Future Football Schedules

[ST_Lawson]

Isn't New Mexico State going to be Independent status in 2017? Wonder if they are still looking to fill out a schedule?

Being independent in Las Cruces seems like a very tall task.

They are going independent as of 2017, although at this point, they do have teams on their schedule. Not sure if any will back out or not now that they're not in a conference. They are still FBS, so for their opponents, they'll still count for that.

I did a quick check of the MAC team schedules for 2017. Teams that have openings (according to FBSschedules.com) during our OOC weeks and do not have a FCS on their schedule currently are:
9/9/17 - Akron, Eastern Michigan, Western Michigan (maybe...they do have Idaho on their current schedule for another weekend, so it depends on what happens there)
9/16/17 - Ball State
9/23/17 - Eastern Michigan, Northern Illinois (but we're playing NIU this year too, so they probably won't want to go with us two years in a row).

I think our best bet (and probably what Matt Tanney is doing already) is getting Akron, Ball State, and Eastern Michigan on the phone and trying to make something work with one of them. The only game we do have scheduled is Saint Xavier University (NAIA), although I don't know for sure which date that is planned to be (it may be flexible at this point). I'm hoping that there's also a return trip of a home-and-home with Northern Arizona that season as well. Won't be a home game, but it'll be a high-quality opponent. If we're able to beat a quality FCS team and a "beatable" MAC team, then the game with Saint Xavier won't really matter (since we'd have two non-conference DI wins going into conference season).

Other FBS teams that have openings and no current FCS game on their 2017 schedule, and who in this 1/3 of the country (I looked through Sun Belt, Big 12, CUSA, and a few other schedules):
9/2 - Air Force
9/9 - Coastal Carolina (not as close, but we did have them scheduled as an FCS...was going to be here, but could just make it an FBS game there)
9/16 - Air Force
9/23 - Coastal Carolina, Air Force

[South Side Lnecks]

Hoping that The 'Necks can get a decent FCS program at home for 2017 or at least play a FBS road game to make up for Coastal Carolina backing out. After the Leathernecks gave the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers everything the then #1 ranked FCS (at least I thought Coastal Carolina was ranked #1 then) all they could handle in a back & forth very close 34-27 game it's very likely that Coastal Carolina was going to back out of that game one way or the other even if Coastal Carolina stayed at the FCS level. So why not schedule WIU to come to Coastal Carolina in 2017 as an FCS at FBS game; too scared to lose at home to an FCS school maybe?

As far as St. Xavier University is concerned: St. Xavier is definitely no pushover at the NAIA level. The Cougars of St. Xavier are one of the most well coached programs in the entire country at any level. HC Mike Feminis has done a phenomenal job of turning around the Cougars program when he arrived there in 1999.

The 2011 NAIA Football National Champions Banners are still flying high & proud in front of St. Xavier University in 2016 in front of the main campus on 103rd St. on Chicago's South Side. Believe me when I say the St. Xavier football program will be fired up to play WIU; just as the NIU Huskies were fired up to play at defending national champion Ohio St last year. Mid-Major NIU gave the then ranked #1 in the country Power 5 Buckeyes everything they could handle before falling 20-13 in the 3rd game for both teams in 2015. The Buckeyes were favored by 34 1/2 points over NIU. Ohio State won by 7; with the game tied at half-time. And this is a Buckeyes team that set an NFL record for the amount of players drafted to the NFL in April of 2016.

A little info on St, Xavier's Head Coach Mike Feminis http://www.sxucougars.com/article/2923.php#.V4vhmNQrJkg
A little info on the 2011 St. Xavier NAIA Championship. http://www.sxucougars.com/article/2923.php#.V4vlFdQrJkh

The bottom line is the Leathernecks cannot and should not take NAIA St. Xavier lightly. Hopefully the end result in 2017 will be the same result as when WIU hosted NAIA St. Francis of Joliet in 2007. That final score was WIU 69, St. Francis 0. That's also the same score that WIU had (reversed on them in 2013) when WIU lost at Missouri by a 69-0 score. Never treat any opponent as an inferior opponent. If WIU needs to make a statement against St. Xavier so be it; cuz ready or not St. Xavier will be ready to make a statement and then some next year at WIU.

