2022 02:00 PM)Wedge Wrote:  

(06-14-2022 07:59 AM)inutech Wrote:  

(06-14-2022 07:13 AM)Captain Bearcat Wrote:  This is coming from a school that hasn't made the Sweet 16 in a decade and whose last NCAA victory came 7 years ago. Not exactly the time to be pulling a power move.


VCU getting awfully big for their britches.

Pick a lane. If we're going to criticize them for not improving in basketball, how can we criticize them for trying to improve in basketball?

They don't owe anybody this game. If their fans want it bad enough, it'll happen.

The real question is whether they gave sufficient notice per the contract to break the agreement.

The previous contract between the teams expired. VCU chose not to sign a new agreement.

For better or worse, there are now dozens of teams in college hoops that choose to play only one or two non-conference road games each season, and buy a bunch of home games against teams like Texas Southern instead of playing several home/away series with other teams.

The cancelling early thing was a joke. No school in Virginia would try to break an agreement early.

If y'all would just get around to appointing me king of college sports one of the two pillars of my early reforms will be mandating a uniform home-away scheduling process. There won't be any more non-return games. So y'all get on that and we'll fix this.

(06-14-2022 11:53 AM)Captain Bearcat Wrote:  

(06-14-2022 07:59 AM)inutech Wrote:  

(06-14-2022 07:13 AM)Captain Bearcat Wrote:  This is coming from a school that hasn't made the Sweet 16 in a decade and whose last NCAA victory came 7 years ago. Not exactly the time to be pulling a power move.


VCU getting awfully big for their britches.

Pick a lane. If we're going to criticize them for not improving in basketball, how can we criticize them for trying to improve in basketball?

They don't owe anybody this game. If their fans want it bad enough, it'll happen.

The real question is whether they gave sufficient notice per the contract to break the agreement.

I see what you're saying.

However, ticking off a portion of your fanbase and giving up local media attention from dominating a local near-peer is not the way to improve a basketball program.


Cincinnati is experiencing this same issue in football with longtime rival Miami (Ohio), except the current gap between Cincinnati & Miami is greater than VCU-ODU (both on the field and as institutions). Cincinnati chose to keep them on the schedule.

Is Cincinnati actually keeping Miami (Ohio) on the schedule when Cincy moves to the Big 12? I'll be honest: if I were the Cincinnati AD purely in how I perceive the self-interest of that university to be, I'd drop that game as soon as contractually possible. (And I say that as someone that likes Miami!) Granted, I know that Cincinnati-Miami has shifted into a de facto 2-for-1 situation (with a game played at the Bengals stadium every 3 years on top of the home-and-home series), so maybe that mitigates it a little bit at least on the financial side.

(06-14-2022 02:37 PM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  

(06-14-2022 11:53 AM)Captain Bearcat Wrote:  

(06-14-2022 07:59 AM)inutech Wrote:  

(06-14-2022 07:13 AM)Captain Bearcat Wrote:  This is coming from a school that hasn't made the Sweet 16 in a decade and whose last NCAA victory came 7 years ago. Not exactly the time to be pulling a power move.


VCU getting awfully big for their britches.

Pick a lane. If we're going to criticize them for not improving in basketball, how can we criticize them for trying to improve in basketball?

They don't owe anybody this game. If their fans want it bad enough, it'll happen.

The real question is whether they gave sufficient notice per the contract to break the agreement.

I see what you're saying.

However, ticking off a portion of your fanbase and giving up local media attention from dominating a local near-peer is not the way to improve a basketball program.


Cincinnati is experiencing this same issue in football with longtime rival Miami (Ohio), except the current gap between Cincinnati & Miami is greater than VCU-ODU (both on the field and as institutions). Cincinnati chose to keep them on the schedule.

Is Cincinnati actually keeping Miami (Ohio) on the schedule when Cincy moves to the Big 12? I'll be honest: if I were the Cincinnati AD purely in how I perceive the self-interest of that university to be, I'd drop that game as soon as contractually possible. (And I say that as someone that likes Miami!) Granted, I know that Cincinnati-Miami has shifted into a de facto 2-for-1 situation (with a game played at the Bengals stadium every 3 years on top of the home-and-home series), so maybe that mitigates it a little bit at least on the financial side.

Well, the Bearcats are going to play somebody from the G5. 9 conference games. 1 P5 OOC, 1 FCS, 1 G5. their body-bag game might as well be Miami-O.

but that 1-1-1 might become a 3-1 or a 2-0-1 or something

The ODU-VCU example is one of many that involve programs that should play due to rivalries, similar institutions, geography, etc. — but that do not.

