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New DI program in state.

Glad UAB is playing UNA.

With all the complaining about the schedule last year, I hope everyone realizes that scheduling North Alabama is worst than scheduling a D2 program. At least a D2 doesn’t count against your RPI, where UNA who will likely be in the 300's will.

(07-25-2018 09:03 AM)Memphis Blazer Wrote:  With all the complaining about the schedule last year, I hope everyone realizes that scheduling North Alabama is worst than scheduling a D2 program. At least a D2 doesn’t count against your RPI, where UNA who will likely be in the 300's will.

Not neccessarily. According to the NCAA handbook, as a 1st year transitioning member, they are treated as a Non-D1 oppenent unless granted a waiver to be included. There is no compelling reason for UNA to ask for a waiver as they will not be eligible for the NCAA, NIT or A-Sun tournaments this season.

Quote:The Rating Percentage Index (RPI) originally was created in the late seventies at the request of the Division I Men’s Basketball Committee. It is one of the many tools used in the selection process.
The basic factors of the RPI and their weighting are basically the same for every sport:
1. Division I Winning Percentage – 25%
2. Strength of Schedule – 50%
3. Opponents’ Strength of Schedule – 25%

Non-Division I opposition includes Division I provisional or reclassifying schools in their exploratory or first year as they transition to full Division I status.

(07-25-2018 09:03 AM)Memphis Blazer Wrote:  With all the complaining about the schedule last year, I hope everyone realizes that scheduling North Alabama is worst than scheduling a D2 program. At least a D2 doesn’t count against your RPI, where UNA who will likely be in the 300's will.

Believe me, I am not happy about it. We are putting together a pathetic slate. Apparently we don’t want meaningful home games before conference play. Better sell tickets for $5. I’d be upset if I was a season ticket holder.

(07-25-2018 09:03 AM)Memphis Blazer Wrote:  With all the complaining about the schedule last year, I hope everyone realizes that scheduling North Alabama is worst than scheduling a D2 program. At least a D2 doesn’t count against your RPI, where UNA who will likely be in the 300's will.

I think setting up a series with them is good long-term for UAB. UNA hired a new coach this season that seemed to be pretty well regarded.

I am hearing part of the problem for even getting good buy game opponents is two fold. One, we are trying to stay regional. Two, is we are not offering an attractive payout. We are offering 40-50K and teams know they can get 90-100K per game elsewhere.

The money is kind of a chicken or the egg thing and with Carter and Fess bird dogging every penny we can't just say we will pay more. Maybe we just may have to bite the bullet and go on the road more?

Scheduling needs to be addressed and I don't have the answers.

(07-25-2018 11:40 AM)BlazinBham Wrote:  

(07-25-2018 09:03 AM)Memphis Blazer Wrote:  With all the complaining about the schedule last year, I hope everyone realizes that scheduling North Alabama is worst than scheduling a D2 program. At least a D2 doesn’t count against your RPI, where UNA who will likely be in the 300's will.

Believe me, I am not happy about it. We are putting together a pathetic slate. Apparently we don’t want meaningful home games before conference play. Better sell tickets for $5. I’d be upset if I was a season ticket holder.

I'm a season ticket holder and I come to watch UAB, regardless of the opponent. It's the band-wagon jumpers and quasi-fans that will only come for recognizable name opponents.

If we had a 5,000 average I bet we could afford to pay some better opponents 90K Want to stick it in the BOT's eye? Show up for games regardless of the opponent as they don't want us to spend a dime more than we have to to exist.

Call it whatever you want. I don’t support playing a schedule so soft that you’ve already been cut out of the list of teams to consider at the end of the season no matter how good your record looks. Go play somebody on the road and make 2 times as much money as you’re going to make playing one of those home games. Stop wasting money to vacation every thanksgiving and get swept in these tournaments. Let the kids go home for the holiday. You can’t tell me it’s reasonable to charge the same price of admission for one of those games at the top of the schedule as you would for a game vs MTSU, WKU, Marshall, UTEP, or LT.

They need to figure this crap out.

Everybody goes to see UAB play. They don’t want to see us play a bunch on pansies and then hear about “well, y’all played great in CUSA going 16-2, but your non con sucks”

I don’t think the league is being perceived any better by the media or committee but I know those of us who watch can see some sort of improvement in competition in the top half of the league.

I just hope that during these events the powers that be have conversations with other teams' PTB to establish relationships that might lead to other games in men's basketball and other sports.

(07-25-2018 02:01 PM)ATTALLABLAZE Wrote:  I am hearing part of the problem for even getting good buy game opponents is two fold. One, we are trying to stay regional. Two, is we are not offering an attractive payout. We are offering 40-50K and teams know they can get 90-100K per game elsewhere.

The money is kind of a chicken or the egg thing and with Carter and Fess bird dogging every penny we can't just say we will pay more. Maybe we just may have to bite the bullet and go on the road more?

Scheduling needs to be addressed and I don't have the answers.

Hit the road two more times and then we can afford a better buy game. I’d rather play reasonable road games than every regional team we’ve never heard of at home.

