Detroit released their OOC schedule

[GJGood]

Does the university require a certain number of home games be scheduled? How much are the vendors and arena workers considered when determining a number of home games? I think it this is probably a bigger deal at other schools and probably more so in football than basketball but I have often wondered how much of a negative economic impact would there be on businesses and individuals if fewer home dates were scheduled. Like I said, probably more of a football question but it goes along with home scheduling so I thought it may fit here as well.

[morris buttermaker]

How much are the vendors and arena workers considered when determining a number of home games?

Less than 0% thought is given to vendors and arena workers... I'm not sure what that number looks like but it is way less than 0

[taxpayer]

The present poor economic situation existing at UA should push KD to get a few Big Boys on the schedule by traveling to their arena and getting a guarantee payday for doing so. I'd love to see UA play OSU, Dayton and Xavier and can't imagine them being reluctant to play the Zips at home. These games would provide the Big Boys with a competitive game and the Zips get a shot at a huge win and get paid for taking the shot.

Possible?

[skip-zip]

Taxpayer, look at the Suckeye's home OOC schedule over the last couple of decades, and you'll get your answer about why they won't schedule a threat like Akron in November/December.

We have been unsuccessful in getting them on our schedule since the 1989 NIT, in which they had no choice.

We have already played Dayton and Xavier on numerous occasions over the years, and both have also given us a game at home in exchange.

[Sportsjunkie330]

Less than 0% thought is given to vendors and arena workers... I'm not sure what that number looks like but it is way less than 0

I think it looks like this..... -∞%

[Dave in Green]

There's flexibility in home vs. road scheduling. Financially challenged SWAC teams play almost all OOC games on the road to make money to finance their programs. UA schedules more balance between home and road in part to reward loyal fans who show up even for the creampuff home games. UA is not likely to completely ditch those fans. But it wouldn't be unreasonable to swap a couple of creampuff home games for tough road games if the coaching staff believed that would help the program get to the next level.

[Captain Kangaroo]

We have already played Dayton and Xavier on numerous occasions over the years, and both have also given us a game at home in exchange.

You have a unique definition of "numerous."

[zippy5]

@ Skip since my quote function isn't working - OSU played OU at home in the last year or two.

[GJGood]

There's flexibility in home vs. road scheduling. Financially challenged SWAC teams play almost all OOC games on the road to make money to finance their programs. UA schedules more balance between home and road in part to reward loyal fans who show up even for the creampuff home, games. UA is not likely to completely ditch those fans. But it wouldn't be unreasonable to swap a couple of creampuff home games for tough road games if the coaching staff believed that would help the program get to the next level.

This is true. I still like the option, though, of simply changing out at least a couple of the four lower end of the bottom low-major conferences games to either teams from better conferences or teams near the top of those lowest of conferences. How much harder can it be to get a game with the team projected to finish third in the MEAC than to get one with the team projected to finish tenth in that league? or How much harder is it to get a second division MAAC school than a second division SWAC school?

Like was said earlier in the thread, losing the BracketBusters Series hurts. Maybe some of the conferences can take it upon themselves to get together something similar in the future

Lose a home game or two to play higher profile teams if need be, especially when you feel that the team should have an excellent year ahead but I wouldn't want to put my team in too many situations where they are unable to compete. Fortunately I think Akron can be competitive with just about anybody right now, maybe not beat anybody but compete with anybody.

.

[Dave in Green]

Zips have played Dayton 13 times, but only 3 times in the past 25 years. Zips have played Xavier 5 times, but only 2 times in the past 25 years.

One thing to note about scheduling is that creampuff home games give teams scheduling flexibility because they don't have to schedule a return game every other season as in a home-away series between two more equal teams. Teams use that flexibility to schedule away games against stronger teams that wouldn't play a return game in a mid-major gym.

The Zips have reached a point where ESPN is inviting them to some pretty good tournaments with opportunities against high-majors, so they need to retain some scheduling flexibility. That means the Zips are always likely to have at least a few creampuff home games on their schedule.

[GJGood]

Zips have played Dayton 13 times, but only 3 times in the past 25 years. Zips have played Xavier 5 times, but only 2 times in the past 25 years.

One thing to note about scheduling is that creampuff home games give teams scheduling flexibility because they don't have to schedule a return game every other season as in a home-away series between two more equal teams. Teams use that flexibility to schedule away games against stronger teams that wouldn't play a return game in a mid-major gym.

The Zips have reached a point where ESPN is inviting them to some pretty good tournaments with opportunities against high-majors, so they need to retain some scheduling flexibility. That means the Zips are always likely to have at least a few creampuff home games on their schedule.

