Sorry if this has been asked, I can't seem to find it.
Outside of conference play, how are schedules created and what goes into it? Obviously location for mid week games, but what about all the early non-conference games? Are the guidelines/rules the same for D1-D3? For all other NCAA sports?
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There are places where programs will post their availability for games, such as http://collegebaseballinsider....tes/2021-open-dates/
This will give you an idea of why you see powerhouse programs in warm-weather states hosting small schools from the north. The small schools benefit by getting the opportunity to play strong out of conference opponents while helping out the program’s budget with the use of “guarantees” and it helps some with the recruiting for the small school as well. The stronger schools benefit by being able to schedule a softer schedule that will fill the W column and providing a slow ramp up for what will likely be tougher in-conference competition.
Thanks, what does a guarantee mean in this scenario?
The guarantee is a payment. This is designed to entice the visiting team to enter into the agreement to play the games. The guarantee is typically larger if playing P5 or nationally strong/well funded programs. The payment may be just enough to cover travel and lodging expenses or could be more to add to the program budget for the season.
nycdad posted:Sorry if this has been asked, I can't seem to find it.
Outside of conference play, how are schedules created and what goes into it? Obviously location for mid week games, but what about all the early non-conference games? Are the guidelines/rules the same for D1-D3? For all other NCAA sports?
A while back, the NCAA punished quite a few P5 teams for having cupcake schedules. They punished them by leaving them out of the regionals, if they were on the bubble. They then expanded the field to 64 for more opportunities, for power teams as well as mid to lower conference teams.
While many teams do need a guarantee to cover expenses, ALL teams choose teams that will help boost their RPI. And many coaches who have relationships with certain programs play them year in and year out. And it's obvious the teams from the cold north have to travel south, for some it's the first time outdoors.
In the end, it's the weaker teams, IMO, that benefit more from playing tough non conference opponents early on.
D2 programs are usually limited due to geography to just a few non conference games before they begin conference play, I cant speak for D3.
collegebaseballrecruitingguide posted:The guarantee is a payment. This is designed to entice the visiting team to enter into the agreement to play the games. The guarantee is typically larger if playing P5 or nationally strong/well funded programs. The payment may be just enough to cover travel and lodging expenses or could be more to add to the program budget for the season.
A local FCS football team was paid $475K to travel to FSU a couple of years ago. 77-6. (They lost.) Those guarantee games are huge part of the budget for some football teams. Weird system.
We're in Iowa and for the first five weeks my son will go to Florida twice, California twice and then to Minneapolis where they will play North Carolina, North Carolina State and Duke — in a dome.
We don't play all the teams in the Big 10, which I find interesting, but seem to have a really tough non-conference schedule. Will be an interesting test for our boys.
Thanks all...My son is going to a school in NE, lots of travel down south and west to start the year. Was just wondering how it was determined.
nycdad posted:Thanks all...My son is going to a school in NE, lots of travel down south and west to start the year. Was just wondering how it was determined.
From my experience a lot of it was based on coaching relationships because it seemed my son was playing against similiar schools every couple years. He also went to college in Northeast.
Iowamom23 posted:We're in Iowa and for the first five weeks my son will go to Florida twice, California twice and then to Minneapolis where they will play North Carolina, North Carolina State and Duke — in a dome.
We don't play all the teams in the Big 10, which I find interesting, but seem to have a really tough non-conference schedule. Will be an interesting test for our boys.
Too many teams in the Big10!
Too many
Bob
