Schedule Finalized (Finally)

[mtgrizrule]

I think many of the "name" schools would love to play in Missoula, but face it, many of the games are in the worst part of winter and for a SoCal or warm climate school to chance a cancellation, or even a long travel delay would really upset their schedule. Like it or not, UM has to go on the road, even though they also face the weather hazards. But, win the games you schedule, and the conference and you will play a "name" school...

the winter weather is not any worse now than it was 10, 20 or 30 years ago. I agree no one expects the LA Pac 12 schools to come to Missoula, but it is not unreasonable to expect to see a Pac 12 school from Washington, Oregon, Colorado or Utah to make the trip to Missoula occasionally.

Not many bigger programs want anything to do with this years team, lead by Will Cherry (schedule came out before his injury). Cherry and Jamar, are a very talented back court tandem, and can play with most in the nation.

A raucous home court for bigger opponent is huge too. Big conference teams want nothing to do with the GRIZ!

we need to stop with the "they are afraid to play us" garbage. It just IS NOT TRUE. Other Mid-Majors with RPI equal to or better than Montana are able to host a name school every year. Playing in the NCAA tournament 4 times a decade, and a conference win in the tournament every 15 - 20 years does not scare teams that play tournament teams every weekend during conference play (and again, Montana used to schedule home games against these teams in the 80's and 90's when they either went to the tournament to were invited to the NIT. And the crowds were light years more rowdy than they are now. This arguement holds no water at all.

This season
UW is playing @ Seattle U (yes cross town game, but Seattle U was NAIA a decade ago.
WSU is playing at Pepperdine
UO is playing at UTEP
Cal is playing at Denver U
Utah is playing at SMU and Texas State
Colorado is playing at Fresno State and Wyoming

All of these are mid major teams like Montana, some maybe a little stronger others a little weaker, but all
able to schedule a Pac 12 home game. To bring in better teams requires a focus on the REAL problem$, not the excuses.

Scared is too strong of a word. More accurate would be, Big Conference teams can cost themselves a seed or a few, if by chance the GRIZ did beat them. Playing at Dahlberg increases the likelihood. Maybe the GRIZ should take on as many tough road games as they can, until they get the attendance they have earned. Winning tough road games, can help any Big Sky team, and increase the RPI too. I think it would be best, if all BSC teams schedule tougher road games.

GRIZ and Weber State programs, are both NCAA Tournament caliber programs over the last few years. The problem is, the conference is weak as a whole, in the eyes of the NCAA and selection committees.

I would love for the GRIZ to move out of the conference, for the sake of basketball. Too bad, football is the only thing that matters.

 

[keena52]

I think many of the "name" schools would love to play in Missoula, but face it, many of the games are in the worst part of winter and for a SoCal or warm climate school to chance a cancellation, or even a long travel delay would really upset their schedule. Like it or not, UM has to go on the road, even though they also face the weather hazards. But, win the games you schedule, and the conference and you will play a "name" school...

the winter weather is not any worse now than it was 10, 20 or 30 years ago. I agree no one expects the LA Pac 12 schools to come to Missoula, but it is not unreasonable to expect to see a Pac 12 school from Washington, Oregon, Colorado or Utah to make the trip to Missoula occasionally.

Not many bigger programs want anything to do with this years team, lead by Will Cherry (schedule came out before his injury). Cherry and Jamar, are a very talented back court tandem, and can play with most in the nation.

A raucous home court for bigger opponent is huge too. Big conference teams want nothing to do with the GRIZ!

we need to stop with the "they are afraid to play us" garbage. It just IS NOT TRUE. Other Mid-Majors with RPI equal to or better than Montana are able to host a name school every year. Playing in the NCAA tournament 4 times a decade, and a conference win in the tournament every 15 - 20 years does not scare teams that play tournament teams every weekend during conference play (and again, Montana used to schedule home games against these teams in the 80's and 90's when they either went to the tournament to were invited to the NIT. And the crowds were light years more rowdy than they are now. This arguement holds no water at all.

This season
UW is playing @ Seattle U (yes cross town game, but Seattle U was NAIA a decade ago.
WSU is playing at Pepperdine
UO is playing at UTEP
Cal is playing at Denver U
Utah is playing at SMU and Texas State
Colorado is playing at Fresno State and Wyoming

All of these are mid major teams like Montana, some maybe a little stronger others a little weaker, but all
able to schedule a Pac 12 home game. To bring in better teams requires a focus on the REAL problem$, not the excuses.

