Future Football Schedules

[ST_Lawson]

Just found out that we will be playing NAIA Saint Xavier University in 2017. I assume that this is filling in for Coastal Carolina likely buying out their return game to Macomb in 2017. I get that we were probably kinda scrambling for opponents, but we couldn't have found a Pioneer, MEAC, or SWAC school? No offense to SXU fans, but it won't count towards a possible playoff spot, so we pretty much have to run through the rest of our schedule pretty well if we're going to be included. Guess we'll just have to win the conference auto-bid

What it does for us...an additional home game. The 2017 schedule, the way it's shaping up so far, includes home games in conference against UDS, MSU, SDSU, and SIU. Other than that, we have a game scheduled at Northwestern, had the home game against CCU (which was bought out), and possibly the return of a H&H agreement with Northern Arizona (who's playing us here in 2016). So this could be our only non-conference home game that season.

Still....buh. Disappointed we couldn't get another Div. 1.

EDIT - source: http://www.sxucougars.com/article/4727.php

Saint Xavier University is located in southwest Chicago and is right next to Brother Rice High School: https://goo.gl/maps/CBsfiWxcd5u

[sealhall74]

Just found out that we will be playing NAIA Saint Xavier University in 2017. I assume that this is filling in for Coastal Carolina likely buying out their return game to Macomb in 2017. I get that we were probably kinda scrambling for opponents, but we couldn't have found a Pioneer, MEAC, or SWAC school? No offense to SXU fans, but it won't count towards a possible playoff spot, so we pretty much have to run through the rest of our schedule pretty well if we're going to be included. Guess we'll just have to win the conference auto-bid

What it does for us...an additional home game. The 2017 schedule, the way it's shaping up so far, includes home games in conference against UDS, MSU, SDSU, and SIU. Other than that, we have a game scheduled at Northwestern, had the home game against CCU (which was bought out), and possibly the return of a H&H agreement with Northern Arizona (who's playing us here in 2016). So this could be our only non-conference home game that season.

Still....buh. Disappointed we couldn't get another Div. 1.

EDIT - source: http://www.sxucougars.com/article/4727.php

Saint Xavier University is located in southwest Chicago and is right next to Brother Rice High School: https://goo.gl/maps/CBsfiWxcd5u

Does not bother me too much. They look like an "up and comer" in the state. I pulled this snippet from their site:

Under Feminis, winning is the norm as SXU has established itself as one of the premier small college football programs in the country. Since 2000, the Cougars have won more games (140) than any of the 35 college football institutions in Illinois and rank second among the 87 NAIA football institutions. In 2015, SXU shoots for its ninth playoff berth in the last 11 years after making its sixth trip to the national semifinals in 2014.

Assuming Feminis and staff are still around, they could give us a good game.

[ST_Lawson]

My issue with them isn't that they're not good (it's entirely possible they are...sounds like they have had success), it's that it doesn't count towards playoff eligibility....at all.

A "normal" season is 11 games. The usual standard for playoff eligibility is 7 division 1 wins. Only once has a 6-win school been selected for the playoffs as an at-large (6-win teams have gotten in by virtue of winning their conference's auto-bid) and that was us, last year. We were VERY borderline...essentially the last school in, and we had the absolute toughest schedule of any FCS school.

Look ahead to 2017. There are 11 games (the next 12-game season will be 2019, just fyi). We will be playing against not as tough of a schedule...we have Missouri State but not Youngstown State over the next two years...so likely won't get the benefit of the doubt if we only win 6 games. So really, our target is 7 games. Non-D1 games don't count in the eyes of the selection committee...doesn't matter if they're a D2 team from Missouri that just won the D2 championship and could probably hang with a lot of MVFC teams...they're not D1 and the game doesn't count towards the playoff selection. So, we have to win 7 games on essentially a 10 game schedule....going, at worst, 7-3...with one of those games against Northwestern. Among the rest of the conference...NDSU...UNI...SDSU...as well as whoever we play for our other game (possibly a very good Northern Arizona team...at their place).

If we go 7-4 overall, assuming a win over Saint Xavier University, we won't be in the playoffs. If we went 7-4 overall and, instead of SXU, played Mississippi Valley State, Savannah State, Delaware State, Austin Peay, or Wagner (those teams combined had a total of 4 wins last year), then we would be in the playoffs. Doesn't matter if SXU could beat any of those teams...in the eyes of the playoff committee, a win over a NAIA team just doesn't count.

[Western_101]

Thanks for the update Scott.

Coastal Carolina University was still a Junior College at the time that many of the posters on this board were at Western or had Graduated from Western.

WIUs first season of Football was 1903....Coastal's first season was 2003. WIU has gone out to South Carolina twice to play Coastal. According to some posters on the Coastal message board....WIU was perceived to be a "Marquee game" for them.

