FB: Old Dominion Athletic Conference

[tigerFanAlso2]

Well, as of the end of the 2016 season the odac is a 7 team conference. Looks like we may well be heading towards a 9 game schedule if something is not done, and done fairly soon..

[jknezek]

Well, as of the end of the 2016 season the odac is a 7 team conference. Looks like we may well be heading towards a 9 game schedule if something is not done, and done fairly soon..

Perhaps. I am thinking that is part of why W&L signed up with a SCIAC team. That could buy W&L another year, but it's an expensive way to do it.

[jknezek]

   I absolutely agree with the idea of adding another member for football, but even with that scheduling will be tough. In my previous post I didn't take into account that most of the closest leagues have only one OOC game available. Unfortunately, I continue to see a lot of USA South teams in our future.

                                      Number of Teams in "Nearby" Leagues

    PAC - 11
    CC - 10
    USASAC - 8
    SAA - 9
    NJAC - 10
    Liberty - 8
    E8 - 9
    MAC - 10 (missed these guys first time)

There will always be lots of USASAC schools on ODAC calendars. It simply makes too much sense from a geographic and peer group standpoint. I don't have too much of a problem with it, especially with at least 3 OOC games. I have a greater problem with the fact that most ODAC teams seem to schedule the bottom USASAC schools, and often multiple bottom schools per season. I know it's done in advance, so it's not always easy to do, but it is way to consistent for my tastes.

[Ralph Turner]

   I absolutely agree with the idea of adding another member for football, but even with that scheduling will be tough. In my previous post I didn't take into account that most of the closest leagues have only one OOC game available. Unfortunately, I continue to see a lot of USA South teams in our future.

                                      Number of Teams in "Nearby" Leagues

    PAC - 11
    CC - 10
    USASAC - 8
    SAA - 9
    NJAC - 10
    Liberty - 8
    E8 - 9
    MAC - 10 (missed these guys first time)

There will always be lots of USASAC schools on ODAC calendars. It simply makes too much sense from a geographic and peer group standpoint. I don't have too much of a problem with it, especially with at least 3 OOC games. I have a greater problem with the fact that most ODAC teams seem to schedule the bottom USASAC schools, and often multiple bottom schools per season. I know it's done in advance, so it's not always easy to do, but it is way to consistent for my tastes.

Respectfully, the OOC question deals with available teams on one of the 11 weekends.

The 11-team PAC overloaded when they accepted CWRU and CMU as affiliates.

Centennial plays its OOC in week #1, then 4 conference games.  The conference has no games in Week #6 then finishes the season.

The question for the ODAC will be to get the 8th conference member, and IMHO, geography in the sport of football almost has as much influence in finding an affiliate member as anything. The NJAC might allow Southern VA to move to the ODAC, just for the cost considerations. Finding a closer opponent for the 10th game might be easier on the travel budgets for everyone involved, especially since the NJAC Pool A bid has been preserved.

The SAA drops Chicago and WashU but picks up Trinity TX and Austin College. The 7-member ODAC and the 9 member SAA might be able to co-ordinate the "off-weeks".

[Hawks88]

   I absolutely agree with the idea of adding another member for football, but even with that scheduling will be tough. In my previous post I didn't take into account that most of the closest leagues have only one OOC game available. Unfortunately, I continue to see a lot of USA South teams in our future.

                                      Number of Teams in "Nearby" Leagues

    PAC - 11
    CC - 10
    USASAC - 8
    SAA - 9
    NJAC - 10
    Liberty - 8
    E8 - 9
    MAC - 10 (missed these guys first time)

There will always be lots of USASAC schools on ODAC calendars. It simply makes too much sense from a geographic and peer group standpoint. I don't have too much of a problem with it, especially with at least 3 OOC games. I have a greater problem with the fact that most ODAC teams seem to schedule the bottom USASAC schools, and often multiple bottom schools per season. I know it's done in advance, so it's not always easy to do, but it is way to consistent for my tastes.

Respectfully, the OOC question deals with available teams on one of the 11 weekends.