Scared is too strong of a word. More accurate would be, Big Conference teams can cost themselves a seed or a few, if by chance the GRIZ did beat them. Playing at Dahlberg increases the likelihood. Maybe the GRIZ should take on as many tough road games as they can, until they get the attendance they have earned. Winning tough road games, can help any Big Sky team, and increase the RPI too. I think it would be best, if all BSC teams schedule tougher road games.

GRIZ and Weber State programs, are both NCAA Tournament caliber programs over the last few years. The problem is, the conference is weak as a whole, in the eyes of the NCAA and selection committees.

I would love for the GRIZ to move out of the conference, for the sake of basketball. Too bad, football is the only thing that matters.

I totally agree with everything you said grizrule! A schedule like Long Beach had last year! :thumb:

 

[GrizLA]

I think many of the "name" schools would love to play in Missoula, but face it, many of the games are in the worst part of winter and for a SoCal or warm climate school to chance a cancellation, or even a long travel delay would really upset their schedule. Like it or not, UM has to go on the road, even though they also face the weather hazards. But, win the games you schedule, and the conference and you will play a "name" school...

the winter weather is not any worse now than it was 10, 20 or 30 years ago. I agree no one expects the LA Pac 12 schools to come to Missoula, but it is not unreasonable to expect to see a Pac 12 school from Washington, Oregon, Colorado or Utah to make the trip to Missoula occasionally.

Not many bigger programs want anything to do with this years team, lead by Will Cherry (schedule came out before his injury). Cherry and Jamar, are a very talented back court tandem, and can play with most in the nation.

A raucous home court for bigger opponent is huge too. Big conference teams want nothing to do with the GRIZ!

we need to stop with the "they are afraid to play us" garbage. It just IS NOT TRUE. Other Mid-Majors with RPI equal to or better than Montana are able to host a name school every year. Playing in the NCAA tournament 4 times a decade, and a conference win in the tournament every 15 - 20 years does not scare teams that play tournament teams every weekend during conference play (and again, Montana used to schedule home games against these teams in the 80's and 90's when they either went to the tournament to were invited to the NIT. And the crowds were light years more rowdy than they are now. This arguement holds no water at all.

This season
UW is playing @ Seattle U (yes cross town game, but Seattle U was NAIA a decade ago.
WSU is playing at Pepperdine
UO is playing at UTEP
Cal is playing at Denver U
Utah is playing at SMU and Texas State
Colorado is playing at Fresno State and Wyoming

All of these are mid major teams like Montana, some maybe a little stronger others a little weaker, but all
able to schedule a Pac 12 home game. To bring in better teams requires a focus on the REAL problem$, not the excuses.

I still think weather has much to do with it and the chance of fog..The Big Time conferences are now so tied into their own networks or ESPN, etc. that just the mere chance of a delay or missed connection, can mean big money to them..I don't like it, but if I were a Pac 12, SEC or other program, I would have to look twice and think three times about scheduling Montana at home in winter. Maybe, the solution would be in the conference CEO to work with the Big 10, and the midwest schools who could schedule a weekday game in Missoula en route to Pullman or Seattle or Eugene or Spokane. Good teams love competition so to think they won't play Montana because they risk losing is simply not true...sooner or later, if the Griz are good, they will play the top teams in the tourney or a holiday tourney..for now, I think this is a fair schedule especially since Cherry might not be ready for a long time...

 

[Grizbeer]

To bring in better teams requires a focus on the REAL problem$, not the excuses.

We all wish those things, but wishing won't make it happen, wishing won't bring in higher profile teams, and wishing won't reverse the slide in attendance. That takes vision, planning and action. I am hopeful our new AD will make it happen.

I've read this entire thread, Grizbeer, and I don't know what exactly you think UM needs to do. What does it mean to "focus on the real problems?" What specifically does having "vision, planning and action" mean? Can you describe in behavioral terms what you want UM to do?

Wells I guess what I mean is schedule 1 team a year that fans are excited to see (do you remember the excitement when it was announced we would pay Stanford). So, what does that take? Probably money, I suspect (I am not an athletic director, so just guessing here). How do you get that money? Good question. But I think there was a guy at the Adams center a couple weeks ago that gave a few hundred thousand (if not millions) of dollars to another guy that once gave him a haircut. If I might be wrong, but think that guy liked BB enough to name his band MOOKIE BLAYLOCK and goes to a few games each year.And that guy plays a hell of a bass and might be willing to chip in $100k to schedule a really good team each year. But I am just spit balling here. AWF I thin you are pob one of our smarter and better fans, do you have any better ideas?