When the NCAA decided college football could add a 12th regular-season game beginning in 2006, many said it was all about the money.

Now schools are having trouble scheduling 12 games because, well, it's still all about the money.

"Unfortunately it's something that puts a black eye on college athletics when schools are pulling out of contractual agreements," West Virginia Deputy Athletic Director Mike Parsons said.

The addition of another regular season game has accentuated the trend of smaller schools taking bigger payouts to play games elsewhere, which has made scheduling in the Big East, including Syracuse, more challenging than before.

"It's an open market system," Big East Associate Commissioner Nick Carparelli said. "Like anything else, if you're willing to pay more money, you're going to have an easier time finding teams to play a football game.

"It's hard finding non-conference games, period."

When it comes to non-conference scheduling, the Big East is already at a disadvantage. With eight football members, each school has an unbalanced conference schedule every year - four home games one year and three the next.

So while the Michigans, Virginia Techs and Floridas will always have seven home games a year, Big East programs will have to alternate between six and seven home gates per season.

This is the reality some Big East schools have realized the hard way.

Buffalo, a Metro Athletic Conference member, is expected to back out of existing deals with both West Virginia and Rutgers because the MAC signed a more lucrative deal with the Big 10 Conference.

Published sources have projected Buffalo's payouts against Wisconsin and Auburn around at least $750,000 to perhaps $1 million each.

Parsons estimated the typical WVU payout normally hovers around $300,000 to $350,000, which appears to be the average for Big East schools. Mark Jackson, Syracuse's executive senior associate athletic director, said SU payouts fall in a range of $200,000 with a high end of $400,000 in extreme cases.

"Ultimately you'll have to increase the payouts," Parsons said. "But we're not in the position to payout like the (Southeastern Conference) does."

East Carolina, the 12th school Syracuse was scheduled to play in 2006, backed out of a long-term scheduling agreement, which according to Jackson, dates back to 1986.

"We can't compete if they supersede the agreement by playing at big ACC or SEC schools," Jackson said. "The 12th game forced a lot of last minute cancellations all around the nation."

Without a 12th game until last week, Syracuse scheduled Mountain West member Wyoming.

"We had to consider a I-AA opponent," Jackson said. "In a perfect world we didn't want to, but we had to explore it."

Other Big East schools did more than exploration.

Rutgers, one of four Big East bowl teams in 2005, scheduled Division I-AA Howard to fill its final hole. Rutgers typically schedules a I-AA school, but wanted to stray away from it in 2006. Pending Buffalo's decision, Rutgers may have to add another.

Big East regular season runner-up South Florida has I-AA McNeese State and Sun Belt Conference member Florida International on its schedule.

Pittsburgh, which played I-AA regional rival Youngstown State in 2005, will play I-AA The Citadel in 2006. Connecticut scheduled I-AA Rhode Island on a Thursday night in August and Cincinnati, while having the strongest non-conference schedule, still snuck in Eastern Kentucky, another I-AA program.

Buffalo has 14 games contracted for 2006; West Virginia and Rutgers are expected to get the ax.

So instead of playing at 60,000-seat Mountaineer Field and 41,000-seat Rutgers Stadium, Buffalo could play in Wiscon sin, capacity 80,321, and at Auburn's Jordan-Hare Stadium, which seats 87,451.

According to Parsons, Buffalo has not submitted any writing to WVU documenting the breech of their contract. At this point, it is an unofficial certainty.

Buffalo officials declined comment for this story.

A sold-out game at Mountaineer Field typically generates around $1.5 million in revenue. Penn State, for example, could make as much as $3.5 million from an extra home game. Beaver Stadium holds 107,282.

Sheer numbers put the Big East at a disadvantage that seems insurmountable without drastic measures. Pittsburgh and WVU are the only two Big East schools with attendance capabilities reaching more than 60,000.

"I'm not sure the Big East can compete financially," Parsons said. "It is something that the Big East schools just don't have the caliber to offer."

That leaves the reigning Sugar Bowl champion and preseason favorite Mountaineers with a probable home date against a Division I-AA opponent - for the second year in a row.

Last year, UCF made a late decision to forgo its road game at Morgantown, forcing WVU to add Wofford, a 35-7 Mountaineer victory. Under former NCAA rules, WVU would not be able to count a win against a I-AA school in 2006, but because of the addition of the 12th game, the NCAA approved legislation which allows I-A programs to count wins against I-AA schools towards bowl eligibility every year.

