Fresh off of twitter...9 game conference schedule...

[PhoenixHawk]

The biggest issue that no one has mentioned with the 9 gm conf schedule is the imbalance they've created WITHIN divisions. This is HUGE. Half of one division playing 5 home & 4 away while the other half plays the opposite? Just stupid. Home field may be the biggest factor in determining these games.

I like the 9 gm conference schedule, but how this wasn't implemented as ENTIRE divisions playing the same # of home & roads is quite honestly pathetic. People complain about alignment, logos & division names; this scheduling failure is of epic proportions. Just flat terrible.

Should have been...
Yr 1 Legends plays 5 Home conf & 4 Roads
Yr 2 Leaders plays 5 Home conf & 4 Roads

Quite honestly I do not see how it wasn't done this way.

Serious question: Could it be done this way considering each team is playing 5 games in its division, and 4 games from the other division each year? I don't know, and trying to do the math gives me a headache.

 

[TylerSash]

If that happens it will be interesting to see how the University handles season ticket prices. Do they change every year because of the alternation between 7 and 8 home games, or do they increase them the first year we go to 8 games and just say F it?

Im guessing it would be the latter.

What are you talking about?

It will always be 7 home games. Either 5 BIG and 2 cupcakes, or 4 BIG, ISU, and 2 cupcakes.

 

[treychase]

Eh that's not that big of a deal to me. The schedule's have never been balanced before. When you miss two teams every year some years you're going to miss OSU and Michigan other years Illinois and Indiana. So even if they did give each division the same amount of home games the schedules still wouldn't be equal.

You're right in that unless everyone plays everyone its not perfectly balanced.
However, this scheduling imbalance was EASILY avoidable.

Here's a scenario:
Iowa is 10-1
Nebraska is 10-1
Iowa has to go to Lincoln for their 5th conference road game & Nebraska's 5th home game.
Fair? Balanced?
No, its stupid.

The issue is that this was avoidable, with almost no effort.

 

[treychase]

What are you talking about?

It will always be 7 home games. Either 5 BIG and 2 cupcakes, or 4 BIG, ISU, and 2 cupcakes.

It won't be 7 for much longer.
Many programs(mich, psu & even Illinois) are already at 8.
Iowa will be at 8 each yr before long.

 

[ICHawk24]

Some teams have had individual seasons with 8 home games, but it hasn't been a habit.

It certainly won't be once a 9 game conf schedule is implemented. Even if you play every single OOC game at home, you would have 7 home games one year, with 8 home the next.

 

[Section136]

What are you talking about?

It will always be 7 home games. Either 5 BIG and 2 cupcakes, or 4 BIG, ISU, and 2 cupcakes.

So we are only going to play 2 out of conference games when we have 5 home conference games and drop ISU? Interesting.

If we drop ISU it could be 3 cupcakes plus 5 home conference games every other year. 3+5=8.

 

[Section136]

Some teams have had individual seasons with 8 home games, but it hasn't been a habit.

It certainly won't be once a 9 game conf schedule is implemented. Even if you play every single OOC game at home, you would have 7 home games one year, with 8 home the next.

Thats why I wondered how the University would handle season ticket prices with unequal home games every year.

 

[treychase]

Some teams have had individual seasons with 8 home games, but it hasn't been a habit.

It certainly won't be once a 9 game conf schedule is implemented. Even if you play every single OOC game at home, you would have 7 home games one year, with 8 home the next.

You're absolutely correct & that one "extra" home gate for Iowa is worth $4.5M in tickets alone. For Michigan that number is over $6.5M.

The end game here is obvious to me. This is just the next step.
Eventually, Iowa, and probably the entire B1G will play this 7, 8 home schedule.
Meaning 7 homes one year, 8 the next.
That's too big a payday for it not to happen.
So, Iowa may continue to play ISU for eternity, but eventually all those games will be at Kinnick.

 

[ICHawk24]

I disagree with your premise. If the B10 wanted to maximize their ability to schedule home games, going to 9 conference games is the exact opposite of what you should do. They would have gone to 7 conference games and schedule 5 OOC home games per year.