FB: Old Dominion Athletic Conference

[HSCTiger fan]

I know it's May and we are all anxious for the season to get started but I say don't worry.   The ODAC only had 7 football teams for years before Shenandoah joined in 2012. I don't recall recall teams only playing 9 games schedules prior to 2012. I doubt they will now. I have a feeling that S VA will be a football only member with ODAC once their contract ends with NJAC. If they don't. Then so be it. There are 240 D3 teams. If a AD tries hard enough he/she should be able to fill a 10 game schedule.

I know Shenandoah helped fill schedules prior to 2012. But only for a few teams. SVA and Brevard did not play D3 football prior to 2012. So there are 2 more D3 teams in the area to help fill games.  There are also non-ODAC teams that have regularly scheduled Apprentice who will jump at the chance to fill their schedule with an ODAC team once their contracts end with Apprentice.  CUA should still be an OOC option for a game.

I'm not saying there are no challenges. I'm saying if a school plays a nine game schedule it's their on fault. 

[Pat Coleman]

Here's who ODAC teams played out of conference in 2011. Asterisks on the teams Catholic played.

Look at all of those USA South teams on this list -- in 2011, the USAC had eight football programs and had three non-conference games to give apiece. Now they have nine, and the ODAC needs more games.

Alma
Apprentice
Apprentice *
Averett
Averett
Averett
Centre
Ferrum
Ferrum
Franklin & Marshall
Frostburg State
Gallaudet *
Greensboro
Greensboro
Huntingdon
McDaniel *
Methodist
Methodist
Methodist
N.C. Wesleyan
Sewanee
Shenandoah
Southern Virginia
St. Vincent
Virginia-Wise

[jknezek]

Overall a good weekend for the Generals except for W&L Men's Lax dropping out vs HSC in the ODAC semis. Otherwise, the men's and women's tennis and women's lacrosse all won their titles and the baseball team is in the finals of the double elimination tournament with no losses, knocking off national #3 Shenandoah for the second time this season. Proud of all the Generals student athletes, but would be very excited to hear baseball won its second ever ODAC title. They need to win one of the next two against ODAC #6 seed Roanoake.

The women's lax team, depending on your national poll, is ranked in the top 3 in the country and will host the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament with a first round bye. They have only one loss on the season, to also top 3 ranked Gettysburg.

[tigerFanAlso2]

I was surprised HSC Lax beat W&L on the road, more surprised with the margin of victory,19 to10. Good day for the Tigers. lone ODAC title for the academic year.

[jknezek]

I was surprised HSC Lax beat W&L on the road, more surprised with the margin of victory,19 to10. Good day for the Tigers. lone ODAC title for the academic year.

That was a good win for the Tigers, kudos to them. Hope they do well in the NCAA tournament. W&L was up and down all year. Very inconsistent and I think they were pretty young. They fell behind to HSC and just didn't have the chops to catch up. Every time they tried, the Tigers did an excellent job punishing them. 

[tigerFanAlso2]

Thanks and good luck in the baseball final.

[jknezek]

Thanks and good luck in the baseball final.

Lost the first game. Now it is do or die. Uggh.

[tigerFanAlso2]

TigerFan

Problem is USAS now only has 2 ooc dates, same as most conferences in our area. A ten game schedule will require flights which will become a budget nightmare. I think we are heading to a nine game schedule sooner than later even if SVA joins odac.

[jknezek]

Thanks and good luck in the baseball final.

Lost the first game. Now it is do or die. Uggh.

And it was die. Uggh.

[jknezek]

TigerFan

Problem is USAS now only has 2 ooc dates, same as most conferences in our area. A ten game schedule will require flights which will become a budget nightmare. I think we are heading to a nine game schedule sooner than later even if SVA joins odac.

Yep. This is the problem. Both the USAS and SAA don't need 3 ooc games, let alone 4. The NJAC, CC, OAC, PAC and MAC only need 1 and always in week 1.  There are no independents. Even the ASC, which is mostly a flight, won't need more than 2 once the SCAC teams are re-integrated. The LL has mostly solved their problem. They still need games, but they are getting them from the E8. Really it is the MIAA, WIAC, ODAC, SCIAC and NWC that have major problems, and all those conferences are too far away to help each other with reasonable costs.

