wvucrazed Wrote:GreenBison Wrote:wvucrazed Wrote:my understanding is that WVU will not schedule Marshall until they complete the 3 game series in Morgantown that they had already agreed to, but then dropped out when they wanted to change the terms after the fact, and play 1 game in Huntington.
WVU cancelled a lucrative series w/ Louisville to schedule Marshall, and then had to scramble to find 2 home games (Idaho and Tulsa) when Marshall backed out of the remaining 2 games.
So while WVU may be "interested" in playing Marshall - at least when speaking to the press - I wouldn't count on anything other than Marshall agreeing to complete their 2 games in Morgantown, before we would even discuss a series which would bring WVU to Huntington.
I'm not here to start a pissing match, so I'll just make this one post about your comment and stop there.
Show me ONE source that proves what you just typed out. Until then, it's all speculation by a bunch of WVU fans.
Ok, I might make one more post on the subject.... but that's it. 
NO FRONTYARD BRAWL TALKS PLANNED
Publication: THE CHARLESTON GAZETTE
Published: 09/03/1997
Headline: NO FRONTYARD BRAWL TALKS PLANNED
Byline: DANNY WELLS
SENIOR WRITER
Now that the dust has settled on the first West Virginia-Marshall
football game in 74 years, it's only natural to start talking about a rematch.
Save your breath.
And don't even mull holding your breath until the two state
universities get together again on a football field.
"Heck, yeah, we would like to play Marshall again,' WVU Athletic
Director Ed Pastilong said Tuesday in a phone interview, "but we don't have any openings in our schedule until 2005.'
Pastilong noted that he and then-Marshall athletic director Lee Moon agreed in February, 1996, to schedule three football games: 1997, 1998 and 1999.
"We worked out openings for Marshall by taking Louisville off our
schedule,' said Pastilong.
"Then Marshall called and said they only wanted to play the one game.
They didn't say why they wanted to drop the other two. It was a
serious situation for us because we had to find two new opponents.'
Pastilong was successful in filling the 1998 and 1999 vacancies with Tulsa and Miami of Ohio.
The WVU A.D. said his school now has three nonconference games and seven conference games scheduled in 2005. That leaves an opening of one.
"But if Connecticut comes into the Big East, that will take care of the last opening,' said Pastilong.
Pastilong said he only has one nonconference game scheduled for 2006.
He added, though, that no discussions with Marshall are scheduled.
"It's impossible to discuss it because we just don't have any openings on our schedule,' he said.
Marshall athletic director Lance West, however, is holding out hope that an opening will occur in the WVU schedule before 2005.
"We want to play West Virginia in all sports, including football,'
said West. "We are open to work out a game at the first possible date.
It's my understanding that they're booked in the near future. But if someone would drop a game and West Virginia would suddenly have an open date, we could work something out.'
West said he discussed a future game with WVU briefly during a meeting with Pastilong on Saturday morning in Morgantown.
West said he did not know why Marshall backed out of its commitment to play West Virginia in 1998 and 1999.
"That happened before I became athletic director,' he said.
Both athletic directors were pleased with the way things turned out
last Saturday.
"It was a real good day for everybody,' said Pastilong.
"It was a great thing for the state,' said West.
From Chuck Landon
3/21/96
.....Once that hurdle was cleared, the next obstacle was financial
arrangements. WVU historically plays a Mid-American Conference team
(Marshall is scheduled to join the MAC in 1997) in its home opener, but
the Mountaineers never pay the MAC opponent more than the standard
$150,000 guarantee.
Marshall officials balked at that payout and for a time the financial
constraints appeared to put the game in jeopardy. But when WVU upped the
ante, that closed the deal.
"It's a very, very good contract," said Pastilong. "It's the best we've
ever put together. We couldn't do this year-in, year-out."
Besides the standard $150,000 guarantee, Marshall will receive 7,300
tickets to sell at $22 apiece and keep all that revenue. If the game is
a sellout, as expected, Marshall will realize a $310,000 payday.