"It puts schools in a hard place, especially when it's done in the 11th hour," Parsons said. "We've had this happen to us for the last two years. It puts a lot of strain and pressure on the athletic department."

Kevin MacConnell, Rutgers' deputy director of athletics, sees the 12th game as just another opportunity for Rutgers to get its name out nationally.

"The revenue is the most important thing coming from another game," MacConnell said. "The 12th game is also another chance to get on television."

No word yet on which ESPN station will be carrying the Sept. 23 Rutgers-Howard contest.

Jackson believes scheduling Wyoming is an example of the benefits a 12th game can add for SU.

"Another game gives us some flexibility to get some attractive opponents from the West Coast," Jackson said. "We have a strong alumni base on the West, and it can be a tremendous recruiting tool."

Jackson thinks - believe it or not - Wyoming could be the gateway to scheduling national powerhouses.

"We're talking about scheduling a USC," said Jackson, a former member of the USC athletic department. "Even maybe someone like a UCLA sooner than you think."

Pittsburgh Athletic Director Jeff Long recently raised the idea in a published report of adding a ninth football-only member to the Big East in order to balance the conference schedule and make non-conference scheduling easier.

"I think we're in a position where we are always re-evaluating our membership," Carparelli said. "If someone presents themselves as a potential member, we would look into it. We're not looking to add schools just for the sake of adding schools to assist in scheduling."

Big East member schools are in charge of scheduling non-conference games on their own, with some assistance from the conference. After the non-conference schedule is finalized, Carparelli reviews potential matchups with its television partners and then fills in the rest of the conference schedule.

Parsons said the Big East is definitely considering a scheduling alliance similar to the MAC-Big 10 agreement, but on a smaller scale.

Right now, the only guidance Carparelli can offer to his member schools is to draw up stricter and tighter contracts when it schedules non-conference games.

"In the future we will encourage our schools to have larger payouts and escalating buyout clauses to deter teams from breaking off agreements," Carparelli said.

How large? The Big East must leave it up to the Buffaloes of the world to decide.

http://www.dailyorange.com/home/index.cf...95a8a89e89

SO#1 Wrote:When the NCAA decided college football could add a 12th regular-season game beginning in 2006, many said it was all about the money.

Now schools are having trouble scheduling 12 games because, well, it's still all about the money.

"Unfortunately it's something that puts a black eye on college athletics when schools are pulling out of contractual agreements," West Virginia Deputy Athletic Director Mike Parsons said.

The addition of another regular season game has accentuated the trend of smaller schools taking bigger payouts to play games elsewhere, which has made scheduling in the Big East, including Syracuse, more challenging than before.

"It's an open market system," Big East Associate Commissioner Nick Carparelli said. "Like anything else, if you're willing to pay more money, you're going to have an easier time finding teams to play a football game.

"It's hard finding non-conference games, period."

When it comes to non-conference scheduling, the Big East is already at a disadvantage. With eight football members, each school has an unbalanced conference schedule every year - four home games one year and three the next.

So while the Michigans, Virginia Techs and Floridas will always have seven home games a year, Big East programs will have to alternate between six and seven home gates per season.

This is the reality some Big East schools have realized the hard way.

Buffalo, a Metro Athletic Conference member, is expected to back out of existing deals with both West Virginia and Rutgers because the MAC signed a more lucrative deal with the Big 10 Conference.

Published sources have projected Buffalo's payouts against Wisconsin and Auburn around at least $750,000 to perhaps $1 million each.

Parsons estimated the typical WVU payout normally hovers around $300,000 to $350,000, which appears to be the average for Big East schools. Mark Jackson, Syracuse's executive senior associate athletic director, said SU payouts fall in a range of $200,000 with a high end of $400,000 in extreme cases.

"Ultimately you'll have to increase the payouts," Parsons said. "But we're not in the position to payout like the (Southeastern Conference) does."

East Carolina, the 12th school Syracuse was scheduled to play in 2006, backed out of a long-term scheduling agreement, which according to Jackson, dates back to 1986.

"We can't compete if they supersede the agreement by playing at big ACC or SEC schools," Jackson said. "The 12th game forced a lot of last minute cancellations all around the nation."

Without a 12th game until last week, Syracuse scheduled Mountain West member Wyoming.

"We had to consider a I-AA opponent," Jackson said. "In a perfect world we didn't want to, but we had to explore it."

Other Big East schools did more than exploration.

Rutgers, one of four Big East bowl teams in 2005, scheduled Division I-AA Howard to fill its final hole. Rutgers typically schedules a I-AA school, but wanted to stray away from it in 2006. Pending Buffalo's decision, Rutgers may have to add another.