The saving grace for the ODAC might be the USAS having 9 schools. That leaves an odd bye week mid-season for each team or an OOC game. So if the ODAC schools can get OOC opponents week 1 and 2, which isn't too hard yet, plus mostly picking up the USAS "conference" season leftover, plus NNA or a travel game, you can get to 10 games. It's just not easy. I'm sure the ADs and football coaches are very unhappy right now.

I envision W&L trying to follow this pattern. Week 1 CC opponent, Week 2 Sewanee, Week 3 or Week 4 either NNA or a flight game plus a bye, then somewhere in Weeks 5-10 you pick up a USAS school on a bye. The first AD to lock down those agreements long term will be in the best shape.

[tigerFanAlso2]

How many conference games will CAU have ?

[Scots13]

TigerFan

Problem is USAS now only has 2 ooc dates, same as most conferences in our area. A ten game schedule will require flights which will become a budget nightmare. I think we are heading to a nine game schedule sooner than later even if SVA joins odac.

Yep. This is the problem. Both the USAS and SAA don't need 3 ooc games, let alone 4. The NJAC, CC, OAC, PAC and MAC only need 1 and always in week 1.  There are no independents. Even the ASC, which is mostly a flight, won't need more than 2 once the SCAC teams are re-integrated. The LL has mostly solved their problem. They still need games, but they are getting them from the E8. Really it is the MIAA, WIAC, ODAC, SCIAC and NWC that have major problems, and all those conferences are too far away to help each other with reasonable costs.

The saving grace for the ODAC might be the USAS having 9 schools. That leaves an odd bye week mid-season for each team or an OOC game. So if the ODAC schools can get OOC opponents week 1 and 2, which isn't too hard yet, plus mostly picking up the USAS "conference" season leftover, plus NNA or a travel game, you can get to 10 games. It's just not easy. I'm sure the ADs and football coaches are very unhappy right now.

I envision W&L trying to follow this pattern. Week 1 CC opponent, Week 2 Sewanee, Week 3 or Week 4 either NNA or a flight game plus a bye, then somewhere in Weeks 5-10 you pick up a USAS school on a bye. The first AD to lock down those agreements long term will be in the best shape.

That's assuming the USAC goes back to a 7 game conference schedule in 2018, correct? Or am I missing something where they have announced that?

Let's say the ODAC can snag a USAC team...what's the number 1 pick? Greensboro, Averett or Ferrum

[jknezek]

TigerFan

Problem is USAS now only has 2 ooc dates, same as most conferences in our area. A ten game schedule will require flights which will become a budget nightmare. I think we are heading to a nine game schedule sooner than later even if SVA joins odac.

Yep. This is the problem. Both the USAS and SAA don't need 3 ooc games, let alone 4. The NJAC, CC, OAC, PAC and MAC only need 1 and always in week 1.  There are no independents. Even the ASC, which is mostly a flight, won't need more than 2 once the SCAC teams are re-integrated. The LL has mostly solved their problem. They still need games, but they are getting them from the E8. Really it is the MIAA, WIAC, ODAC, SCIAC and NWC that have major problems, and all those conferences are too far away to help each other with reasonable costs.

The saving grace for the ODAC might be the USAS having 9 schools. That leaves an odd bye week mid-season for each team or an OOC game. So if the ODAC schools can get OOC opponents week 1 and 2, which isn't too hard yet, plus mostly picking up the USAS "conference" season leftover, plus NNA or a travel game, you can get to 10 games. It's just not easy. I'm sure the ADs and football coaches are very unhappy right now.

I envision W&L trying to follow this pattern. Week 1 CC opponent, Week 2 Sewanee, Week 3 or Week 4 either NNA or a flight game plus a bye, then somewhere in Weeks 5-10 you pick up a USAS school on a bye. The first AD to lock down those agreements long term will be in the best shape.

