2018-19 VU Schedule

[VUGrad1314]

They do know how many home games they have the instant the nonconference schedule is finalized and that's even before the schedule is actually released. They have however many non-con home games they've scheduled plus nine conference games from the double round robin. Until the double round robin is abolished through expansion you'll always know how many home games you have. Even then, I would think that the conference would assure all schools an even home-road split.

[IrishDawg]

Not sure how you can price season tickets until you know how many home games you have.

Including exhibitions, they have 16 home games.

[oklahomamick]

I was an assistant men's soccer coach at Oral Roberts University for a couple of years.  Very very small budget made it difficult to schedule.  Besides Tulsa University, the next closest men's soccer program was Missouri St. (3 hours), UMKC (4 hours) SMU (5 hours) and Central Arkansas (5 hours). 

Often we found ourselves trying to team up with Tulsa University who could attract a heavy hitter to come play them and us.  (Loyola, UIC?) 

We also found ourselves buying dinner and hotel rooms (would always get a good discount because the University had partnerships) for visiting teams.  If we wanted home games we would offer dinners and hotel rooms because that would be less than us getting a charter bus, hotel rooms, eating and traveling to play someone.  It made more financial since for us to buy incoming teams dinner and hotel rooms.   

[VUGrad1314]

I was an assistant men's soccer coach at Oral Roberts University for a couple of years.  Very very small budget made it difficult to schedule.  Besides Tulsa University, the next closest men's soccer program was Missouri St. (3 hours), UMKC (4 hours) SMU (5 hours) and Central Arkansas (5 hours). Often we found ourselves trying to team up with Tulsa University who could attract a heavy hitter to come play them and us.  (Loyola, UIC?) We also found ourselves buying dinner and hotel rooms (would always get a good discount because the University had partnerships) for visiting teams.  If we wanted home games we would offer dinners and hotel rooms because that would be less than us getting a charter bus, hotel rooms, eating and traveling to play someone.  It made more financial since for us to buy incoming teams dinner and hotel rooms.

Are you suggesting this as a model for future scheduling in light of Loyola's Final 4 run? I like it. Let's start with St. Joseph's.

[VU2014]

https://twitter.com/Valpo_Hoops/status/1034956025810616321

Valparaiso coach Matt Lottich embraces 'challenges' of nonconference schedule
Michael Osipoff
Post-Tribune
August 29, 2018

http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/sports/ct-ptb-spt-mens-basketball-valparaiso-notes-st-0830-story.html

[elephtheria47]

No matter how many times he says it or how many articles there are about it, I'll never believe this is a good out of conference schedule. Every year you could load your schedule with buy games if you wanted to...they're the easiest to get. Once the schedule is all D1 and theres a few decent home games, then we can talk. Until then, these articles are fluff pieces.

[VULB#62]

Matt said that it is difficult to get teams to play here at Valpo. Why is at?  Could it be the ARC?  Could it be that we have a 1987 small college gym?  Could it be..... 

What's the biggest arena within 30 miles of the campus?  Get opponents scheduled by having games in whatever venue will attract them. OR upgrade the darned place and make it attractive to play us here.

I'm starting to get tired of the excuses.  Valpo wants to be D-I? Act like it.

[talksalot]

Could it be..... 

that in the past 11 years (since joining the HL) we are 72-11 at home in OOC games?... 21-1 in the past 3 years? (santa clara 2OT loss); 28-2 going back 4 years, adding the loss to New Mexico?

Going back 5 years, I'm still on one hand counting the OOC losses in the "Friendly confines"... 13'14 season 3OT loss to Mercer, Buzzer Beater to SLU and the CIT game to Columbia.

since 2011 we are 45-5 at home.

[vu84v2]

https://twitter.com/Valpo_Hoops/status/1034956025810616321

Valparaiso coach Matt Lottich embraces 'challenges' of nonconference schedule
Michael Osipoff
Post-Tribune
August 29, 2018

http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/sports/ct-ptb-spt-mens-basketball-valparaiso-notes-st-0830-story.html

Best statement from the article: The Crusaders begin a home-and-home at George Washington on Dec. 8. Good to see this specifically mentioned.

Worst quote from the article: And we're home against teams that have been good.  High Point's performance several years ago is virtually meaningless. This could be attributed to Ball State, but the others are non-D1s or teams that have never been above awful in D1.

[VU2014]

No matter how many times he says it or how many articles there are about it, I'll never believe this is a good out of conference schedule. Every year you could load your schedule with buy games if you wanted to...they're the easiest to get. Once the schedule is all D1 and theres a few decent home games, then we can talk. Until then, these articles are fluff pieces.

It actually is a good and tough non conference schedule but the home OOC games are bad this year.

If we did win the majority of the tough P5 opponents and that WKU game, we'd probobly be in the hunt for a at-large bid going into conference play. Would I bet on us winning those games? No.

[crusaderjoe]

since 2011 we are 45-5 at home.

Wow!  With a home record like that we should be drawing at least 4500+ a night...but we're not.  Not even close.  Hmmm, I wonder why?  Could it be...?

[FieldGoodie05]

since 2011 we are 45-5 at home.

Wow!  With a home record like that we should be drawing at least 4500+ a night...but we're not.  Not even close.  Hmmm, I wonder why?  Could it be...?

Could that home success also drive away the type of quality games we search out?  I am not sure of that statement, but you have to figure coaches know the "tough places to play" list quite well.  We as fans get excited when Valpo is listed as a tough environment for visitors but that becomes a double edge sword.  Especially when we were an RPI drag. 

Time will tell with this new metric but I don't have high hopes of great improvement in this category (home OOC).  Considering OOC has shrunk by 1-game due to P6 scheduling more conference games . . .