"The contract is very incentive driven," said Pastilong. "If the game is
a sellout, Marshall will realize a little over $300,000 and we'll get
$500,000. We'll make a little bit more money than we normally do and
Marshall will make a little bit more than they normally do.
"But we couldn't do this on a yearly basis. Normally, we give the MAC
schools a $150,000 guarantee and 5,000 tickets to sell. Then, they give
that ticket revenue back to us. So, that shows what an attractive deal
this is for both sides."
From the Louisville Courier Journal 12/9/95
...The University of Louisville announced today that a series
between West Virginia and the Cardinals has been canceled. Associate
Athletic Director Kevin Miller said, "West Virginia has exercised
their option to purchase the series for future considerations."
Louisville and WVU was to continue a rivalry that started in 1984
and the series was to start in Morgantown in 1997 with Louisville
returning in 98 and 2000. West Virginia was to play in Louisville
in 1999. "A replacement will be named at a future date" said Miller.
I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree
WISH MORE MARSHALL-WEST VIRGINIA GAMES WERE ON THE HORIZON
Publication: THE CHARLESTON GAZETTE
Published: 06/27/1997
Page: P1B
Headline: WISH MORE MARSHALL-WEST VIRGINIA GAMES WERE ON THE HORIZON
Byline: TONY O'LEARY
STAFF WRITER
For Don Nehlen and Bob Pruett, there is only one drawback to the Aug.
30 football game between West Virginia and Marshall.
It's just a one-time deal at least until 2005.Each coach called the highly-anticipated, intra-state contest a
"win-win" for both schools Thursday afternoon at a McJunkin
Corp.-Alley Cats family picnic. The two sat side-by-side under a tent
to answer questions - mostly about the obvious - and sign autographs.
"There's more football being talked about in the state of West
Virginia this early in the summer than ever before. We should play
every year regardless of the outcome," said M.U.'s Pruett, a Beckley
native and M.U. grad.
Echoed WVU's Nehlen, "We can fill the stadium playing Marshall. Why
should we be playing other [Mid-American Conference] teams or to be
honest with you, East Carolina? That's not to downplay East Carolina,
but the problem is schedules are worked out so far in advance."
WVU assistant athletic director Mike Parsons said Thursday that the
Mountaineers' schedule is set through 2004 and there are no
discussions at present with Marshall officials.
Parsons said there were negotiations about more games when the first
WVU-M.U. game became official in March of 1996. However, an impasse
was reached, in part, when then-M.U. athletic director Lee Moon
insisted WVU make at least one trip to Huntington.Marshall's move to NCAA Division I-A from I-AA prominence helped
facilitate this year's matchup. The teams have met four times before,
but not since WVU's 81-0 romp in 1923. The other three WVU wins, all
in Morgantown, were 17-15 in 1911, 20-0 in 1914 and 92-6 in 1915.
Pruett said he hopes the drought doesn't last as long.
"In the last 10 years, a West Virginia school has played for eight
national championships. [WVU] has played for two [1988 and 1993] and
we have played for six [I-AA titles in 1987, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995
and 1996].
"No other state around can say that. Let's showcase that. Why debate
it Let's play and go on," Pruett said.
(Actually it's nine. Glenville State played in the 1993 NAIA title
game.)
The Thundering HERD capped its I-AA stay with a 15-0 record and a
second national title. Pruett said he isn't sure how much of an
adjustment it will be at the new level, competing in the MAC.
"Marshall hasn't won a Division I game since 1987. We open with WVU
and Army, two top-25 programs that played in bowls last year so the
price of poker has gone up at our university. I think we can be
competitive at this level. If we can't, then we're going to do the
things we need to do to be competitive," he said.
WVU has played a MAC team every year since 1987 but none have ever
sold-out the 63,500-seat Mountaineer Field. The Mountaineers haven't
sold-out a season-opener since its 1991 game against Pitt.
The best and worst attended games against MAC teams since 1990 came in
consecutive years. WVU drew 52,346 for Kent State in 1990 and 32,597
for Bowling Green in 1991. Last year, attendance for the Western
Michigan game was 47,938 when the Mountaineers went 8-4 and played in
the Gator Bowl.