Big East regular season runner-up South Florida has I-AA McNeese State and Sun Belt Conference member Florida International on its schedule.

Pittsburgh, which played I-AA regional rival Youngstown State in 2005, will play I-AA The Citadel in 2006. Connecticut scheduled I-AA Rhode Island on a Thursday night in August and Cincinnati, while having the strongest non-conference schedule, still snuck in Eastern Kentucky, another I-AA program.

Buffalo has 14 games contracted for 2006; West Virginia and Rutgers are expected to get the ax.

So instead of playing at 60,000-seat Mountaineer Field and 41,000-seat Rutgers Stadium, Buffalo could play in Wiscon sin, capacity 80,321, and at Auburn's Jordan-Hare Stadium, which seats 87,451.

According to Parsons, Buffalo has not submitted any writing to WVU documenting the breech of their contract. At this point, it is an unofficial certainty.

Buffalo officials declined comment for this story.

A sold-out game at Mountaineer Field typically generates around $1.5 million in revenue. Penn State, for example, could make as much as $3.5 million from an extra home game. Beaver Stadium holds 107,282.

Sheer numbers put the Big East at a disadvantage that seems insurmountable without drastic measures. Pittsburgh and WVU are the only two Big East schools with attendance capabilities reaching more than 60,000.

"I'm not sure the Big East can compete financially," Parsons said. "It is something that the Big East schools just don't have the caliber to offer."

That leaves the reigning Sugar Bowl champion and preseason favorite Mountaineers with a probable home date against a Division I-AA opponent - for the second year in a row.

Last year, UCF made a late decision to forgo its road game at Morgantown, forcing WVU to add Wofford, a 35-7 Mountaineer victory. Under former NCAA rules, WVU would not be able to count a win against a I-AA school in 2006, but because of the addition of the 12th game, the NCAA approved legislation which allows I-A programs to count wins against I-AA schools towards bowl eligibility every year.

"It puts schools in a hard place, especially when it's done in the 11th hour," Parsons said. "We've had this happen to us for the last two years. It puts a lot of strain and pressure on the athletic department."

Kevin MacConnell, Rutgers' deputy director of athletics, sees the 12th game as just another opportunity for Rutgers to get its name out nationally.

"The revenue is the most important thing coming from another game," MacConnell said. "The 12th game is also another chance to get on television."

No word yet on which ESPN station will be carrying the Sept. 23 Rutgers-Howard contest.

Jackson believes scheduling Wyoming is an example of the benefits a 12th game can add for SU.

"Another game gives us some flexibility to get some attractive opponents from the West Coast," Jackson said. "We have a strong alumni base on the West, and it can be a tremendous recruiting tool."

Jackson thinks - believe it or not - Wyoming could be the gateway to scheduling national powerhouses.

"We're talking about scheduling a USC," said Jackson, a former member of the USC athletic department. "Even maybe someone like a UCLA sooner than you think."

Pittsburgh Athletic Director Jeff Long recently raised the idea in a published report of adding a ninth football-only member to the Big East in order to balance the conference schedule and make non-conference scheduling easier.

"I think we're in a position where we are always re-evaluating our membership," Carparelli said. "If someone presents themselves as a potential member, we would look into it. We're not looking to add schools just for the sake of adding schools to assist in scheduling."

Big East member schools are in charge of scheduling non-conference games on their own, with some assistance from the conference. After the non-conference schedule is finalized, Carparelli reviews potential matchups with its television partners and then fills in the rest of the conference schedule.

Parsons said the Big East is definitely considering a scheduling alliance similar to the MAC-Big 10 agreement, but on a smaller scale.

Right now, the only guidance Carparelli can offer to his member schools is to draw up stricter and tighter contracts when it schedules non-conference games.

"In the future we will encourage our schools to have larger payouts and escalating buyout clauses to deter teams from breaking off agreements," Carparelli said.

How large? The Big East must leave it up to the Buffaloes of the world to decide.

http://www.dailyorange.com/home/index.cf...95a8a89e89

You can't post this, you see we don't need a 9th Football Member according to some.

Nah i dont believe there is NO schedul;ing problems.

dump the non-football schools and expand ...

Good article......this is the first quote I have seen where someone from the BE office said a 9th football only member is a possiblity


Jackson

I'm just glad UofL has been able to miss playing any I-AA's since 2001 and has none scheduled currently.