The 11-team PAC overloaded when they accepted CWRU and CMU as affiliates.

Centennial plays its OOC in week #1, then 4 conference games.  The conference has no games in Week #6 then finishes the season.

The question for the ODAC will be to get the 8th conference member, and IMHO, geography in the sport of football almost has as much influence in finding an affiliate member as anything. The NJAC might allow Southern VA to move to the ODAC, just for the cost considerations. Finding a closer opponent for the 10th game might be easier on the travel budgets for everyone involved, especially since the NJAC Pool A bid has been preserved.

The SAA drops Chicago and WashU but picks up Trinity TX and Austin College. The 7-member ODAC and the 9 member SAA might be able to co-ordinate the "off-weeks".

When Brevard comes on board the USA South will be 9 members and will have "off-weeks" that can be co-ordinated.

[Scots13]

You guys can have Greensboro. Geographically a nice fit and comparable to CUA most of the time.

[hscathletics]

Adding CNU is nothing but a pipe dream unless the school presidents are a lot more willing to make changes that would completely change the foundation of the ODAC than I think they are. I find it very difficult that they would agree to make such a monumental change just to make things easier for one sport, a sport which half of the full-time league members don't even sponsor. This isn't FBS football where everything that happens is because of football.

[hasanova]

I'm being told that Guilford and Davidson have agreed to a home and home series in the 3rd week of the season in 2017 and 2018, effectively dropping Averett from the schedule in those two years.  ESPN Ticker!  As I suspected, the Greensboro and Methodist series are considered sacrosanct for now, but additional options are being explored to fill the impending Catholic void in 2017.   

[HSCTiger74]

   Out of curiosity, what would be the likelihood of Catholic occasionally scheduling some of the closer schools as OOC games even after they've left the conference? They seem to be leaving on fairly good terms, so I don't see why it wouldn't work.

[HSCTiger fan]

It seems to me that if we are going to add a team to the conference we could add Greensboro, Averett, or Ferrum.

No offense to GC but Davidson a non-scholarship D1 football has nothing to gain in this match up. WL might be the big winner in that game. If as I expect GC wins, WL may have an opportunity to steal a few 1400+ SAT boys to come play for them!

[HSCTiger fan]

There will always be lots of USASAC schools on ODAC calendars. It simply makes too much sense from a geographic and peer group standpoint. I don't have too much of a problem with it, especially with at least 3 OOC games. I have a greater problem with the fact that most ODAC teams seem to schedule the bottom USASAC schools, and often multiple bottom schools per season. I know it's done in advance, so it's not always easy to do, but it is way to consistent for my tastes.

They schedule the bottom tier teams for proximity. I'm confident Greensboro, Ferrum, and Averett would still be on everyone's schedule if they were amongst the best in the USA South.

[Pat Coleman]

   Out of curiosity, what would be the likelihood of Catholic occasionally scheduling some of the closer schools as OOC games even after they've left the conference? They seem to be leaving on fairly good terms, so I don't see why it wouldn't work.

Catholic played Randolph-Macon, Hampden-Sydney and Bridgewater in the years before joining the ODAC. In fact, once Georgetown left for I-AA and refused to play Catholic anymore, Macon actually became Catholic's longest-standing rival. They've played every year for the past 25 or so.

[hasanova]

Geographically, Greensboro, Ferrum and Averett may fit the ODAC footprint ... but they do not appear to be a good fit in the other ways that bind us together.  I don't think existing ODAC members would support them to join.  I still keep hoping Roanoke, Lynchburg or perhaps VWC will start a football program  ... and I bet there's work behind the scenes to encourage one to do so. 

[jknezek]

I still keep hoping Roanoke, Lynchburg or perhaps VWC will start a football program  ... and I bet there's work behind the scenes to encourage one to do so.

I agree. This is what I would like to see most as well. Time will tell.

[SouthernObserver]

Congrats to Coach Gray!

http://wric.com/2016/02/11/atlee-hires-matt-gray-as-new-football-coach/