Scheduling

[CharlieFU]

I have to admit I am growing weary of this topic. I suppose it’s inevitable, but dang. The cost and complexities have been discussed ad nauseum. I am sure all of these ideas, and more, have been considered. Bottom line: we need to continue to build financial resources for the program.

By the way, I am confident in saying that our current administration has stepped up their support of the program. But that’s only one piece of the puzzle. And do you really think Coach Richey WANTS to play 3 non D1 games?

Stay safe out there.

[Affirm]

I have to admit I am growing weary of this topic. I suppose it’s inevitable, but dang. The cost and complexities have been discussed ad nauseum. I am sure all of these ideas, and more, have been considered. Bottom line: we need to continue to build financial resources for the program.

By the way, I am confident in saying that our current administration has stepped up their support of the program. But that’s only one piece of the puzzle. And do you really think Coach Richey WANTS to play 3 non D1 games?

Stay safe out there.

"I have to admit I am growing weary of this topic." I
I agree with you, except to say I grew weary of it years ago.
" I am sure all of these ideas, and more, have been considered."
One would think that to be the case, but there is very little, if any evidence, that they have been. (It seems to me.) Or at least, there is never any change in the situation. (It seems to me.)
"Bottom line: we need to continue to build financial resources for the program. "
I will agree with you about that being the bottom line. But the question remains: do enough people agree with you and me. Usually when increasing financial support is mentioned by posters on here, the status quo group immediately retorts with "you are free to write a big check".

"By the way, I am confident in saying that our current administration has stepped up their support of the program. But that’s only one piece of the puzzle."
I agree. Alumni support must increase. Alumni need to support Paladin Club and basketball in particular much more than they do. Community support must increase. And some one or some several very, very large benefactors need to show up.
"And do you really think Coach Richey WANTS to play 3 non D1 games?"
I absolutely do NOT think he does. I think it is reality, has he has apparently stated. The ONLY reason I listed all those near-by non-D1's was to point out that this is what we are going to have. My wish is that others would see that list, would communicate with others about it, would think about it, and would EVENTUALLY realize that we must do something or else be satisfied with those.
Sadly, I think Coach Richey will have the situation of having to play 3 non D1 games as something that adds to his decision to leave for something bigger.

[Affirm]

I have to admit I am growing weary of this topic. I suppose it’s inevitable, but dang. The cost and complexities have been discussed ad nauseum. I am sure all of these ideas, and more, have been considered. Bottom line: we need to continue to build financial resources for the program.

By the way, I am confident in saying that our current administration has stepped up their support of the program. But that’s only one piece of the puzzle. And do you really think Coach Richey WANTS to play 3 non D1 games?

Stay safe out there.

"I have to admit I am growing weary of this topic." I
I agree with you, except to say I grew weary of it years ago.
" I am sure all of these ideas, and more, have been considered."
One would think that to be the case, but there is very little, if any evidence, that they have been. (It seems to me.) Or at least, there is never any change in the situation. (It seems to me.)
"Bottom line: we need to continue to build financial resources for the program. "
I will agree with you about that being the bottom line. But the question remains: do enough people agree with you and me. Usually when increasing financial support is mentioned by posters on here, the status quo group immediately retorts with "you are free to write a big check".

"By the way, I am confident in saying that our current administration has stepped up their support of the program. But that’s only one piece of the puzzle."
I agree. Alumni support must increase. Alumni need to support Paladin Club and basketball in particular much more than they do. Community support must increase. And some one or some several very, very large benefactors need to show up.
"And do you really think Coach Richey WANTS to play 3 non D1 games?"
I absolutely do NOT think he does. I think it is reality, as he has apparently stated. The ONLY reason I listed all those nearby non-D1's was to point out that this is what we are going to have. My wish is that others would see that list, would communicate with others about it, would think about it, and would EVENTUALLY realize that we must do something or else be satisfied with those.
Sadly, I think Coach Richey will have the situation of having to play 3 non D1 games as something that adds to his decision to leave for something bigger.
Bottom line:
1. Inadequate financial resources
2. No interest in or no ability to to move to a better conference
3. No interest in dropping any sport for the purpose of focusing more on basketball
4. No interest in dropping the athletics program to D2 or D3.
5. We have to just "be satisfied"; try to make incremental, minuscule, hopefully positive changes so that over a period of the next 20 years we will at least not have gone backwards more than forwards; but do not expect any major improvements to occur, because if and when they do occur, we will have forgotten how it used to be in the year 2020.

