Jafus (Thinker)
Well-Known Member
NDSU suffers schedule misery
Jeff Kolpack, The Forum
Published Friday, March 03, 2006
http://www.in-forum.com/articles/index.cfm?id=119391§ion=Columnists&columnist=Jeff Kolpack
The worst job in America used to be cleaning toilets after an Ozzy Osbourne concert. Ladies and gentlemen, there is a new leader in the clubhouse: scheduling football games at North Dakota State.
Back in 2004, the Bison had just five games on their slate by mid-January, and athletic director Gene Taylor was scrambling like Fran Tarkenton against an 11-man rush. It took until May 19 before they got 11 games.
That was quite the year. Minnesota-Duluth opted out of a game and St. Mary?s College (Calif.) dropped football after previously agreeing to join the Great West Football Conference.
For a while, it looked like Trinity Bible College might be a possible opponent. That was the year, after all, that gave us an education on Montana Tech ? the NAIA school NDSU brought in for the purpose of getting another home game.
But life on the scheduling docket was supposed to ease up from there. It did ? until the NCAA approved a 12th game for Division I-A football programs last spring.
Jeff Kolpack Column Archive
Missed meet makes SDSU look awkward 02/17
Bradley likely leaving NDSU 02/16
Recruiting key to Bison resurgence 02/16
Mayville draws players 02/10
Jeff Kolpack Complete Archive
That?s put NDSU back in Montana Tech mode; give me a home game, any home game.
?It?s really been difficult,? Taylor said.
More difficult than 2004?
?Without question,? he said.
In the old days (2004 and 2005), I-A teams had a maximum of 11 games and could only schedule a I-AA team once every four years. Division I-AA teams were begging I-As for guarantee games.
Not anymore. With 12 games and no restrictions on scheduling I-AAs, the big boys are swooping in and taking most of NDSU?s potential I-AA nonconference opponents.
?The I-AAs are just not there anymore,? Taylor said.
There?s more bad news on the horizon. The Division I Management Council is considering a proposal to allow Division I-AA programs to go to 12 games.
It has all the makings of a political struggle.
Some I-AA schools want to expand the 16-team playoffs. Some I-AA schools want to go to 12 games instead. The battle lines appear to be clear: the power conferences (i.e. Big Sky and Gateway) in I-AA want 12 games because they don?t want more teams in the playoffs. The weaker leagues want to expand the playoffs to have a better chance at qualifying for postseason.
NDSU would be caught in the middle on that one. The Great West is not a power league. Yet, with all of theI-AA teams looking for another game, NDSU is one of the few I-AA programs that can pay a guarantee for a home game.
Teams will want to schedule 12 or risk hearing the following statement on the recruiting trail: ?Don?t go to Widget University because it plays only 11 games.?
Taylor calls it a ?competitive inequity.?
As of Thursday, the Bison have 10 games for 2006. One more ? whether it is Minnesota, Eastern Washington or Montana Tech ? and the athletic director can look ahead to 2007 and 2008.
Give the man some Comet and a brush.
Readers can reach Forum reporter Jeff Kolpack at (701) 241-5546 or jkolpack@forumcomm.com
Jeff Kolpack, The Forum
Published Friday, March 03, 2006
http://www.in-forum.com/articles/index.cfm?id=119391§ion=Columnists&columnist=Jeff Kolpack
The worst job in America used to be cleaning toilets after an Ozzy Osbourne concert. Ladies and gentlemen, there is a new leader in the clubhouse: scheduling football games at North Dakota State.
Back in 2004, the Bison had just five games on their slate by mid-January, and athletic director Gene Taylor was scrambling like Fran Tarkenton against an 11-man rush. It took until May 19 before they got 11 games.
That was quite the year. Minnesota-Duluth opted out of a game and St. Mary?s College (Calif.) dropped football after previously agreeing to join the Great West Football Conference.
For a while, it looked like Trinity Bible College might be a possible opponent. That was the year, after all, that gave us an education on Montana Tech ? the NAIA school NDSU brought in for the purpose of getting another home game.
But life on the scheduling docket was supposed to ease up from there. It did ? until the NCAA approved a 12th game for Division I-A football programs last spring.
Jeff Kolpack Column Archive
Missed meet makes SDSU look awkward 02/17
Bradley likely leaving NDSU 02/16
Recruiting key to Bison resurgence 02/16
Mayville draws players 02/10
Jeff Kolpack Complete Archive
That?s put NDSU back in Montana Tech mode; give me a home game, any home game.
?It?s really been difficult,? Taylor said.
More difficult than 2004?
?Without question,? he said.
In the old days (2004 and 2005), I-A teams had a maximum of 11 games and could only schedule a I-AA team once every four years. Division I-AA teams were begging I-As for guarantee games.
Not anymore. With 12 games and no restrictions on scheduling I-AAs, the big boys are swooping in and taking most of NDSU?s potential I-AA nonconference opponents.
?The I-AAs are just not there anymore,? Taylor said.
There?s more bad news on the horizon. The Division I Management Council is considering a proposal to allow Division I-AA programs to go to 12 games.
It has all the makings of a political struggle.
Some I-AA schools want to expand the 16-team playoffs. Some I-AA schools want to go to 12 games instead. The battle lines appear to be clear: the power conferences (i.e. Big Sky and Gateway) in I-AA want 12 games because they don?t want more teams in the playoffs. The weaker leagues want to expand the playoffs to have a better chance at qualifying for postseason.
NDSU would be caught in the middle on that one. The Great West is not a power league. Yet, with all of theI-AA teams looking for another game, NDSU is one of the few I-AA programs that can pay a guarantee for a home game.
Teams will want to schedule 12 or risk hearing the following statement on the recruiting trail: ?Don?t go to Widget University because it plays only 11 games.?
Taylor calls it a ?competitive inequity.?
As of Thursday, the Bison have 10 games for 2006. One more ? whether it is Minnesota, Eastern Washington or Montana Tech ? and the athletic director can look ahead to 2007 and 2008.
Give the man some Comet and a brush.
Readers can reach Forum reporter Jeff Kolpack at (701) 241-5546 or jkolpack@forumcomm.com