2019 Schdeule

[din23]

Needs to be going to bat to get a game at FCS level or a else a D2 or NAIA that is not “local” (not in the southeast). If we have to pay $50,000 to get the non-local to come, we should do it. But why can’t we get a 1 for 1 deal with ****an FCS school**** at the Davidson or Stetson or Jacksonville U (FL) level or above, even if our trip to play at their place is contracted for 10 years in the future?

This is all backwards as far as common scheduling practice for SoCon schools. Why pay money to fly someone in when you could pay less for a local opponent? And why play away against a non-scholarship team? Not going to happen.

[Affirm]

Needs to be going to bat to get a game at FCS level or a else a D2 or NAIA that is not “local” (not in the southeast). If we have to pay $50,000 to get the non-local to come, we should do it. But why can’t we get a 1 for 1 deal with ****an FCS school**** at the Davidson or Stetson or Jacksonville U (FL) level or above, even if our trip to play at their place is contracted for 10 years in the future?

I do not understand the desire not to play a "local" lower level school. What is the downside? If it is a lower level program, it seems entirely likely that it would be a program from the south for a whole host of reasons.

I don't think you will see Furman schedule a road game against a Pioneer League opponent. Furman has no problems scheduling 1 for 1 deals with quality FCS teams (CSU, Elon, Colgate, etc.)

Agree with both of your points.
There is absolutely no advantage to playing a DII team that we have to fly in vs. a "local" team that may actually bring some fans (gate sales, concessions, parking). Are you worried that we may play badly against a local team and get negative press?? One of the ugliest wins I can remember was in 2006 against DII W. Georgia (Tobacco Free Day). We still ended up #8 in the country going into the playoff game vs. Montana St.
Home & Home with a team from the Pioneer Conference...not gonna happen. We may be thirsty but we're not desperate.
The KSU game getting moved created a hole that needs to be filled...be it FCS, DII, local or otherwise.

Of course, I'd prefer not to play a highly ranked title contender at the D2 level.

Text of the 12/4/18 solicitation:
"...looking for a home game on November 23rd, 2019. Any FCS, Division II, or NAIA opponent will be considered. Must be a home game, and Furman is willing to pay guarantee. ...please contact....".

[apaladin]

WCU has 12 games, 6 home 6 away. FBS against NC St and Alabama. OOC home games with N. Greenville and G-Webb.

[Northeast Furman Fan]

Here is my best guess at the schedule as of January 11th
August 31st - CSU
September 7th - at Georgia State
September 14th - at Va Tech
September 21st - Mercer
September 28th - Parents Weekend (Home) - ETSU
October 5th - At Samford or Open
October 12th - At Samford or Open
October 19th - Homecoming - Citadel - Posting in Citadel Football Board
October 26th - at Western Carolina
November 2nd - at UTC
November 9th - VMI
November 16th - at Wofford
November 23rd - Open date


I realize that Furman is close to a 12th game. My assumption is that it is for November 23rd
Also, this is a guess based in part by the schedules of other teams and the open dates for other teams to play us. Nothing is certain until the full schedule comes out.

Update on January 21st,
With the release of the ETSU Schedule, the prediction on the schedule still holds true.

Update on January 22nd
UTC just released their schedule. Furman plays at UTC on November 2nd. Predictions continue to hold true.

Based on remaining open dates for Samford, we should play at Samford on October 5th. This seems to be the only possible weekend that we could play each other.

Update on January 25th
VMI Released their schedule today and we play them on November 9th. The prediction on the schedule still holds true from 2 weeks ago.
.

[Affirm]

There are some interesting team names in D2 football. It could be fun to see the Furman Paladins have a game against any of these:
Mules
Gorillas
Hardrockers
Reddies
Javelinas
Bollweevils
- all actual D2 team names

[The Jackal]

WCU announces their schedule: http://www.catamountsports.com/ViewArti ... =211786200

08/31 Charleston Southern
09/07 ? [CSU, Ga. State, VT, Mystery Team, Mercer, Wofford, the Citadel, VMI, ETSU, Samford, UTC, WCU, Bye]
09/14 at Virgina Tech
09/21 Mercer
09/28 ? [CSU, Ga. State, VT, Mystery Team, Mercer, Wofford, the Citadel, VMI, ETSU, Samford, UTC, WCU, Bye]
10/05 ? [CSU, Ga. State, VT, Mystery Team, Mercer, Wofford, the Citadel, VMI, ETSU, Samford, UTC, WCU, Bye]
10/12 ? [CSU, Ga. State, VT, Mystery Team, Mercer, Wofford, the Citadel, VMI, ETSU, Samford, UTC, WCU, Bye]
10/19 ? [CSU, Ga. State, VT, Mystery Team, Mercer, Wofford, the Citadel, VMI, ETSU, Samford, UTC, WCU, Bye]
10/26 at WCU
11/02 ? CSU, Ga. State, VT, Mystery Team, Mercer, Wofford, the Citadel, VMI, ETSU, Samford, UTC, WCU, Bye]
11/09 ? [CSU, Ga. State, VT, Mystery Team, Mercer, Wofford, the Citadel, VMI, ETSU, Samford, UTC, WCU, Bye]
11/16 ? [CSU, Ga. State, VT, Mystery Team, Mercer, Wofford, the Citadel, VMI, ETSU, Samford, UTC, WCU, Bye]
11/23 Bye or Mystery Team [CSU, Ga. State, VT, Mystery Team, Mercer, Wofford, the Citadel, VMI, ETSU, Samford, UTC, WCU, Bye]

[The Jackal]

WCU's schedule also eliminates the likelihood of scheduling North Greenville.

