Future OOC Games

[VULB#62]

This is a copy/paste from MLB's AD report sent out to Crusader Club members.  I have attached the Schedule Table [Click to enlarge].  Mark does a good job in explaining the scheduling strategy -- a strategy I am in line with.

Division I Football Championship Subdivision schools play a standard 11 game schedule. With 8 games dedicated to Pioneer Football League play that leaves three non-conference games. Ideally each year we will play one game against an FCS team with a full complement of scholarships, one game against a Division I opponent with some scholarship restrictions (Ivy League, Patriot League or Northeast Conference) and one game against a regional Division II or NAIA school.

Games against full scholarship teams allow our players to test themselves against top competition and in memorable environments. In addition the guarantee pay outs for these games now regularly exceed $100,000 and this money is reinvested into the football program. Patriot, Ivy and Northeast teams are our best option to schedule home and home series against other Division I programs, since they do not offer as much scholarship support. Top level PFL teams over the last couple seasons have proven able to win these games. Lastly, with the high level of the other two games, ideally our third non-conference opponent each year will balance the schedule with less of a challenge. We will look regionally to NAIA and some Division II programs to fill this spot.

We want our football non-conference schedule to help move the program forward and prepare us for Pioneer Football League play. Our current approach does so by offering a good mix of competition levels, bringing in additional resources, signaling our place as a Division I program and appealing to recruits. Below is a look at our non-conference opponents over the next several seasons and how each one fits with the three scheduling categories outlined above.