a puzzle to me is the pre-conference schedule

[Orangeblue2]

Now, I am a long time fan, long time reader of the site, and a non-alum with relatives and many friends who graduated SU.
I have always been surprised that there is not widespread dissatisfaction with the pre-conference schedule that JB puts together. Put aside the preparation aspect for the rigors of conference play. Syracuse basketball is a major entertainment source for Central NYS.
I realize that to get better programs to come to the Dome, it is necessary to commit to home and home, which JB seems to abhor. But isn't that preferable to the annual parade of Cornell, Lemoyne, Colgate etc. ?
I might have missed a discussion on this, but it seems time to amp up the gauntlet a bit. Other schools in the ACC, except for Duke and Louisville, seem to have improved the pre-ACC home slate. I would like to think I'm not alone in seeing that a new approach would help the program ( and the Syracuse economy) in the long run

 

[orange79]

IMO, the reason we play the schedule we do is because of the ACC schedule we have to play. The same was true in the old BE. You want to load up on power teams in the OOC? No reason to play a Murderer's Row. At all. Unless you want to see low-seeded NCAA teams and/or NIT home games.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

We'll never get bowl eligible.

 

[reedny]

Now, I am a long time fan, long time reader of the site, and a non-alum with relatives and many friends who graduated SU.
I have always been surprised that there is not widespread dissatisfaction with the pre-conference schedule that JB puts together. Put aside the preparation aspect for the rigors of conference play. Syracuse basketball is a major entertainment source for Central NYS.
I realize that to get better programs to come to the Dome, it is necessary to commit to home and home, which JB seems to abhor. But isn't that preferable to the annual parade of Cornell, Lemoyne, Colgate etc. ?
I might have missed a discussion on this, but it seems time to amp up the gauntlet a bit. Other schools in the ACC, except for Duke and Louisville, seem to have improved the pre-ACC home slate. I would like to think I'm not alone in seeing that a new approach would help the program ( and the Syracuse economy) in the long run

This is a POV widely, and (IMO) incorrectly, held by the media. Usually, they quip that SU "hasn't left the Dome" in pre-season (usually not true, but so what). More recently, the criticism has been that we don't play anyone good (also usually not true, but so what).

As 79 says above, SU plays in one of the most difficult conferences in college hoops. In some years, we play Duke twice. We play UNC home and away. We play LV, NCSt., and Pitt (which usually isn't good but has had success street-mugging SU in recent years). With that conference schedule, why beat your team up in November and December when you're trying to build team chemistry and teach players the zone.

Even forgetting the conference, our OOC schedule is often much more difficult than the critics realize. This year it's probably weaker than other years. Even so, it's still top 25. We played two top 25 teams right out of the box. We played a good A-10 team (St. Bonnies) and a decent AAC team (St. Johns). What more do people expect? Our schedule is as difficult as most of the bb power teams. http://www.syracuse.com/orangebaske...g_hardest_college_basketball_this_season.html

 

[OrangeDW]

Now, I am a long time fan, long time reader of the site, and a non-alum with relatives and many friends who graduated SU.
I have always been surprised that there is not widespread dissatisfaction with the pre-conference schedule that JB puts together. Put aside the preparation aspect for the rigors of conference play. Syracuse basketball is a major entertainment source for Central NYS.
I realize that to get better programs to come to the Dome, it is necessary to commit to home and home, which JB seems to abhor. But isn't that preferable to the annual parade of Cornell, Lemoyne, Colgate etc. ?
I might have missed a discussion on this, but it seems time to amp up the gauntlet a bit. Other schools in the ACC, except for Duke and Louisville, seem to have improved the pre-ACC home slate. I would like to think I'm not alone in seeing that a new approach would help the program ( and the Syracuse economy) in the long run

A longtime puzzle to me is whether the people who say this actually look at others school's schedules and notice a difference? We schedule the same way that basically everybody else does.

