Should B1G go to 10 conference game schedule?

[eyekwah]

10 Game Schedule? Kirk Ferentz said he could see the Big Ten going to 10 conference games. "If we're going to nine, I don't see why not," he said.

There are obviously pros and cons for a 10 game schedule. I think it has more pros than cons. It would provide more opportunities to play teams from the east division. Conference games would probably begin the second week of the season and the ISU game would be iffy, which isn't all that bad.

 

[hawkeyebob62]

Not sure why folks are so "down" on the ISU series, but I wouldn't mind a 10-game schedule. The more conference games we have, the more likely we fill seats, and more East Division folks that have to make hotel reservations, eat in restaurants, etc.

 

[SpecialKHawk]

I say go to 10 conference games and do it immediately as It only makes sense on so many levels.

1. Balance conference schedule (5 home to 5 road)

2. Works great to see more East teams more often (everyone within 3 years)

6 games against the West
1 protected crossover
3 other against East (rotation every 2 years after doing a home and home)
= 10 games each year

3. Tickets are suddenly much more interesting and valuable with more conference opponents especially with the East teams. Can you imagine a schedule with all of our border rivals and a mix of OSU, UM, PSU or MSU? Talk about B1G time!

4. Drop ISU - tired of this series that does absolutely nothing for our program. Playing at Ames is a loss of a home game worth 3-4 million! We are only helping them. I would much rather play someone out of our own conference. How great would it be to have a conference game in week 2 or 3 of the schedule when the weather is great! Can you imagine the intensity right out of the gates with OSU, UM, PSU or MSU rolling into town!

5. Non con would consist of only 2 from the non BCS and these could be sprinkled in anytime during the season like the SEC does.

6. More difficult to qualify for a bowl as each team has to win 4 conference games at a minimum just to get to 6 wins. If an upset happens in the non con then that number goes up to 5. The stakes are even higher within the conference. Also this will leave our crappy teams out of bowls as they will not be able to schedule 4 non con patsies and win only 2 in conference to go to a bowl.

Cons
1. Really difficult to play another BCS opponent in the non con unless they agree to come to your place without a return trip or the payout is big at a nuetral site.

2. Depending on the luck of the draw ... your schedule can be brutal depending on which other 3 you get in the East rotation

3. For Iowa we do not have a natural East rival so our protected cross over might be silly like Purdue is now but oh well who cares.

10 games makes way too much sense so I am all for it. Do it and do it now!

 

[uihawk82]

Not sure why folks are so "down" on the ISU series, but I wouldn't mind a 10-game schedule. The more conference games we have, the more likely we fill seats, and more East Division folks that have to make hotel reservations, eat in restaurants, etc.

Here is why I am sort of down , not totally down, on the ISU series. It is bland and stale to me. Generally poor to average ISU teams playing average to above average Iowa teams. When the hawks are pretty good they can blow out ISU or handle them easily. As others have said, ISU wins in some upsets and generally squeaks by doing so.

Let's imagine and home and home for Iowa vs Arkansas, Okie St, or Georgia instead of ISU. I would love the newness, the new uniforms in Kinnick, the different styles.

 

[SpecialKHawk]

Here is why I am sort of down , not totally down, on the ISU series. It is bland and stale to me. Generally poor to average ISU teams playing average to above average Iowa teams. When the hawks are pretty good they can blow out ISU or handle them easily. As others have said, ISU wins in some upsets and generally squeaks by doing so.

Let's imagine and home and home for Iowa vs Arkansas, Okie St, or Georgia instead of ISU. I would love the newness, the new uniforms in Kinnick, the different styles.

+1000

And going to Ames costs us a chance to play any other BCS team and vacates a home game worth 3-4 million. Remind me how this helps us again? Oh yes there is that built in media statement that 'It is good for the State' which comes from a bunch of ISU grads!

 

[uihawk82]

If you dont go to a 10 game league schedule then another option in these tough to schedule times is, as others have said, play a big 10 team that is not scheduled as a non-league game.

For example , this year we could play penn st as a non-league game if PSU had trouble finding another game. That is a great idea.

But overall i would like to see a 10 game big 10 schedule and always have 5 big 10 home games.

I dont care about the playoff, first goal is win the west and as many
games as possible, second goal win conf regular season and conf title game, third goal get in and win playoff.

I would love to see a 10 game, 5 home game Big 10 schedule, drop ISU and have two decent non-conf games

 

[hawkeyebob62]

Here is why I am sort of down , not totally down, on the ISU series. It is bland and stale to me. Generally poor to average ISU teams playing average to above average Iowa teams. When the hawks are pretty good they can blow out ISU or handle them easily. As others have said, ISU wins in some upsets and generally squeaks by doing so.

Let's imagine and home and home for Iowa vs Arkansas, Okie St, or Georgia instead of ISU. I would love the newness, the new uniforms in Kinnick, the different styles.