[gofurman]

x

[gofurman]

There are some interesting team names in D2 football. It could be fun to see the Furman Paladins have a game against any of these:
Mules
Gorillas
Hardrockers
Reddies
Javelinas
Bollweevils
- all actual D2 team names

Smaller schools have the best mascot names ! As do minor league baseball.

Here's the BEST. EVER

Rhode Island school of art and design . .. SCROTIES ! Yes. I spelled that correctly. Not Scotties. It's a very MALE mascot.

Things they cheer at. Basketball. - 'when the heat is on our balls stick together'
Things they cheer at ice hockey games ' Go. Nads'. Obvious since the hockey team is actually the Nads I think.

Unreal -

https://www.americaninno.com/boston/ris ... s-go-nads/

https://www.outsports.com/2012/7/11/405 ... -and-balls

[Affirm]

There are some interesting team names in D2 football. It could be fun to see the Furman Paladins have a game against any of these:
Mules
Gorillas
Hardrockers
Reddies
Javelinas
Bollweevils
- all actual D2 team names

Smaller schools have the best mascot names ! As do minor league baseball.

Here's the BEST. EVER

Rhode Island school of art and design . .. SCROTIES ! Yes. I spelled that correctly. Not Scotties. It's a very MALE mascot.

Things they cheer at. Basketball. - 'when the heat is on our balls stick together'
Things they cheer at ice hockey games ' Go. Nads'. Obvious since the hockey team is actually the Nads I think.

Unreal -

https://www.americaninno.com/boston/ris ... s-go-nads/

https://www.outsports.com/2012/7/11/405 ... -and-balls

Excellent!
One of my favorites from D1, and it’s not at all as funny as any of the above, is the Akron nickname, “Zips”.
...Rhode Island School of Art and Design actually HAS a basketball team and a hockey team, and fans actually come and yell cheers for it? Must be a bigger school than I would imagine.

[Affirm]

Ok.
Looked it up.
2406 students!
Ranked #1 design school IN THE WORLD!
The list of top 25 schools in that field includes schools that are within many famous universities in the US and includes other world-wide schools. (Ga Tech and SCAD both are in the list of top 25. GT ranks in the 20s and SCAD [1000 students] ranks #13.)

[Yadkin]

Mercer ruined the guarantee structure to schedule Pioneer League teams by way overpaying Jacksonville for a couple of games, so others in that league now ask a ton in guarantee $ or just flat refuse to play (ex. Davidson). It's my understanding that Stetson wouldn't even play FU this past year AT Stetson after the Hurricane Florence left both programs with 10 games.

I don't know any specifics, but I think getting a 12th opponent this year isn't much a matter of multiple choice but really who Furman can literally get to sign a contract.

[FUBeAR]

Mercer ruined the guarantee structure to schedule Pioneer League teams by way overpaying Jacksonville for a couple of games, so others in that league now ask a ton in guarantee $ or just flat refuse to play (ex. Davidson). It's my understanding that Stetson wouldn't even play FU this past year AT Stetson after the Hurricane Florence left both programs with 10 games.

I don't know any specifics, but I think getting a 12th opponent this year isn't much a matter of multiple choice but really who Furman can literally get to sign a contract.

Source?

[The Jackal]

Even if true, if Mercer opts to pay teams more than the going rate, not much Furman can do about that.

Mercer does seem to have a pretty long continuing relationship with their former A-Sun/Pioneer league opponents. Since the Bears restarted football in 2013, Stetson, Jacksonville, or Campbell has shown up on the schedule every season but 2016. All three were in the Pioneer in 2013 for fooball, but had a long run in the A-Sun together.

I'm not going to dig in too deeply, but other than Mercer, Pioneer teams don't pop up on SoCon schedules all that often. Davidson played at WCU last season. Other than that game, I cannot think of another SoCon/Pioneer league contest in recent memory other than with Mercer. I could be overlooking them.

Just my opinion, but I would think SoCon teams would like to schedule Pioneer teams if they could -- the games would be likely home wins that count as a D1 victory despite the lack of scholarship players on the opposing sideline. If I were an AD at a Pioneer school, knowing that the geographically large conference already creates a lot of travel and the attractiveness to an FCS opponent, I'd probably ask for a lot of money too.

[Paul C]

Not going to reveal my source but heard that Davidson told us “no way, no how, and never” would they agree to play us.