We have scheduled a 3 game series with Eastern Michigan

[fuzz77]

I have nothing against scheduling a non-P5 opponent, but you're supposed to bring them to Commonwealth, not schedule a neutral-site game or go to their stadium

The reason the bigger schools don't do that is because what we saw with Western Kentucky in Nashville a couple years ago..you schedule a game with one of these little schools on what is basically their home turf, and they have the majority of the fans and they're treating it like the Super Bowl and the chances of you losing the game are going to be about 10 times higher than if you were playing them at home


Let's break that down for a second..Mizzou has one away game against a lower-level team (Mizzou's administration doesn't exactly have the greatest history of football success so I'm not sure if their scheduling strategy is the one you want to follow, but if so, more power to you)

The next team that has a bunch of these away games against lower-level team's is Vandy (I think this one goes without explaining..probably not the football administration whose example you want to follow)

Ole Miss goes on the road to Memphis, but I don't Memphis isn't on the same level as an Eastern Michigan or Arkansas State..it doesn't hurt the perception of Ole Miss football to go on the road and play a Memphis team that's capable of beating them

The only other team that travels to a lower level team is Mississippi State who goes to Southern Miss (Miss. State has a tradition of football that's worse than ours, so if you want to trust their administration's football scheduling then more power to you, but I'm not sure Mississippi State's administration is the one you want to follow when it comes to football success..we have more football success than they do over the years)

What's happening is that when these AD's get in the negotiating room, they're putting the pressure on Mitch and Mitch is folding..now we're traveling hundreds of miles to play in 20,000-seat stadiums, where if we have an off night (which is an entirely possible considering that your players aren't exactly going to be jacked up) you aren't going to have your home crowd there to support you..you're going to have that small school with a Super Bowl-like mentality playing the game of the century, and you're chances of losing that game go up about ten-fold over playing them at Commonwealth

The bottom line is that you have little to gain by playing this game, but you have TONS to lose..and we're a school that already has to battle every single day with a perception issue..scheduling home-and-homes with vastly inferior teams does nothing to help that

I think some of you are getting confused..there's a difference between paying a small school to come play you, and scheduling a home-and-home with those small schools with 20,000-seat stadiums..I could list a dozen reasons why you DON'T schedule those games with perception of your program being at the top

And I know some of you keep mentioning that scheduling these games are going to help our recruiting, but tell me, how is scheduling Eastern Michigan helping our recruiting in the Big-10 country? I mean, maybe you could say that back in the 60's and 70's or something where every game wasn't on TV and the internet and social media, but really, how I seriously doubt scheduling Eastern Michigan and Southern Miss on the road is going to effect our recruiting in either of those areas in the slightest...I mean is a high school recruit in Mississippi going to read the paper and see that we played them? It's an honest question, I just don't understand that whole pitch..we'd get just as much (or more) attention playing Southern Miss and Eastern Mich. at home (where the game would be a lot more likely to be televised than it will be in a 20,000 or 30,000-seat stadium

I just hate it because we're already battling with a perception issue every single day, and this does zero to help that..all it does is hurt...you can point out how some of these schools (with football traditions worse than us) schedule one of these games here or there, but Mississippi State and Vandy and Mizzou scheduling those type of games doesn't exactly give me confidence..I don't think they're the school you need to follow when it comes to your football decisions..I'd rather follow the example of Alabama and Georgia and Florida and Auburn and LSU and Tennessee when it comes to making football decisions..those schools have shown that they know what they're doing over decades and decades..MSU, Vandy and Mizzou haven't

Good lord, do you sound ignorant or what? Mizzou has been in the SEC championship game the past two years, has won 15 conference titles, has been to 31 bowl games. MSU spent several weeks at #1 last season. Nah, UK doesn't want to do any of those things.
Good grief, we've got some stupid people on this board.

 

[STUCKNBIG10]

Ah yeah, the tired old "how many games have you coached, were you there in the office,blah, blah, blah." bull sh!t.

How often have we heard UK basketball fans piss and moan, and rightfully so, about other SEC teams' embarrassing OOC schedules?

And yet, some UK football fans will defend this Eastern Michigan deal to the death.

Look, if UK wants to schedule a road game against non-P5 school, great. But damnation, there are at least a 100 other schools out there that are more attractive options than Eastern damn Michigan.

How about a game at MTSU? UK is trying to recruit Tennessee harder. Why not them?

Florida Atlantic? South Florida?

Offer to play Tulane in the Superdome. LSU has done that.

