I like the Wyoming game. They have a decent program. Much better than Louisiana or New Mexico in recent years. That doesn't excuse not getting the occasional P5. We need to schedule two 2-1 series. Starting one of the series a year before the other. That way, you would have 1 home P5 game every season 3/4 years after the first year.
Also, ECU has a state congress that mandates that they get home and homes with North Carolina Schools.
First state of North Carolina once threatened to do that but never followed through.
Second, as stated already in other posts and shown in our schedule, we do that with 2-1. Which is how we have played Central Arkansas three times and the OSU game will be the fourth A5 game since the stadium renovation.
Not only that but just being lazy will get us that. We have regularly signed 2-1s with OU. We had a home and home series with OSU for 20ish years. Since the bad blood and Boone we have signed 2-1s with them regularly. In other words we have built in 2 A5 games every 7-8 years based on other teams fans. We also haven't done a good job of building our home schedules around them.
Okie State next year, right? They may be a decent draw.
Yes but that's a 2-1. I get the whole set up for those and the buy games. I don't have a problem with them because the facts dictate the decisions. However those are two games out of 6-8 each year depending on the years chosen.
Other teams have similar issues with buy games and 2-1 deals and are signing much better games many with home and home A5 series.
Wyoming is a meh game and it is very possible they may go 2-10 or 3-9 this year and are very comparable to New Mexico.
Attractive home series need to have some kind of draw to them and not just fill out the blank spots.
We need
Regional teams: A tank of gas to reach programs.
Why?
The school is probably known by the casual fan based on proximity.
This is the area we should recruit the hell out of.
These are areas where we can attract neutral fans, especially transplants, as TU converts for a more local FBS team to follow. OU and OSU aren't the only big schools who can have fans that back Tulsa because their in part of our community. Winning and an exciting brand of football will help a lot to pick up the secondary spot.
They are close enough for our fans to travel to away games with out a big commitment. Traveling for the team deepens connections and strengthens dedicated support. If you can see the 6 home games and add two or three road games for about the same level of commitment it will only improve fan experience.
Their fans can travel the same as ours. Which means a better game experience for our fans, more butts in the seat. This also helps develop the draw for repeat games.
Names: Teams everyone knows.
Why?
Gonzaga effect, when teams are media darlings they bring attention, from the media, the neutral and casual fan, our own fans, and they often have some national support that will bring some support.
The tradition, teams like Army, Navy, Air Force are well respected and known by both sports fans and the general public. They attract eyes even when they have poor seasons.
The program, teams like BYU and Boise St come with large followings already and instant name recognition. They often come with rankings and similar levels of support.
The ability of nationally known programs to draw helps sell tickets in the same ways regional teams travelling do.
Independents:
Why?
NM state and UMass make better home games than FCS teams. BYU and Army are in the names category. Liberty is developing a smaller but similar to BYU faith based following. They all need games and offer scheduling flexibility.
Special Advantage teams: Rare cases
Why?
It'll be different in each case, but some examples are
Hawaii: Scheduling them for 0 week means the long trip doesn't eat into school time, our fans can plan it as a vacation, it's a bowl game like setting. Away game gives us an extra home game to offset some of the 2-1s and buy games we have to do to help sign home and homes. As a home game they are casually known from their June Jones days and our shared WAC time. Tend to be an exciting brand of football.
Ohio or Pennsylvania school: we currently have conference teams in both football recruiting rich areas, their are a lot of schools to choose from some who are known. While this is mainly about our non-A5 games Pitt has signed home and home series and buy games vs mid tier A5 teams are winnable.
California/Florida schools: See Ohio and Pennsylvania
Neutral field games: BYU has successfully pulled off a strategy of signing 0-1-1 deals where they play someone away and then have a neutral game vs them. This is something we could pull off using an A5 team who wants more Dallas exposure. Say at LSU and then vs LSU at the Cotton bowl for example. Or perhaps Notre Dame. Even 0-2-1s would help here.
What series we should avoid:
Historically bad teams: no one wants to see a losing program, especially one with out any local recognition.
Teams west of the Rockies: minus the PAC teams we should avoid teams with out national recognition. They are too far away, the exposure is minimum and the attraction for local fans is nil.
Teams east of the Appalacians: barring the A5 their isnt much benefit or attraction for teams like South Alabama, Middle Tennessee, Coastal Carolina etc. Marshall and Southern Miss would be exceptions. Maybe Troy as well.
Several A5 programs have signed home and home series with our conference. Many A5s have signed with teams having similar or worse facilities in less fruitful recruiting areas, traveling half way across the country. Signing just one home and home with an A5 team every four years means that combined with our 2-1 we would have a A5 home game four times in a 7-9 year period instead of twice.
Making a solid smart schedule can help build a program.
Marketing the schedule shows everyone how solid and smart it is.
Good scheduling with recognized teams will attract casuals.
Winning and exciting football will bring the casual back to Skelly field.
Coming back to Skelly will make the casual a regular.
Regulars become fans.
Fans make a better program.
A better program attracts more casuals, who come to see a good local team play an opponent who they know of, or know is good.
