And we're off! Paying VMI $82,000 to come visit December 21. I forget where we are in the multi-year deal.
2024–25 schedule
- Thread starter SFspidur
- Start date
I can see starting off with an in-state cupcake like VMI but why are we buying a quad 4 game in the heart of the OOC season this early.
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get your NET into the 200's and I'd throw them a bone.
but I'm not spending $82,000 to attract a 1-28 team.
get your NET into the 200's and I'd throw them a bone.
but I'm not spending $82,000 to attract a 1-28 team.
It's not the heart it's the very end. it might be the penultimate OOC game, or maybe 1 other game in between. This game is usualy very early if not opener, but we play quad 4s anytime throughout the OOC. we ended with buffalo & lafayette last OOC and they were Net anchors too.
I don't think it matters when but the key is just minimizing how many of these games r on schedule overall. last year way too many.
get used to it, as SF noted below. same with W&M. contract. we could cancel and buyout the contract but that cost and replacement cost would be more. Getting other buy teams in here that have more travel may cost more.
we are going to have a few in state cupcakes/buy games it makes sense, we just have to eliminate some of the quad 4s that we have no local history with.
$82,000 is their travel cost? lol. it's a bus and a driver.
that must have been some tough negotiation, agreeing to a 5 year deal paying them $80+ per year.
that must have been some tough negotiation, agreeing to a 5 year deal paying them $80+ per year.
They come a week early and stay at The Jefferson.
of course not, u r paying to secure them just to play first. But travel plays small role in hoops, more in football. I think we spend the night in hotel b4 every single road game besides VCU. So basically yeah hotel is in there too, although my guess is VMI takes bus same day and saves that $ instead. But it's accounted for in the fee. Other teams from longer distances would have more travel costs.
Look I'm not saying we are getting a deal, but u r the free market guy, this is what things cost. Way too much like many. Also have u seen Mooney's contracts. Our athletic admin is terrible at negotiating contracts.
How do you know this? Maybe we can't. If we don't offer VMI money, other schools probably will, so why would they play us for less?
Agree. r Longwood or Hampton or Norfolk State less? Maybe, but has to be pretty similar $ and we'd also rather play VMI than those schools. If u want to go get a Rider or someone it might be more.
One good thing, this might be the XMas getaway game, at home…
Maybe we can stay focused that way.
Maybe we can stay focused that way.
I think we finally righted that ship. We have won our last 3 of those.
I refuse to believe it's that competitive to find teams to pay money to.
and I don't think I've seen any buy game cost over $90k, and that's with a team flying in an getting a hotel.
I understand you need some easier games on the schedule. But it just sucks to automatically start the schedule with a game against a team that is so likely to be a 300+ NET.
VMI's NET was 358 last year. There were only 362 teams in the NET ranking. They were 1-28 against D-1 opposition. As an A-10 team fighting for one of the few at large, I don't think we can really afford to play school this bad. Yeah, I know we will play a few Quad 4's but can we try not to make them the really worst of the worst of Quad 4's.
The advantage of this game being played after the NET comes out though is we all can see how much this game will cost us in the NET after we play it.
The advantage of this game being played after the NET comes out though is we all can see how much this game will cost us in the NET after we play it.
$90–$95k is not uncommon. Illinois paid Eastern Illinois $100k recently to make the hour drive over.
We paid VMI $80k for the 2022 game, so maybe it escalates $1k per year? VCU paid Radford $85k that same year.
True, I don't want to play William and Mary either. Slightly different reason. William and Mary sucks as well but they see this as a rivalry game due to football and past CAA history with them. So, they get up for it, making it a bigger trap game for us. Until William and Mary takes their basketball program seriously, I would tell them to pound rocks.
But yes, we have to play 1-2 local Quad 4 games to round out the schedule, I understand that.
u didn't believe kids in portal basically all had agents either.
It's definitely in the ballpark, I wish wasn't so high and p5's can pay more but unlike football I think it's a little bit more even for hoops buy games. I'm not an expert on this but what I had heard & seen and a quick google search seems to confirm. spreadsheet at last link and those are older; costs go up.