I kinda get that, but ISU is at least an in-state rival, for there is justification for playing them. But the positive of a 10-game schedule, whether or not we play ISU, pretty much wipes away any/all complaints about how $EC teams should make up the entirety of the playoff since they beat each other up. With a 10-game schedule to their 8-game schedule, any validity of that complaint disappears, given that THEIR non-con schedules will look like a who's who of sub-par competition.

 

[H8IAST8]

#1 we need to get rid of UNI. I would much rather play ISU than UNI. I think we should try to keep the ISU game, but push for a 2 home vs 1 road but share some of the home gate. If ISU is willing to do home and home series with Toledo, San Jose State, UNLV, Akron, Ark State, etc. If they value the game as much as we think they do I am sure they would try to salvage the series.

 

[uihawk82]

+1000

And going to Ames costs us a chance to play any other BCS team and vacates a home game worth 3-4 million. Remind me how this helps us again? Oh yes there is that built in media statement that 'It is good for the State' which comes from a bunch of ISU grads!

Good points. The landscape of college football has changed so much since the Iowa Legislature mandated the two teams play each other since about 1977.

Right now we are about to see the big 5 conferences bolt from the NCAA if they dont get more of the pie, etc. In this era tell me why Iowa should have to play ISU?

We are guaranteed 7 home games and 5 could be big 10 games each year. We would have to have no more home and away contracts so play a bunch of non-bcs teams as non-conf games, or a BCS team as a one time game at home if some team needs to get a game on its schedule.

 

[uihawk82]

#1 we need to get rid of UNI. I would much rather play ISU than UNI. I think we should try to keep the ISU game, but push for a 2 home vs 1 road but share some of the home gate. If ISU is willing to do home and home series with Toledo, San Jose State, UNLV, Akron, Ark State, etc. If they value the game as much as we think they do I am sure they would try to salvage the series.

#1 Iowa wont be playing UNI or any FCS teams in the near future so that is taken care of.

#2 This post is about a 10 game conf schedule with 12 games overall. If there are always 5 home big 10 games (assuming a 10 game schedule), and if Iowa will always have at least 7 home games out of 12 (which is true), then Iowa would always have to have 2 non-conf games at home, which means then Iowa could not schedule away games with ISU.

The logic is there if the title of this OP is true that Iowa dumps ISU.

 

[tm3308]

Why do people act like we can only play one BCS school in the non-conference and ISU is stealing that spot away? Ditch the UNI's, Western Michigan's, Ball State's, etc.

Week 1: Mid-level BCS (Pitt this year)
Week 2: Solid non-power 5 school (Northern Illinois, as an example)
Week 3: ISU
Week 4: An upper-tier BCS school

Stick with 8 conference games. Sure, it sucks not to play the other divisional teams more, but playing ten games against each other when the conference is as weak as it is will do nothing but hurt the Big Ten in this new era of college football.

 

[tm3308]

#1 Iowa wont be playing UNI or any FCS teams in the near future so that is taken care of.

#2 This post is about a 10 game conf schedule with 12 games overall. If there are always 5 home big 10 games (assuming a 10 game schedule), and if Iowa will always have at least 7 home games out of 12 (which is true), then Iowa would always have to have 2 non-conf games at home, which means then Iowa could not schedule away games with ISU (or any other respectable program, which means we'd get two Ball State-like opponents in the non-conference every year, with no hope of getting anything better).

The logic is there if the title of this OP is true that Iowa dumps ISU.

 

[SpecialKHawk]

#1 we need to get rid of UNI. I would much rather play ISU than UNI. I think we should try to keep the ISU game, but push for a 2 home vs 1 road but share some of the home gate. If ISU is willing to do home and home series with Toledo, San Jose State, UNLV, Akron, Ark State, etc. If they value the game as much as we think they do I am sure they would try to salvage the series.

The UNI thing is a moot point. The B1G has already mandated that the FCS is going away.

Just re-read your words about ISU carefully. Notice how we always have to bend over backwards to help them out in some way. When was the last time they helped us out or were grateful for the help we provide? Show me any example. They are big boys now so why can they not go and do their own thing on their own and we can finally do what is best for us? It is the pure definition of a parasite.

 

[CAARHawk]

For me, a perfect world would involve 14 B1G teams and 14 PAC teams in a system where there are 2 conferences of 2 7 team divisions.

Each team would play their 6 in division rivals 4 teams from their other division 2 home, 2 away and two teams from the other conference - 1 home, 1 away. Then a playoff would start with the top 8 teams with homefield advantage. There would be a predetermined Championship sight.

This would reward the best teams with between 7 and 8 home games, but you would have to earn them.

Right now Iowa's schedule could be something like this.

