[tyndal23]

Now let’s go find highest rated program with an open game and schedule them for remaining 23 slot. . Perfect season to play a blue blood and add a bit more intrigue for recruiting - UVA and S Carolina won’t quite cut it - we will have spoiled fans after 22 home game schedule and rest of 23 is a snooze fest as far as team recognition is concerned.

[sstaedtler]

I agree, the remaining game for 2023 has to be a good team. South Carolina and Virginia doesn't quite cut it, especially when your least 3 game are UConn, UMass, and at New Mexico State.

[A Sea of Red]

I would expect final 2023 game to be FCS

[tyndal23]

I would expect final 2023 game to be FCS

Purple - fire up one of your peace pipes from your Magical Mystery Tour backpack, smoke it with Ballcoach and get him to use his sources to stop this madness...

[Class of 20Something]

I would expect final 2023 game to be FCS

@tyndal23

Would having a 12 FBS slate pacify some of your scheduling issues?

Everyone else, do we want one of our 6 home games to be a sure win or another FBS game?

[thepostman]

I'm good with 1 FCS home game a year.

[ballcoach15]

One FCS game a year is ok. Never play 2. Reason is only 1 FCS win can count towards a bowl game.

[tyndal23]

I would expect final 2023 game to be FCS

@tyndal23

Would having a 12 FBS slate pacify some of your scheduling issues?

Everyone else, do we want one of our 6 home games to be a sure win or another FBS game?

No it would not. But rather than rehash for 2026 on Philosophy I will be specific for 2023 - we only have 2 P5 games and a lot of lower tier G5 and if played now we would be favored in 8 games or more - no need to go backwards - this is a perfect spot to go play one blue blood and hit your bowl game eligibility also. I have no issue with 2022 fcs game due to having 4 P5 games and also where it lands on the schedule.

[LUOrange]

I would prefer an all FBS schedule for football and an all D-1 schedule for MBB (I know the MBB rationale). However, for football, I am more accepting and understanding of 1 CS game. I think 2 is too much and cheapens the product on the field and the value of season tickets, no matter which programs play 2 (Tech has done it 2 years in a row now). I understand that we needed to do it this and last year quickly, but we should end the practice of 2 FCS games a year ASAP.

[Ewglenn]

I like the one FCS game per year. It allows a cheap option for a “should be” win. It gives us an opportunity to get young guys playing time and gets us another game closer to being bowl eligible. It makes way too much since to schedule it.

[BlueBlood]

After seeing how favorably the non-P5 teams are being ranked, I'm beginning to think that being a top non-P5 has a lot of advantages over being a normal P5 team. Cincy got its brains bashed in by OSU at the beginning of the season, but now is ranked right up there with Wisconsin and Iowa. I don't think most of us think they would be anywhere close to a one loss team if they played a P5 schedule. Memphis lost to Temple (who lost to Buffalo, who lost to Liberty) and is right up there too. Navy is ranked. Despite 2 losses, UCF is the first team in "receiving votes". Everybody knows that schedules are dissimilar, but voters can't seem to help themselves and vote for the gaudy record anyway.

There is definitely a sweet spot if you can be one of the top 10 to 12 non-P5 team. I've been watching this the last several years, and I think It is only getting more pronounced.

[BlueBlood]

BTW -In full disclosure, I traditionally have been annoyed by the over-valuation / artificial-elevation of non-P5 teams. However, if I have my LU hat on, this could be a good thing.

[thepostman]

It is not an advantage. It takes a ton to crack the top 10 as a G5 school. Top 25? Not so much but to get into that top 10 you have have everything go just right. UCF was good enough to be in the playoffs a couple years back but the G5 conference affiliation held them back. Right or wrong, that is the reality right now.

[chris leedlelee]

It is not an advantage. It takes a ton to crack the top 10 as a G5 school. Top 25? Not so much but to get into that top 10 you have have everything go just right. UCF was good enough to be in the playoffs a couple years back but the G5 conference affiliation held them back. Right or wrong, that is the reality right now.

Although, with LU being able to schedule 3-4 P5 teams every season, LU could have the advantage if it were theoretically able to run the table with it's schedule. Obviously, this would take plenty of time, but LU, similar to BYU, can hopefully be seen one day as a bridge between the G5 and the P5 teams. That's the expectation of Hugh Freeze when he says that he wants us to be one of the top G5 teams in the nation. This will obviously take time though.

[BlueBlood]

It is not an advantage. It takes a ton to crack the top 10 as a G5 school. Top 25? Not so much but to get into that top 10 you have have everything go just right. UCF was good enough to be in the playoffs a couple years back but the G5 conference affiliation held them back. Right or wrong, that is the reality right now.

