I understand taking Okie State and those type schools off the schedule, but we need to play at least one mid-major and the other a FCS school. I'm not fond of playing NAIA or D2...that doesn't help our recruiting or attendance.
MB.......
I can understand taking Ok St off the schedule IF GRAM does nor need that particular game however GRAM has set the standard for the SWAC and for HBCU Football in general. I fully believe that GRAM playing the likes of Pitt, Fresno St, SMU and other true D-1 teams has/is set(ing) the table for the rest of the HBCU's especially the so called D-1AA teams to have the opportunity to get some of these games scheduled.
I fully understand what Coach Broadway is saying when he says he is concerned about his schedule being top-heavy with four (4) potential landmines. The fact is that in order for GRAM to get those "games" with say Neb, So Cal, ND or FSU, they are going to have to take some lumps on their way to this possibility.
Everyone thought Troy St (better known as AUBURN West) was crazy for scheduling FSU, Neb and others but they have set themselves up as a viable opponent for their move to true D-1 status.
Now I understand that this is not Bball where a player can recover with one day of rest, THIS IS FOOTBALL at it's highest amateur level.......and the body does not make a miraculous recovery over night and injuries are far more prevalent in this full contact sport but where does one draw the line??
Do we (HBCU's) want a chance to play some of the big boys........yeah I think that we do.............. not only for the
$money$ or prestige if any..... but for us to gauge the readiness of our teams to compete on any level with anybody else in the country and to show those upper echelon athletes that "one does not have to go to a PWC in order to compete at the highest level in their sport of choice. If we could ALL make our teams schedule, I think more often than not we would schedule a cream puff, then a toughie, then a cream puff, then a mid-major, then another cream puff.......probably.
We must also realize that the MAJOR problem facing most HBCU's today is
$money$ and generating enough revenue to support the entire Athletic Dept. Usually this means money from Football and Bball. No I'm not advocating the 'take azz whooping for a check mentality' but with cost of everything continuing to rise, HBCU's have to find ways to stay ahead of the game as far as generating revenue is concerned.
The so called 'CLASSISC' games are only going to give each school a certain amount of money and each school will probably get two (2)...... maybe three (3) of these kinds of games per year.
I think that the State of Mississippi has the right idea in keeping that money In-State to aid the Athletic Programs of the school involved in the match-up. A few years back Aub played d-2 Pacific and paid them $600,000 + expenses to fly in from Calif...........just think of what that kind of one game money would have done for AAMU or ASU programs.
Peace....