I am not anti-creampuff, but do the creampuffs have to be so extraordinarily puffy?

[Dave in Green]

I am not anti-creampuff, but do the creampuffs have to be so extraordinarily puffy?

In a sense they do. The scheduling rule of thumb is that teams that are ranked much higher will not schedule games in mid-major gyms and teams of similar rank will only schedule home-away series. Teams have to be significantly lower-ranked before they will come to a mid-major gym without a return game.

Over the last 10 years the Zips have averaged just inside the top 100 teams in the country, sometimes well inside the top 100 and sometimes in the 100-150 range. Teams at the good end of the 100-200 range are going to try to get a home-away series with the Zips, which means a return game every other season. It's not until you get up close to 200 and above that teams will sign up to play at the JAR without a return game. Ideally you'd want to focus on the high 100-200 and low 200-300 ranges. But those are the teams that all the other teams in the Zips general range want to sign up for home-only games. So there's a lot of competition for those teams, and often you have to settle for teams higher in the 200-300 range.

Complicating that is that at the time contracts are signed it's not always clear whether a team is about to have an up or down season. Marshall is a good example of a team that was top 100 when the Zips signed up for their home-away series. But by the time the series began Marshall was decimated and closer to a 200-level team. So scheduling better teams at the JAR is not as easy as it might seem. I believe that Steve McNees handles all of the Zips scheduling. Steve is very approachable and interesting to speak with, and I'm sure he could explain scheduling details a lot better than I can for anyone who's interested in following up with him.

[Sportsjunkie330]

I am not anti-creampuff, but do the creampuffs have to be so extraordinarily puffy?

The short answer is... if the 20 win seasons are more important than anything else, yes, the creampuffs have to be extra creamy and puffy.

[taxpayer]

It's either the Zips don't want to play Big Boy pay games, thus risking <20 win season or the Big Boys do not wish to give their Little Brother recognition. I do not know how large a check OSU, Dayton or Xavier would write to have the Zips come to their arena and play but I think the loyal UA fans would accept two less home games versus poor competition. The programs needs money for better travel arrangements and recruiting) and recognition. I think we all agree you learn more in a loss to a better program than you do than beating teams in the 200 - 300 D1 range. UA needs more $ if they want to get to the next level. Trading 20 win seasons for money appears to be reality today in Akron. Who knows, beat one of the Big Boys and maybe some students will attend the home games with the faithful

3,500 fans who populate the JAR whenever the opponent isn't cant.

[K92]

I do not know how large a check OSU, Dayton or Xavier would write to have the Zips come to their arena and play but I think the loyal UA fans would accept two less home games versus poor competition.

Road trips to Columbus, Dayton and Cincinnati sound like fun to me.

[skip-zip]

Ok, the "numerous" games against Dayton and Xavier meant More than One

[Valpo Zip]

I am getting really confused with all the conflicting "excuses" on why our home OOC games are made only of cream puffs year after year after year:

1 - No one wants to play us. Which means that we want and we are trying hard to bring decent opponents but they are turning us down.

2 - We don't want to schedule them (contradicting with #1) because we will have to give them a return trip which ties our hands and prevents us from accepting ESPN invites against good competition.

3 - We don't want tough competition (contradicting with #2) that puts to risk the 20-win streak that is so vital for our recruiting.

4 - We need the cream puffs to reward the loyal fans who enjoy watching those games!!!!!! This one contradicts with the comments I get from every fan I know except my dear and respected fellow fans Dave in Green and Gozips.

So which one is it?

[K92]

So which one is it?

Answers tend to vary when people are making excuses.

[GJGood]

I wouldn't want to drive two hours each way just to see the Zips get soundly beat but I also do not want to make the trip too often if they are just going to paste one of the worst teams in all of D-1 every time I go either. The non-conference games I have travelled in for recently are against schools like Princeton, MTSU, Marshall, VCU, and North Dakota State. I realize some of those were part of the BracketBusters but not all of them.

[Hilltopper]

I am getting really confused with all the conflicting "excuses" on why our home OOC games are made only of cream puffs year after year after year:

1 - No one wants to play us. Which means that we want and we are trying hard to bring decent opponents but they are turning us down.

2 - We don't want to schedule them (contradicting with #1) because we will have to give them a return trip which ties our hands and prevents us from accepting ESPN invites against good competition.

3 - We don't want tough competition (contradicting with #2) that puts to risk the 20-win streak that is so vital for our recruiting.

