LU Football Schedule in the next few years

[LAZEEK]

I was told today that LU will only play 11 games starting next season. Six road games for the Cards with 5 conference road games, and the big $$$ game at Baylor. Will play five home games with 4 of those being conference games. NW State will be back on the schedule next season.

 

 

 

2016 Road Game at Houston Cougars

2017 Road Game at Wyoming Cowboys

[puddin tane]

I was told today that LU will only play 11 games starting next season. Six road games for the Cards with 5 conference road games, and the big $$$ game at Baylor. Will play five home games with 4 of those being conference games. NW State will be back on the schedule next season.

 

 

 

2016 Road Game at Houston Cougars

2017 Road Game at Wyoming Cowboys

 

cool! cogger hi!...might miss Wyoming, tho.......

[Twin Daddy]

This is an NCAA rule--I was curious when I saw your post as to why we'd turn down a sixth home game if we could play one. As it turns out, we can't. See below excerpt:

 

"Under a standard provision of NCAA rules, all FCS programs were allowed to play 12 regular-season games (not counting conference title games) in 2013, and also in 2014. In years when the period starting with the Thursday before Labor Day and ending with the final Saturday in November contains 14 Saturdays, FCS programs may play 12 games instead of the regular 11. After 2014, the next season in which 12-game seasons are allowed will be 2019."

 

It looks like we'll be playing 11 for the next four seasons. Since I expect we'll be playing six road games into the indefinite future (so that one "paycheck" game per year remains), it'll be a long time before we get a sixth home game again. It'd be nice given this if tomorrow's game is the last one we play against a sub-D1 school. I'd much rather play another FCS level team for that extra game if it's at all possible--but realize that might not be possible. If we assume we pay one paycheck game on the road per year, we'd oscillate between 5 home games (4 in-conference) and 6 home games (5 in-conference) each year. All the road games will be "accounted for" every year, meaning that we wouldn't be able to do a home-and-home series with another FCS team unless we were willing to only play 5 home games every year (by bringing in the OOC FCS foe here in the "4 home conference game" years and going to their play in the "5 home conference game" ones).

 

I'm wondering if the economics here favor one choice or the other. Are we better off with a home-and-home against a "real" opponent, or keeping a home game against the Texas Colleges of the world on the schedule each year? How much did we pay Prairie View to come here a few years ago without giving them a return trip? I'd much rather play a SWAC team than one of these glorified high school teams any day, even if there is a credible chance of defeat if we play poorly or they have a quality team that year.

[LU1991]

I will be surprised if Lamar doesn't loose the $$$ games.

 

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/big-12-left-to-wallow--point-fingers-after-missing-out-on-college-football-playoff-212316590-ncaaf.html

[KABrother88]

I will be surprised if Lamar doesn't loose the $$$ games.

 

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/big-12-left-to-wallow--point-fingers-after-missing-out-on-college-football-playoff-212316590-ncaaf.html

 

That has been a concern of mine for all of FCS football since the CFP was initially set up due to strength of schedule playing a factor in rankings...but if we already have a contract in place then the FBS will have to buy us out. We won't get the full price we would get (Baylor game is $400,000 I believe) but we would get some and not get the ass kicking for it

[Lamarcard81]

IF Baylor is smart they will try to buy us out and schedule a mid-level FBS. Playing FCS schools in preseason is obviously a negative in the mind of the playoff committee (whether they admit it or not).

[LUSportsFan]

Unless you are Alabama (Western Carolina 7-5 FCS), Oregon (South Dakota 2-10 FCS), or Florida State (The Citadel 5-7 FCS). :)

 

Baylor played Northwestern State (6-6 FCS), but they also had SMU (1-11), Buffalo (5-6), Kansas (3-9), and Iowa State (2-10) on the schedule.

TCU played Samford (7-4 FCS), but they also had SMU, Kansas, and Iowa State on the schedule.

 

Ohio State was the only top 6 team without an FCS team. They had some of the weaker FBS teams on their schedule in addition to some weak BIG teams.

 

Don't know if one could make a strong correlation of FCS impact to selection. Might be a different story if only one team had an FCS team on its schedule.

Edited December 8, 2014 by LUSportsFan

[Lamarcard81]

Baylor is NOT Alabama, Oregon or Florida State. They might get away with playing one FCS as long as they schedule at least one top 50 program. IMHO Baylor's preseason schedule was the reason TCU was ahead of them until they beat Kansas State. If Baylor had played and beaten UCLA instead of Northwestern State they might be in the 4 team playoff.

[LUSportsFan]

I agree. I just don't think SMU nor Buffalo helped Baylor's cause when you add in Iowa State and Kansas in conference.

 

The challenge going forward is warming up a crystal ball to determine how good a team will be several years down the line. For example, SMU wouldn't have been a bad mark a few years ago. They participated in post season play from 2009 to 2012. Contracts are usually made with a long lead time out of necessity.

 

That's why I think it is more than just FCS...unless an FBS team loses to an FCS team. I think a P5 team would have the same problems losing to a G5 team, though.