I absolutely think non-P5s have an advantage getting in the top 25. From there, I agree that getting in the top 10 (or playoff) is another animal. BTW - there are currently 7 non-P5s ranked. You will only find one or two listed in any of the mathematical power indexes.

Like I said above, there seems to be an over-valuation sweet-spot if you can be one of the top 10 to 12 non-P5 teams. The pollsters seem infatuated with filling spots 12 - 25 with as many non P5s as they can come up with.

[tyndal23]

It is not an advantage. It takes a ton to crack the top 10 as a G5 school. Top 25? Not so much but to get into that top 10 you have have everything go just right. UCF was good enough to be in the playoffs a couple years back but the G5 conference affiliation held them back. Right or wrong, that is the reality right now.

Although, with LU being able to schedule 3-4 P5 teams every season, LU could have the advantage if it were theoretically able to run the table with it's schedule. Obviously, this would take plenty of time, but LU, similar to BYU, can hopefully be seen one day as a bridge between the G5 and the P5 teams. That's the expectation of Hugh Freeze when he says that he wants us to be one of the top G5 teams in the nation. This will obviously take time though.

One foot in and one foot out - won’t work. You won’t beat 4 P5 teams with G5 talent - either go all in or only schedule 1 or 2 max - if you want to get a meaningless top25 ranking end of year with soft schedule but a 10 win season - LU can get there very quick with going the ez schedule route. I would much prefer being a respectable P5 level than a MAC champ “pat on the back” every year that absolutely no one cares about and is lucky have 15k show up for a big game.

[BlueBlood]

I would much prefer being a respectable P5 level than a MAC champ “pat on the back” every year that absolutely no one cares about and is lucky have 15k show up for a big game.

The MAC has to be the least interesting conference out there. The 6 public schools in OH seem completely interchangeable. Same with the 3 MI directions. If I was the AD of Buffalo, I would run from that. Given the growing number of FBS independents, maybe they could go that route and see if the A10 or America East would take them in.

[ballcoach15]

I agree on the MAC. Dull conference with no exciting venues in it. It's like the FCS Ohio Valley Conference. Why Jacksonville State stays in it, is beyond me.

[FlamesHighontheTide]

This is taken from an article on 247 sports about who should replace UCONN in the American:

This is one I think the American would be making a mistake not to least look into. The Flames have the financial means to reach the other schools in the American conference and their facilities are better than some of the schools in the AAC. When Liberty was making the jump from FCS to FBS, according to some reports, they offered Conference USA $24 million to join the conference back in 2016. The Flames aren’t afraid to spend money as they have spent $196 million dollars on athletic facilities since 2010 and recently opened a $29.2 million indoor practice facility. I think Liberty would be great as a full member, but they agreed to join the American Sun Conference for every sport besides football, so at this time they can probably be only considered as a football-only member.

https://247sports.com/college/east-caro ... 38516687_6

Admin Note - Please only post 2 to 3 sentences and then link the article per Forum guidelines.

[tyndal23]

Pretty sure we have built in verbiage on buyouts regarding conference invites/membership. Personally I think it is a trap If football only - much prefer maxing out Indy schedule potential to the max and being P5 equivalent but since no one in leadership has echoed this - then by all means...

[chris leedlelee]

The AAC is the only Go5 conference where membership would be better than our current situation as an independent. I can't see how CUSA or SunBelt membership would give us a better schedule than we have now.

[Sly Fox]

We would have to be considered an all-sport candidate. I chatted with an A-SUN AD this past week and they wouldn't exactly shed tears if we were to walk away. There is a significiant amount of jealousy of our outsized resources compared to the rest of the league.

Football only wouldn't be a real boon to us at this stage. All sports would be a massive upgrade for us. The line about recruiting against ECU made me chuckle.

[tyndal23]

Seems like they would need to announce it pretty quick to accommodate scheduling for whom ever - maybe they announce over summer but kicks in for 21 or 2022 type deal ( which ever school they invite)

[Sly Fox]

There is no urgency to make any move from any party. The next 18 months could get interesting.

[cruzan_flame13]

I'm starting to look more into the value of Tyndal's idea of playing as much P5's as possible especially regionally. Not saying it will happen or would be easy, but it will help in many ways (some already stated). We've heard of better recruiting opportunities, support from donors, alumnus, students and possibly more local attendees to games. I will like to mention that this action can help put focus on academia as well. I would hope being P5 equivalent would also be illustrated in academia as well (or if we are asked to join a better conference). We need to definitely put money into academics and grow our graduate classification. This is the only way to get respect from the institutions on the P5 and upper G5 levels.