Place to read, comment about Boise St.

[silverfox]

So True, So True and that is my opinion.

[donovan]

So True, So True and that is my opinion.

and that's a fact.

[billybud]

jack!

[RazorHawk]

Michigan St has scheduled a 3 games series with Boise State starting in 2012. Two games in East Lansing and one in Boise. Love to see this, and is a bold move by the Spartans, scheduling a difficult non-conference game, particularly the going on the road to a 35,000 capacity stadium. I wonder if they had to guarantee any money to get this done? Anyone know more about this? http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/ ... ries_N.htm

The article answered some of my questions. Mich St guarantees Boise State $1.2 million for their trip to Michigan in 2012. The final two games are scheduled in 2022 and 2023 after I am dead and gone.







I wonder if this will be one of two BCS OCC games for Boise State, or if it is an additional game to upgrade their SOS?

[silverfox]

May be a little of both.

With the agreement, the Broncos will move their game at Oregon State to Sept. 24, 2016. Boise State also moved its 2012 game against Miami (Ohio) to Sept. 15, 2012.

The Broncos' 2012 nonconference schedule:

Aug. 31: at Michigan State

Sept. 15: vs. Miami (Ohio)

Sept. 22: vs. BYU

-The Idaho Statesman

Boise State's big task right now is to fill two game slots vacated by the WAC fiasco for 2011. It will be interesting to see how that is accomplished. In-state pressures are demanding an Boise State vs. Idaho match (the old rivalry debate) while I am sure the Broncos would rather look outside to a more difficult rival to bolster SOS for next year.

[RazorHawk]

I have been almost as hard on the Boise State scheduling as Mr billybud has been, but do realize it is a difficult proposition.

I am sure there are many top schools in BCS conferences that really don't want that much of a challenge in a non-conference game, when they may have to face 4 or 5 top teams during their conference schedule. Few, if any want to play a straight home and home, as it would be very costly to play a road game that cannot sell 40,000 seats.

It would not surprise me to see the Mich St deal be a one game deal and the two games scheduled 12 and 13 years out to never happen. That far in advance, the whole college football landscape may be totally different.

[silverfox]

Very true. May be window dressing to sell this deal to the Idaho politico types who review finances. Of course the time differential may be closely aligned to the BSU stadium expansion plans that will increase capacity to 53,000 from 33,500.

http://www.idahostatesman.com/2010/08/2 ... reams.html

[donovan]

They, Boise, have a three year deal with Michigan State...but there will be something wrong with that..I can assure you.

[silverfox]

One of the little rumors I have heard is that the better Boise State gets the more difficult it gets to schedule OOC. It is a Catch 22 for sure cuz the rhetoric calls for tougher scheduling but teams that know what they are doing don't want to ruin their chances by being "busted" by Boise.

Therefore it is easier to "avoid" the possibility of being beaten (look at VT this year and Oregon last year) but bad-mouth the BSU schedule as being inferior.

Not enough money plus too much to risk if being beat means dropping from a ranked position into the abyss. You gotta give VT and Oregon State credit this year for rebounding after the losses == but it is so much harder playing catch-up than if you just avoid all together.

[donovan]

One of the little rumors I have heard is that the better Boise State gets the more difficult it gets to schedule OOC. It is a Catch 22 for sure cuz the rhetoric calls for tougher scheduling but teams that know what they are doing don't want to ruin their chances by being "busted" by Boise.

Therefore it is easier to "avoid" the possibility of being beaten (look at VT this year and Oregon last year) but bad-mouth the BSU schedule as being inferior.

Not enough money plus too much to risk if being beat means dropping from a ranked position into the abyss. You gotta give VT and Oregon State credit this year for rebounding after the losses == but it is so much harder playing catch-up than if you just avoid all together.

I think you are right. There are, however, so many issues about scheduling, most that have nothing to do with chasing the fried froth championship. I think the Michigan State deal was good. And once those kids from Michigan see Idaho...they may not get back on the plane.

[billybud]

I don't see why teams would be more worried about Boise busting their schedule than Oklahoma. Ohio State, Alabama, Texas, etc.

FSU plays Oklahoma twice, Miami plays Ohio State, Ohio State has played Texas, VT played LSU and Bama, Penn Sate played Bama...and on and on....

Teams do schedule years out...and until last year, Boise had a distinctive scheduling philosophy to avoid playing the big boys so as to make it easier to hiot a BCS bowl.

[donovan]

I'm not sure they still don't. For want of a better quick comparison...they will not become a Grambling. They are a small commuter school. They do not lack for money, but they provide a reasonable education for a reasonable..whatever that means...price for students of the area that choose not to leave home. They have some specialties, but mainly general education. It is a well run school...but they are not going to get big or become anything more than they are. Will this football thing last..who knows...but it takes a lot of pieces falling in place year after year. Personally I think they got fame and power greedy and sold out believing they have all the pieces for the future. The MWC move I think will turn out to me a big error...the one salvation is the MWC will just turn into a WAC in a few years.

[RazorHawk]

One of the little rumors I have heard is that the better Boise State gets the more difficult it gets to schedule OOC. It is a Catch 22 for sure cuz the rhetoric calls for tougher scheduling but teams that know what they are doing don't want to ruin their chances by being "busted" by Boise.

Therefore it is easier to "avoid" the possibility of being beaten (look at VT this year and Oregon last year) but bad-mouth the BSU schedule as being inferior.

Not enough money plus too much to risk if being beat means dropping from a ranked position into the abyss. You gotta give VT and Oregon State credit this year for rebounding after the losses == but it is so much harder playing catch-up than if you just avoid all together.

I don't think there is any doubt about this being a factor.

Similar scenario, Iowa and Missouri had a four game series set up for home and home, with the first two years being 2009 and 2010. When this agreement was made, Iowa was struggling. At the 12th hour Missouri backed out and paid a paltry $50,000 fine. Pinkel was somewhat on the hot seat and actually referenced the strategy of Bill Snyder at Kansas St by scheduling a very easy non conference slate. They dropped Iowa and picked up Arkansas St. Iowa was then forced to add Northern Iowa as a last minute replacement and probably deserved to lose the game against a good Panther team.

[Derek]

So why did Boise pick another non-AQ conference instead of joining the Big-12? Or is that a Catch-22 as well?

[RazorHawk]

So why did Boise pick another non-AQ conference instead of joining the Big-12? Or is that a Catch-22 as well?

I am not sure that there are any BCS conferences that would want Boise State as a member. There are a number of factors, but small football attendance coupled with a total athletic department the would not matchup with the major BCS conferences.

Silverfox and Donovan can probably add to this, or correct me, if I am wrong.