Have you been ignoring the Stoops doctrine of recruiting? he is becoming the #2 team in Ohio. He's playing games against Toledo and SE Michigan (Ypsilanti is just about 30 minutes from the Ohio border). This is all part of the plan. Probably doesn't want to play UC b/c it's a losable game and b/c they'd probably demand a home-and-home. Instead, UK gets a 2-for-1 and gets to play a reasonably close road game in the middle of stoops prime recruiting zone. Makes sense to me.

 

[ctroberts1024]

I'd like to see Purdoodoo, Indiana or Illinois. Or (more preferably) a school out of Texas or California so our brand will go somewhat national.

 

[bthaunert]

Some interesting debate in here. While I do agree that the EMU game is a little bit of a head scratcher, I looked on fbschedules.com to see what Power 5 schools have scheduled an away game against a MAC, Sun Belt or Conference USA team. Those 3 are the bottom of the barrel when it comes to football conferences. Here is what I found:

Maryland - MAC, CUSA
Boston College - MAC
Miami (FL) - MAC, CUSA, Sun Belt (although I wouldn't really count FAU)
Pitt - MAC
Utah - MAC
Kansas - MAC
Iowa State - MAC, Sun Belt
Oklahoma State - MAC, Sun Belt
UK - MAC, CUSA
Vandy - MAC
Indiana - CUSA
Purdue - CUSA
Louisville - CUSA
NC State - CUSA, Sun Belt
Wake Forest - CUSA, Sun Belt
Duke - CUSA
UNC - CUSA
Pitt - CUSA
Va Tech - CUSA
Arizona - CUSA
Arizona State - CUSA
Missouri - Sun Belt

 

[Tskware]

EMU is the poster child of schools that have no business playing D 1 football, averaged 15,000 per game last season. I will bet that UK buys its way out of the visit to "beautiful" Ypsilanti. I have stayed there when we couldn't get a room at AA. It is a dump, and would be a terrible road trip. Of course, if Michigan were not playing at home that same weekend, you could stay in AA, which is a great college town. I guess you could also stay in beautiful downtown Toledo.

 

[JHB4UK]

Haha, funny little thread & reactions I kicked off

First, ain't noone advocating UK sign up to play H/H with Ohio State/Texas/Southern Cal. Anyone who thinks fans really think that is appropriate is not listening to what is being advocated for IMO.

My personal opinion is now & has always been the same; UK ought to play another big 5 conference school OF COMPARABLE LEVEL & SUCCESS home & home in addition to the UL series. And set up so that every year we have an OOC big 5 opponent in Commonwealth, and one trip on the road. Some of the names have already been mentioned by other smart posters in the thread....Indiana, Virginia, NC State, Illinois, Northwestern, Maryland, Purdue, North Carolina.

Hell fire, Indiana & Virginia just signed a home & home with each other a month ago! You telling me those schools wouldn't do a series with UK? That we are so scary? UL & Purdue are gonna play in Indianapolis to start a season soon, telling me that sounds worst than a trip to Southern Miss or Eastern Michigan?

And as I've also always said, what UK should do is absolutely what everyone else in the SEC ought to be required to do as well. Places like Florida only playing FSU (and never leaving the state) are cowards, LSU 1 semi challenging game, Bama now only playing 1 'tough' OOC game and only on neutral site are cowards all. Ain't no excuse for everyone in the conference to not play 2 OOC games against big 5 competition, and the "superpowers" of the conference should make 'em against other powers not the West Virginias or Louisvilles that are at the middle or bottom.

Only thing I can figure with UK's strategery of these 2 for 1 deals is that Mitch thinks us going to a 9 SEC slate is going to happen sooner rather than later. And if you have been paying attention to cable business news, the loss in customers ESPN is experiencing from "wire cutters", I'm thinking the call for more attractive match-ups to air on the SEC Network are gonna start in the near future.

 

[fuzz77]

^^^ What you are missing is that in most of those cases, those games are that team's only game with a P5 team outside of their conference schedules.
Look, I have no problem playing any of those teams. I honestly think that within the next 5 or so years that all games will be vs P5 opponents. Yes, the 9 game SEC schedule is coming. More than likely the Big12 is going to be blown up and we will have 4, 16 team conferences that will result in all games being against all P4 teams.
For now, it is all about getting the program into the best shape for when that day comes. UK schedules like most P5 teams schedule. They schedule like most SEC teams schedule. Besides, Mitch doesn't make the schedule without input from Stoops or whoever the head coach may be. Earning bowl eligibility is very important to the program. Scheduling games with 90% probability of wins at this point in time is smarter for the long term than scheduling games with a 50% probability. Once we are established we can then move to strengthen the schedule.

