What the hell is our fascination with the Sun Belt?

[Gumbercules]

I mean, I get FAU because of Bo and Carl, but South Alabama? Florida Atlantic a few years ago, Arkansas State, Troy......

 

Why are we always scheduling Sun Belt teams? It just seems odd.

[kchusker_chris]

Florida Atlantic = FAU. Arkansas State is a decent team.

 

I'd like to think we schedule these teams for some southern recruiting exposure. It's got to be better than Idaho State in regards to recruiting.

[Gumbercules]

Florida Atlantic = FAU. Arkansas State is a decent team.

 

I'd like to think we schedule these teams for some southern recruiting exposure. It's got to be better than Idaho State in regards to recruiting.

 

I know FAU and Florida Atlantic are the same thing, I'm saying we also played them a few years ago.

[Huskerlambs]

I mean, I get FAU because of Bo and Carl, but South Alabama? Florida Atlantic a few years ago, Arkansas State, Troy......

 

Why are we always scheduling Sun Belt teams? It just seems odd.

 

I think we schedule them because they are a guaranteed win, but they are still FBS, so when you schedule them, you say, "Well, at least we didn't schedule FCS."

[NUance]

Because Alabama, LSU and Florida are scared to work NU into their non-conf schedule.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Hoosker]

Florida Atlantic = FAU. Arkansas State is a decent team.

 

I'd like to think we schedule these teams for some southern recruiting exposure. It's got to be better than Idaho State in regards to recruiting.

 

Good point on the southern exposure. I'd like to think that we schedule those teams for that reason as well.

It couldn't hurt, could it?

[ZRod]

Because Alabama, LSU, and Florida, do it. Seriously check out their schedules Florida and Alabama have at least one sunbelt team, LSU doesn't have any but they have some serious no name talent to cut their teeth on. It's just the way the BCS works you can play a couple cupcakes and one D-II team and still make it into the big game. So why screw it up by playing someone who could give you a lose?

[knapplc]

+1 to ZRod.

 

The problem with people who dislike our scheduling is their threads almost always lack context. Every single D1 team schedules games like this. Nebraska is never going to stop scheduling Sun Belt teams or any other "weak" teams. Why should they? It's like taking a knife to a gunfight.

[The Dude]

I believe the correct answer probably has something to do with money. It usually does.

 

Imagine playing for one of those Sun Belt teams and getting the chance to play in Memorial Stadium. That would be rad.

[GSG]

I believe the correct answer probably has something to do with money. It usually does.

 

Imagine playing for one of those Sun Belt teams and getting the chance to play in Memorial Stadium. That would be rad.

 

[NUance]

+1 to ZRod.

 

The problem with people who dislike our scheduling is their threads almost always lack context. Every single D1 team schedules games like this. Nebraska is never going to stop scheduling Sun Belt teams or any other "weak" teams. Why should they? It's like taking a knife to a gunfight.

 

Wouldn't scheduling a Sun Belt team be more like taking a gun to a knife fight?

 

 

 

 

Note to self: If ever in a gunfight along side Knap, make sure he doesn't bring his dang knife.

[kchusker_chris]

+1 to ZRod.

 

The problem with people who dislike our scheduling is their threads almost always lack context. Every single D1 team schedules games like this. Nebraska is never going to stop scheduling Sun Belt teams or any other "weak" teams. Why should they? It's like taking a knife to a gunfight.

i say this without knowing anything about the financials behind scheduling teams like this (and this is clearly a hypothetical)...but my guess is these games cost us millions each season. Not only are we having to pay a team like this to come to Lincoln, but we are losing TV revenue when the game isn't on ABC/ESPN, stadium revenue, etc. Lets say, between everything this game...from a financial revenue standpoint yields $1 million less revenue than a game against a top 50ish team, and $1.5-2 million less than a top 25ish team. I don't think those numbers would be much of a stretch. Now lets say we go the route of the top 50ish team, and schedule Kansas or Cincinnati. We take the extra $1 million...divide it in half, add it to our current OC/DC salaries and pay $850,000 to each rock-star coordinator, two of the best in college football. I'm talking like Mattison/Malzahn type of guys...but to gain that we have to play a slightly tougher schedule against an opponent we might lose to 10% of the time versus 1% of the time. Would that be worth it?

 

To me that extra million gets us more wins in conference play than it gets us by playing a cupcake.

['SkersRule]

Some fans really are hilarious. They want to see Nebraska play Alabama, LSU, Southern Cal and Oklahoma in addition to our league schedule. Look at Alabama's 2011 non conference schedule: Penn State, Kent State, North Texas and Georgia Southern. That's about as soft of a non-conference schedule as any team can get.

[zoogs]

I don't think it's about cupcakes vs tough major conference teams. It's just, that's a lot of teams from one conference! Weird, huh.

[It'sNotAFakeID]

I don't think it's about cupcakes vs tough major conference teams. It's just, that's a lot of teams from one conference! Weird, huh.

 

Not entirely, I'm sure each team has their own conference they like to grab non-cons from. Ohio State usually schedules a lot of MAC schools. tSEC usually schedules a lot of Sun Belt teams as well. Nothing really odd about it.