That's assuming the USAC goes back to a 7 game conference schedule in 2018, correct? Or am I missing something where they have announced that?

Let's say the ODAC can snag a USAC team...what's the number 1 pick? Greensboro, Averett or Ferrum

No. I'm assuming the USAS will have an 8 game conference schedule. But with 9 teams, that means 1 team is off during the "conference" season. I'm hoping the ODAC schools can pair up with those off week schools which would work out well for both conferences as the USAS could keep all team byes pre-conference season, say week 3, and no team will have to play the whole season before having an unfortunate bye in week 11.

As for who W&L would play I'm thinking this is a case of beggars and choosers. I'd imagine travelling to Huntingdon or LaGrange wouldn't top the list, but pretty much anyone else wouldn't be too bad. Averett is a common recent opponent, 6 games since 2007, but we've played Greensboro 5 times in the naughts, M'Ville 14 times from the late 70s until 1990 (thinking those were a lot of conference games at the time), and Methodist in '89 and '90. Traditionally W&L has not played a lot of USAS schools, and we are the only ODAC team without one on the schedule this year I believe, but I doubt that can last. 

Oddly enough we've never played Ferrum despite the proximity.

[Scots13]

TigerFan

Problem is USAS now only has 2 ooc dates, same as most conferences in our area. A ten game schedule will require flights which will become a budget nightmare. I think we are heading to a nine game schedule sooner than later even if SVA joins odac.

Yep. This is the problem. Both the USAS and SAA don't need 3 ooc games, let alone 4. The NJAC, CC, OAC, PAC and MAC only need 1 and always in week 1.  There are no independents. Even the ASC, which is mostly a flight, won't need more than 2 once the SCAC teams are re-integrated. The LL has mostly solved their problem. They still need games, but they are getting them from the E8. Really it is the MIAA, WIAC, ODAC, SCIAC and NWC that have major problems, and all those conferences are too far away to help each other with reasonable costs.

The saving grace for the ODAC might be the USAS having 9 schools. That leaves an odd bye week mid-season for each team or an OOC game. So if the ODAC schools can get OOC opponents week 1 and 2, which isn't too hard yet, plus mostly picking up the USAS "conference" season leftover, plus NNA or a travel game, you can get to 10 games. It's just not easy. I'm sure the ADs and football coaches are very unhappy right now.

I envision W&L trying to follow this pattern. Week 1 CC opponent, Week 2 Sewanee, Week 3 or Week 4 either NNA or a flight game plus a bye, then somewhere in Weeks 5-10 you pick up a USAS school on a bye. The first AD to lock down those agreements long term will be in the best shape.

That's assuming the USAC goes back to a 7 game conference schedule in 2018, correct? Or am I missing something where they have announced that?

Let's say the ODAC can snag a USAC team...what's the number 1 pick? Greensboro, Averett or Ferrum

No. I'm assuming the USAS will have an 8 game conference schedule. But with 9 teams, that means 1 team is off during the "conference" season. I'm hoping the ODAC schools can pair up with those off week schools which would work out well for both conferences as the USAS could keep all team byes pre-conference season, say week 3, and no team will have to play the whole season before having an unfortunate bye in week 11.

As for who W&L would play I'm thinking this is a case of beggars and choosers. I'd imagine travelling to Huntingdon or LaGrange wouldn't top the list, but pretty much anyone else wouldn't be too bad. Averett is a common recent opponent, 6 games since 2007, but we've played Greensboro 5 times in the naughts, M'Ville 14 times from the late 70s until 1990 (thinking those were a lot of conference games at the time), and Methodist in '89 and '90. Traditionally W&L has not played a lot of USAS schools, and we are the only ODAC team without one on the schedule this year I believe, but I doubt that can last. 

Oddly enough we've never played Ferrum despite the proximity.

If I'm not mistaken, the series is tied.

[jknezek]

If I'm not mistaken, the series is tied.

7-7 yes. A very streaky series. W&L lost the first 4, won the next 5. Then lost 2, won 2, lost the last 1.