The younger posters on this board will not remember the fierce rivalry Memphis and Louisville had in basketball. That series simply made sense on so many levels — and it is unfortunate it is not played today.

Memphis, Cincinnati and Louisville need to play every year in men's hoops. Sadly, they do not.

I have to wonder if VCU is making a mistake with this move.

(06-14-2022 02:50 PM)johnbragg Wrote:  

(06-14-2022 02:37 PM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  

(06-14-2022 11:53 AM)Captain Bearcat Wrote:  

(06-14-2022 07:59 AM)inutech Wrote:  

(06-14-2022 07:13 AM)Captain Bearcat Wrote:  This is coming from a school that hasn't made the Sweet 16 in a decade and whose last NCAA victory came 7 years ago. Not exactly the time to be pulling a power move.


VCU getting awfully big for their britches.

Pick a lane. If we're going to criticize them for not improving in basketball, how can we criticize them for trying to improve in basketball?

They don't owe anybody this game. If their fans want it bad enough, it'll happen.

The real question is whether they gave sufficient notice per the contract to break the agreement.

I see what you're saying.

However, ticking off a portion of your fanbase and giving up local media attention from dominating a local near-peer is not the way to improve a basketball program.


Cincinnati is experiencing this same issue in football with longtime rival Miami (Ohio), except the current gap between Cincinnati & Miami is greater than VCU-ODU (both on the field and as institutions). Cincinnati chose to keep them on the schedule.

Is Cincinnati actually keeping Miami (Ohio) on the schedule when Cincy moves to the Big 12? I'll be honest: if I were the Cincinnati AD purely in how I perceive the self-interest of that university to be, I'd drop that game as soon as contractually possible. (And I say that as someone that likes Miami!) Granted, I know that Cincinnati-Miami has shifted into a de facto 2-for-1 situation (with a game played at the Bengals stadium every 3 years on top of the home-and-home series), so maybe that mitigates it a little bit at least on the financial side.

Well, the Bearcats are going to play somebody from the G5. 9 conference games. 1 P5 OOC, 1 FCS, 1 G5. their body-bag game might as well be Miami-O.

but that 1-1-1 might become a 3-1 or a 2-0-1 or something

Oh - right. If we're talking about a body bag game without a return home game, then I'm sure Cincinnati would love that game to be Miami.

For me, the question of whether School A will schedule School B is really "Will School A play on the *road* against School B?" Virtually everyone will play anyone if the opponent is willing to take a one-and-done body bag home game.

(06-14-2022 02:50 PM)johnbragg Wrote:  

(06-14-2022 02:37 PM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  

(06-14-2022 11:53 AM)Captain Bearcat Wrote:  

(06-14-2022 07:59 AM)inutech Wrote:  

(06-14-2022 07:13 AM)Captain Bearcat Wrote:  This is coming from a school that hasn't made the Sweet 16 in a decade and whose last NCAA victory came 7 years ago. Not exactly the time to be pulling a power move.


VCU getting awfully big for their britches.

Pick a lane. If we're going to criticize them for not improving in basketball, how can we criticize them for trying to improve in basketball?

They don't owe anybody this game. If their fans want it bad enough, it'll happen.

The real question is whether they gave sufficient notice per the contract to break the agreement.

I see what you're saying.

However, ticking off a portion of your fanbase and giving up local media attention from dominating a local near-peer is not the way to improve a basketball program.


Cincinnati is experiencing this same issue in football with longtime rival Miami (Ohio), except the current gap between Cincinnati & Miami is greater than VCU-ODU (both on the field and as institutions). Cincinnati chose to keep them on the schedule.

Is Cincinnati actually keeping Miami (Ohio) on the schedule when Cincy moves to the Big 12? I'll be honest: if I were the Cincinnati AD purely in how I perceive the self-interest of that university to be, I'd drop that game as soon as contractually possible. (And I say that as someone that likes Miami!) Granted, I know that Cincinnati-Miami has shifted into a de facto 2-for-1 situation (with a game played at the Bengals stadium every 3 years on top of the home-and-home series), so maybe that mitigates it a little bit at least on the financial side.

Well, the Bearcats are going to play somebody from the G5. 9 conference games. 1 P5 OOC, 1 FCS, 1 G5. their body-bag game might as well be Miami-O.

but that 1-1-1 might become a 3-1 or a 2-0-1 or something

If not Miami (O.), this Memphis and Cincinnati fan hopes UC's non-conference football foe from a G5 league, at least some years, is Memphis.

But Miami is a long-standing rivalry and makes sense.