FCS Conference Shuffling

[ST_Lawson]

Another benefit of football in the OVC, non-conf scheduling becomes a whole lot easier.  I assume The Birds and The Dogs would gladly play the Neck each and every year.

 

Honestly, I don't think that would be likely. ISU already has a H&H locked up every season with EIU, then you add in an FBS game and a lower/non-scholarship game, and we're going to get left out in the cold on this one.
Next year, ISU has EIU, Valpo, and Wisconsin...last year was EIU, Butler, and Western Michigan. 2019 was 12 games, so they were able to fit in a game against NAU in addition to the EIU, Morehead State, and NIU "regular slate". 2018 was EIU, Saint Xavier, and Colorado State.

SIU is going to have a similar issue with their regular rivalry game against SEMO. Won't really be room for us on the schedule most years.
If we go to the OVC with football, I don't see us playing ISU and SIU more than once...maybe twice a decade.

[sealhall74]

Another benefit of football in the OVC, non-conf scheduling becomes a whole lot easier.  I assume The Birds and The Dogs would gladly play the Neck each and every year.



 

Honestly, I don't think that would be likely. ISU already has a H&H locked up every season with EIU, then you add in an FBS game and a lower/non-scholarship game, and we're going to get left out in the cold on this one.
Next year, ISU has EIU, Valpo, and Wisconsin...last year was EIU, Butler, and Western Michigan. 2019 was 12 games, so they were able to fit in a game against NAU in addition to the EIU, Morehead State, and NIU "regular slate". 2018 was EIU, Saint Xavier, and Colorado State.

SIU is going to have a similar issue with their regular rivalry game against SEMO. Won't really be room for us on the schedule most years.
If we go to the OVC with football, I don't see us playing ISU and SIU more than once...maybe twice a decade.


 

Sure, it might take a year or two to iron things out.  But no one wants Valpo and Butler or St X on their schedule if a decent alternative exists. May take a proclamation from the Gov but it would be good for Illinois and FCS football.
 
 

[ST_Lawson]

Sure, it might take a year or two to iron things out.  But no one wants Valpo and Butler or St X on their schedule if a decent alternative exists. May take a proclamation from the Gov but it would be good for Illinois and FCS football.
 

A relatively easy home win that usually (in the case of Pioneer League teams, not Saint Xavier) counts as a DI win...heck yeah they want that on their schedule. I wish we could have one of those every year. The MVFC is tough enough, we don't need to be playing a bunch of really good Big Sky teams all the time to level up our difficulty.

If we could have maybe one H&H a year with a Big Sky or maybe OVC team, plus one home 1-off "easy win", and one away FBS $$$ game every year, that would be absolutely ideal.

[ST_Lawson]

Probably posted a bit early, but it looks like it's official for Lindenwood to DI and the OVC:

[sealhall74]

Sure, it might take a year or two to iron things out.  But no one wants Valpo and Butler or St X on their schedule if a decent alternative exists. May take a proclamation from the Gov but it would be good for Illinois and FCS football.


 

A relatively easy home win that usually (in the case of Pioneer League teams, not Saint Xavier) counts as a DI win...heck yeah they want that on their schedule. I wish we could have one of those every year. The MVFC is tough enough, we don't need to be playing a bunch of really good Big Sky teams all the time to level up our difficulty.

If we could have maybe one H&H a year with a Big Sky or maybe OVC team, plus one home 1-off "easy win", and one away FBS $$$ game every year, that would be absolutely ideal.


 

I dont want a coach like that working for me.  Coaching out of fear of losing.  Not a good place to be IMHO. But lot of coaches are in that mode.  A W is all that matters on their resume.
 
 

[ST_Lawson]

I dont want a coach like that working for me.  Coaching out of fear of losing.  Not a good place to be IMHO. But lot of coaches are in that mode.  A W is all that matters on their resume.


 

It's not really a fear of losing, so much as an opportunity to have a strong early win in front of a large home crowd. I highly doubt NDSU is afraid of losing to any FCS team (or most FBS teams really), but they have future games scheduled against Drake and St. Thomas, and have in recent years, played Butler, North Alabama (shortly after they moved up to DI), Mississippi Valley State, Robert Morris, etc. All 1-off home games. South Dakota State has upcoming games against Butler and Drake also, with recent games in the last few years against then-DII Lindenwood, Long Island University (who had just moved up from DII), Drake, and UA-Pine Bluff...same deal.

