http://www.dailymail.com/story/S...e+with+WVU

Ball State may pull out of game with WVU

Next year's season-opening football game between Ball State and West Virginia is unlikely to occur, sources said Monday.
The Cardinals, of the Mid-American Conference, were scheduled to visit Morgantown to face the Mountaineers, of the Big East Conference, on Sept. 1, 2007.

There is a chance the teams will play, but it is a slim one based on information from sources close to the situation.

Officials from both leagues are cooperating to find another MAC opponent for WVU, Big East Conference Associate Commissioner Nick Carparelli said.

"At this point, we are very confident that the Mid-American Conference will help us as much as possible," Carparelli said. "There have been some discussions. We are still having those conversations."

No team has emerged as the strongest possibility.

"It could be any of the Mid-American Conference teams," Carparelli said.

Or it could be none of them.

WVU could find its own opponent, Carparelli said. The Mountaineers would have no obligation to play the Mid-American Conference school if they can find a more desirable foe such as a Southeastern Conference school.

WVU Athletic Director Ed Pastilong wouldn't say whether the Mountaineers are searching for a replacement.

"It would be premature for me to make any specific comments about next year's schedule," Pastilong said.

"Right now, we have them on our schedule. There's nothing that we have on our end to report.

"We don't release (information about) our schedule at this point (because) there could be some changes."

Pastilong said schools often ask each other to make adjustments if possible.

"Maybe a different date or a different year," Pastilong said. "If you can, you certainly try to accommodate them."

Carparelli agreed. That is why he thinks it is unfair to compare the situation with Ball State to the one involving Buffalo, the Mid-American Conference team that backed out of a non-conference game against WVU this season in order to play Auburn.

The Tigers beat the Bulls, 38-7, on Saturday.

With few options available, WVU replaced Buffalo with Division I-AA Eastern Washington.

"Games get moved and shuffled all of the time when we are putting schedules together," Carparelli said. "We shouldn't compare this situation to that one.

"What made last year so difficult and troublesome was that it was done after the schedule was released and six months before the season started. This year, we are in the beginning stages of putting the schedule together. This is normal practice."

Carparelli said the Cardinals and Mountaineers agreed to play before the Bulls' debacle.

"Those games are not linked in any way," Carparelli said.

Ball State Athletic Director Tom Collins didn't return telephone calls Monday.

Ball State will visit Navy on Sept. 15 and Nebraska on Sept. 22 in other non-conference games next year, according to a press release on its Web site.

Contact sportswriter Jacob Messer at jacobmesser@dailymail.com or 348-1712.

Little teams are beginning to stick to the powerhouses. If this continues WVU will have to play Indiana.
no cupcakes for you
I kid, this really is bad for all power schools, ND, WVU, etc. Though ND doesn't schedule many midmajors (Army, Navy, and Air Force) This could hurt teams' schedules that need these games to get into bowl games
On the flip side, what this does is it creates the playoff system that the Anti-BCSers want, more major teams playing each other.

I say no more MAC teams, or any other team from a non-BCS conference. All that does is give the media a chance to say BEast teams don't play anyone. If we have to schedule cupcakes, there's always Vandy, Duke, most of the Pac 10 and Big 12, and other teams of that ilk.

This has been rumored for awhile....Nebraska is offering Ball St a much higher payout


Jackson

If I were West Virgnia I would start calling C-USA and the MWC. I would also call the "lesser" BCS schools like Vanderbilt and talk turkey.

njndirish Wrote:Little teams are beginning to stick to the powerhouses. If this continues WVU will have to play Indiana.
no cupcakes for you

IU hosted Ball St this season, and was down 17-0 and 23-7 at the half. BSU choked and lost 24-23, but there is not much difference between the two teams. WVU or UofL would beat IU by 40 this season and most.

CollegeCard Wrote:

njndirish Wrote:Little teams are beginning to stick to the powerhouses. If this continues WVU will have to play Indiana.
no cupcakes for you

WVU or UofL would beat IU by 40 this season and most.

You're a generous man. Very generous. Both teams would probably be leading IU by 30 or 40 AT THE HALF.

Why doesnt' WVU try to play PAC 10 teams, they usually agree to OOC games.

Cusa, MWC, B-12, Pac-10, Big-10, Acadamies, 1-AA. There are many
options over a back stabbing MAC. Lets stab back. Bring back Temple. Pluck them right out their league. A minor share of the BCS pie would be cheaper for the BE than all 8 teams shelling out 800K a game for shumucks. It would also balance the schedule and keep the hybrid together. Also the teams that are loosing games should put stiffer penalties in their contracts for teams that pull out. Say like they take half of the money they go for with another team.

panite Wrote:Bring back Temple. Pluck them right out their league.

Bad idea. The BEast has enough image problems without bringing back the worst team in Division 1A. If the BEast needs to schedule teams, other BCS league teams should be the ones we go after. No more cupcakes!!!

I'm sure Memphis and USM would do home and home series with WVU. They both will be finding such arrangements with BCS schools tough to come by in the near future.

bitcruncher Wrote:

panite Wrote:Bring back Temple. Pluck them right out their league.

Bad idea. The BEast has enough image problems without bringing back the worst team in Division 1A. If the BEast needs to schedule teams, other BCS league teams should be the ones we go after. No more cupcakes!!!