A look at what IU basketball is paying for each of its non-conference "guarantee" games
"Guarantee" games are a staple of college basketball.
www.insidethehall.com
Louisville leads men's basketball programs in cost of buy game losses
Louisville, Cal and Oregon led the country in the highest guarantee game totals paid in games each school ultimately lost.
Investigating College Basketball Buy-Games
AthleticDirectorU acquired the signed, non-conference game contracts for 126 Division I schools for a total of 599 non-conference guarantee games that totaled more than $30 million in guarantees.
athleticdirectoru.com
Buy games database
Remember: All we have to do is crush them by 50+ points!
it makes more sense if you're Indiana and you pay Florida Gulf Coast $90k. you're going to sell 17,000 tickets plus all the concessions. you do that all day.u didn't believe kids in portal basically all had agents either.
It's definitely in the ballpark, I wish wasn't so high and p5's can pay more but unlike football I think it's a little bit more even for hoops buy games. I'm not an expert on this but what I had heard & seen and a quick google search seems to confirm. spreadsheet at last link and those are older; costs go up.
it's not as good a deal for UR selling 5,000 seats (some at $5 each) for VMI.
as for the kids with agents ... I'm still amazed.
I know a couple dads with kids in the portal and none of them had agents ... but they weren't 6 figure kids.
agree. it's def better for IU who can profit more. but that's the market unfortunately. u have to budget in buy game costs. I guess we can go out and schedule d2 games if u want to dump it or not pay it as u suggest.
a D2 game would be better than VMI, but I suppose we'd pay them too.
I don't need buy games against awful team. do the local fans really want to watch those games? I'm ok risking a loss on the road. give me home and homes with any decent team over a buy game against #358.
I would take us being bought and go on road to replace 1 of our home buy games for sure too. I've advocated for that & harder OOC. but that's a different conversation than the reality of what the games cost. u will always have a few of these games, we will always buy some low major games, but last year should not be our model.
I thought u were in the don't schedule harder camp?
I'm in the camp that you are who you are. scheduling isn't a big factor on making the dance. if you're good enough, you'll win enough.
for entertainment purposes, I of course would like to play tough teams when we have a good squad that can win them.
I don't see the need for buy games unless you have a hole in your schedule and can't fill it. but don't lock up dates with buy games in April.
And, I'm sure these teams are paying VMI as well, but Sman still thinks we shouldn't have to pay them?
lol, I know you have to pay money for buy games. that's kind of the definition.
but of all the buy game teams out there can we not pick one that's 1-28?
VMI should just play all 13 OOC games for $82k each and pocket a cool $1.1M.
might as well get paid if you can't win a game.
They might do close to that. But, as bad as they might be, we can't just assume they will be 1-28 again. And, even if they are, it's just one game so far. No big deal at all right now. And, like someone mentioned earlier, just beat them by 50 and get rewarded in the NET.
they did lose 9 guys to the portal. usually that's a good thing off of a 1-28 season, but I've got to imagine they aren't a preferred portal destination for many guys.
the Citadel lost 7 guys themselves, so maybe VMI will beat them again for 1 win.
What are the other opponents we have this coming year? Even if we don’t know the dates yet? MTE’s?
Yep, not looking good for either team, but I am fine with the VMI game...let's just play no more than 2 of those likely 300+ type teams, and try to get 3 or 4 other almost sure wins against the more respectable 200-250ish type teams. Hard to predict, but at least research the teams a little and try to get that.
U have to start scheduling some games well in advance.
No buy games = scheduling harder
Not a bad strategy for us. Take buy games at p6 schools eliminate our own buy games, take the new revenue & cost savings and use to buy great players w NIL. Eventually we win those games w better players go to NCAA and keep same cycle going.
Not sure the fans or players would be thrilled with only 9 home games, all IC, a year.
We would still have a few home & homes ooc. And it was a little bit hyperbole. But hey something to consider in the NIL era.
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