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Post by Deleted on Jul 6, 2021 17:39:49 GMT -5
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Post by happy on Jul 6, 2021 21:23:44 GMT -5
It was earlier reported that RMU would play at Central Florida on Nov. 11. Wouldn't be surprised if one of these reports is incorrect, at least on date. Season opens November 9, so my guess is that UCF game is the 9th or 10th. Maybe we can take Robert Morris place vs. playing Central Florida. That would be a fun game for Titan fans to travel. If Nov. 11 is open on our schedule we may still have time to schedule.
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Post by freewynd on Jul 9, 2021 11:52:40 GMT -5
UK's MTE has RMU, Ohio, and Mount St. Mary's, that's going to be brutal for Bobby Mo
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Post by Commissioner on Jul 23, 2021 15:58:26 GMT -5
Looks like CSU will be hosting its own MTE, "the Lake Erie Challenge." Known schedule so far: Canisius at CSU, Nov. 20 Coppin State at CSU, Nov. 22
Go Guardians!
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Post by Commissioner on Jul 23, 2021 16:04:27 GMT -5
Schedules are filling up. Several updates today. Check out first post in this thread.
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Post by Commissioner on Jul 29, 2021 8:12:02 GMT -5
A few random comments as non-conference schedules are filled out...
Remember, with the 22 game conference schedule, HL teams will have a max of just 9 non-conference games, assuming they participate in an MTE. The move to 22 makes some sense--it allows for a complete double round robin, and hence a more legit conference regular season champ. And it solves some of the scheduling headaches that all mid-majors face these days. OTOH--who cares if the regular season champ gains more legitimacy from a double round-robin, given that the league awards its NCAA bid to the conference tournament winner, and even recognizes the tournament winner as the official conference champ in its record books? Meantime, it gives teams fewer openings for cash enriching guarantee games and a chance to knock off one of the P6 schools. If a team schedules 2 guarantee games, and an MTE, it's left with just 4 openings. That means very few home games. HL teams don't have the cash to fill those last 4 openings with buy games of their own, unless they pay a couple grand to an NAIA school. If all 4 are used for Home & Home series, that suggests in an average year just 2 home non-conference games. Presumably, the conference season will now be starting in December. But nonetheless, most HL fans will scarcely get to see their teams at home before Christmas--unless, again, the schools schedule a couple non-D1 opponents. But with only 9 non-conference games, it becomes more important than ever not to waste them on non-D1 opponents. In the past, with up to 13-15 non-conference games, some coaches liked to drop in one or two non-D1 teams for an easy win and a chance to play some freshmen and deep bench players. That option is now more costly.
On to some specifics (remember, schedeles, as known, are on the first page of this thread):
- As was noted, earlier this week Green Bay became the first HL school to officially announce its non-conference schedule. The Phoenix have a nice home opener against the MVC's Indiana State. The HL ought to be trying to schedule more MVC and A10 teams for H&H series. But the only other home game--see opening paragraph above--is with D-3 Wisconsin-Superior. The marquee game for fans in a road visit to Wisconsin. But this shows how bad things have become for mid-majors. A few years ago it was still possible for Green Bay to schedule a 2 for 1 series against it's big brother. Then it was 3 for 1. Now they have to settle for a single guarantee game every few years. The Phoenix have two other guarantee games, so it will be a decent cash year for the program. Minnesota and Kansas State are both good targets for an HL team, but whereas I'd feel pretty optimistic about the chances for a top HL team, I don't expect Green Bay to be very good this year. The MTE is down in St. Pete, a nice place to visit, and is a mid-major field, including Ball State, Weber State, and a TBA. The Phoenix really need to win at least two down there, for their own sake and that of the league. They also need to win at UMKC, where our old friend Billy Donlon is now coach. Just eyeballing it, without much thought for the Phoenix or their opponents, I'd expect the Phoenix to come out at about 3-6.
- Barring some late surprise and the official announcement, it looks like we also know WSU's slate, though a lot of the dates are up in the air. It looks like the Raiders will have two high major guarantee games, at Purdue (definitely) in early November, and at NC State (probably). Like the Phoenix, they're in an MTE featuring a bunch of mid-majors, and there are definite possibilities for good wins there--they open with the A10's George Washington, and after that look at field that includes perennial OVC power Murray State and teams from the MVC, Big West, MAC and Colonial, plus East Tennessee State, which is usually solid if not excellent. It's in Naples, so a chance for a little getaway for the team and fans. Their long rivalry witn Miami continues, this year down at Oxford--and easy road trip for WSU fans. Bowling Green and Tennessee Tech give them a couple of mid-majors at home, and it looks like they'll face Marshall--another easy road trip to play a respectable mid-major--in Huntington. That's a nice schedule, even if more home games would be desirable. WSU should enter conference play with a winning record, somewhere between 5-4 and 7-2.
- We know of 8 games for Oakland, although I'm not at all certain about a home game with Bowling Green. They've got what may be the league's best non-conference game, Michigan State at the Palace. That's about as good as it gets for mid-majors these days. They're slated to lose a pair of guarantee games at West Virginia and Oklahoma State. They're also in Florida for their MTE, also facing a bunch a mid-majors. The Pioneers Grizzlies could help the HL a lot with some wins there against a field that includes MAC power Akron, America East power Vermont, and weak-sister schools from the MVC, CUSA, and A10. A home game against Toledo is nice.
