FB: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[badgerwarhawk]

It was the conference commissioner who determined the first meeting between two conference schools would be a nonconference game.  His reasoning was that it was less confusing to fans and media if the second game was a conference game and he wanted the teams to have something to play for at the end of the season.   

When the discussion of conference teams playing each other twice started schedulers worked out schedules for 2011-2016 and were unable to take into account the location of previous matchups which is why some schools will be playing at the same location two years in a row.  In addition to Oshkosh the WARHAWKS will play in Eau Claire for the second year in a row.  As it stands now the decision to play each other twice will be reviewed prior to the 2013 season when the next state budget will be set. 

[Just Bill]

Just my guess:

The reason UWW is playing at UWO again is probably because this is the beginning of a new schedule cycle and last year was the end of the old one.  If you don't cycle the schedules at some point, teams end up playing the same slate of home and road games, every other year, forever.  The new cycle happens to begin with UWW at UWO, which is how the last cycle happened to end.  I'm sure there are going to be other teams doing the same.  With the "non-conference WIAC" games starting it would make sense that this would be the first year of a new cycle.

[KitchenSink]

Not necessarily a bad thing, since Oshkosh is the shortest and easiest road-trip, at least for this plumbing fixture.

[BoBo]

It was the conference commissioner who determined the first meeting between two conference schools would be a nonconference game.  His reasoning was that it was less confusing to fans and media if the second game was a conference game and he wanted the teams to have something to play for at the end of the season.   

When the discussion of conference teams playing each other twice started schedulers worked out schedules for 2011-2016 and were unable to take into account the location of previous matchups which is why some schools will be playing at the same location two years in a row.  In addition to Oshkosh the WARHAWKS will play in Eau Claire for the second year in a row.  As it stands now the decision to play each other twice will be reviewed prior to the 2013 season when the next state budget will be set. 

And at River Falls again.

Something to play for at the end of the season? A NC game at the end of the season is only marginally less important than a conference game at the same time, IMO. Losing either one can mean the difference of making the playoff field or staying home, cleaning and packing away the equipment for the winter. I don't think the conference commish cares about getting his teams a pool C bid.  So, thinking about it the way you explained it bw, in effect, the first match-up is a glorified scrimmage, an exhibition game if you will, in the eyes of the league. Is that the way you see it? While the second game is for the conference championship. To me it would be better the other way around. The unimportant UWW/UWL NC game to open the season will be played in lovely, summer-time like weather, with thousands of people in the stands, while the game that matters in November will be played in a cold rain in front of only the real "fans." Current attendance figures don't lie – that last game of the season, even if it is La Crosse or whoever, conference or NC game, the stadium will be nearly empty compared to that early season NC game.

I think it's a bad decision by the decision-makers!!   

Just my guess:

The reason UWW is playing at UWO again is probably because this is the beginning of a new schedule cycle and last year was the end of the old one. If you don't cycle the schedules at some point, teams end up playing the same slate of home and road games, every other year, forever.  The new cycle happens to begin with UWW at UWO, which is how the last cycle happened to end.  I'm sure there are going to be other teams doing the same.  With the "non-conference WIAC" games starting it would make sense that this would be the first year of a new cycle.

Bill, you need to go take a peek at the WIAC football schedules 1973-present on the WIAC homepage. OK, I'll save you the trouble, they've been doing this...forever (at least since '73)!! For example, UWO has always hosted UWW in even numbered years and gone on the road in the odd numbered years. I randomly checked, unscientific as that might be, the other series' and they're all identical. The system hasn't been broke in 38 years, why try to fix it now? There is nothing wrong with having the same slate of home and away games each two years (only the particular Saturday changes). Adding a second game, with an even number of teams, conference NC game should not have to influence that tradition, IMO. In fact, in a couple years when the conference commish decides to scrap this whole nonsense, he'll understand what a mess he created where there wasn't one in the first place!! [yes, this idea stinks, plain and simple, IMO]

BTW, my understanding of a scheduling cycle, especially a round robin format such as the WIAC football schedule, would mean it would never end and then begin again in the same place. It would begin again at the original starting point. But, what do I know – I haven't scheduled games in 50 years.