 

[BoulderCat]

I think right now the likelihood of 3 wins is more important. Plus though I know some hate to admit it we do have a yearly OOC P5 team scheduled. UL. If Stoops keep the momentum going upward, which I believe he will the day will come when UK will have 10 P5 teams scheduled, either 9 SEC games and UL, or 8, UL, and additional one. We all have opinions as to who we'd like that to be and where. I'd like it to be one in my rather large neck of the woods, but for most a game with a B10 or B12 team would make the most sense. Personally I'd prefer to see it be a lower echelon team from one of those conferences to begin with vs say an Oklahoma or Ohio St.

 

[GoBigBlue37]

I never mentioned Michigan or Notre Dame.

But UK, or any other SEC team, has absolutely zero business playing at a school like Eastern Michigan or Southern Mississippi. Those teams are fine for home games, but it's ridiculous to go to those places.

There are plenty of regional schools that would present a much more interesting matchup.

How about Purdue in Indianapolis? West Virginia in Cincinnati? Memphis in Nashville? With UK now recruiting more in the DMV and New Jersey, how about Virginia or Rutgers?

None of those schools are juggernauts, but they sure ain't Eastern Michigan either.

Too many UK fans have this loser mentality that the mere thought of playing another P5 school besides Louisville is suicide.

I happen to believe that Stoops is going to have this program at a level that a game against a Maryland or a N.C. State isn't cause for the fanbase to piss down their leg.

So how do you know none of those options were tried? Scheduling other PS5 schools probably impossible for a short notice situation.

 

[LordEgg]

what are the chances of playing the first game at home, then buying out the contract?

 

[Tskware]

what are the chances of playing the first game at home, then buying out the contract?

100% in my rather cynical view

 

[Deeeefense]

We need cupcakes but I don't like the idea of going on the road to play one. Can't think of any top 25 type teams that schedules road games with cupcakes. I would rather play a home/home with a lower tier P5 team like Indiana.

 

[RV2]

Kentucky fans just can't be satisfied. We schedule an FBS team at home, they gripe. We schedule a perceived lesser team at home, they gripe. We schedule a lesser conference team a home and away with the 'away' at an NFL venue, they gripe. We schedule a near certain win to a 2 for 1 with the first home game on one contract and the home and away on a second contract so we have some options, they gripe.

Oh - BTW, 2017 Safety Jaylen Kelly-Powell lives about 30 miles from Ypsilanti. Duh!

 

[JHB4UK]

zero percent chance we buy out the So Miss or EMich road games IMO. Why? Because the cost would not only be in the buyout, but then the payout we would have to give some other So Miss or EMich to come to Commonwealth.

 

[Deeeefense]

EMU is the poster child of schools that have no business playing D 1 football, averaged 15,000 per game last season. I will bet that UK buys its way out of the visit to "beautiful" Ypsilanti. I have stayed there when we couldn't get a room at AA. It is a dump, and would be a terrible road trip. Of course, if Michigan were not playing at home that same weekend, you could stay in AA, which is a great college town. I guess you could also stay in beautiful downtown Toledo.

EMU is also probably THE WORST FBS program, not one of the worst but THE WORST and that's saying something.

 

[Deeeefense]

Kentucky fans just can't be satisfied. We schedule an FBS team at home, they gripe. We schedule a perceived lesser team at home, they gripe. We schedule a lesser conference team a home and away with the 'away' at an NFL venue, they gripe. We schedule a near certain win to a 2 for 1 with the first home game on one contract and the home and away on a second contract so we have some options, they gripe.

Oh - BTW, 2017 Safety Jaylen Kelly-Powell lives about 30 miles from Ypsilanti. Duh!

I don't think it's the same groups of fans on all the various scenarios, different fans have different preferences for the schedule, and fans are probably not going to be unified on any given scheduling decision. I'm not sure I would call this gripping as much as just expressing their preferences.

Interesting note on Kelly-Powell, hey if he's part of the deal, then I'm for it.

 

[GoBigBlue37]

I don't think it's the same groups of fans on all the various scenarios, different fans have different preferences for the schedule, and fans are probably not going to be unified on any given scheduling decision. I'm not sure I would call this gripping as much as just expressing their preferences.

Interesting note on Kelly-Powell, hey if he's part of the deal, then I'm for it.