Neither coach said their players can escape the inevitable hype of
what some souvenir-makers are calling "The Front Yard Brawl."
"I think that is sort of natural because everyone is talking about the
game. But for the coaches, it's the first game of hopefully a 12- or
13-game season. We're telling our players our goal is to win the MAC
and go to a bowl," Pruett said.
Nehlen figured it might help. He said the media's downplaying of past
MAC opponents have made it hard for coaches to prepare the players for
them.
"You guys have already told our kids how lousy MAC teams are. That
won't happen now because our kids know how good Marshall is."
The two coaches have exchanged 1996 game films but neither is
preoccupied yet with specific game-day strategies - only the customary
compliments.
"Marshall is one heck of a team and we better be ready for them,"
Nehlen said.
"Coach Nehlen is telling us this is the best defense he's had in a
while," Pruett said.
Pruett said approximately 50 players stayed in Huntington this summer,
including quarterbacks Chad Pennington and Mark Zban and receivers
Randy Moss and Jerald Long.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
PASTILONG DISHES CREDIT FOR '97 WVU-MARSHALL CONTEST
Publication: THE CHARLESTON GAZETTE
Published: 03/22/1996
Page: P1B
Headline: PASTILONG DISHES CREDIT FOR '97 WVU-MARSHALL CONTEST
Byline: MITCH VINGLE
The only words that came to mind were those of Popeye.
Well blow me down.
"We used your format,' said West Virginia athletic director Ed
Pastilong.
The A.D. spoke of Wednesday's announcement that WVU and Marshall will
play a football game in 1997. In a column two weeks ago, I suggested the
Mountaineers pay M.U. a flat fee of $150,000. Then I suggested the
administrators figure the average crowd for a WVU-Mid-American
Conference game and split whatever money Marshall draws above that.
"We thought there were some good suggestions in that column and we
discussed them,' said Pastilong.
In the end, WVU decided to indeed pay $150,000 and give Marshall 7,300 tickets with any additional revenue to be split. That's a little more
generous than I proposed. But it's nice that the two sides got together
before the politicians got involved. And - even if Pastilong was just
being kind - it's nice to think they were open to suggestions. Most
athletic administrators would never dish credit.
Whatever, the WVU athletic director said a simple approach got the two
sides through an impasse.
"We said, 'Hey, let's play a game, then back off and see what happens,'"
said Pastilong. "That way we could eliminate arguing over who would play
where when in future years.
"You can get too many things on a table.'
Amen. Squabbles will probably surface again in future meetings, but the
good news is a deal is done.
"It's the type of contract we can't do every year,' said Pastilong.
"But with 1997 being Marshall's first year in Division I-A we thought it
the right thing to do. There's a lot of interest.
"Now we'll just back off until after 2000 and see then.'
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
WVU SEEING BIG GREEN
Publication: THE CHARLESTON GAZETTE
Published: 03/21/1996
Page: P1B
Headline: WVU SEEING BIG GREEN
Byline: BOB BAKER
"They should have announced this game on St. Patrick's Day because we're
going to play the Big Green,' WVU coach Don Nehlen
said Wednesday.
After months of negotiations, WVU and Marshall have finally agreed to
play each other in football next year.
The Mountaineers will play the Thundering HERD in the 1997 opener for
both teams on Saturday, Aug. 30, at Morgantown, the schools announced in
a joint statement.
"This will be an exciting time for Marshall University, our fans,
players and coaches. I can think of no better way to begin I-A football
play than playing WVU in a jam-packed Mountaineer
Field. What a great day for the state of West Virginia that will be,'
Marshall athletic director Lee Moon said.
The kickoff time has not yet been determined.
The contract is for one game only. West Virginia will pay Marshall a
flat fee of $150,000 and will provide the HERD with 7,300 tickets. Marshall will retain all revenue from the tickets.
