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Post by eagle87 on Feb 23, 2024 10:51:28 GMT -6
This is exactly the type thing Beth wants to implement in our league. Stop letting other Mids dictate matchups in THEIR favor. If you look this year at OVC matchups with MVC teams, about 80% of them were played on MVC teams home floor. That sets us up for failure because home court advantage is HUGE in college basketball. Imo, any team outside a P5/6 should be a home and home once we get out of transition jail. If a team isn’t willing to be fair…then they can look for someone else to play. We have to play home games and neutral games in non conference if we want to get wins and improve our personal and conference ranking. We need to stick to it as a conference so we can elevate our brand.
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Post by letsgoeagles on Feb 23, 2024 11:00:04 GMT -6
There are some middies I would do a two for one...depending on the money and how high a profile. But in principle I absolutely agree with what you are saying.
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Post by eagle87 on Feb 23, 2024 11:06:23 GMT -6
There are some middies I would do a two for one...depending on the money and how high a profile. But in principle I absolutely agree with what you are saying. If some want to consider a team like Gonzaga or Memphis a Mid….then yes those would be exceptions. And agree, if we can get 75k plus to play a Mid then that would be an acceptable exception too. But bottom line for OVC teams is getting more wins against other Mids, the key is getting more home games to set us up for success. Our conference ranking will never improve if we keep losing to other Mids because we play at their place 80% of the time.
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Post by letsgoeagles on Feb 23, 2024 11:15:45 GMT -6
Yes....particularly while we are in transition jail. Afterwards, it would be hard, at least for me, to turn down a two for one with Murray State once we are eligible for NCAA bid. But it's about being very selective. Whatever it takes to build up our conference ranking. But I see nothing wrong in doing at least one, maybe two, money games.
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Post by eagle87 on Feb 23, 2024 12:35:16 GMT -6
Yes....particularly while we are in transition jail. Afterwards, it would be hard, at least for me, to turn down a two for one with Murray State once we are eligible for NCAA bid. But it's about being very selective. Whatever it takes to build up our conference ranking. But I see nothing wrong in doing at least one, maybe two, money games. Murray maybe but only because they would help fill up the SEA and most years they have a Kenpom in the low 100s so even a loss wouldn’t hurt us much. It’s also a game we could travel to if we wanted. But, I would still want a decent payout for a 2-1 with them. There are mid conferences that would give us home and home games such as Horizon, ASUN,Summit,Southern,SOCON and MAC. If this is who we play to get more home games, then I’m all for it. Every team in those conferences are winnable games,especially at home. I just want us to be more selective going forward in scheduling games we can win and with teams that will come here. There are 362 D1 teams. We need about 10 non conference games a year so surely we can find 5 that we can do a home and home each year. We will play a few P5 and a few non D1 and a MTE so the number we need is really small.we might have a harder time the last 2 years of transition but should be able to be secure those 5 games after that time.
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Post by letsgoeagles on Feb 23, 2024 12:48:45 GMT -6
My mentioning of Murray State is for the same reasoning you stated. I can't help but think the conferences you mentioned would be looking to do the same things we are trying to achieve, so I can't see why those games could not get scheduled. The hope, of course, is to get the closest teams who would we be willing to play to control travel cost and less travel fatigue for the players. Looking ahead to next season, I believe USI goes to SIU again, and I think we are hosting ISU, though not for sure. We may be done with Chicago State and Miami of Ohio.
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Post by eagle87 on Feb 23, 2024 14:01:45 GMT -6
Chicago State I think is done and I’m ok with that. We don’t match up with their style of play and they are joining a new conference next year. Horizon teams should be reached out to asap because their league is about the same level as ours and there are multiple teams within 5-6 hour drive. Same for ASUN. I would love to get teams like Bucknell and Lasalle and some Northeast teams on the schedule too. If we go up there we can schedule two games in the area and then get them to go here. We have lots of possibilities including trying to schedule a few other transition teams because you know they are looking for home and home too.
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Post by eaglepride on Feb 23, 2024 15:16:32 GMT -6
There are some middies I would do a two for one...depending on the money and how high a profile. But in principle I absolutely agree with what you are saying. The only midmajors in the region I would do a 2 for 1 is Butler, Saint Louis and Xavier
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Post by eaglepride on Feb 23, 2024 15:18:24 GMT -6
Chicago State I think is done and I’m ok with that. We don’t match up with their style of play and they are joining a new conference next year. Horizon teams should be reached out to asap because their league is about the same level as ours and there are multiple teams within 5-6 hour drive. Same for ASUN. I would love to get teams like Bucknell and Lasalle and some Northeast teams on the schedule too. If we go up there we can schedule two games in the area and then get them to go here. We have lots of possibilities including trying to schedule a few other transition teams because you know they are looking for home and home too. I think Lasalle is coming here next year.
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Post by eaglepride on Feb 23, 2024 15:36:54 GMT -6
The benefit for smaller leagues is that ALL conference championship finals are shown live on national tv…ESPN. I’m sure for smaller conferences that’s a big perk. I am ok with conference champion hosting because in most cases they are having a great year and will draw well. It looks better on national tv to see 3,4,5 thousand at on campus arena as opposed to 700 at the Ford center because both teams in the final are from 5 plus hours away and fans can’t get here just for a few games. I’m for what ever improves our conference brand and puts the OVC in a positive position. Beth is already working on improving the league reputation and standing by implementing new and higher standards. We should start seeing some next year and it will help all the teams in the conference if or when the league improves its ranking. As the league ranking gets better, more kids want to play here…that’s the goal by the commissioner and I support this. I can't disagree on a thing you wrote. Just to add, this is why I would absolutely refuse to give UE a two for one. There are plenty of other higher stature teams USI could play than the Aces, plus getting a lot more money as well. It doesn't help ourselves and the OVC by submitting to that. I look for UE to start saying publicly USI is holding up the game between the two schools, when in fact USI has no interest in agreeing to those terms. If you starts saying publicly that USI is holding up the game then use ZIggy words against him. A one year deal at the Ford Center or a 2 for 1 does not benefit USI, Say publicly that USI offered a 10 year contract starting 2025-26 to 2015-16 with 5 games at the Ford Center and 5 games at Screaming Eagle Arena. If UE does not like that then offer UE a 4 year contract starting 2025-6 with 2 games at Ford Center and 2 games at Screaming Eagle Arena. With UE does not like that then offer UE a 2 year contract home and home game starting in 2026-27. If UE turns that down then tell UE to go pound sand. And then tell the public the only way will play UE is a home and home series and that USI is not interested in a 2 for 1 or a buy game at the Ford Center.
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Post by letsgoeagles on Feb 23, 2024 16:05:16 GMT -6
Chicago State I think is done and I’m ok with that. We don’t match up with their style of play and they are joining a new conference next year. Horizon teams should be reached out to asap because their league is about the same level as ours and there are multiple teams within 5-6 hour drive. Same for ASUN. I would love to get teams like Bucknell and Lasalle and some Northeast teams on the schedule too. If we go up there we can schedule two games in the area and then get them to go here. We have lots of possibilities including trying to schedule a few other transition teams because you know they are looking for home and home too.
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Post by letsgoeagles on Feb 23, 2024 16:07:27 GMT -6
I like the idea of playing two teams out east. Maybe Beth can get OVC challenge with one of those conferences
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