No one knows what different options were tried by the UK staff before they settled on the EM schedule so people should just quit all the bitching, but that will NEVER happen ; )!

 

[UKWildcats#8]

Ah yeah, the tired old "how many games have you coached, were you there in the office,blah, blah, blah." bull sh!t.

How often have we heard UK basketball fans piss and moan, and rightfully so, about other SEC teams' embarrassing OOC schedules?

And yet, some UK football fans will defend this Eastern Michigan deal to the death.

Look, if UK wants to schedule a road game against non-P5 school, great. But damnation, there are at least a 100 other schools out there that are more attractive options than Eastern damn Michigan.

How about a game at MTSU? UK is trying to recruit Tennessee harder. Why not them?

Florida Atlantic? South Florida?

Offer to play Tulane in the Superdome. LSU has done that.

A lot of other SEC teams in b-ball schedule weaker OOC schedules for the same reason UK football needs to do so...to rack up wins. It is about winning games. And many years those other SEC b-ball teams lose to cupcakes on their OOC schedule..why in the world would they schedule tougher? Same thing with our football team...until we start consistently winning ALL FOUR OOC games I'm fine with it the way it is. I think UK will start beating UL this season, so get back to me in 5 years Rob and then we'll talk.

Football is a sport where you need to win 50% of your games to make a bowl...and when 8/12 of those are in the SEC that makes it tough. UK needs to make bowl games this season and beyond. That is what the fans want, we want to win.

 

[CloverforkCat]

Nothing wrong with playing new teams and in new venues, this is certainly a winnable game. It also could open up some eyes in Michigan as to a recruit every now and then who wants to come south to play his college ball.

 

[footballfanatic77]

It seems that since Mizzou and Texas A&M joined the SEC more teams are going on the road to play pathetic teams like EMU. At least those two programs seem to do it regularly. Call it a new SEC tradition, I suppose.

 

[GGCAT]

100% in my rather cynical view

Oh its happened before with UK.

Two jump to mind.

Back in the 90's we had a home and home with East Carolina. Played the first game here then bought our way out of a trip to Greenville....but not without a lot of howling from ECU.

Had a similar East. Mich. type set up with Akron just 5 years or so ago, we were supposed to open their new football stadium after they played here. Well, we never went to Akron.

So, wouldn't necessarily worry a lot about the trip to beautiful Ypsilanti just yet. But I have no doubt there will be future games that we will have to play at non power 5 conference teams.

 

[SosaUK]

Rob is 100000% correct. UK is above going to play an away game at a team I can't even say I've heard of.

Somebody brought up basketball scheduling, when is the last time UK scheduled a home & home at popcorn state?

This is such bs. I am pissed. Stoops or Mitch need/should be smacked for this retarded move.

 

[GoBigBlue37]

I never mentioned Michigan or Notre Dame.

But UK, or any other SEC team, has absolutely zero business playing at a school like Eastern Michigan or Southern Mississippi. Those teams are fine for home games, but it's ridiculous to go to those places.

There are plenty of regional schools that would present a much more interesting matchup.

How about Purdue in Indianapolis? West Virginia in Cincinnati? Memphis in Nashville? With UK now recruiting more in the DMV and New Jersey, how about Virginia or Rutgers?

None of those schools are juggernauts, but they sure ain't Eastern Michigan either.

Too many UK fans have this loser mentality that the mere thought of playing another P5 school besides Louisville is suicide.

I happen to believe that Stoops is going to have this program at a level that a game against a Maryland or a N.C. State isn't cause for the fanbase to piss down their leg.

How do u know that none of those options were tried before the EM schedule was completed, Fact: You don't, you would rather bitch about it and that's the only Fact here!

 

[Tskware]

Oh its happened before with UK.

Two jump to mind.

Back in the 90's we had a home and home with East Carolina. Played the first game here then bought our way out of a trip to Greenville....but not without a lot of howling from ECU.

Had a similar East. Mich. type set up with Akron just 5 years or so ago, we were supposed to open their new football stadium after they played here. Well, we never went to Akron.

So, wouldn't necessarily worry a lot about the trip to beautiful Ypsilanti just yet. But I have no doubt there will be future games that we will have to play at non power 5 conference teams.

I remember both games, and you are right, we aren't going to Ypsilanti

 

[Silky2]

Why not play Western, Indiana, Illinois or someone similar. Why in the world would we want to play Eastern Michigan. Make no sense!!!!

 

[GGCAT]

Rob is 100000% correct. UK is above going to play an away game at a team I can't even say I've heard of.

