FB: Old Dominion Athletic Conference

[jknezek]

Isn't it also just generally a lot harder to schedule an our of conference game in November?

You wouldn't. But the point is you might get them first round of the playoffs. Winning a top tier game early boosts your cred that season. Winning one late, or being entertainingly competitive ala HSC in 2013, boosts your cred for the next season. Playing three weak OOC games early and losing a first round playoff game badly does nothing for anyone, ala most of the ODAC champions since the AQ started and the likely fate of the Quakers, E&H, or B'water if they win the ODAC this year. The ODAC does its reputation no benefit outside HSC's OOC schedule and RMC's recent series with JHU and the occasional other match up like W&L vs Centre last year.

[wally_wabash]

Isn't it also just generally a lot harder to schedule an our of conference game in November?

I was referring to playoff games there- the idea being that if Guilford (or whoever plays a generally weaker schedule than most) wins games against good teams in November, people will start to give you a bit of a pass for your non-league schedule.  Hobart is probably a good example of this. 

[hasanova]

Hey, I agree with all of you.  I think Guilford's in a scheduling rut.  I only mentioned Linfield because I once visited there on a trip to Oregon, Wabash because HSC is playing them, Oberlin because I once saw an article comparing the two schools and Rhodes because my nephew was recruited by them.  In my memory, we have played Salisbury and Maryville, but not in a while.  Never played CNU or NCWC or LaGrange or Huntingdon or any school in PA of which I'm aware.

[jknezek]

Hey, I agree with all of you.  I think Guilford's in a scheduling rut.  I only mentioned Linfield because I once visited there on a trip to Oregon, Wabash because HSC is playing them, Oberlin because I once saw an article comparing the two schools and Rhodes because my nephew was recruited by them.  In my memory, we have played Salisbury and Maryville, but not in a while.  Never played CNU or NCWC or LaGrange or Huntingdon or any school in PA of which I'm aware.

At least from my POV I'm not picking on Guilford Hasa. With the exception of 4 games, HSC playing Wabash and CNU, RMC playing JHU, and E&H playing M'Ville, the other 20 non-conf games throughout the league are underwhelming at best. It just seems like we're picking on Guilford because theirs is pretty bad and they stand a good shot at being the ODAC rep this year. When on top of the mountain, expect the shots, right? Thick skin time for the Quakers!

[hasanova]

Oh, I never thought this was directed solely at Guilford, jknezek.  I will openly state our OOC is weak, but I do understand why we do it ... it's probably the least expensive full DIII schedule we can find.  Personally, I just wish there'd be an "out-of-the box" new home and away every four years or so.  As it stands now, I can just about guess the schedule before it appears.  I just flipflop Averett, SVU or Ferrum in the 3rd week.  With SVU deep in the NJAC schedule this year, I figured we'd revert back to Averett.  It is, in a way, a little boring.

[HSCTiger fan]

The games still have to be attractive to both programs. I don't see the alumni or boosters at CNU, Wesley or Salisbury getting excited about a 2 game set with any team in NC. There are simply better games for them to choose from that are closer and games their fan base would rather watch.

[Pat Coleman]

The games still have to be attractive to both programs. I don't see the alumni or boosters at CNU, Wesley or Salisbury getting excited about a 2 game set with any team in NC. There are simply better games for them to choose from that are closer and games their fan base would rather watch.

Except for the past decade Wesley has had to barnstorm the country looking for games. Wesley would have jumped at the chance to play Guilford, and I don't see why CNU wouldn't have also, when it had more non-conference games to fill.

[Pat Coleman]

Actually, Wesley would have taken that game this year, as up until about six weeks ago they had only nine games and nobody willing to play them in a non-conference game. They are ending up having to bus to Chicago for their non-conference game.

[jknezek]

Here's the thing. I'm not surprised the ODAC plays a lot of USASC teams. That just makes good geographic sense. What does surprise and irritate me is the way the ODAC consistently plays the bottom USASC teams. I know schedules are hard to do a few years out, but Averett and Greensboro, who both have filled their OOC with ODAC teams, haven't been good for quite a while and they are jammed up with the ODAC year after year. Ferrum has been up and down, but mostly down, Methodist almost all down except 2012 and 2013. So the ODAC is consistently scheduling the bottom or no better than the middle. The better USASC teams have generally been passed over, or only been played once, like Maryville and E&H or HSC and CNU, or HSC and Huntingdon (long ride that, so I understand this one, same with LaGrange, although their short tenure has been mostly middle or down).

And, while I appreciate what Apprentice does, Bridgewater and W&L should have either been desperate to schedule them, or shame on them...

[HSCTiger fan]

Actually, Wesley would have taken that game this year, as up until about six weeks ago they had only nine games and nobody willing to play them in a non-conference game. They are ending up having to bus to Chicago for their non-conference game.

Maybe so Pat, but like I said both programs have to want it. The last thing Guilford needed or wanted as they were rebuilding their program was to play Wesley College. Now that they are a better team they still IMO would not want that game.

Last year I argued that on any given day a top 25 team could beat anyone in the top 5. You and Jk kept telling me I was wrong. Guilford as good as they are is not and has not even been ranked. So your proposal is they schedule a very expensive road trip just to go get beat does not sound appealing to me. I doubt it would be appealing for the GC fan base either.

[HSCTiger fan]

HASA im sorry if this has turned into picking on GC's schedule. I find it interesting that the Quakers have not played a game in PA. Is that not where Quakerism was founded? 

[Pat Coleman]

Actually, Wesley would have taken that game this year, as up until about six weeks ago they had only nine games and nobody willing to play them in a non-conference game. They are ending up having to bus to Chicago for their non-conference game.

Maybe so Pat, but like I said both programs have to want it. The last thing Guilford needed or wanted as they were rebuilding their program was to play Wesley College. Now that they are a better team they still IMO would not want that game.

Last year I argued that on any given day a top 25 team could beat anyone in the top 5. You and Jk kept telling me I was wrong. Guilford as good as they are is not and has not even been ranked. So your proposal is they schedule a very expensive road trip just to go get beat does not sound appealing to me. I doubt it would be appealing for the GC fan base either.

I added some bold. It's clear they don't want that game because they are scheduling bottom 50 programs. And the reason I specified Wesley was your claim that Wesley somehow had better games to choose from. I'm sure they loved playing Virginia-Lynchburg and College of Faith last year ...

[HSCTiger fan]

I do agree with that.

[hasanova]

Yes, William Penn (a founding Quaker) is the centerpiece on top of City Hall in Philadelphia.  Penn (the Ivy League School ... and called the Quakers, I might add), Swarthmore and Haverford were all founded by the Quakers.  I just don't think we've been very adventurous of late ... but I do remember the NAIA days when we played East Carolina, Appalachian, Western Carolina, Elon, Catawba, Lenoir-Rhyne, Presbyterian, Newberry, Furman, CW Post and the like.  We seem to be locked into 9 games now (ODAC 7, Greensboro and Methodist with the only latitude in week 3 with Averett, Ferrum and SVU the normal picks, although I have seen others at times over the years ... Apprentice, Chowan, Carson-Newman, Maryville, Salisbury, Concord (WV) and so forth. 

Again, I think GC's OOC needs to be stirred up a bit, but remember we went 0-10 only 5 seasons ago!

[jete2]

Actually, Wesley would have taken that game this year, as up until about six weeks ago they had only nine games and nobody willing to play them in a non-conference game. They are ending up having to bus to Chicago for their non-conference game.

No doubt Wesley would have taken the game.  However, one clarification, Wesley is flying to Chicago for the game and not taking a bus.