Edward Aschoff of ESPN Calls Out SEC Scheduling

[ETGator1]

I don't mind playing an FCS school the week before FSU as it is the equivalent of an open date that we had before the schedule went from 11 to 12 games. If you recall, Jeremy Foley didn't want to extend the season from 11 to 12 games.

What I mind is the over scheduling of Sunbelt and MAC teams for one-way tickets to open the season. Judging by the dropoff in attendance for these games, I'm not the only person that feels this way.

[SeaCay]

Originally Posted by Brewski

Heh, and Steve Russell had the exact opposite opinion on his show the other day. I'm not saying either one is right, rather just opinions. In 2012 the sec had 4 of the top 5 strength of schedules with the alleged cream puffs. His point was why add a chance of losing with yet another tough opponent. 2 losses are devastating, so why risk it?

Oh yeah, have we not debated this 200 times already?

201 now.

The article is current, it's directly related to us, and it has a few valid points. Will it change anything? No. But what else are we going to talk about in the off-season?

[Brewski]

Bama and LSU don't have problems selling out all their games, including the cream puffs. Maybe our fan base is falling short? In other words, if bad competition universally caused low attendance why did we sell out all games when Tebow was here and we played cream puffs? I agree competition may be a factor in attendance, but maybe not the driving factor.

[wci347]

Money is not an issue for the premier conference in college football (unless you are Tennessee). So there is not much benefit, and given the way some Division I teams play, there really isn't much difference in competition level.

[Brewski]

Originally Posted by SeaCay

201 now.

The article is current, it's directly related to us, and it has a few valid points. Will it change anything? No. But what else are we going to talk about in the off-season?

I hear ya and sorry for dismissing it. Just looking for something new to discuss. But you are right: good off season fodder.

[SeaCay]

Originally Posted by Brewski

Bama and LSU don't have problems selling out all their games, including the cream puffs. Maybe our fan base is falling short? In other words, if bad competition universally caused low attendance why did we sell out all games when Tebow was here and we played cream puffs? I agree competition may be a factor in attendance, but maybe not the driving factor.

As with most things, many factors come in to play with attendance.

The point that matters most for me is the entertainment/excitement value for my dollar stinks with an FCS opponent, and would be much better with a mid-tier AQ school.

[j7]

The perspective in the OP article is one sided (typically I might add) IMO. The author talks about the out-of-conference schedule as though it exists in a vacuum. Last year we played the #5, #5, #8, #14 and #23 ranked teams (based on final AP poll) in conference. For comparison, Ohio St. played the #24 and #25 ranks teams in conference. Oregon played the #7 and #20 ranked teams in conference.

As far as OOC schedule, last year we played Bowling Green, Louisiana–Lafayette, Jacksonville State and #10 Florida State while Ohio State played Miami (OH), UCF, California and UAB and Oregon played Arkansas State, Fresno State and Tennessee Tech. The running theme IMO when ADs schedule OOC foes is to get teams that sound good to the media and fans but really don’t have a chance to beat you. Ohio State’s AD did well on that last season, Oregon’s went weak while we had a mixed bag that included a team in FSU that doesn’t fit that mold because they certainly could have beaten us.

Sports at least should be based on a level playing field for all. Right now even with the OOC schedule we and the rest of the SEC plays, the SEC teams are regularly playing tougher overall schedules than all other conference teams and in some cases, like ours last year, far tougher. Oregon’s schedule was downright weak yet they would have been playing for the title had they not lost to Stanford (one of the only two top 20 teams they played) over a one loss SEC team such as ourselves. That is not a level playing field.

Just because the media and fans want to see SEC teams play tougher OOC schedules does not mean it is the right thing to do. That is unless you want SEC teams to step back and watch those teams from other conferences roll through their easier schedules and play for the title, instead of us, because of it.

[theologator]

Originally Posted by MichiganGator

SEC teams should definitely follow suit in scheduling. Why not schedule big ten teams? After the Big -10 gets its fannies handed to them on a platter, then maybe they will think differently. Reality would dictate that strength of schedule is going to play a major part in who plays for National Championship.

The problem UF has is that home & home games would cost a home game's revenue. Any benefit would have to offset that cost. It might, but that's the issue.

That said, there is every reason to schedule MAC, SunBelt and C-USA teams instead of FCS teams. That FCS game in November has become a giveaway for me, which is fine when I can give my tickets to people who want to go. Even then, though, I hate sending them to a 2/3rds full Florida Field.

[whitelakegator]

I am all for it. If the SEC IS THE Best then who cares? I am tired of our OOC schedule. Once upon a time FSU was actually a decent team EVERY year. Hard to get up for directional schools and sacrificial lambs.

[WeWinWeEat]

Ed talked about all SEC teams. He didn't single us out. Have you seen some of the schools that our conference brethren have played? North Texas, Western Carolina, Townson, Jackson State, Plantation High School.

At least make the creampuffs Div 1. Those games are at least interesting for the first half.

[acegator]

It is laughable to suggest the SEC should make its schedule harder.

[atlantagator86]

Jacksonville State was the only FCS team UF played last year, ULL and BGSU would still be in play. UF and most SEC schools only play 1 FCS opponent a year. I'm all for not playing FCS team like Jacksonville State and Furman, but while it's a great theory, I'm not sure it's as simple as people make it out to be.

The problem is stadium expansion projects (like the BHG West Skyboxes) are built on loans based on revenue from 7 home games being played in the stadium. With a 12-game regular season with 4 SEC road games, the home-and-home with FSU and the neutral site UGA game, there are always 5 games played outside BHG.