Somebody brought up basketball scheduling, when is the last time UK scheduled a home & home at popcorn state?

This is such bs. I am pissed. Stoops or Mitch need/should be smacked for this retarded move.

Oh really??? UK basketball wouldn't do such a thing huh? Well, in recent memory we have played Ohio @ Athens and Portland U @ Portland in order to fulfill our contract obligations.....just to name a couple.

And I think in the basketball world these would equate to "popcorn states"

But Kentucky basketball would never do that????

 

[warrior_SW]

Oh really??? UK basketball wouldn't do such a thing huh? Well, in recent memory we have played Ohio @ Athens and Portland U @ Portland in order to fulfill our contract obligations.....just to name a couple.

And I think in the basketball world these would equate to "popcorn states"

But Kentucky basketball would never do that????

Also played at Houston in 2007/8

 

[jrburt]

Im

Why not play Western, Indiana, Illinois or someone similar. Why in the world would we want to play Eastern Michigan. Make no sense!!!!

Those that want another team like Indiana or Illinois have to ask yourselves whether or not they would be receptive to the game. What economic impact would it be on the program if they did even agree to it? It would cost us a home game. Cause no one at that level is going to go for a two for one like emu.

And it is becoming less common for Mac and the like to just schedule one game at your place, and those that do is getting up there in terms of $.

There is only one way an ad at uk worth it's salt would schedule a p5 school home and home and that is to drop louisville.

Dave

 

[UKWildcats#8]

Oh really??? UK basketball wouldn't do such a thing huh? Well, in recent memory we have played Ohio @ Athens and Portland U @ Portland in order to fulfill our contract obligations.....just to name a couple.

And I think in the basketball world these would equate to "popcorn states"

But Kentucky basketball would never do that????

I think your recent memory scale is a bit broken. UK has not played at Ohio's campus in Athens since 1997. That is not recent at all IMO. Portland game was played in the Blazers arena in winter 2010, not Portland U's cracker jack gym, but it was still in Portland. I see we played Tulane in New Orleans in the Tubby years, but in the NBA arena. And as someone else mentioned at Houston in 2008. Your post implies there are a lot of them floating out there when in fact there are not. Neutral site games at Louisville, Cincy, New Orleans, etc, do not count....we are talking strictly playing at another team's arena. In fact, the only game I see in the past 15 years on the road at a popcorn state team's floor is at Houston.

Your point stands though, as it has happened and used to happen a lot more often "back in the day" for sure.

 

[GGCAT]

I think your recent memory scale is a bit broken. UK has not played at Ohio's campus in Athens since 1997. That is not recent at all IMO. Portland game was played in the Blazers arena in winter 2010, not Portland U's cracker jack gym, but it was still in Portland. I see we played Tulane in New Orleans in the Tubby years, but in the NBA arena. And as someone else mentioned at Houston in 2008. Your post implies there are a lot of them floating out there when in fact there are not. Neutral site games at Louisville, Cincy, New Orleans, etc, do not count....we are talking strictly playing at another team's arena. In fact, the only game I see in the past 15 years on the road at a popcorn state team's floor is at Houston.

Your point stands though, as it has happened and used to happen a lot more often "back in the day" for sure.

When your my age (50) 1997 seems like yesterday.

 

[fuzz77]

It seems that since Mizzou and Texas A&M joined the SEC more teams are going on the road to play pathetic teams like EMU. At least those two programs seem to do it regularly. Call it a new SEC tradition, I suppose.

Has nothing to do with Mizzou and A&M, it has to do with the costs that lower level teams can demand if you only want to play at your place. Look at it this way. Ticket prices for the non-conference games (excluding UL) are $20/each (season ticket face value). If they sell 62500 tickets that $1.24 million. Teams can demand $1 million and more if they are only coming to your place. Those 2 home games would cost you $2 million...or cost you $0 because you're agreeing to go there.
You play home games to make money...if your having to give the visiting team 80% of the gate, that kind of defeats the purpose, doesn't it?

 

[bigbluemist]

Personally if the AD and head coach are OK with the games then its not for me to bitch and moan. Those two know better what the scheduling situation is better than I do. So its OK to play basketball games in areas you recruit but not football? To be honest, do 2 -1 deals with more MAC schools in Ohio. While not a MAC school play Rutgers. Hell, go play William and Mary for all I care. I'd go to that one, its the prettiest campus I've ever been on.

 

[WildcatDJ]

I think the real issue here is how do you pronounce Ypsilanti?

