What is the idea behind UTSA's non conference schedule in 2013, 2014, and 2015? Why did they schedule such tough opponents?

For some of those games, does UTSA get a pay day? For example, UTSA plays Oklahoma State twice on the road and once at home. Is Oklahoma State paying UTSA some money because it's not an even split of games home and away? How much money exchanges hands in those scenarios?

Don't know the specifics, but usually when a smaller school plays at a big-time school they get a payday (for some reason $100K comes to mind, but I'm sure it varies). When it is a 2-for-1 home-away-away series, not sure we get any money. I think we give them two home games just to get one here. Once we are established and successful, I'm sure it will even out...especially since schools want to play here for the recruiting advantages.

Our OOC played a role in us landed in a better conference.

I'm all about playing up. Gives us some extra coin, possible TV exposure and good recruiting. Imagine if by some miracle we knock off a known school. Vaults our program.

Down side, a man can only get his skull beat in so much. Games have to be somewhat competitive or this could get ugly fast.

Which OOC games will have to be deleted. UTSA has up to 6 non conf. games scheduled each year, and there are only room for 4. A few games will have to go. To me it looks like the Virginia series will have to be cancelled or moved back a few years. Maybe move the Arizona or K State series back also. What do you think.

2013
Aug. 31___________at New Mexico_________________________________________ Albuquerque, N.M.
Sept. 7_ ___________Oklahoma State_________________________________________ San Antonio, Texas
Sept. 14___________at Arizona___________________________________________________ Tucson, Ariz.
Sept. 28___________Houston_ _______________________________________________ San Antonio, Texas
Oct. 12____________Rice____________________________________________________ San Antonio, Texas
Nov. 2_ ___________at Virginia_ _____________________________________________ Charlottesville, Va.

2014
Aug. 30___________at Houston__________________________________________________Houston, Texas
Sept. 6_ ___________Arizona_________________________________________________ San Antonio, Texas
Sept. 13___________at Oklahoma State__________________________________________Stillwater, Okla.
Sept. 27___________at Kansas State____________________________________________ Manhattan, Kan.
Oct. 4_____________New Mexico_____________________________________________ San Antonio, Texas
Nov. 8_____________Virginia_________________________________________________ San Antonio, Texas
2015
Sept. 5____________at Arizona___________________________________________________ Tucson, Ariz.
Sept. 12___________Kansas State_ ___________________________________________ San Antonio, Texas
Sept. 19___________at Oklahoma State__________________________________________Stillwater, Okla.
Sept. 26___________Sam Houston State_______________________________________ San Antonio, Texas
Oct. 3_____________Colorado State___________________________________________ San Antonio, Texas
2016
Sept. 17___________Arizona State____________________________________________ San Antonio, Texas
Oct. 1_____________at Colorado State_________________________________________ Fort Collins, Colo.
2017
Sept. 9____________at Baylor_____________________________________________________ Waco, Texas
Sept. 30___________at Colorado State_________________________________________ Fort Collins, Colo.
2018
Sept. 1____________at Arizona State_ ______________________________________________Tempe, Ariz.
Sept. 8_ ___________Baylor__________________________________________________ San Antonio, Texas
Sept. 15___________at Kansas State____________________________________________ Manhattan, Kan.
Sept. 29___________Colorado State___________________________________________ San Antonio, Texas
2019
Sept. 7____________at Baylor_____________________________________________________ Waco, Texas

Rice is no longer OOC, so if they can push back one of those 2 years then we'd be fine.
It's never that simple though, so who knows.

Edit: Well, if it has to go to 4 then that's more tough... Cutting OSU and K St./Arizona would be the simplest solution, but that would hurt.

Best option imo: drop the UVA series...both games are late season anyways. Could require a buyout from UTSA, or there could be language in the contract that gives an out for just this situation. We'll hope for the latter. Lose that game, Rice becomes a conf game and 2013 is set. I would hate to lose UNM...that's a game we could actually win.

2014 will require one more adjustment. OkSt and Hou are return games, and again I don't want to lose UNM. That leaves AZ for a possible reschedule. UTSA will have already given them a game In Tuscon in 2013....giving us some leverage. If we can push back the remaining 2 games on that contract we would be in the clear moving forward.

Here are my thoughts:

In regards to the 2013 schedule (though this logic can be applied to other years if applicable), let's suppose that this MWC/CUSA Alliance thing goes through and the notion of conference games for 2013 would be when we play opponents in CUSA and in the MWC:

The Rice game will become a conference game but the New Mexico game will also be a "conference game" as well but in the Alliance sense.

Now, we probably will be required to have 8 conference games (maybe a mix of pure and Alliance based opponents). The two I mentioned above will count as 2 of them; hence, only 6 will slots of conference opponents will need to be filled. So when UTSA does that, we will have the required 12-game schedule for 2013.

In that scenario, since the 2013 schedule would be full, we would not be able to play Texas State. The only way that we would be able to schedule them is if we cancel or move one of the OOC games slated for 2013.

However (and this is a big if), if UTSA schedules Hawaii as a "conference game" and it's away (i.e. at Hawaii), then there is a possibility that we can schedule another OOC game with Texas State without having to move or cancel one of our currently-scheduled OOC games since we would be allowed to scheduled a 13th game for the regular season (i.e. the Hawaii Exemption rule that allows any school that plays Hawaii at Hawaii to schedule a 13th regular-season game). I believe that we can still only have 8 conference games (with Hawaii being one of them); thus being able to have 5 OOC games.