It's the same reason that a lot of FBS teams play a game against FCS teams each season. It's a home game (usually a home win) early in the season, doesn't require a "return trip" later, and gives the teams a chance to stretch their bench.

We used to do it, but our financial situation is such now that we can't really afford to pay a team to come here and play a 1-off game. That's why all of our FCS non-conference games have been H&H's...outside of travel, we don't have to pay them anything.

It was 2014 the last time we had one of those games (Drake and Valpo, in a year we also played Wisconsin and Northwestern), but we used to play games like that every year...Hampton, Butler, Jacksonville, Valpo. I wasn't so much of a fan of us playing the lower division schools generally, but an occasional game against a nearby DII like Quincy, Truman State, or Indianapolis wouldn't be bad because there'd be some "local interest" that might bump up attendance a bit.

Not directly related, but here's a bit more about the OVC+Big South arrangement: https://www.extrapointsmb.com/ovc-and-b ... rtnership/

[sealhall74]

I will go out on a limb and say that an early season matchup against ISU with great weather will draw about 3 times as many people as a game against Drake AND you dont have to pay the Birds to show up. Or is Drake not paid because they too are D1, albeit lowly non-scholarship?
 
 

[ST_Lawson]

I will go out on a limb and say that an early season matchup against ISU with great weather will draw about 3 times as many people as a game against Drake AND you dont have to pay the Birds to show up. Or is Drake not paid because they too are D1, albeit lowly non-scholarship?
 

It would depend on the contract, but generally, if it's a H&H (as in, they play a game here, then we play a game there a year or so later), then no money is exchanged.
The games against Pioneer League teams, NEC teams, and others that are 1-off games (like if Drake or Valpo came to play at WIU without the expectation of us playing there later on), we would pay them...usually something in the neighborhood of upper 5-figures, low 6-figures depending on the teams involved, I think. $100k is probably a good average for those.

Oh, absolutely an early season matchup against ISU would draw way more than a game against Drake or Valpo. The problem is, will ISU have an open spot on their schedule? In most years (i.e. 11-game seasons), I'd say that's pretty unlikely. In a 12-game season, possibly. ISU considers EIU to be their biggest "rivalry game"...so if they have to give up the annual EIU game to play us...that's not going to happen.

[Western_101]

Coach Spack certainly enjoys a steady non-con diet of weak EIU and the flavor of the season Pioneer flag football game. It is pretty weak, however, I would rather have two in the win column going into Valley play than playing what lately seems to be two H+H with ranked FCS teams. We come limping into the Valley with three losses then usually get to play another six ranked teams. 

So, I guess it's perspective. Is Spack and Co. weak or smart?

WIU was a football heavyweight when this "Mid-American Classic" thing was contrived, yes ISU and EIU had been matching up forever, just like WIU and EIU were. Two things;

For a long time ISU was a "Basketball school" and they were good at that. Basketball is what they focused on. Redbird football was an afterthought and weren't very competitive. WIU used to be pretty great at football and pretty great at beating EIU's brains in. My take is EIU wanted nothing to do with Western and considered this ongoing thing with the not great Redbirds a solid instate H+H, short distance, fan interest, rather equally matched et cet...  The days of ISU being not very good at football are a distant memory (as is my time in college).

Personally I would love a perennial schedule with EIU and a rotating cast of members from the Pioneer. Top it off with a B1G payday that the players love and the fans love and the huge $$$ aspect and we have perfection!
 

[Western_101]

I don't do it well. My brain knows it but Scott can articulate it.

What am I talking about?  

Why it is Important to stay in the MVFC and go OVC olympic. I am tempted to start, football recruiting, perception, rivalries, fan interest, If we can get former players that have money, or anyone to buy into/build what we need.....can't do it from the OVC. However, we desperately need to save money and these athletes don't want to be on these miserable forever bus rides. OVC adding USI and Lindenwood really makes me hope a deal can be negotiated to let us in/ save for football as we covered.

For those that would say "yeah but Belmont, and Murray State just left"  Yeah, they did, to kick the daylights out of the current MVC membership. This new lineup and geographic footprint I pray Western will be in.

Thoughts:

Take it away Mr. Lawson!