Go Leathernecks!!

[ST_Lawson]

I'm not taking them lightly or anything. There is a good chance we'll win...but I was just talking in terms of the NCAA and the playoff committee. When it comes to deciding who's in and who's out, the committee won't even consider that as a "game" (unless we lose). In an 11 game season, we'll be treated as having 10 games, but still have to reach the same win counts as everyone else. So....to be solidly in the playoffs, we pretty much have to go 8-3 overall (if we beat Saint Xavier)...7-4 will put us in a similar situation as last year, but with nowhere near the strength of schedule to rely on to get us in.

[ST_Lawson]

Just a quick thing...it looks like we will be heading out to Northern Arizona in 2017...returning the "home and home" agreement with them.

[sealhall74]

Just a quick thing...it looks like we will be heading out to Northern Arizona in 2017...returning the "home and home" agreement with them.

Date please.

[ST_Lawson]

Just a quick thing...it looks like we will be heading out to Northern Arizona in 2017...returning the "home and home" agreement with them.

Date please.

No date yet, just saw a tweet from a conversation that an Arizona media guy was having with someone else....said that Western was going out to NAU next year and something about a "national game"...I have no idea what that's about though.

[tweet]765275200170504192[/tweet]

[sealhall74]

Just a quick thing...it looks like we will be heading out to Northern Arizona in 2017...returning the "home and home" agreement with them.

Date please.

No date yet, just saw a tweet from a conversation that an Arizona media guy was having with someone else....said that Western was going out to NAU next year and something about a "national game"...I have no idea what that's about though.

[tweet]765275200170504192[/tweet]

What else could it be other than the FCS kickoff game? Would be nice to get the date sooner rather than later. Need to book my timeshare in Phoenix which usually needs to be done a year in advance for the nicer resorts.

[ST_Lawson]

What else could it be other than the FCS kickoff game? Would be nice to get the date sooner rather than later. Need to book my timeshare in Phoenix which usually needs to be done a year in advance for the nicer resorts.

I tweeted with the guy a bit and from what he's heard, the rumor (and it's still very much a rumor) is that it could be the College Football Kickoff Game on ESPN...just like NDSU and Charleston Southern this season. That would be pretty darn huge for us. Still very much up in the air...depends on logistics, scheduling, and how both schools do this season (if we both completely flop this season...ESPN might not be interested in that matchup).

If that is the game, then it'd end up being the Saturday before the regular college football season starts (September 2nd)...so that would be August 26th, 2017....if everything falls into place. Probably we both need to make the playoffs and ideally do well in them this year.

[neck2016]

Actually I am new here but a guge neck fan and alum but honestly I do not mind seeing wiu adding a quality NAIA program on the schedule. It is no different than an fcs/bcs situation and many of the top 10-15 NAIA programs are still better than many of the fcs.
One thing to look at in future is an NAIA program who is coached by a former leatherneck coach who has done a great job is Matt Drinkall at Kansas Wesleyan. He has turned them into an NAIA power who could compete with many fcs schoos. Again, not to mention a former neck coach and he has a couple of illinois kids and one being from Pekin, Il. Wirth a thought and again former neck connection?

[Western_101]

Neck2016 welcome.

With regard to NAIA the problem that poses for any FCS team is the game is a non counter in the eyes of the selection committee. One of the nice things about being in the Valley for football is that it is such a tough league that generally one can expect 3 or 4 at large bids come selection time. Now obviously being the conference champ means an auto bid and that teams resume is not dissected (not for eligibility but perhaps seeding).

FBS schools get to count one FCS game toward post season eligibility. There is incentive for the FCS team to get a big check playing at an FBS school. There is incentive for an FBS team to get a high percentage win game that will be a counter toward that magic number of 6 wins needed to get to a bowl. I know everybody here already knew this so feel free to collectively kick me in the shin. ma

Anyway, I think there are some great NAIA programs, but strictly from the selfish perspective of getting to the playoffs, having an NAIA on the schedule makes it tougher to get the 7 qualifying wins needed. I heard of a program from somewhere that got in once with 6, but that was historic.