While no one is having an easy time scheduling, it seems the 8 of us are having varying degrees of difficulty in getting 12 games. That's probably related to how much each school offers for visiting teams. I suspect UofL is offering above the conference average since the article stats that WVU is at/about the average & Syracuse is well below. I can't imagine UC offers above the league average with how few they draw, so there really aren't that many teams left that have to be offering $$ closer to $400,000 than $200,000 and I bet we are one since we have the 2nd or 3rd largest budget.

I wonder why Syracuse offers such a small amount. They made $42 mil and spent $38 mil last year which puts them right about the top of the league yet they are paying at least $100,000 under the league average. Start paying the going rate and things will go easier!

Big East Associate Commissioner Nick Carparelli

"I think we're in a position where we are always re-evaluating our membership," Carparelli said. "If someone presents themselves as a potential member, we would look into it. We're not looking to add schools just for the sake of adding schools to assist in scheduling."

Interesting comment. So the Big East Office is looking at potential members but they have to meet a certain criteria for inclusion.

JMO, if not for geography then Memphis is the most realistic school for Big East.

1. They are winning in football now.
2. They have one of the best current basketball programs in the country.
3. They would bring in a bowl game worth at least 1.5 Million.

Plus they already have ready made rivalries with Cincinnati and Louisville. UCF, would receive support in the media from USF. But behind the scenes no way the Bulls would allow them in.

ECU, they bring fan support BUT they are not very accessable. Now if they went to 10 schools then ECU would get a more serious look.

The BE should add ECU for football ASAP. I think they would jump at the chance and they bring a good program to the table. Yes, they have had it rough the last few seasons, but they support their program, they have a nice stadium, and fit in geographically. To me, it's a no-brainer.

According to certain people the only people talking about expansion are internet people such as ourselves.

What kind of 'scheduleing alliance' and with what schools/conf?

Let's add:

Memphis and the Liberty Bowl

UCF and a Bowl in Orlando

ECU and gaon the Charlotte Bowl

Southern Miss and the Mobile Bowl

I think something like this is definitely going to happen, Wilkie. I've always said it will be 12 before it's 9.

We just have to wait and listen to Guppy BS for a few more years! lmfao lmfao lmfao

*T - 10 seconds... 9... 8...

*T for Tigershark lmfao

Regardless of how it happens and who it is, I think we need a ninth FB team ASAP.

Jim

Why are the seating capacities still so small at so many BE stadiums?

It seems that the small attendance figures hurt OOC scheduling almost as much as the unbalanced schedules.

The article points out that the BE is at a great disadvantage in OOC scheduling due to the small payouts offered.

Are there any current plans to expand the seating capacities at BE stadiums?

I agree that the BE football schools need to find a ninth member for scheduling from either a split or expansion to 18 teams but the BE still will find it somewhat difficult to schedule good OOC games with a low payout.

TerryD Wrote:Why are the seating capacities still so small at so many BE stadiums?

Supply and demand..... why contruct large stadiums or create more seating when you won't be able to sell them out?

TerryD Wrote:Are there any current plans to expand the seating capacities at BE stadiums?

UL and UConn are the only ones that I know about (to 60k?).... although I don't know when that will happen

Also, I think RU has a capacity of 42k. Therefore, once they continually get around 42k in teh stand then maybe they can expand?

SO#1 Wrote:Buffalo has 14 games contracted for 2006; West Virginia and Rutgers are expected to get the ax.

Buffalo is garbage. They should drop football if they are only after a paycheck. Let them play 14 games. 0-14 sounds about right.

SO#1 Wrote:"The revenue is the most important thing coming from another game," MacConnell said. "The 12th game is also another chance to get on television."

No word yet on which ESPN station will be carrying the Sept. 23 Rutgers-Howard contest.

Love it.

Hummell Wrote:I think something like this is definitely going to happen, Wilkie. I've always said it will be 12 before it's 9.

This quote would probably lead me to believe otherwise. At least in the next 3-4 years.

"I think we're in a position where we are always re-evaluating our membership," Carparelli said. "If someone presents themselves as a potential member, we would look into it. We're not looking to add schools just for the sake of adding schools to assist in scheduling."

Quote:ECU, they bring fan support BUT they are not very accessable.

Was Va Tech that difficult to get to as well. They didn't have a direct flight into Blacksburg from anywhere. Not even an airport. Didn't hurt them to much with fan support or recruiting.

Clemson is the same way in the ACC. No flights into town. Clemson has to have recruits and fand fly into Greenville, SC and drive down to the stadium.