2019 Schdeule

[The Jackal]

Dan Scott has made a few comments that the administration is "very close" to finalizing a deal for a 12th game. Anyone hearing anything about who this might be and if we're getting any closer?

Had heard the same thing from a different source with the program, but they did not say who

Please be home FCS game! I would think 8-4 is the minimum needed next year to get in the playoffs. Although one team might sneak in at 7-5.

With two road FBS games, I bet we'll be playing a lower level team at home.

Probably goes without saying, but we have a lot riding on that Charleston Southern game to open the season. Need to notch an OOC win and get things heading in the right direction.

[Affirm]

If it has to be a Division 2 team at home, we should hope it is some school relatively unknown in football (to people around here) and from which we do not typically recruit.

Examples:
Arkansas Tech
Central Missouri State
Southern Connecticut State
University of Indianapolis
University of New Haven
Michigan Tech
Oklahoma Baptist
Long Island University - Post
Truman State
Emporia State

Similarly, if it has to be NAIA, examples:
Montana Tech
Southern Oregon
Dakota State
Missouri Baptist

(Not schools such as West Florida, Albany State, Lenoir-Rhyne, Catawba, Morehead, Clark Atlanta, UNC Pembroke, Virginia - Wise, Carson Newman, Wingate, Shorter, Mars Hill, Florida Tech, Valdosta State, Benedict, West Alabama, Newberry.)
I would much prefer FCS at home.

[The Jackal]

If it has to be a Division 2 team at home, we should hope it is some school relatively unknown in football (to people around here) and from which we do not typically recruit.

Examples:
Arkansas Tech
Central Missouri State
Southern Connecticut State
University of Indianapolis
University of New Haven
Michigan Tech
Oklahoma Baptist
Long Island University - Post
Truman State
Emporia State

Similarly, if it has to be NAIA, examples:
Montana Tech
Southern Oregon
Dakota State
Missouri Baptist

(Not schools such as West Florida, Albany State, Lenoir-Rhyne, Catawba, Morehead, Clark Atlanta, UNC Pembroke, Virginia - Wise, Carson Newman, Wingate, Shorter, Mars Hill, Florida Tech, Valdosta State, Benedict, West Alabama, Newberry.)
I would much prefer FCS at home.

Not sure why that would matter much. The closer the school is, the less we have to pay for them to come play us.

An FCS team at home would be great, but my guess if we are beating the bushes for an opponent it will be whoever is available.

Not every FCS team is going to schedule 12 games. That being the case, the only requirement in my view is that the opponent (1) come to Greenville, and (2) lose

[fufanatic]

If it has to be a Division 2 team at home, we should hope it is some school relatively unknown in football (to people around here) and from which we do not typically recruit.

Examples:
Arkansas Tech
Central Missouri State
Southern Connecticut State
University of Indianapolis
University of New Haven
Michigan Tech
Oklahoma Baptist
Long Island University - Post
Truman State
Emporia State

Similarly, if it has to be NAIA, examples:
Montana Tech
Southern Oregon
Dakota State
Missouri Baptist

(Not schools such as West Florida, Albany State, Lenoir-Rhyne, Catawba, Morehead, Clark Atlanta, UNC Pembroke, Virginia - Wise, Carson Newman, Wingate, Shorter, Mars Hill, Florida Tech, Valdosta State, Benedict, West Alabama, Newberry.)
I would much prefer FCS at home.

I guess I don't really understand this point. Hopefully we aren't planning on losing to a DII team, and hopefully we aren't planning on recruiting against a DII team. So where they are located and name recognition shouldn't matter. To me, North Greenville, Newberry or Catawba would make a ton of sense if those teams are available. Give them a bunch of pizza postgame and a couple of bucks and send them on their way compared to a team that would have to stay overnight and charge more for us to host them.

I personally think a DII game is a waste of time, but hopefully it's an easy win, a confidence booster, a chance to play younger guys, a bigger number in the win column for the playoff committee, one more chance to collect gate and concessions revenue, etc.

[Affirm]

I disagree. You don't want to play a D2 that can beat you, and you don't want to play a D2 that can reflect unfavorably on perception of the level of football that you play. However, if the powers that be do not consider those to be concerns, then go ahead and call up any of the nearby schools including
North Greenville
Limestone
Newberry
Benedict
Johnson C. Smith
Mars Hill
Erskine as soon as they are ready with their new team

[apaladin]

Newberry is pretty good. They gave WCU all they wanted and had the lead until the end.

[Paul C]

(Not schools such as West Florida, Albany State, Lenoir-Rhyne, Catawba, Morehead, Clark Atlanta, UNC Pembroke, Virginia - Wise, Carson Newman, Wingate, Shorter, Mars Hill, Florida Tech, Valdosta State, Benedict, West Alabama, Newberry.

Assuming your list is complete I think you’ll be happy.

Makes absolutely NO sense to pay a small d2 school to get on an airplane to play us.

[Affirm]

Well, believe it or not I will be happy regardless what happens with this scheduling. But no, my list is not complete, merely illustrative. Sounds like you know who the team will be, or at least the list of several being considered. We’ll find out eventually. Until then, it’s at least something to message about.

[The Jackal]

Well, believe it or not I will be happy regardless what happens with this scheduling. But no, my list is not complete, merely illustrative. Sounds like you know who the team will be, or at least the list of several being considered. We’ll find out eventually. Until then, it’s at least something to message about.

I'm just happy Furman is trying to get a 6th home game.

Personal opinion, but the administration owes it to the fans and players to get this done. In the last two years, Furman has played 23 times and only 9 of them at home.

If you aren't going to try and push for home playoff games and have canceled regular season contests, seems only fitting to go to bat and get a deal for a 12th game.

[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?

[The Jackal]

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.)

[MNORM]

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.

[The Jackal]

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.

[fufanatic]

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.

Yeah I mean, it's probably not the best idea to play Valdosta State ... although I would hope we could beat them, but a marginal DII should be fair. And one that's local makes all the sense in the world. If we are worried we are going to lose, there are wayyyyy bigger problems to be dealt with than being embarrassed locally.

[Paul C]

Western Carolina announced their schedule.

We play them in Cullowhee on Oct 26th. It's their Homecoming....