Minny Home
Cal Away
Wisconsin Away
Maryland Home
Illinois Away
Washington Home
Nw Home
MSU away
PU home
OSU away
Indy home
Nebby away

And that still leaves
Michigan, PSU, USC, Oregon,

Your telling me you wouldn't choose a schedule like this every year?

 

[okeefe4prez]

We should only continue to play ISU if they agree to play every game at Kinnick. Their price gouging and crappy stadium should be enough for them to forfeit the rights to any more home games. Their program is on the level of a mid tier MAC team and as such, they should be expected to travel. I mean, they played AT Tulsa last year - that is not a team that can command a home and home with very many BCS level teams. I would then say the restriction on playing all games in Iowa City would be lifted when Iowa State wins its conference outright and the bowl game/playoff game immediately following the conclusion of the conference schedule.

 

[okeefe4prez]

For me, a perfect world would involve 14 B1G teams and 14 PAC teams in a system where there are 2 conferences of 2 7 team divisions.

Each team would play their 6 in division rivals 4 teams from their other division 2 home, 2 away and two teams from the other conference - 1 home, 1 away. Then a playoff would start with the top 8 teams with homefield advantage. There would be a predetermined Championship sight.

This would reward the best teams with between 7 and 8 home games, but you would have to earn them.

Right now Iowa's schedule could be something like this.

Minny Home
Cal Away
Wisconsin Away
Maryland Home
Illinois Away
Washington Home
Nw Home
MSU away
PU home
OSU away
Indy home
Nebby away

And that still leaves
Michigan, PSU, USC, Oregon,

Your telling me you wouldn't choose a schedule like this every year?

Based on the way Kurt's teams typically play in September, especially on the road against BCS opponents not named ISU, that schedule terrifies me.

 

[ShadasRevenge]

Not sure why folks are so "down" on the ISU series, but I wouldn't mind a 10-game schedule. The more conference games we have, the more likely we fill seats, and more East Division folks that have to make hotel reservations, eat in restaurants, etc.

I don't think it's that folks are down on the ISU series, it's that with a 10-game conference schedule and a 12-game regular season, it would leave Iowa with no flexibility for that remaining non-con game. It'd be a body-bag game, like W. Michigan from last year. A glorified scrimmage. If you're looking at it from the standpoint of not wanting to play 11 Power 5/BCS teams every year, I can understand that.

I personally think that if a 10-game league schedule does happen that it'll be accompanied by adding a 13th game to the regular season.

 

[ShadasRevenge]

If you dont go to a 10 game league schedule then another option in these tough to schedule times is, as others have said, play a big 10 team that is not scheduled as a non-league game.

For example , this year we could play penn st as a non-league game if PSU had trouble finding another game. That is a great idea.

But overall i would like to see a 10 game big 10 schedule and always have 5 big 10 home games.

I dont care about the playoff, first goal is win the west and as many
games as possible, second goal win conf regular season and conf title game, third goal get in and win playoff.

I would love to see a 10 game, 5 home game Big 10 schedule, drop ISU and have two decent non-conf games

Who? With a 10-game schedule, you're not going to get very compelling non-con matchups. Maybe a decent-ish MAC team, and then a bodybag/paycheck game.

 

[SpecialKHawk]

Why do people act like we can only play one BCS school in the non-conference and ISU is stealing that spot away? Ditch the UNI's, Western Michigan's, Ball State's, etc.

Week 1: Mid-level BCS (Pitt this year)
Week 2: Solid non-power 5 school (Northern Illinois, as an example)
Week 3: ISU
Week 4: An upper-tier BCS school

Stick with 8 conference games. Sure, it sucks not to play the other divisional teams more, but playing ten games against each other when the conference is as weak as it is will do nothing but hurt the Big Ten in this new era of college football.

Because I want to play and see more B1G teams. We are a member of the B1G if you have not forgotten. All of my best memories and thrills as a fan come from games against the B1G teams.

If ISU joins the B1G I would be happy to play them because they are a part of the conference but until that time I would much rather play a B1G team.

We are paying a huge price with realignment because of this stupid game against ISU that does nothing for us. Texas no longer plays A&M and Missouri no longer plays Kansas and those were once big rivalry games. A&M and Missouri are doing just fine without those games. I do not hear them pining for the good old days when they played these.

I want to see 2 others from the B1G over a series with ISU any day of the week. Time to move on do what is best for us and what the majority of the fans want.

 

[ShadasRevenge]

#1 we need to get rid of UNI. I would much rather play ISU than UNI. I think we should try to keep the ISU game, but push for a 2 home vs 1 road but share some of the home gate. If ISU is willing to do home and home series with Toledo, San Jose State, UNLV, Akron, Ark State, etc. If they value the game as much as we think they do I am sure they would try to salvage the series.

Iowa State would never (and shouldn't) agree to this, and Iowa (although you never know with Barta) should never be willing to give up part of the home gate.