Again, all of this is just speculation but these were just some thought that I was having in regards to the football schedule in 2013 and beyond. What do you guys think?

Hmmm...not sure about this.

For the merger to happen for 2013 it would have to be announced before July 1, 2012. If a cooperative position (instead of a merger) is in place by July 1 2012, I don't think MWC opponents would be counted as conference games.

I guess my point is that anyone on our schedule that are in MWC will be OOC. I think UTSA would prefer to have OOC opponents that are not in MWC yet are huge school names. Barring this, then the MWC opponents would be attractive. Yet, we have both big schools and MWC schools. By dropping the MWC schools and sticking with big schools, it gives more credibility to the program (having OOC opponents from AQ conferences) and is one of the things CUSA liked about UTSA. I guess following this logic would ultimately mean dropping New Mexico completely from the schedule, along with Colorado State.

Arizona fans travel. So we would want to keep them simply for exposure and ticket sales. Houston fans would probably also travel. Rice (as has been stated) would probably move to a conference game. Virginia is a big name so I think we keep them (even though I'd prefer we drop them) just for the money and exposure. But, SHSU I think is at risk of being dropped (although I'd love to watch this game).

----------- In terms of a merger --------

So, I don't think the 2013 merger will take place before 1 July 2012 unless we see a few things happen: ODU gets added to CUSA (highly likely), NMSt gets added by MWC and Idaho gets added by MWC, and one more team gets added to MWC OR a CUSA school moves to MWC. Some of this may occur before 1 July 2012, but I don't see it all happening by 1 July 2012 (for the 2013 season). I THINK the conferences need to be balanced (in terms of numbers) before a merger goes through.

A championship game between CUSA and MWC is still viable regardless of a merger. But I don't see CUSA or MWC giving up their name brands unless the NCAA signs off on the deal and somehow "allows" the merged conference to be in a National Championship race of some kind. Instead, a joint TV deal and a championship game seems more likely in 2013 and 2014. This should boost revenues for both MWC and CUSA and increase visibility of both conferences. A win-win for all without an actual merger.

Obviously on a lot of this I could be very wrong. This is just a guess at what could happen and when.

Couple thoughts.

I know the schedule helped UTSA get into CUSA, but they are going to have to scale it down some now that they are in. No one, and I mean no one, plays ALL tough games. Most teams usually have at least 1 gimme (FCS team or lower level FBS). Have you ever taken a look at some BCS conf. team schedules. Some of those are ALL cupcakes. Some teams play 2 FCS teams a year. You don't want to start out every year with an automatic 0-4. I'm not suggesting getting rid of all the tough games, but it would be wise to sprinkle a few easier ones in here and there.

Second, the MWC games will not be conf. games. I don't see the merger going through. It will be more of an alliance. CBS sports had an article saying the merger was dead.

Bottomline: UTSA should schedule 2 Power 6 teams a year, 1 MWC/SunBelt/MAC, 1 Southland guaranteed game

Another thought is asking Texas State if they want a long term series.

I expect a Southland guaranteed game will cost about $150-200k

(05-06-2012 01:51 PM)TexanMark Wrote:  Bottomline: UTSA should schedule 2 Power 6 teams a year, 1 MWC/SunBelt/MAC, 1 Southland guaranteed game

Another thought is asking Texas State if they want a long term series.

I expect a Southland guaranteed game will cost about $150-200k

Very good points. I don't think anyone disagrees. I'm just not sure who we drop. I like the idea of having TXSt with a long-term series! Maybe a traditional Thanksgiving game? I'd prefer it later in the season as a tradition so that when we go to San Marcos in their outdoor stadium, it isn't 100 degrees.

Honestly with us moving to Con USA and TXST going to the sunbelt this is a good time to end things.

We are fighting for the same recruits. I would hate to see them beat us on a regular basis. That could give them the fuel they need to steal valued talent. Better to just dodge them and chalk it up to them being beneath us.

I'm personally not at all interested in scheduling TSUSM.
It's like fighting a chick, either way you lose.

If they pulled a Nicholls State and kept the I-35 trophy and that was the last we ever see of them, I couldn't be happier.

The reason WHY the OOC schedule is insane is because it was constructed when UTSA thought they would have the opportunity to go independent in FBS if a conference invite didn't come. A good idea at the time in that it would have generated amazing revenue for a small-time, indy program, but it's really going to bite us in the arse the next couple of years.

End it with SWTXST and lets build new rivalries. c*UNT will be a fun one.

(05-05-2012 10:46 PM)BullsFanInTX Wrote:  You don't want to start out every year with an automatic 0-4. I'm not suggesting getting rid of all the tough games, but it would be wise to sprinkle a few easier ones in here and there.

That's why we are playing UTEP and UNT!!!

Just kidding guys.

(05-09-2012 11:23 PM)cokermania Wrote:  The reason WHY the OOC schedule is insane is because it was constructed when UTSA thought they would have the opportunity to go independent in FBS if a conference invite didn't come. A good idea at the time in that it would have generated amazing revenue for a small-time, indy program, but it's really going to bite us in the arse the next couple of years.

I'd say our OOC helped us secure a spot in this conference. It's an ambitious schedule for sure but one win and our program is on the map.

50k+ fans at the dome has to give us just that much more of a chance to pull off a huge upset.

Having said that doubt this city will accepts being a cellar dweller very long. We are spoiled being Spurs fans. We have high expectations. Recruiting is key. UTSA has to hit a Home run this next offseason.