[02 Warhawk]

It was the conference commissioner who determined the first meeting between two conference schools would be a nonconference game.  His reasoning was that it was less confusing to fans and media if the second game was a conference game and he wanted the teams to have something to play for at the end of the season.   

When the discussion of conference teams playing each other twice started schedulers worked out schedules for 2011-2016 and were unable to take into account the location of previous matchups which is why some schools will be playing at the same location two years in a row.  In addition to Oshkosh the WARHAWKS will play in Eau Claire for the second year in a row.  As it stands now the decision to play each other twice will be reviewed prior to the 2013 season when the next state budget will be set. 

And at River Falls again.

Something to play for at the end of the season? A NC game at the end of the season is only marginally less important than a conference game at the same time, IMO. Losing either one can mean the difference of making the playoff field or staying home, cleaning and packing away the equipment for the winter. I don't think the conference commish cares about getting his teams a pool C bid.  So, thinking about it the way you explained it bw, in effect, the first match-up is a glorified scrimmage, an exhibition game if you will, in the eyes of the league. Is that the way you see it? While the second game is for the conference championship. To me it would be better the other way around. The unimportant UWW/UWL NC game to open the season will be played in lovely, summer-time like weather, with thousands of people in the stands, while the game that matters in November will be played in a cold rain in front of only the real "fans." Current attendance figures don't lie – that last game of the season, even if it is La Crosse or whoever, conference or NC game, the stadium will be nearly empty compared to that early season NC game.

I think it's a bad decision by the decision-makers!!   

I don't know about it being a glorified scrimmage......I'm looking it as a nonconference game that FINALLY counts towards UWW's SOS, being an in-region game and all.

So that's much better than playing a NAIA team, or a Pudget Sound, or even a Franklin when it comes to improving our SOS. This will be our first in-region nonconference game since playing Lakeland College in 2007.

As far as the first meeting between UWW and UWL in September, I don't mind that being the "nonconference" game. How may conference games get played in early September anyways...in all of college football?

[badgerwarhawk]

I don't know how other schools felt about it but I do know that WHITEWATER requested that the first meeting of the two be the conference game and the latter a nonconference game.  Our argument being two fold.  First, it's the first meeting between the two which is consistant with the schools that we will only play once.  Secondly, there is a big difference in playing a team in the first month of the season compared to playing them at the end of the season.  In 2006 we beat LaCrosse 45-10 in the mid-October conference game  but only 24-21 in the late November NCAA post season game.  You absolutely can not look at the first meeting as a "glorified scrimmage" or "exhibition."  It's a critical west region game which if you don't secure an automatic bid can make or break you playing in the post season.  Even if you do secure an automatic bid it's a game which could impact your seeding.  IMO we have to approach it from the standpoint that it's nearly as important as the conference meeting.  

I don't really like the decision either but fans and media are easily confused.  Besides what is there to play for if your last game isn't a conference meeting?  

As far as playing in Oshkosh, Eau Claire and River Falls (thanks Bobo, I missed that one) for the second year in a row.  That wasn't that much of an issue.    

[BoBo]

02 Warhawk, please remember when I said "glorified scrimmage, an exhibition if you will...," it was not my view (you can see that from the rest of my comments) - IMO, it's the view the conference has taken.

As for the schedule, bw, they are doing more to cause confusion for fans and media than they would've if they left the system in place and just added the extra game each year.

also bw, I can counter your example with the La Crosse games a few years back with the EC games 2 years later. Remember the first, early in the season, was a tight, low scoring, 2 point game (w/o looking it up 16-14 I think) - the second, later in the season, a blow-out Warhawk win (40ish - 10ish). It could go either way! 

[Just Bill]

I don't think the new schedule causes confusion for fans and media.  Nobody attends football games from memory.  Everyone will still read a schedule before they go to a game.

Nobody will show up at an empty Perkins Stadium on some Saturday and say, "What do you mean there's no game? They played Oshkosh here on this weekend two years ago, so there must be a game here today."