[FieldGoodie05]

Quick research shows our fellow MVC members home OOC schedules (attached).  Couldn't quickly find UNI or Indian State to this point.

[FieldGoodie05]

Quick research shows our fellow MVC members home OOC schedules (attached).  Couldn't quickly find UNI or Indian State to this point.

Tried using the "attachments and other options" function and nothing happened.  Anyone able to provide guidance?  I have a chart of MVC home OOC schedules I was trying to link.

[FieldGoodie05]

Quick research shows our fellow MVC members home OOC schedules (attached).  Couldn't quickly find UNI or Indian State to this point.

Tried using the "attachments and other options" function and nothing happened.  Anyone able to provide guidance?  I have a chart of MVC home OOC schedules I was trying to link.

Never mind, it's just not that easy to view unless you click deeper into the thread.  It is linked.

[VUGrad1314]

To my knowledge UNI and Indiana State haven't released their schedules yet.

What conclusions do you draw from the data you've compiled?

[VULB#62]

since 2011 we are 45-5 at home.

Wow!  With a home record like that we should be drawing at least 4500+ a night...but we're not.  Not even close.  Hmmm, I wonder why?  Could it be...?

Could that home success also drive away the type of quality games we search out?  I am not sure of that statement, but you have to figure coaches know the "tough places to play" list quite well.  We as fans get excited when Valpo is listed as a tough environment for visitors but that becomes a double edge sword.  Especially when we were an RPI drag. 

Time will tell with this new metric but I don't have high hopes of great improvement in this category (home OOC).  Considering OOC has shrunk by 1-game due to P6 scheduling more conference games . . .

I got a different and slightly more favorable result.  I started with the 2010/11 season (which I assume was the other starting point) and included all regular season home games and post-season home games.  I excluded all exhibitions. 

WINS VS. NON-D-I: 16
WINS VS. D-I: 35
TOTAL WINS: 51
LOSSES VS. NON-D-I: 0
LOSSES VS. D-1: 8
TOTAL LOSSES: 8

The attached spread [click to enlarge] also reflects our OOC home scheduling pattern over the same eight full seasons but does not cover this years scheduling.

[VUGrad1314]

That's a fantastic record but it's kind of cheapened by the fact that over 30% of the wins aren't even against D1 competition. Sometimes it feels like we're scheduling home games more to protect that reputation which will be busted soon anyway if we don't tighten things up in conference play rather than putting together a home schedule that enhances that reputation by attracting the fans necessary to make it a tough raucous environment. Subtract the non-D1s bracket busters conference challenges and postseason games and you get 29-6. Still a very solid mark but not as imposing as 51-8 and it takes some of the best programs we've beaten off the list.

[FieldGoodie05]

To my knowledge UNI and Indiana State haven't released their schedules yet.

What conclusions do you draw from the data you've compiled?

My goal was to assist ppl in realizing that our home OOC schedule is fine when taking into consideration the difficulty we have neutral/road OOC.  But as I sit here looking at it . . . . our home OOC just sucks.

Also, that MVC Illinois schools have a legit home schedule this year.  Southern and Illinois State have some great home games on their slate.

Southern Illinois home games
Buffalo   Arkansas Pine Bluff   Howard   Saint Louis   Murray State   Winthrop

Illinois State home games
Lewis   Augustana   FGCU   Chicago State   Lindenwood   BYU   San Diego State   Ole Miss   Cleveland State

[vu84v2]

Both SIU and Illinois State are examples of a good and realistic home schedule for any MVC team. It looks like Illinois State has a few non-D1s on their regular season home schedule (as well as Chicago State, which should be dismissed from D1 and closed as a university), but they more than make up for it with BYU and San Diego State. SDSU is a really strong get for ISU. FGCU is a solid mid-major to schedule as well.

[VUGrad1314]

To my knowledge UNI and Indiana State haven't released their schedules yet. What conclusions do you draw from the data you've compiled?

My goal was to assist ppl in realizing that our home OOC schedule is fine when taking into consideration the difficulty we have neutral/road OOC.  But as I sit here looking at it . . . . our home OOC just sucks. Also, that MVC Illinois schools have a legit home schedule this year.  Southern and Illinois State have some great home games on their slate. Southern Illinois home games Buffalo   Arkansas Pine Bluff   Howard   Saint Louis   Murray State   Winthrop Illinois State home games Lewis   Augustana   FGCU   Chicago State   Lindenwood   BYU   San Diego State   Ole Miss   Cleveland State

And you haven't even seen UNI yet. Even Indiana State has WKU coming to Terre Haute. Next year is the year for Valpo. No more holdover series from the HL days. Time to step it up in a major way.

Edit: Just checked out UNI's schedule and it looks a lot like Valpo's (unless the final two games left TBA are amazing home games.)

[VULB#62]

ISUr, ISUb and SIU have arenas that can hold a lot more fans than the ARC (or Gentile for that matter). Each has a larger student body to draw from. Given those advantages over "tiny" Valpo, could favorable splits on the gate attract better OOC visitors (or at least make them listen to offers)?  I don't even know if there are splits.

[VU2014]

https://twitter.com/JonRothstein/status/1035592413761466368

[FieldGoodie05]

https://twitter.com/JonRothstein/status/1035592413761466368

That comment is "click bait".  That is like saying if you are not a multi-national corporation you don't contribute to the US economy.  Per Business Insider (2012) 90% of American corporations have less than 20 employees . . .  and 50% of US employment is from small and medium sized businesses.

[VU2014]

It's definitely meant to create a reaction in people but the point still stands that the 20 game conference schedule definitely hurts mid-majors. Mid-Major basketball isn't going anywhere but the already uphill battle is getting even more challenging. Rothstein got a quote from an anonymous Big 10 AD last year, basically admitting to purposely trying to shut out mid-majors from the at-large bid consideration.