Non-Conference games 2020/2021 season

[vu84v2]

Expect games that do not require airline flights and don't be surprised if games do not require overnight stays. Road/buy games are not likely...but Valpo could get one or two good road games (e.g., Notre Dame, Marquette, Northwestern, DePaul) if they do not require the payment. This schedule is fitting that model, so far.

I have previously been very critical of scheduling, but this year is a completely different and unique situation. We should all be happy if Valpo is playing basketball (and hopefully playing it well against whomever).

[VUGrad1314]

I'd love to get a H and H with DePaul like Loyola got but that probably isn't going to happen for obvious reasons.

[VALPO LI]

Pretty meh schedule to be honest. Don't see any obvious Q1 games and only Wright State looks like a for sure Q2 game except it's a neutral site game so even that's not a given. Let's get a series with Belmont again. Still 4 slots to fill. Hopefully there are some exciting games. Also it's Towson, not Townson.

Home vs. SIU-e and a game against Chicago St. next to be announced.  That gives us 2 slots to fill.
2 non D1?

[VUGrad1314]

Yyyyuck.... Talk about a team that's scheduling like it's just happy to be a hanger on in the MVC and not a team that expects to challenge for anything worthwhile... Pandemic or not this is very disappointing...

Loyola gets DePaul Missouri State gets Missouri We get this.... Don't blame the fans if they don't show up until MVC play starts... That's all we seem to be playing for anyway...

Are we even trying to bring Sasha and Brandon Newman back to the region for a game?

Not to be too negative but this could seriously be a reason why JFL transferred. Even our past mediocre\bad schedules look better than this one...

[VUGrad1314]

Yyyyuck.... Talk about a team that's scheduling like it's just happy to be a hanger on in the MVC and not a team that expects to challenge for anything worthwhile... Pandemic or not this is very disappointing... Loyola gets DePaul Missouri State gets Missouri We get this.... Don't blame the fans if they don't show up until MVC play starts... That's all we seem to be playing for anyway... Are we even trying to bring Sasha and Brandon Newman back to the region for a game? Not to be too negative but this could seriously be a reason why JFL transferred. Even our past mediocre\bad schedules look better than this one...

Okay... I've had a moment to calm down and I realize that this screed is a bit too harsh and out of keeping with the current realities we all face. Better to be a hanger on in the MVC than not in it at all. I have to realize that money is extremely tight for us and was even before the pandemic and the university is most likely and rightfully much more concerned with its very survival than athletic success... This is not a good schedule but vu84v2 is right. At least we have a schedule. For that alone I should be grateful at least for this year. I just wish we would set our sights on basketball and what it can do to save us from the issues confronting the school but I understand the risks of that and that it's probably not practical for us right now. It's just that I love this University and I want to see it ascend to the greatest heights possible. Maybe we're already there and I should be happy right now, but the reason I show this emotion is because I still think there's more that we can become.

[valpo64]

And you ask why WE don't do more to get Sasha and Newman back for as game?  I understood that Purdue didn't want anything to do with a game at VU.  And besides both of those guys being at Purdue isn't exactly the other side of the world playing home games in W. Lafayette.

[EddieCabot]

Updated schedule:
@ Toledo Tue. 11/10
@ UIC Sat. 11/14
Challenge in Music City Nashville TN 11/27-29.
*Townson Towson
* Wright St.
*TBD
Eastern Michigan Sat. 12/5
@ Central Michigan Sat. 12/12
Charlotte Mon. 12/21

I could see Valpo playing at Vanderbilt just after their Challenge.  Vandy will be in Brooklyn for the Legends Classics Nov. 23 and 24th and Valpo in Nashville Nov. 27-29th.

Is the Challenge in Nashville 3 games in a round robin format?

[VALPO LI]

From what I am digging up it lists the Challenge in Music City with 3 teams including Valpo right now.  An earlier source confirms Towson in the Challenge and 3 more teams yet to be determined.

[wh]

Updated schedule:
@ Toledo Tue. 11/10
@ UIC Sat. 11/14
Challenge in Music City Nashville TN 11/27-29.
*Townson Towson
* Wright St.
*TBD
Eastern Michigan Sat. 12/5
@ Central Michigan Sat. 12/12
Charlotte Mon. 12/21

I could see Valpo playing at Vanderbilt just after their Challenge.  Vandy will be in Brooklyn for the Legends Classics Nov. 23 and 24th and Valpo in Nashville Nov. 27-29th.

Lunardi's April early bracketology has Wright State winning the HL:

http://m.espn.com/ncb/bracketologyByRegion?&year=2020&iteration=281&region=4&wjb=

[valpo4life]

Updated schedule:
@ Toledo Tue. 11/10
@ UIC Sat. 11/14
Challenge in Music City Nashville TN 11/27-29.
*Townson Towson
* Wright St.
*TBD
Eastern Michigan Sat. 12/5
@ Central Michigan Sat. 12/12
Charlotte Mon. 12/21

I could see Valpo playing at Vanderbilt just after their Challenge.  Vandy will be in Brooklyn for the Legends Classics Nov. 23 and 24th and Valpo in Nashville Nov. 27-29th.

Lunardi's April early bracketology has Wright State winning the HL:

http://m.espn.com/ncb/bracketologyByRegion?&year=2020&iteration=281&region=4&wjb=

And now we know the last team on the list is Georgia St. Although people might not love this tournament, it is a sneaky good mid major lineup and should be entertaining to watch. Wright St and Georgia St are two of the most uptempo teams in the country.

[bbtds]

And now we know the last team on the list is Georgia St. Although people might not love this tournament, it is a sneaky good mid major lineup and should be entertaining to watch. Wright St and Georgia St are two of the most uptempo teams in the country.