(07-25-2018 02:21 PM)blazerjay Wrote:  

(07-25-2018 11:40 AM)BlazinBham Wrote:  

(07-25-2018 09:03 AM)Memphis Blazer Wrote:  With all the complaining about the schedule last year, I hope everyone realizes that scheduling North Alabama is worst than scheduling a D2 program. At least a D2 doesn’t count against your RPI, where UNA who will likely be in the 300's will.

Believe me, I am not happy about it. We are putting together a pathetic slate. Apparently we don’t want meaningful home games before conference play. Better sell tickets for $5. I’d be upset if I was a season ticket holder.

I'm a season ticket holder and I come to watch UAB, regardless of the opponent. It's the band-wagon jumpers and quasi-fans that will only come for recognizable name opponents.

I totally disagree... I have been a season ticket holder for about 20 years. I wouldn’t consider that Bandwagon or Quasi. I consider that faithful, and the basketball schedule sucks. I’d rather have fewer home buy games and play tougher competition for home/home series. That’s is doable. Why we aren’t doing it is beyond me. We play as few road non conference games as Auburn... let that sync in.

(07-25-2018 09:53 PM)ICB Wrote:  

(07-25-2018 02:21 PM)blazerjay Wrote:  

(07-25-2018 11:40 AM)BlazinBham Wrote:  

(07-25-2018 09:03 AM)Memphis Blazer Wrote:  With all the complaining about the schedule last year, I hope everyone realizes that scheduling North Alabama is worst than scheduling a D2 program. At least a D2 doesn’t count against your RPI, where UNA who will likely be in the 300's will.

Believe me, I am not happy about it. We are putting together a pathetic slate. Apparently we don’t want meaningful home games before conference play. Better sell tickets for $5. I’d be upset if I was a season ticket holder.

I'm a season ticket holder and I come to watch UAB, regardless of the opponent. It's the band-wagon jumpers and quasi-fans that will only come for recognizable name opponents.

I totally disagree... I have been a season ticket holder for about 20 years. I wouldn’t consider that Bandwagon or Quasi. I consider that faithful, and the basketball schedule sucks. I’d rather have fewer home buy games and play tougher competition for home/home series. That’s is doable. Why we aren’t doing it is beyond me. We play as few road non conference games as Auburn... let that sync in.

Exactly. I'm a season ticket holder and I'll gladly pay the same price for tickets with 2-3 less home games if we go play some meaningful road games that put the team in a better position for success.

(07-25-2018 05:35 PM)blazers9911 Wrote:  

(07-25-2018 02:01 PM)ATTALLABLAZE Wrote:  I am hearing part of the problem for even getting good buy game opponents is two fold. One, we are trying to stay regional. Two, is we are not offering an attractive payout. We are offering 40-50K and teams know they can get 90-100K per game elsewhere.

The money is kind of a chicken or the egg thing and with Carter and Fess bird dogging every penny we can't just say we will pay more. Maybe we just may have to bite the bullet and go on the road more?

Scheduling needs to be addressed and I don't have the answers.

Hit the road two more times and then we can afford a better buy game. I’d rather play reasonable road games than every regional team we’ve never heard of at home.

I'd personally like to see them work out 2-for-1 home and homes with bigger teams. Isn't that kind of the new "standard" for P5 at this point? I think it might work with either 3 or 6 to ensure that UAB has at least 1 home every year.

No its not the new standard. In fact teams are shying away from the 2 for ones all though some still do it. (Not my assumption, this has been stated by other coaches including ours) They are getting to the point of just saying hey you can come here for a nice price or nothing. Auburn most recently did it with MTSU but their deal sucked. One game in Nashville, one in Auburn, and one at the BJCC. MTSU never received a home game.Pearl tried to pull the same crap with us but we at least held out for what we got.

The descent mid-majors can get a 90-100K or even more now instead of coming to UAB and getting 40-50K.

I dn't have a problem with going on the road at least twice a year being a buy game as long as long as we pick the dregs of P5. No sense in scheduling a certain loss. Sometimes thought they won't play you because they know they will get beat.

(07-26-2018 10:16 AM)ATTALLABLAZE Wrote:  No its not the new standard. In fact teams are shying away from the 2 for ones all though some still do it. (Not my assumption, this has been stated by other coaches including ours) They are getting to the point of just saying hey you can come here for a nice price or nothing. Auburn most recently did it with MTSU but their deal sucked. One game in Nashville, one in Auburn, and one at the BJCC. MTSU never received a home game.Pearl tried to pull the same crap with us but we at least held out for what we got.

The descent mid-majors can get a 90-100K or even more now instead of coming to UAB and getting 40-50K.

I dn't have a problem with going on the road at least twice a year being a buy game as long as long as we pick the dregs of P5. No sense in scheduling a certain loss. Sometimes thought they won't play you because they know they will get beat.

Fair enough, I was basing my thought off of Auburn's series against UAB, Coastal Carolina and Murray State.

Renewed my season tickets today and the confirmation email had the full home schedule in it. In addition to what's above we have:

Morehouse College - Nov 1st (exhibition)
UNA - Dec 4th
Auburn - Dec 15th
Troy - Dec 21st
Arkansas Monticello - Dec 29th

Honestly I'm ready to get Troy off the schedule as much as Alcorn State.