- YSU has 8 confirmed games, and--here's a surprise--6 are at home. That's because the Penguins are hosting their own 3 game MTE. The league really needs the Penguins to sweep these six games (including non-D1 Westminster)--the toughest opponent is probably Central Michigan. Penn State makes for a nice guarantee game road trip--not too far, winnable (although unfortunately, much more winnable for a stronger HL team, and YSU looks middle-of-the-pack at best this year). West Virginia is another short road trip (remember Bob Huggins gave his old protege Calhoun a home game as part of this series), but one likely to end in defeat. YSU often plays two non-D1 teams, so I wouldn't be surprised to see that last slot filled with a home game against Gannon or someone like that. It's not a home schedule that will pack in the fans, but at least those who want to see the Penguins in person won't have to wait until January.
- NKU has 7 confirmed games. A visit to Indiana is nice--not too far, and the Hoosiers have a new head coach and a bunch of new faces. NKU's MTE is organized by DePaul, so the Norse will take on the Blue Demons in Chicago. If there's any Big East team to beat on the road, it's usually DePaul. Northern also got 2 home games out of that "campus site" MTE, so they've got 4 home scheduled now, all against mid-majors, and a road visit to Eastern Kentucky. My guess is that one of the final two openings will be another guarantee game, but we'll see. Anyway, it's a nice schedule--with 4 home games already in place and winnable trips, on paper, to DePaul and Indiana.
- Milwaukee has 5, possibly 6 games booked, all on the road (including a 2 game, mid-major MTE down in Florida). Guarantee games are at Florida and Colorado.
- CSU looks to be setting up a schedule for a team that wants to be in at-large consideration. Like YSU, they've scheduled their own MTE, and they get Ohio U. and Kent State at home this year. But where will the selection committee head-turning wins come from? The Vikes play at Duke, which would be a huge win, but that's always a bit of a suicide mission for mid-majors. Hopefully their remaining 4 slots will feature one or two more realistic chances for a road upset that would boost their NET rank and give them a potential big win.
- UIC so far has the league's best true home game--local rival and Big East member DePaul, and 4 road games. No word on an MTE.
- Fort Wayne has just 1 home game out of 6-7 scheduled, including an MTE in Florida with mid-majors, including Western Michigan and FGCU. A trip to Minnesota provides a payday.
- RMU? Meh. 5 games booked so far, including a couple winnable home games.
- All we know about IUPUI is a season opener at crosstown Butler.
- And there's our Titans. We know of paydays at Mississippi State in mid-November, and at Louisville. Right now there are no home games on the schedule.
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Post by Commissioner on Aug 2, 2021 11:48:50 GMT -5
Wright State starts a a home and home series with Akron this year. That gives them 1 too many games, so something will need to come off their schedule. BGSU? Marshall?
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Post by Commissioner on Aug 2, 2021 17:01:51 GMT -5
YSU released their non-conference schedule. Somewhat to my surprise, they filled their last slot with a road game at OVC member SE Missouri State. I presume that's going to be an H&H series.
I would hope the Guins can go at least 5-4, with 6 home games on the docket, none looking too terribly tough. 7-2 would be real nice for the league; 4-5 or 3-6 a problem.
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Post by phoenixphan87 on Aug 9, 2021 15:33:40 GMT -5
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Post by Commissioner on Aug 10, 2021 11:36:51 GMT -5
Wright State's non-con schedule is now official, and shown at top of this thread. A couple surprises--local rival Miami of Ohio falls off; rumors of a Bowling Green game were wrong. One non-D1 opponent in Lake Erie--that won't help get an at-large bid or better seed. But it's a solid schedule overall, with two high-major opportunities (NC State and Purdue) and several good mid-major games (Marshall, Akron, GW, what should be two other solid mid-majors at the MTE in Naples.)
Just 3 home games, none between the opener with Lake Erie on Nov. 9, and Akron on Dec. 15.
Somewhere between 5-4 and 7-2 seems likely. It would be nice if they could pull off the upset at Purdue or NC State.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 17, 2021 10:45:40 GMT -5
Oakland
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Post by Rogobob77 on Aug 17, 2021 11:37:48 GMT -5
That’s a suicide schedule with those four majors. The opening opponent for the Gulf Coast tournament is not shown in the graphic but the press release says it’s Vermont, a pretty strong team of late. From their coach: "With the Horizon League going to 22 games, it has really changed my standpoint on how we should schedule," 38th-year head coach Greg Kampe said. "I am happy with this schedule, but I think we need to figure out a way to get more home non-league games in the future while continuing the quality of opponents. It is something I have to work on, but it does not change how excited I am for this non-conference slate. I think we are going to be very battle-tested by the time we reach January."
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Post by Deleted on Aug 17, 2021 13:14:01 GMT -5
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Post by Commissioner on Aug 17, 2021 16:10:40 GMT -5
That’s a suicide schedule with those four majors. The opening opponent for the Gulf Coast tournament is not shown in the graphic but the press release says it’s Vermont, a pretty strong team of late. From their coach: "With the Horizon League going to 22 games, it has really changed my standpoint on how we should schedule," 38th-year head coach Greg Kampe said. "I am happy with this schedule, but I think we need to figure out a way to get more home non-league games in the future while continuing the quality of opponents. It is something I have to work on, but it does not change how excited I am for this non-conference slate. I think we are going to be very battle-tested by the time we reach January." I can see OU going 0-9 against this. I suspect they'll win 2 to 4 games, but 0-9 is certainly a betting possibility.
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