4 - We need the cream puffs to reward the loyal fans who enjoy watching those games!!!!!! This one contradicts with the comments I get from every fan I know except my dear and respected fellow fans Dave in Green and Gozips.

So which one is it?

[Dave in Green]

From one dear and respected fellow fan to another:

I am getting really confused with all the conflicting "excuses" on why our home OOC games are made only of cream puffs year after year after year:

1 - No one wants to play us. Which means that we want and we are trying hard to bring decent opponents but they are turning us down.

"No one" is obviously an exaggeration because as recently as last season the Zips had home-and-away series going with Middle Tennessee and Marshall, both decent opponents who agreed to play at the JAR with a return game. It would be correct to say that many teams don't want to play at the JAR, including at least one that had previously signed up for home-away series with the Zips but will no longer agree to play at the JAR.

2 - We don't want to schedule them (contradicting with #1) because we will have to give them a return trip which ties our hands and prevents us from accepting ESPN invites against good competition.

Again, Middle Tennessee and Marshall prove that this is obviously not true in all cases. It's true that in addition to some home-away series that the Zips want to schedule some home-only games in part for scheduling flexibility, and the only teams that will sign up for home-only games at the JAR are those with significantly lower rankings than the Zips.

3 - We don't want tough competition (contradicting with #2) that puts to risk the 20-win streak that is so vital for our recruiting.

The Zips coaching staff wants a mix of tough competition and cream puffs like every other college basketball team in the country. Every college basketball fan forum in the country has complaints about several home games against weaker competition. It goes with the territory. Should the Zips' streak of 20+ win seasons be broken, they will likely switch to promoting the average number of wins per season over the past decade, which will still come out to 20+.

4 - We need the cream puffs to reward the loyal fans who enjoy watching those games!!!!!! This one contradicts with the comments I get from every fan I know except my dear and respected fellow fans Dave in Green and Gozips.

More accurately stated, the Zips need a certain number of OOC home games in part to reward the loyal fans who attend all home games regardless of opponent. Cream puff opponents carry the advantage of not having to play a return road game every other season, which enhances flexibility for scheduling away games against tougher opponents that would never come to the JAR.

So which one is it?

It's not an either-or but some of each when each is accurately stated.

[GoZips]

I know this is futile and a waste of my time, so; why bother?

The truth has been posted repeatedly on this blog. Playing Akron is risky.

Why should any nearby high major (i.e. Ohio State and others) risk a loss

when there is easy pickings playing most any MAC team other than Akron?

High majors are willing to play the Zips in early OOC tournaments because

their fans do not go off the deep end over a neutral site loss. Home or road

loss and fans go ballistic

How do you suppose Coach Dambrot fared over in Georgetown and College

Park as his Zips clocked the locals in soccer? Really makes ADs blood boil

and strongly desire revenge in basketball. Really? They aren't coming here.

Quit belly aching and go visit coach and tell him his OOC home schedule sucks.

Be sure to have a juicy $25K check in your hand when you do. Just maybe we

can get a better OOC opponent.

[ZachTheZip]

Who's talking about high majors? Why can't Akron get mid-majors in a similar situation to themselves to agree to home-and-homes? Why can't Akron do more series with teams like MTSU, who are also dangerous to the high majors?

[Dave in Green]

GoZips, Ada Zip has clearly stated that he understands that high majors won't come to the JAR and all he's asking is why the Zips can't get more higher-ranked mid-majors to come to the JAR. Others have the same question. It's a fair question that deserves straight answers focused on mid-majors, not high majors. With that in mind do you agree or disagree with what I've said above?

Any insights you have on this specific issue would be welcome. Your comment about bringing money to Coach Dambrot suggests that higher-ranked mid-majors might cost more to bring to the JAR than the lower-ranked ones currently on the schedule. That would be a valid argument if the basketball budget is inadequate.

[Dr Z]

I am getting really confused with all the conflicting "excuses" on why our home OOC games are made only of cream puffs year after year after year:

1 - No one wants to play us. Which means that we want and we are trying hard to bring decent opponents but they are turning us down.

2 - We don't want to schedule them (contradicting with #1) because we will have to give them a return trip which ties our hands and prevents us from accepting ESPN invites against good competition.

3 - We don't want tough competition (contradicting with #2) that puts to risk the 20-win streak that is so vital for our recruiting.

4 - We need the cream puffs to reward the loyal fans who enjoy watching those games!!!!!! This one contradicts with the comments I get from every fan I know except my dear and respected fellow fans Dave in Green and Gozips.

So which one is it?

Your warm with 3, just not hot. Careful Icarus.