 

[SanAntonioCat]

Can't argue opinions on this post. I do remember a time from the 60s to the 80s UK scheduled major college out of conference games. The theory then was UK fills the stadium despite having little or no chance to win. Anyone remember when Oklahoma and UK played a home and away series in the 80s? The game in Norman was a sellout. When OU played here CWS was half empty. There's not a point to my statement, just an observation.

On the fact Ole Miss traveling to play Memphis, the two schools opened their season against each other in the Liberty Bowl for years. It was always a big deal as Oxford is around 60 miles from Memphis. The series went away for awhile as Memphis State football fell on hard times. Today, as the University of Memphis, their program is improving and the serie continues. Again, this is just an observation.

For the record, however, I side with the more reasonably minded posters thoughts on the matter. What the heck, a five hour fall drive through Ohio to lovely downtown Ypsilanti couldn't be that bad. The Cats likely win and we drive home happy with Amish goodies.

 

[GGCAT]

Can't argue opinions on this post. I do remember a time from the 60s to the 80s UK scheduled major college out of conference games. The theory then was UK fills the stadium despite having little or no chance to win. Anyone remember when Oklahoma and UK played a home and away series in the 80s? The game in Norman was a sellout. When OU played here CWS was half empty. There's not a point to my statement, just an observation.

On the fact Ole Miss traveling to play Memphis, the two schools opened their season against each other in the Liberty Bowl for years. It was always a big deal as Oxford is around 60 miles from Memphis. The series went away for awhile as Memphis State football fell on hard times. Today, as the University of Memphis, their program is improving and the serie continues. Again, this is just an observation.

For the record, however, I side with the more reasonably minded posters thoughts on the matter. What the heck, a five hour fall drive through Ohio to lovely downtown Ypsilanti couldn't be that bad. The Cats likely win and we drive home happy with Amish goodies.

That UK Oklahoma game in 82 was my very first game and as I remember, it was a close to full as possible.....but of course that was 30 years ago, and memories become what you want to believe, so I looked it up

57,369

Ole' grey matter aint gave out on me yet!

 

[Tskware]

That UK Oklahoma game in 82 was my very first game and as I remember, it was a close to full as possible.....but of course that was 30 years ago, and memories become what you want to believe, so I looked it up

57,369

Ole' grey matter aint gave out on me yet!

I was there, as was Marcus Dupree . . . who I recall not being all that impressed with.

 

[fuzz77]

Can't argue opinions on this post. I do remember a time from the 60s to the 80s UK scheduled major college out of conference games. The theory then was UK fills the stadium despite having little or no chance to win. Anyone remember when Oklahoma and UK played a home and away series in the 80s? The game in Norman was a sellout. When OU played here CWS was half empty. There's not a point to my statement, just an observation.

On the fact Ole Miss traveling to play Memphis, the two schools opened their season against each other in the Liberty Bowl for years. It was always a big deal as Oxford is around 60 miles from Memphis. The series went away for awhile as Memphis State football fell on hard times. Today, as the University of Memphis, their program is improving and the serie continues. Again, this is just an observation.

For the record, however, I side with the more reasonably minded posters thoughts on the matter. What the heck, a five hour fall drive through Ohio to lovely downtown Ypsilanti couldn't be that bad. The Cats likely win and we drive home happy with Amish goodies.

We used to play only 6 conference games, there were also fewer D1 programs and nobody played 1-AA opponents. There have been 30-40 programs move from 1-AA (FCS) to D1 (FBS) in that time frame. Most all of the MAC and SunBelt and Conference USA teams were 1-AA programs in that time frame you give..

 

[footballfanatic77]

Has nothing to do with Mizzou and A&M, it has to do with the costs that lower level teams can demand if you only want to play at your place. Look at it this way. Ticket prices for the non-conference games (excluding UL) are $20/each (season ticket face value). If they sell 62500 tickets that $1.24 million. Teams can demand $1 million and more if they are only coming to your place. Those 2 home games would cost you $2 million...or cost you $0 because you're agreeing to go there.
You play home games to make money...if your having to give the visiting team 80% of the gate, that kind of defeats the purpose, doesn't it?

Yeah most SEC schools willingly pay that. When you play teams like that you are pretty much assuring a W, so teams essentially pay for a win in front of the home crowd. Of course it appears that some schools are moving away from that model and SEC teams are starting to play in places equivalent to Roy Kidd Stadium. It is what it is, I don't think it's good for the game, but you are right it might be good for business.The bright side is that at least EMU is an FBS school even if they are an FBS school that hasn't won more than 2 games since 2011.