Coastal is joining a Conference that is comprised entirely of programs that were previously I-AA/FCS (save for the Cajuns).

Coastal entered into an agreement with WESTERN. Is the take away from this that Coastal is too good to come to the likes of a WIU?

Coastal in my mind going forward equates to a guy asking a girl to the prom and at the last minute ditching her and going with a (perceived to be) prettier girl with zero conscious or regard for how those actions will effect or hurt the first girl.

Coastal = Zero integrity, Zero class.

[Western_101]

Some people take interest and give credence/merit to Sagarin Rankings.

Last Season WESTERN finished with a 116 rank.

Last Season Coastal finished with rank of 118.


If Western were in the Sunbelt Conference last year based upon the ranking alone they would've ranked better than seven of the Sunbelt Programs.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/ncaaf/sa ... onference/

19 SUN BELT (A) = 55.04 56.17 ( 19) TEAMS= 11 55.65 ( 19)
FINAL College Football 2015 through games of 2016 January 11 Monday - National Championship Game
RATING W L T SCHEDL(RANK) VS top 10 | VS top 30 | PREDICTOR | GOLDEN_MEAN | RECENT
HOME ADVANTAGE=[ 2.68] [ 2.68] [ 2.68] [ 2.68]
60 Appalachian State A = 71.63 11 2 0 55.43( 135) 0 1 0 | 0 1 0 | 72.66 58 | 71.52 60 | 70.65 61
61 Georgia Southern A = 70.96 9 4 0 60.05( 107) 0 0 0 | 0 2 0 | 72.01 60 | 70.67 63 | 69.95 65
78 Arkansas State A = 66.85 9 4 0 57.12( 125) 0 0 0 | 0 1 0 | 66.18 86 | 66.94 77 | 67.53 73
110 Troy A = 58.42 4 8 0 61.16( 98) 0 0 0 | 0 2 0 | 60.78 103 | 57.43 115 | 56.10 120
117 Georgia State A = 56.92 6 7 0 56.80( 128) 0 0 0 | 0 1 0 | 55.90 121 | 55.65 121 | 57.94 111
134 South Alabama A = 51.61 5 7 0 62.13( 96) 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 | 50.21 141 | 53.04 125 | 52.98 126
136 Louisiana-Lafayette A = 51.47 4 8 0 56.97( 126) 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 | 52.01 132 | 52.19 133 | 50.94 141
148 Idaho A = 49.88 4 8 0 60.65( 101) 0 0 0 | 0 2 0 | 50.63 139 | 49.81 149 | 49.13 153
158 Texas State A = 48.24 3 9 0 58.43( 117) 0 0 0 | 0 2 0 | 48.83 155 | 48.70 160 | 47.64 166
170 New Mexico State A = 45.97 3 9 0 59.13( 115) 0 1 0 | 0 2 0 | 45.70 173 | 45.93 168 | 46.24 169
172 Louisiana-Monroe A = 45.87 2 11 0 59.92( 110) 0 1 0 | 0 2 0 | 46.81 166 | 45.83 169 | 44.92 173

Also, in 2017 Coastal is not a member of the FBS they are Trasitional FBS. They are a pledge

[ST_Lawson]

I've updated the first post of this thread with any changes and now that they've released kickoff times for the home games, I've added that when known: http://www.leathernecknation.net/forum/ ... 5330#p5330

I noticed that the 10/22 game vs NDSU was moved later, to 6 PM. It's rare that we do a game that late in the day on a Saturday (we have done evening games on Thursdays for home openers before), so I wonder if there's some scheduling reason for it....maybe ESPN is considering having the game on something like ESPNU (depending on what other games are going on that evening), since it's NDSU. It's not listed as being a special event (Family Day and Homecoming are earlier), but they haven't said anything about any other special event-type stuff...Ag Day, Military Appreciation Day, etc.

[ST_Lawson]

Just found out that we've been dropped from Northwestern's schedule for 2017 (being replaced by Bowling Green).
This really sucks too, I was looking forward to going to the game up in Evanston again (went a couple of years ago when we were up there...took the train...it was nice). Hopefully there's at least some back-out clause in it, so we can at least get some $ for the game.

Now we have 3 open dates, no FBS game, and only a game against an NAIA school on our 2017 non-conference schedule.

[tweet]753258081685864448[/tweet]

EDIT - here's an article talking about the situation a bit: http://www.chicagonow.com/prairie-state ... all-teams/

[LWE2012]

The MEAC and the SWAC conference teams have open dates every year, can someone suggest one of those teams, at least they are all D1 level teams?

[Western_101]

Ouch. Losing Northwestern hurts. Especially at this relatively late juncture.

I hope WIU at least gets some decent $$$$.

Hope we can find another FBS opponent. If not that at least get a home and home with a good FCS program.

[Western_101]

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.