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Post by fan on Aug 12, 2023 14:44:05 GMT -5
Again as MD has done in the past he front-loads the pre-HL schedule with road games. I'm sure it must be for the money. I for one thing it's a mistake, if you are a struggling mid-major, you need to give your fan base wins and win at home. If the whole idea is to make men's basketball a profit center then pull out of the HL go independent and play all pay-to-play road games. We could be the next Chicago State, or NJ Tech.
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Post by Commissioner on Aug 12, 2023 18:54:24 GMT -5
Again as MD has done in the past he front-loads the pre-HL schedule with road games. I'm sure it must be for the money. I for one thing it's a mistake, if you are a struggling mid-major, you need to give your fan base wins and win at home. If the whole idea is to make men's basketball a profit center then pull out of the HL go independent and play all pay-to-play road games. We could be the next Chicago State, or NJ Tech. Beyond cash, Coach made clear when hired that he believes these tough road games get the team ready for conference play and more importantly, tournament play, and made clear that to him it all comes down to winning the HL tournament and getting a 15/16th seed in the NCAA tournament. He may be right, but then it's a problem that we haven't made the NCAA tournament. I think you and I, Fan, agree that we need wins and a culture of winning. You can't build enthusiasm or home attendance when you start every season 2-9.
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Post by Commissioner on Aug 12, 2023 19:09:31 GMT -5
Titans in fall non-conference play: 2022: 4-7 (Titans were 5-8 after non-conference, having split 2 December conference games) 2021: 2-7 (plus a win over UM-Dearborn in mid-January) (Titans were 4-7 at close of regular non-con schedule after 2-0 in December HL games) 2020: 1-3 (abbreviated schedule due to Covid) 2019: 2-11 2018: 3-9
Under Bacari 2017: 4-9 2016: 3-9
Under Ray 2015: 6-5 2014: 6-8 2013: 7-8 2012: 8-5 2011: 6-6 2010: 6-6 2009: 7-4 2008: 4-5
The last time the Titans started the year 2-0 was the fall of 2002.
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Post by fan on Aug 13, 2023 11:39:13 GMT -5
That tough game policy may have worked at Texas Southern because he could go 0-11 pre-league and burn through weak league play and get to the NCAA, not that his teams made an impact in the NCAA.
His policy of tough pay for playing road games may go away with the mega leagues. First, it will start with football, with more league members teams will be lucky to be able to schedule one pay-for-play game.
This certainly in time will have an effect on basketball scheduling. The real losers in the mega league affiliations are the Western Carolinas and Southern Illinois of the world, which use to play monthly to fund most of their
sports programs. First to go will be the non-revenue sports, they the scholarships, in the end, the real losers will be the average kid's ability to get a sports scholarship and an education. If you really want to take this to
In the end, maybe the kid that might cure Parkinson's won't get the chance. Again the Big's are pushing this because of the money, their at the point were they are eating their own (the Pac 10), The day might come where ESPN or Fox
will push the NCAA away and own March Madness.
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Post by Commissioner on Aug 19, 2023 22:16:34 GMT -5
PFW's non-con schedule is complete, rounded out with a couple of non-D1 home games. They join Detroit, Green Bay, and Youngstown State in announcing non-conference schedules. We also know all 11 non-conference opponents for Oakland and Wright State, but both have a date or two to be finalized. We know the least about Robert Morris and Cleveland, for which there is info on 5 and 7 opponents, respectively.