 

[Cusefan0307]

Now, I am a long time fan, long time reader of the site, and a non-alum with relatives and many friends who graduated SU.
I have always been surprised that there is not widespread dissatisfaction with the pre-conference schedule that JB puts together. Put aside the preparation aspect for the rigors of conference play. Syracuse basketball is a major entertainment source for Central NYS.
I realize that to get better programs to come to the Dome, it is necessary to commit to home and home, which JB seems to abhor. But isn't that preferable to the annual parade of Cornell, Lemoyne, Colgate etc. ?
I might have missed a discussion on this, but it seems time to amp up the gauntlet a bit. Other schools in the ACC, except for Duke and Louisville, seem to have improved the pre-ACC home slate. I would like to think I'm not alone in seeing that a new approach would help the program ( and the Syracuse economy) in the long run

I suggest you look at Everybody else's schedule in the conference. Ours is a lot tougher than most. Besides today's game against UK, Louisville has basically played nobody.

 

[CuseHulk]

I'll keep saying. We should have played our Big Ten/ACC opponent. And that game should have been on Friday or Thursday at the earliest.

And one of ST. Johns/Georgetown/or Villanova.

The Battle for Atlantis which we won was enough test of a non conference schedule alone.

 

[pearl31]

cuz yeah, SU can dictate when their ACC/b1g game is

 

[OrangeXtreme]

I'll keep saying. We should have played our Big Ten/ACC opponent. And that game should have been on Friday or Thursday at the earliest.

You keep ignoring.

The Big Ten/ACC Challenge was MONDAY Nov 30 to WEDNESDAY Dec 2.

And SU has no control over the team it gets assigned, or the day the game is scheduled.

 

[CuseHulk]

You keep ignoring.

The Big Ten/ACC Challenge was MONDAY Nov 30 to WEDNESDAY Dec 2.

And SU has no control over the team it gets assigned, or the day the game is scheduled.

Well if that's the case. Don't play. Coach B took blame maybe he regrets not declining coming off Atlantis.

 

[Orangeblue2]

I suggest you look at Everybody else's schedule in the conference. Ours is a lot tougher than most. Besides today's game against UK, Louisville has basically played nobody.

OK, so I did look at other conference schedules. UNC has played UCLA and Davidson in last 10 days, NC State plays no one, Pittsburgh is a joke and that's part of the reason they have fallen in recent years. UVA has played Villanova , Cal-Berkeley, WVU, and Oakland, just in
this month alone. I really don't want to hear about the ACC-Big 10 challenge, 'cause everyone plays in it. And the battle of Atlantis? chamber of commerce sponsored Carribbean tournaments played in HS Gyms is not germane to this discussion. I am talking about bringing in top 50 programs in November and December to the Dome

 

[OrangeDW]

Well if that's the case. Don't play. Coach B took blame maybe he regrets not declining coming off Atlantis.

 

[OrangeDW]

OK, so I did look at other conference schedules. UNC has played UCLA and Davidson in last 10 days, NC State plays no one, Pittsburgh is a joke and that's part of the reason they have fallen in recent years. UVA has played Villanova , Cal-Berkeley, WVU, and Oakland, just in
this month alone. I really don't want to hear about the ACC-Big 10 challenge, 'cause everyone plays in it. And the battle of Atlantis? chamber of commerce sponsored Carribbean tournaments played in HS Gyms is not germane to this discussion. I am talking about bringing in top 50 programs in November and December to the Dome

So bring in top 50 programs like Oakland and Davidson and West Virginia? That'll pack 'em to the rafters!

Tournaments on neutral courts against other top programs....yeah, what do those games matter? It's not like we hope to play those type of games in March or anything.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

OK, so I did look at other conference schedules. UNC has played UCLA and Davidson in last 10 days, NC State plays no one, Pittsburgh is a joke and that's part of the reason they have fallen in recent years. UVA has played Villanova , Cal-Berkeley, WVU, and Oakland, just in
this month alone. I really don't want to hear about the ACC-Big 10 challenge, 'cause everyone plays in it. And the battle of Atlantis? chamber of commerce sponsored Carribbean tournaments played in HS Gyms is not germane to this discussion. I am talking about bringing in top 50 programs in November and December to the Dome

You're aware that scheduling two home games (even against cupcakes) generates more revenue than scheduling one home game against a Top 50 team (and playing a corresponding road game against another Top 50 team).

Combined attendance for Colgate & Cornell was over 39,200. And the money stays in Central New York. You won't draw anywhere near that for a Top 50 team.

Like you said in your OP, it's all about the local economy.

Keep in mind that we already have Nova, Georgetown, St Johns, and maybe UConn in the home/home rotation.