[furpop16]

I have to admit I am growing weary of this topic. I suppose it’s inevitable, but dang. The cost and complexities have been discussed ad nauseum. I am sure all of these ideas, and more, have been considered. Bottom line: we need to continue to build financial resources for the program.

By the way, I am confident in saying that our current administration has stepped up their support of the program. But that’s only one piece of the puzzle. And do you really think Coach Richey WANTS to play 3 non D1 games?

Stay safe out there.

Thank you (& others) for your patience with this topic. If we can agree some of us are legitimately seeking to understand and not pointing fingers, then we should be able to have a productive discussion around what continues to be an increasingly interesting subject (prompting Rothstein's tweet).

Charlie - the OP emphasizes the effect which power conference scheduling has on mid-majors and you ask if CBR wants to play 3 non-D1 games. That's a false-choice, by my reading of the majority of these posts. Perhaps our schedulers would be heartened to know there's appetite for strong mid-major home games, maybe they'd be relieved from futile attempts at attracting power conference opponents to Greenville.

I understand scheduling isn't as simple as that; nevertheless, the consortiums suggested by fufanatic & cavedweller2 are worthy of conversation. Strength in numbers. Reactions?

[apaladin]

Affirm!
1. Inadequate financial resources-hear this all the time but is it true? According to JD FU is well off financially and as far as I know has the highest athletic budget in the SoCon.
2. No interest in a better conference- ok where would that be? You talk about no money how would FU afford all those extra miles, plane trips, nights away from school?
3. No interest in dropping any sport(aka football) to focus on basketball.- never understood why you always advocate dropping football. Do we want to be another Winthrop or UNCG? Neither of those have football but FU beat both in basketball this year. Imagine that. The fact is, drop football and the monies go way down not even stay the same.
4. No interest in dropping to D2 or D3- another thing you always advocate. Why? Do this and it kills not only FU athletics but 95 percent of donations/support.
5. No major improvements. Where have you been the last few years? Football stadium, baseball stadium, soccer stadium, games at the well. I have all the confidence in the world that JD and his staff will continue to improve Furman athletics keep us moving in the right direction.

[cavedweller2]

They view us as resume destroyers due to their conference affiliations. They will soon realize we are resume builders.

[Affirm]

Affirm!
1. Inadequate financial resources-hear this all the time but is it true? According to JD FU is well off financially and as far as I know has the highest athletic budget in the SoCon.
2. No interest in a better conference- ok where would that be? You talk about no money how would FU afford all those extra miles, plane trips, nights away from school?
3. No interest in dropping any sport(aka football) to focus on basketball.- never understood why you always advocate dropping football. Do we want to be another Winthrop or UNCG? Neither of those have football but FU beat both in basketball this year. Imagine that. The fact is, drop football and the monies go way down not even stay the same.
4. No interest in dropping to D2 or D3- another thing you always advocate. Why? Do this and it kills not only FU athletics but 95 percent of donations/support.
5. No major improvements. Where have you been the last few years? Football stadium, baseball stadium, soccer stadium, games at the well. I have all the confidence in the world that JD and his staff will continue to improve Furman athletics keep us moving in the right direction.

I plan to be around in 20 years. I hope that long before 2020, I’ll see that I was wrong and you were right. I do not expect it though.
You being right = Furman being able to attract a good OOC schedule AND us being in the NCAA basketball tournament at least once between 2021-2025 and at least three times between 2026-2040; and/or us being regularly (most years) rated in the top 150 teams nationally over the next 20 years.

[fufanatic]

I have to admit I am growing weary of this topic. I suppose it’s inevitable, but dang. The cost and complexities have been discussed ad nauseum. I am sure all of these ideas, and more, have been considered. Bottom line: we need to continue to build financial resources for the program.

By the way, I am confident in saying that our current administration has stepped up their support of the program. But that’s only one piece of the puzzle. And do you really think Coach Richey WANTS to play 3 non D1 games?

Stay safe out there.

Completely agree with everything you said. I 100% believe CBR and other mid-major coaches when they talk about the challenge, but again it seems crazy to me that it's this hard. And why this subject keeps getting discussed. Pair up two really good mid-majors. One travels one year, the other travels the next. Neither charges the other to travel. Expenses offset. We might lose on the road and we might win at home, but regardless, it's a solid win or loss to build a resume. Certainly better than winning a non-D1 game. My previous example of getting an agreement with two other teams. Each gets one home game a year against a solid mid-major and a road game against a solid mid-major as part of the agreement. Win win for everyone involved.