The league's home game schedules look pretty bleak. At this point, my top 10 HL home non-conference games would be:
1. Florida Atlantic @ Northern Kentucky, Dec. 21. Last year's Final Four Cinderella will attend a ball in Covington, and that's a lucky break for NKU. Easily the best non-conference opponent that HL fans will get to see at home this year. 2. Eastern Michigan @ Detroit, Nov. 21. It at least has some claim to be an old rivalry. 3. Western Kentucky @ Wright State, TBD. Western isn't too far, plays in a solid league (CUSA), and is something of a venerable mid-major, with a long tradition including a Final Four Appearance. 4. Toledo @ Oakland, Dec. 6. Toledo is a short drive away, and is the defending regular season champ and one of the favorites in the MAC. 5. Navy @ Youngstown State, Dec. 21: Navy's rarely been much good at basketball, and even in football, it's been a long time since the academies dominated. Still, the brand--Navy--is one of the best known in college sports. 6. Ohio U. @ Cleveland State, Nov. 11. Early season match up with an in-state team that, like Toledo, is usually a MAC contender. 7. Toledo @ Wright State, Nov. 14. Early season match up with an in-state team that, like Ohio U., is usually a MAC contender. 8. Chattanooga @ Milwaukee, Dec. 22: The Mocs are usually one of the better teams in the Southern Conference, and won 27 games just 2 seasons ago. 9. Ball State @ Detroit, Dec. 6. At least Ball State won 20 games last year, whereas other MAC opponents playing HL teams in the pre-season--Western Michigan (which plays at CSU) and Bowling Green (@ Oakland--had losing records. 10. Fairleigh Dickinson @ Robert Morris, Nov. 26. FDU won 21 games and made the NCAA tournament last year.
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Post by fan on Aug 20, 2023 7:31:09 GMT -5
I got my MA from FDU, and never did I imagine they would be listed as a feature basketball game, against Robert Morris no less.
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Post by larrytitan on Aug 20, 2023 10:09:34 GMT -5
When I was at U-D, the Jersey guys would refer to FDU as Harvard on the Hackie (Hackensack River).
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Post by larrytitan on Aug 20, 2023 10:09:53 GMT -5
When I was at U-D, the Jersey guys would refer to FDU as Harvard on the Hackie (Hackensack River).
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Post by Commissioner on Aug 20, 2023 11:33:38 GMT -5
I got my MA from FDU, and never did I imagine they would be listed as a feature basketball game, against Robert Morris no less. Sad but true. Of course, by the time I got to game 10, it was almost a random pick from the remaining D-1 teams appearing on HL schedules. It reflects the problems of both mid-majors in general and the HL in particular.
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Post by fan on Aug 20, 2023 12:14:04 GMT -5
Larry the Graduate School was in Hackensack, off RT 4, it was hardly Harvard, not even Rutgers, more like Pace College.
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Post by fan on Aug 20, 2023 12:17:24 GMT -5
Maybe it's time for low mid-majors to get into the realignment game, like FDU to the HL, and Green Bay to the NE Conference, which makes as much sense as Cal to the ACC.
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Post by motorcitysam on Aug 22, 2023 14:37:36 GMT -5
Times have changed. Ten years ago we hosted Florida Atlantic of Conference USA and Rhode Island of the Atlantic 10. And won both games!
I still think we should play EMU, CMU, and WMU every year.
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Post by fan on Aug 22, 2023 14:54:38 GMT -5
Yes, the change will affect the play-for-play games, and affect the schools that depend on that money to fund part of their sports programs. In time will affect the kids that depend on these schools for grants and aid or scholarships, not every kid can play at Alabama or Ohio State.
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Post by Commissioner on Aug 22, 2023 16:03:15 GMT -5
Cleveland State dropped its schedule this afternoon, though it's actually (probably) incomplete. The Vikes show just 8 non-conference games, one of which is against non-D1 Defiance. There's no MTE on the schedule, which is why they are at just 28 total games. They claim they will host their own MTE the week of November 20, which would get them 2 more home games. (There are currently another 30 D-1 schools not listed as part of an MTE). They also say they will add another road game. If that comes off they'll have a full 31 game slate.
Besides Defiance, they have home games against Ohio U., Western Michigan, and Canisius.
They host the Titans on Dec. 2 to open HL play.
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Post by Commissioner on Aug 25, 2023 14:39:44 GMT -5
NKU just announced a home games with DePauw and Cumberlands. That means (unless Robert Morris really surprises me) that Detroit and Oakland will be the only HL teams this year without at least one non-D1 opponent on the regular season schedule.
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