Unfortunately for entertainment value Ron Hunter moved on from Georgia State to Tulane when GSU tried to keep R.J.'s dad by offering him a $25,000 bump in pay per year after making the NCAA tourney 3 years out of 7. Hunter rejected the salary offer and moved on to Tulane in 2019.

https://www.ajc.com/sports/college/what-went-wrong-between-ron-hunter-and-georgia-state/zOpfP2Y9sxOj8bh9QdYNlL/

[VU2014]

Solid tournament. Not great a great field but not a bad field with Georgia State and Wright State. I think we are the "best" program in this field from a historical and reputational standpoint.

https://twitter.com/jonrothstein/status/1266354519983689735?s=21

[VU2014]

Wait what? We're still playing Vandy? I thought they bought us out of the series? Or was it just the home game?

https://twitter.com/rwweinstein/status/1266389283881062400?s=21

[vu72]

Wait what? We're still playing Vandy? I thought they bought us out of the series? Or was it just the home game?

https://twitter.com/rwweinstein/status/1266389283881062400?s=21

Yep. $200k for just the home game.  Wow!  This is GREAT news!  I'll get to see Valpo 2 or 3 times in person here in Nashville!

[vu84v2]

I find it very hard to believe that Vandy will pay Valpo $200K for a home game if they (reasonable best case) can only have 3000-4000 people in their stadium. I hope that I am wrong because the Valpo basketball program is really going to need that type of income.

[vu72]

I find it very hard to believe that Vandy will pay Valpo $200K for a home game if they (reasonable best case) can only have 3000-4000 people in their stadium. I hope that I am wrong because the Valpo basketball program is really going to need that type of income.

I meant to say they paid us 200k to get out of OUR home game.  I have no idea if there is a pay day for us going to Nashville but assume there is something.

[wh]

The first Wright State post about the Music City Shootout was on March 31st. We first learned about it what, yesterday?

I figured we could use a thread devoted to news/discussion on the 2020-2021 schedule. Here's what I have so far:

Home game - Horizon League-Summit League Showdown (November 17/21)
Away game - Horizon League-Summit League Showdown (November 17/21)
Music City Shootout: Valpo, Georgia State, Towson (November 27–29)
Miami (December 5)
@ Western Kentucky (game 3 of a 4-game series)
Tennessee Tech (return game from last year @ Tennessee Tech)



I believe the Toledo, Kent State, and Indiana State contracts are up. It would be nice for one or two of these to be renewed.

I'm not sure if it's confirmed, but with Purdue Fort Wayne joining the Horizon, it seems likely there will be 20 conference games. That would mean there's at most 4 other non-conference games, in addition to a possible MTE.

To no one in particular, or someone in particular, whichever applies:

You feel like a poor boy
A long way from home
You're just a poor boy
A long way from home

And it's wake-up time
Time to open up your eyes
And rise
And shine

Tom Petty

[valpotx]

That's too bad about Ron Hunter, as he is really the only reason that Georgia State became relevant.  They were crap before he got there, and will be crap afterwards.  Regardless, I like the mid-major field + a game at Vandy!

[wh]

Interview with Towson MBB, during which he touches on playing Wright State and Valpo in the Music City Shootout. More than that, he talks about scheduling challenges for Mid Majors and how some conferences are considering adding an 11th team in order to play a 20-game conference schedule. Worth a listen.

https://twitter.com/towsontigers/status/1257687803003092993?s=21

[VUGrad1314]

Yay! Murray State Racers come on down! You're the next contestants in the MVC! I really hope this happens It's 3 years overdue.

[VALPO LI]

SIU-e is confirmed to come to the ARC by Happening Hoops.
That's 3 confirmed homes games scheduled so far at the ARC.

[VALPO LI]

2020-2021 Teams on Valpo's Schedule:

Challenge in Music City Nashville TN.
Towson 19-13. Finished 3rd in CAA (12-6) NET 154.
Wright St. 25-7. Finished 1st in the Horizon (15-3) and lost to UIC in the Semifinals. NET 127.
Georgia St. 19-13. Finished top 5 in the Sun Belt. NET 134.

Home
Eastern Michigan 16-16 5th in the MAC West (6-12) NET 191
Charlotte 16-13 tied for top 3 finish in C-USA (10-8) NET 176.
SIU-e 8-23 bottom of the OVC (5-13) NET 336

AWAY
@Toledo 17-15 3rd MAC West (8-10) NET 137
@Central Michigan 14-18 4th MAC West (7-11) NET 198
@UIC 18-17 Went to the Horizon finals. (10-8) NET 217

NOT CONFIRMED BUT BELIEVED TO BE HAPPENING

@Vanderbilt 11-21 last in SEC (3-15) NET 142
Chicago St. 4-25 winless in the WAC. Only D1 win was against SIU-e. NET 353

That leaves Valpo with 2 more opponents.
Assume 1 is a non D-1 institution? Maybe both?or maybe we will all be surprised with none...

[bbtds]

Maybe Ron Hunter would bring Tulane to the ARC. Wouldn't that be fun for the Green Wave to fly to Chicago in Nov/Dec and get a Loyola, DePaul,  Northwestern or UIC game paired with a game at the ARC? Tulane football plays at Northwestern on September 12 (maybe) for a summer heat breaker.

And Greg Kampe wants to go back to North Dakota----Riiiiiiiiiight!!!!!

[VUGrad1314]

Why are we bothering with series with programs like SIUE and Chicago State when we can probably get a team from the HL MAC SOCON or CUSA at minimum who would be much more interesting.

[VUGrad1314]

According to Happening Hoops our MTE home game is going to be a non D1... Way to listen to Commissioner Elgin there. He said he doesn't want anymore non D1s and yet here we are scheduling non D1s. Are we trying to compete in this conference or did we just put our feet up and say job well done when we got in?