Marshall could receive more than $300,000. For instance, WVU is charging
$22 for single game tickets this fall. If the same price stays in effect
for 1997, Marshall would get $160,600 if it sells all 7,300 tickets
along with the $150,000 guarantee for a total of $310,600.
Although the game is a change from the normal WVU contract in which WVU
pays the visiting team a guarantee but retains all ticket revenue, the
Mountaineers still should end up ahead financially with the game an
almost-certain sellout in 63,500-seat Mountaineer Field.
Both schools will share equally in any revenues obtained from special
sponsorships, promotions or licensing agreements made specifically for
the game.
It's not clear if WVU and Marshall will play other games. WVU athletic
director Ed Pastilong said the Mountaineers are fully scheduled through
2000 but will continue discussions with Marshall.
WVU was originally slated to play at home against Louisville in 1997 but
Louisville officials wanted out of that game in order to play a home
game with another team, the A.P. reported. That left the opening to book
Marshall.
MY NOTE: and you guys insisted that WVU had to buy Louisville out????
"We are happy that we were able to adjust our 1997 schedule to play
Marshall. Moving up to Division I-A is a major commitment and we want to
assist them in facing that challenge,' Pastilong said.
The schools had discussed the possibility of the HERD replacing Western
Michigan on WVU's 1996 schedule but that could not be worked out.
A letter from Moon to WVU officials was made public in which Moon
suggested that WVU play one game in Huntington for two in Morgantown.
The game at WVU will be Marshall's first as a major college team with 85
scholarships. The HERD will leave the Division I-AA Southern Conference
after the 1996 season to become a member of the I-A Mid-American
Conference.
The game is a "win-win situation for everyone,' Nehlen said.
"Traditionally we've had a Mid-American Conference team on our schedule.
This is by far the best school we could have because it's difficult for
us to play a Western Michigan or a Bowling Green when you don't hear
much about them. Our kids hear a lot more about Marshall,' Nehlen said.
"And it will be a good deal for us financially because we'll put 65,000
in the stands,' he added.
WVU has not drawn well against MAC teams in recent years. For instance,
WVU had 52,346 for Kent State in 1990, 32,597 for Bowling Green in 1991,
45,418 for Miami, Ohio, in 1992, 50,483 for Eastern Michigan in 1993,
50,063 for Ball State in 1994 and 46,624 for Kent State in 1995.
Nehlen remembers playing Marshall while coaching Bowling Green from 1966
to 1976. "When I first started coaching in the MAC, Marshall was a
member of the league,' he recalled. Nehlen had a 5-2 record against
Marshall while at Bowling Green.
Since becoming the WVU coach in 1980, Nehlen said he's pulled for the
Thundering HERD to do well in the S.C. and in I-AA playoffs.
"I've always been high on Marshall's program. I've always hoped when
they played that they would win. This will be the first time that I'll
ever hope that they lose,' Nehlen said.
"I'll always respected their school and I've always respected their
coaching. I like Bob [new Marshall coach Bob Pruett] and think they made
a good choice of a coach. He's a good guy,' Nehlen added.
Pruett couldn't be reached for comment on the game.
The university presidents said in the joint statement that they were
pleased that the game could be arranged.
"The long-awaited football game between Marshall and West Virginia
universities is a reality and I want to commend athletic directors Moon
and Pastilong for their resolve in reaching an equitable arrangement for
this first contest. Regardless of the ultimate outcome on the field, the
entire state of West Virginia is the winner,' said Marshall president
J. Wade Gilley.
During Marshall's announcement last June of its move to I-A, Gilley said
he hoped to see the HERD play WVU before he retired.
"There are many ways that WVU has collaborated with
Marshall University, and I am pleased that we have found yet another
way. Additionally, it will be another opportunity to bring attention to
higher education in our state,' said WVU president David C. Hardesty
Jr.
WVU and Marshall haven't met in football since 1923. They played four
games early in the century and WVU won all four: 17-15 in 1911 at
Morgantown, 20-0 in 1914 at Morgantown, 92-6 in 1915 at Huntington and
81-0 in 1923 at Morgantown
/
Big East football facing major scheduling problems