 

[OrangeDW]

You're aware that scheduling two home games (even against cupcakes) generates more revenue than scheduling one home game against a Top 50 team (and playing a corresponding road game against another Top 50 team).

Combined attendance for Colgate & Cornell was over 39,200. And the money stays in Central New York. You won't draw anywhere near that for a Top 50 team.

Like you said in your OP, it's all about the local economy.

The schedule is fine. Plenty of tough games both home and away, lots of home games, plenty of attractive home games(this will vary a bit by season with the conference schedule shifts), neutral court tournaments against tough teams, playing our old BE rivals, plus the ACC-Big Ten challenge. It's such a non-issue, that it blows my mind that someone could complain about it. We play North Carolina, Duke, Louisville, Wisconsin, Texas A & M, Virginia, Georgetown, St. Johns, UConn, Pitt, Miami, FSU....our schedule is as filled with attractive matchups and tough teams as anyone elses out there.

 

[jncuse]

The schedule now is fine now that we have a BiG challenge game and are locked into some former Big East opponents. I don't mide cupcake games, but there needs to be a balance, which I think we came close to achieving this year.

I think the argument against the schedule though has been valid in many years in the past.

 

[Knicks411]

The schedule now is fine now that we have a BiG challenge game and are locked into some former Big East opponents. I don't mide cupcake games, but there needs to be a balance, which I think we came close to achieving this year.

I think the argument against the schedule though has been valid in many years in the past.

I was one to complain about the schedule in the past, but it's fine now, and it's been fine for the last few years, really.

 

[raf4488]

The OOC this year was pretty damn good. Played 2 top 25 caliber teams (and won both), played the national runner-up, 2 Big East teams on the road.

Considering that our league is probably going to be brutal this year, I think we scheduled fine.

 

[orange79]

Well if that's the case. Don't play. Coach B took blame maybe he regrets not declining coming off Atlantis.

Great idea. Let's flip the middle finger to the conference that saved our bacon and assured our future. Why didn't I think of that?

 

[br801]

I think some people need to go a little easier on the eggnog.

 

[CuseHulk]

Great idea. Let's flip the middle finger to the conference that saved our bacon and assured our future. Why didn't I think of that?

Gotta crack a few eggs to make an omelette.

 

[skurey]

Agreed with those saying the schedule is better this year. I selfishly want to play UK MSU OSU Kansas etc every year but we seem to have a good mix of cupcakes, fringe tourney teams and then the ACC.

 

[orange79]

Gotta crack a few eggs to make an omelette.

Cracking a few eggs gets the conference pissed off at us. Want the worst conference schedule ever? Refuse to play in the Challenge. Want a week 2 bye and then 11 straight football games? Refuse to play in the Challenge. Want every other disadvantage possible that the conference can hand us? Refuse to play in the Challenge.

 

[Orangeblue2]

IMO, the reason we play the schedule we do is because of the ACC schedule we have to play. The same was true in the old BE. You want to load up on power teams in the OOC? No reason to play a Murderer's Row. At all. Unless you want to see low-seeded NCAA teams and/or NIT home games.

Don't agree. We might need something a little bit more compelling than playing at home in Nov. And Dec. vs. Lemoyne, Texas Southern , Montana State, A LOUSY St. John's, Colgate, St. Bonnie, and Cornell to convince the NCAA committee that a 10-8 or whatever conference record is enough to get in.
It's comparable to NC State and Pittsburgh's slate, but not Duke's UNC or UVA's. And those are the programs we are supposed to be on plane with, not the first two. Now I will qualify the Duke schedule with an asterisk because they never play a true road game against a top 50, just at MSG , Brooklyn or Chicago. And they play a lot of home cupcakes. K has ESPN in his back pocket, they are his best recruiters.

 

[OttosBestFriend]

Combined attendance for Colgate & Cornell was over 39,200. And the money stays in Central New York. You won't draw anywhere near that for a Top 50 team.

Top 50, no. SU won't draw near 39K... 23-30k is what you'd get depending on who the top-50 program is, where SU is ranked at the time and what day of the week the game is scheduled.

But bring in a non-ACC top-10 program (Kentucky, Kansas, Arizona, Michigan State, UCLA) or GTown/UConn on a Saturday and you'll get 30K fans or more guaranteed - with most of them paying a premium for tix when compared to prices SU can charge for Colgate and Cornell.