Most SEC schools are in the same position either paying for recent projects or plans on the table. So most SEC schools are going to have 7 or in some case with LSU and Bama in particular 8 home games.

So there is a simple flaw in this seemingly logical plan. You have roughly 120 FBS teams who are all scheduling a minimum of 6 and as many as 8 home games in a 12-game season. It's simple math. There aren't nearly enough teams out there. There's no alternative to dipping into the FCS to fill out the schedule. You've also got situations like when UCF backed out on UF a few years ago and WVU backed out on FSU, where there is nobody available to schedule. UF had no alternative other than filling with FCS and scheduling Charleston Southern.

People have this perception that UF and other SEC schedule cupcake games because they want weak schedules but that's not really the case at all. The reason we schedule games like BGSU and Louisiana Lafayette is that in a 12 game schedule with a neutral site game and OOC rival (FSU) we don't have the ability to schedule a home-and-home series with a major program. And only FBS schools like BGSU and ULL are willing to schedule a game without a return visit.

2013 is the first season in a long time where UF is only playing 6 home games.

[LAGatorDoc]

Originally Posted by Brewski

Bama and LSU don't have problems selling out all their games, including the cream puffs. Maybe our fan base is falling short? In other words, if bad competition universally caused low attendance why did we sell out all games when Tebow was here and we played cream puffs? I agree competition may be a factor in attendance, but maybe not the driving factor.

Someone posted a pic of the crowd at a bama game against a not so good team last season, and it was pretty empty. Not Ron Zook field at Doak Campbell or UMiami empty, but there were many empty seats.

[KronoGator]

Originally Posted by whitelakegator

I am all for it. If the SEC IS THE Best then who cares? I am tired of our OOC schedule. Once upon a time FSU was actually a decent team EVERY year. Hard to get up for directional schools and sacrificial lambs.

People aren't showing up at BHG for conference games either.

[socraticsilence]

Originally Posted by Speedofsand

Those are the OOC teams the SEC could also schedule instead of FCS cupcakes. No matter how strong the SEC is, UF only has a couple of marquee home games a year, with a couple of crappy tasting cupcakes. Time for Foley to step it up with schedule strength counting again. Ed is right.

The problem is the season ticket sales- attendance sucks in those games (its like 50% at best for FCS games that don't open the year, regardless of what the announced attendance is) but since most of the seats outside the student section are season ticket seats the school makes more money on scheduling a Jacksonville St than a home and home vs an Oklahoma or even a neutral site opening day game (barring a massive payout).

[socraticsilence]

Originally Posted by SeaCay

As with most things, many factors come in to play with attendance.

The point that matters most for me is the entertainment/excitement value for my dollar stinks with an FCS opponent, and would be much better with a mid-tier AQ school.

If we opened it up a bit against FCS opponents it'd be nice and might make people want to go to some of those games, maybe worked on the passing game a little but last year we played close to the vest even against Jacksonville St.

[TheGator]

Originally Posted by atlantagator86

Jacksonville State was the only FCS team UF played last year, ULL and BGSU would still be in play. UF and most SEC schools only play 1 FCS opponent a year. I'm all for not playing FCS team like Jacksonville State and Furman, but while it's a great theory, I'm not sure it's as simple as people make it out to be.

The problem is stadium expansion projects (like the BHG West Skyboxes) are built on loans based on revenue from 7 home games being played in the stadium. With a 12-game regular season with 4 SEC road games, the home-and-home with FSU and the neutral site UGA game, there are always 5 games played outside BHG.

Most SEC schools are in the same position either paying for recent projects or plans on the table. So most SEC schools are going to have 7 or in some case with LSU and Bama in particular 8 home games.

So there is a simple flaw in this seemingly logical plan. You have roughly 120 FBS teams who are all scheduling a minimum of 6 and as many as 8 home games in a 12-game season. It's simple math. There aren't nearly enough teams out there. There's no alternative to dipping into the FCS to fill out the schedule. You've also got situations like when UCF backed out on UF a few years ago and WVU backed out on FSU, where there is nobody available to schedule. UF had no alternative other than filling with FCS and scheduling Charleston Southern.

People have this perception that UF and other SEC schedule cupcake games because they want weak schedules but that's not really the case at all. The reason we schedule games like BGSU and Louisiana Lafayette is that in a 12 game schedule with a neutral site game and OOC rival (FSU) we don't have the ability to schedule a home-and-home series with a major program. And only FBS schools like BGSU and ULL are willing to schedule a game without a return visit.

2013 is the first season in a long time where UF is only playing 6 home games.

You shouldn't use logic on this board.

[SurfinG8or]

Someone should ask Urban how he would feel about putting UF and Bama on his schedule next year that way people would feel better about UF's and Bama's non conference schedule.

When UF ends up playing against 5 or 6 top ten opponents in one year, I have a hard time hearing the non conference argument. We need to have a couple easy games to recover and get starters some rest.

[gatorchamp27]

No more cupcakes

[Distant Gator]

I remember an interview with Foley many years ago. He said it was not easy to fill those 3 OOC slots since we don't give a return game and we are locked into the dates.

Look at it from a MAC team's perspective. They could play at UT or Wisconsin or Illinois instead of UF. Those places aren't as hot or difficult, they'd have a better chance to win or at least compete, they wouldn't get beat up as badly, and the paycheck is about the same.

So according to Foley we need the flexibility to schedule FCS opponents to fill out the schedule because it's not that easy to get teams to come to the Swamp.