[badgerwarhawk]

True, I guess the point I was trying to make, though I did a poor job of it, is that teams change during the course of the season and the one you play in September is not necessarily the same one you'll play in November.  

I don't think the fans or media would be too confused to tell the difference between a nonconference and a conference game either JB.

[02 Warhawk]

I'm kind of curious to see what kind of numbers Coppage will put up this year. He'll have four new faces on the o-line blocking for him now. Plus we lost two big-play WRs, so no doubt defenses are going to focus squarely on him (more so than last year).

Hopefully Blanchard can keep defenses honest by getting his timing down with this year's WRs. Not to mention it all starts with the o-line protecting and creating holes.

[BoBo]

I'm kind of curious to see what kind of numbers Coppage will put up this year. He'll have four new faces on the o-line blocking for him now. Plus we lost two big-play WRs, so no doubt defenses are going to focus squarely on him (more so than last year).

Hopefully Blanchard can keep defenses honest by getting his timing down with this year's WRs. Not to mention it all starts with the o-line protecting and creating holes.

Kind of curious 02? It looks like you're the President of the Coppage Fan Club from reading the bottom of your posts!! 

Seriously, you have to admit, any or all the "new" faces on the O-line and at WR have all played a lot of football with the Warhawks (unless we get a few more transfers which is probably inevitable) . The backups, for example Jimmy Norris and Ryan Olson (& others), Tyler Huber and Luke Menzel haven't exactly sat on the sidelines anonymously. These guys have played in more games, especially more BIG games than most starters from conference rivals. I think we'll be just as explosive on offensive as ever. I'm really looking forward to seeing Michael Pirtle get 10-15 carries a game.

The truly curious are looking at the QB situation with a lot of interest. How many teams are going to have a pair of signal callers with the proven skill sets that these two possess? That is shaping up to being a great problem to have.

Good thing the curiosity over the kicking game has really diminished!! 

[02 Warhawk]

I'm kind of curious to see what kind of numbers Coppage will put up this year. He'll have four new faces on the o-line blocking for him now. Plus we lost two big-play WRs, so no doubt defenses are going to focus squarely on him (more so than last year).

Hopefully Blanchard can keep defenses honest by getting his timing down with this year's WRs. Not to mention it all starts with the o-line protecting and creating holes.

Kind of curious 02? It looks like you're the President of the Coppage Fan Club from reading the bottom of your posts!! 

I thought long and hard about posting what Coppage needs to break Kmic's record, but I decided against it. It's unlikely, but not impossible.

[BoBo]

I know the TD's scored record is pretty safe in Kmic's pocket, he's what, 40+ TD's in the clear...how many yards to the rushing total? 2,000+?

[02 Warhawk]

I know the TD's scored record is pretty safe in Kmic's pocket, he's what, 40+ TD's in the clear...how many yards to the rushing total? 2,000+?

Coppage will need a little over 2300 to catch Kmic this season. the past two seasons Coppage had exactly 2107 yards on the ground....so it's not out of the realm of possibility.

[voice]

Just Released...

UW-Whitewater 2011 football schedule

Sept. 3   @ UW-La Crosse*  (6 p.m.)
Sept. 10   @ Franklin College* (12-Noon  ET)
Sept. 17   Campbellsville University* (12-Noon)
Sept. 24   BYE
Oct. 1   UW-Platteville (2 p.m. -Family Day)
Oct. 8   @ UW-River Falls  (1 p.m.)
Oct. 14   UW-Stout    (6 p.m. - Friday Night Lights)
Oct. 22   @ UW-Oshkosh  (1 p.m.)
Oct. 29   UW-Stevens Point (1 p.m. - Homecoming/Hall of Fame)
Nov. 5   @ UW-Eau Claire (3 p.m.)
Nov. 12   UW-La Crosse (1 p.m. - Senior Day/Shriner's Game)

*NON-CONFERENCE GAME

NOTE: First game with UW-La Crosse is the in-conference/non conference game as per WIAC mandate.