Nobody wants Temple back. The way to get even with the MAC is to let them have the Owls. That'll teach 'em. I propose that WVU cancel all of their future games with MAC opponents in all sports. I for one am getting tired of watching WVU have to scramble to find replacements. If Ball State does pull out it will make three years in a row that WVU got jobbed by a MAC school. I prefer playing a 1-AA school than anyone in their sorry excuse for a conference.

OSUofL Wrote:Why doesnt' WVU try to play PAC 10 teams, they usually agree to OOC games.

Pac-10 Teams don't have as many scheduling openings as Big East Teams do.

Pac-10 decided to play a 9th Conference Game...instead of adding a 4th non-conf game to their schedules.

So now, Pac-10 teams still only have to schedule 3 non-conf games per year...while Big East teams need to schedule 5 non-conf games per year.

Many Pac-10 teams do travel and play other BCS Schools...but most of those schools don't have very many openings on their future schedules.

Plus, if there is an opening...many prefer to play out West...where 95% of their recruits come from...and there are plenty of MWC, WAC, and some Big 12 schools that fit that bill.

KL

KL

According to reports the MAC is going to try to help WVU find another game....perhaps Temple would be a natural fit here since the Owls and Mountianeers have had a relationship over the yrs


Jackson

It is rumored that USM and WVU have discussed the possibility of playing.

I wouldn't mind the USM-WVU matchup. It could be a good one for one.

This going to happen more and more as the teams in our conference get better and better. Even though UofL and WVU are ranked high...cupcake U would rather get a sound trashing from bigger named U or bigger paycheck U than from a Big East U.

njndirish Wrote:Little teams are beginning to stick to the powerhouses. If this continues WVU will have to play Indiana.
no cupcakes for you
I kid, this really is bad for all power schools, ND, WVU, etc. Though ND doesn't schedule many midmajors (Army, Navy, and Air Force) This could hurt teams' schedules that need these games to get into bowl games
On the flip side, what this does is it creates the playoff system that the Anti-BCSers want, more major teams playing each other.

the bigger BCS schools are sticking it to the mid size bcs schools.. the little guys are just taking in all the $$$$$ they can. most of these schools are really hurting for cash.. so if its a matter of losing to an ohio state for 650k or losing to a WV for 350k who can blame them. Look at the sun belt and u will see some truly brutal non conf schedules... but they have to to keep programs up n running.

Maybe the WVU series with AU can be expanded. Article below claims everyone is scared to play AU.

AU success makes scheduling difficult
Thursday, September 21, 2006
AUBURN -- Jay Jacobs has a problem. His football team is too good.

That's what Auburn's athletics director keeps hearing when he tries to line up a big-name opponent for next season. While no one will say it, Auburn has made inquiries with Michigan, Miami, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State and Texas. No dice.

"Where our team is right now, nobody is begging to play Auburn," Jacobs said.

Where Auburn is right now is No.2 in the nation and a big-time heavyweight on its own, seeing that it has won seven of its last eight games against Top 10 opponents. The Tigers beat a Top 10 opponent just last week in LSU, but will get something completely different Saturday when it meets Buffalo.

That's a fine $600,000 investment for this week, but Auburn is now on the clock to find the 12th team for next season. If that team can't be a traditional power, Auburn would like to land somebody with a familiar name from the Big 12, Atlantic Coast Conference or the Pac-10. It's been a tough sell, though Auburn has played its share of worthy non-conference teams. The Tigers played Southern California in 2002-03, Georgia Tech in 2003 and 2005 and will face West Virginia in 2008-09.

Auburn would like to arrange another made-for-TV season-opener - like it staged against Washington State this season - but finding a similar opponent has been tough. The Pac-10 has added a ninth conference game, a move that has all but knocked that conference off the board. Most teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference are playing it safe since Miami, Boston College and Virginia Tech joined the league. Most Big 12 teams aren't interested in giving up a home game.

"We're looking at everything: `You come in '07 and we'll return in '10. What else can we do to make it work?'" Jacobs said.

Auburn has even toyed with the idea of playing a big-time opponent at different neutral sites in successive years, said sources familiar with the dealings. But, again, no takers.

Next year's season ticket package is strong, but only because it features Alabama. The other home games are less attractive. But Jacobs has to be careful in trying to spruce it up.

Auburn's road schedule is difficult with games at Florida, Georgia, LSU and Arkansas. Who wants to throw another tough team on top of that? Jacobs must find a happy medium, and it's not easy.

"To play away from Auburn again is a tough thing to do for our student-athletes," Jacobs said. "Our No.1 goal is to win the SEC, and along with winning the SEC, we want to make the most attractive ticket package we can for our customers. Balancing those things sometimes is difficult."

In the meantime, Auburn is lighting up telephone lines.

"We're calling everybody," he said. "We're not only having a hard time matching up dates with schools that are interested, but we're having a hard time even finding schools.

"We're looking at all different ways to play a BCS opponent, but'07 may be one of those odd years that we may not be able to get that accomplished. We can't play one if nobody is willing to play us or, because of their schedule, no one is willing to accommodate us. That's where we are."

Auburn has a little wiggle room. The Tigers have a firm open date before the Alabama game, but could move around an existing non-conference team for a worthy 12th game.

"Some things may pop up," he said. "Washington State didn't come together until late last year. There are some things that could possibly happen where we could end up with that quality opponent that our customers want."

And that's why Jacobs remains hopeful.

"Some team may pop free. You never know," he said.

News staff writer Charles Goldberg covers Auburn University athletics. Write him at cgoldberg@bhamnews.com .

http://www.al.com/auburnfootball/birming...xml&coll=2