[Paul C]

I have to admit I am growing weary of this topic. I suppose it’s inevitable, but dang. The cost and complexities have been discussed ad nauseum. I am sure all of these ideas, and more, have been considered. Bottom line: we need to continue to build financial resources for the program.

By the way, I am confident in saying that our current administration has stepped up their support of the program. But that’s only one piece of the puzzle. And do you really think Coach Richey WANTS to play 3 non D1 games?

Stay safe out there.

Completely agree with everything you said. I 100% believe CBR and other mid-major coaches when they talk about the challenge, but again it seems crazy to me that it's this hard. And why this subject keeps getting discussed. Pair up two really good mid-majors. One travels one year, the other travels the next. Neither charges the other to travel. Expenses offset. We might lose on the road and we might win at home, but regardless, it's a solid win or loss to build a resume. Certainly better than winning a non-D1 game. My previous example of getting an agreement with two other teams. Each gets one home game a year against a solid mid-major and a road game against a solid mid-major as part of the agreement. Win win for everyone involved.

like Loyola-Chicago

My $0.02 around this topic is I really don't care that much about our Nov/Dec schedule. I'm more concerned about our March schedule.

I know we've talked to virtually every D1 mid-major in the SE/mid-atlantic. We are in a tough spot. We aren't an easy D1 win for anyone, and a likely L for most.....

I also know Bob is working on some creative ideas to get some decent games, stay tuned.

And I also know the University/Admin has been more supportive of our basketball program as well.

So if you don' like our schedule, fine...gripe about it, but don't think it isn't from lack of effort or lack of creativity.

[FurmAlum]

Affirm!
1. Inadequate financial resources-hear this all the time but is it true? According to JD FU is well off financially and as far as I know has the highest athletic budget in the SoCon.
2. No interest in a better conference- ok where would that be? You talk about no money how would FU afford all those extra miles, plane trips, nights away from school?
3. No interest in dropping any sport(aka football) to focus on basketball.- never understood why you always advocate dropping football. Do we want to be another Winthrop or UNCG? Neither of those have football but FU beat both in basketball this year. Imagine that. The fact is, drop football and the monies go way down not even stay the same.
4. No interest in dropping to D2 or D3- another thing you always advocate. Why? Do this and it kills not only FU athletics but 95 percent of donations/support.
5. No major improvements. Where have you been the last few years? Football stadium, baseball stadium, soccer stadium, games at the well. I have all the confidence in the world that JD and his staff will continue to improve Furman athletics keep us moving in the right direction.

I plan to be around in 20 years. I hope that long before 2020, I’ll see that I was wrong and you were right. I do not expect it though.
You being right = Furman being able to attract a good OOC schedule AND us being in the NCAA basketball tournament at least once between 2021-2025 and at least three times between 2026-2040; and/or us being regularly (most years) rated in the top 150 teams nationally over the next 20 years.

Dropping to D2 or D3 is a terrible idea, and I hope never gets any consideration whatsoever.

Dropping football is an even worse idea!

[Affirm]

I did not say that I favor dropping football. I did not say we should drop any particular sport. I said that there appears to be no interest in dropping any sport, meaning that action, which various colleges talk about and do from time to time, would apparently not be available as a possible option for Furman to increase revenue to support a sport that has greater ROI than whichever one(s) would be dropped.
I do not favor dropping football.
I do favor increasing support for basketball.

[CharlieFU]

Good discussion here. It’s just not something I lose any sleep over.

I do think the trustees have probably looked at many different options to help our athletic program. Dropping sports—because we are spread thin—gets you into Title IX issues.

So glad I read all this after getting up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night.

[Davemeister]

I do not favor dropping football.
I do favor increasing support for basketball.

I agree.

[PaladinPower]

Let’s call up Niko Medved and get a home and home with Colorado State. He has the program on the rise. Would be a great game!

[Monday]

Due to the current situation, there’s probably a very good argument for dropping, at least, to non-scholarship football. How important is athletics to a non-athlete student’s education? If not that much then get rid of the biggest line item and save some money. In a worst case scenario, would you rather have football and a financially weakened school or a financially strong school and no football? Or no football AND no school?