46566
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Big Sky dropping 4 conference games
https://mtstandard.com/sports/college/bi...c.amp.html
The big sky is dripping 4 conference games for both men's and women's basketball conference schedule as a cost savings measure for 1 season. I wonder if we see more money games or potential WCC vs Big Sky games.
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05-25-2020 09:32 PM |
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Crayton
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RE: Big Sky dropping 4 conference games
I believe 14 is the minimum. This is the type of move that, if made with other overlapping conference, will result in the more-regional model we’ve been hearing of recently.
But, yes, likely a couple money games and a couple games left unplayed.
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05-25-2020 09:37 PM |
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stever20
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RE: Big Sky dropping 4 conference games
they play 20 so dropping down to 16 conference games.
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05-25-2020 09:41 PM |
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Wedge
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RE: Big Sky dropping 4 conference games
Quote:Montana athletic director Kent Haslam told 406mtsports.com on Friday afternoon that the move could save roughly $20,000 for both the men's and women's programs.
Cutting an expensive road trip is the primary focus of the move. Haslam explained that trips to schools such as Southern Utah and Northern Arizona are more expensive than trips to Eastern Washington or Idaho.
Quote:Montana and Montana State will both likely lose an expensive trip. Geographic proximity will be one of the criteria that will help determine the six opponents teams will play twice and which ones they will play once.
Is this really just a one year thing? If budgets remain tight, conferences like the Big Sky might as well keep cutting out the most expensive road trips. Set a goal of eliminating at least two trips per team per school year that require an airplane flight in men's and women's basketball, and eliminating at least one long trip per team per year in every sport that plays a lot fewer games than basketball.
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05-25-2020 10:00 PM |
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46566
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RE: Big Sky dropping 4 conference games
(05-25-2020 10:00 PM)Wedge Wrote: Quote:Montana athletic director Kent Haslam told 406mtsports.com on Friday afternoon that the move could save roughly $20,000 for both the men's and women's programs.
Cutting an expensive road trip is the primary focus of the move. Haslam explained that trips to schools such as Southern Utah and Northern Arizona are more expensive than trips to Eastern Washington or Idaho.
Quote:Montana and Montana State will both likely lose an expensive trip. Geographic proximity will be one of the criteria that will help determine the six opponents teams will play twice and which ones they will play once.
Is this really just a one year thing? If budgets remain tight, conferences like the Big Sky might as well keep cutting out the most expensive road trips. Set a goal of eliminating at least two trips per team per school year that require an airplane flight in men's and women's basketball, and eliminating at least one long trip per team per year in every sport that plays a lot fewer games than basketball.
I would figure they could find ways to extend or make it permanent. They may just be seeing how easy it is to fill up non conference schedules. Other than non D1 home games or money games. Could the Big Sky bring any non MEAC or SWAC to a home game? I figure the Montana schools are looking to play a summit team and the Idaho schools could be looking at either Boise or something like Seattle (1 Idaho team home and the other away)
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05-26-2020 12:35 AM |
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SDHornet
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RE: Big Sky dropping 4 conference games
The BSC just recently went to 20, so playing less conference games isn't anything new. I'm not sure how the conference "regionalizes" conference play as someone will get shafted with a long trip.
For Sac State, I hope this means more regional non-con games and/or more games in the Golden1 Center.
For the other BSC programs located in podunk locales, I'm not sure how they fill the void on the schedule as that was one of the reasons in going to a full round robin schedule to being with.
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05-26-2020 09:43 PM |
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Hammersmith
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RE: Big Sky dropping 4 conference games
(05-26-2020 09:43 PM)SDHornet Wrote: The BSC just recently went to 20, so playing less conference games isn't anything new. I'm not sure how the conference "regionalizes" conference play as someone will get shafted with a long trip.
For Sac State, I hope this means more regional non-con games and/or more games in the Golden1 Center.
For the other BSC programs located in podunk locales, I'm not sure how they fill the void on the schedule as that was one of the reasons in going to a full round robin schedule to being with.
I bet some of them schedule each other as non-conference matchups. They've done it in football before. Plus the WAC schools in the area are probably always looking for games, especially now if they can find some that are relatively easy to travel to.
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05-27-2020 01:35 AM |
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Wedge
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RE: Big Sky dropping 4 conference games
(05-26-2020 12:35 AM)46566 Wrote: (05-25-2020 10:00 PM)Wedge Wrote: Quote:Montana athletic director Kent Haslam told 406mtsports.com on Friday afternoon that the move could save roughly $20,000 for both the men's and women's programs.
Cutting an expensive road trip is the primary focus of the move. Haslam explained that trips to schools such as Southern Utah and Northern Arizona are more expensive than trips to Eastern Washington or Idaho.
Quote:Montana and Montana State will both likely lose an expensive trip. Geographic proximity will be one of the criteria that will help determine the six opponents teams will play twice and which ones they will play once.
Is this really just a one year thing? If budgets remain tight, conferences like the Big Sky might as well keep cutting out the most expensive road trips. Set a goal of eliminating at least two trips per team per school year that require an airplane flight in men's and women's basketball, and eliminating at least one long trip per team per year in every sport that plays a lot fewer games than basketball.
I would figure they could find ways to extend or make it permanent. They may just be seeing how easy it is to fill up non conference schedules. Other than non D1 home games or money games. Could the Big Sky bring any non MEAC or SWAC to a home game? I figure the Montana schools are looking to play a summit team and the Idaho schools could be looking at either Boise or something like Seattle (1 Idaho team home and the other away)
They have closer options than Summit teams, who are all a long long way away. Missoula, for example, is about 30 miles east of the Idaho border, while the North Dakota schools are only a few city blocks west of Minnesota. There are at least 18 D-I schools, not including Big Sky members, that are closer to Missoula than any of the Dakota schools are.
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05-27-2020 02:45 AM |
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CoastalVANDAL
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RE: Big Sky dropping 4 conference games
If they really wanted to save money.
Trade Southern Utah and NAU for UVU and Seattle .
Then let Sacramento St join the Big West for ten closer teams.
I doubt NAU would go for it.
They would have GCU, Dixie St, Cal Baptist , Southern Utah and NMSU for close by their standards games.
Seattle would get PSU and EWU as close by teams and those two get a Seattle trip every year. Once Chicago St drops down the WAC would be pretty good . Two Texas Two Utah and two Arizona One in New Mexico , California and Illinois for now. With California and Texas as places to add more teams later.
The must have football rule the BSC has would need to change but that is easy enough. Convincing NAU that playing in a Southwest conference is right for them is the hard part. They are a good school and valuable Big sky member . They have never had the opportunity to play in a tighter conference with NMSU and an in state school before. Would foes like GCU, NMSU, and Dixie St get more fan interest vs Montana, EWU and Weber St ? Travel would be less .
(This post was last modified: 05-27-2020 11:02 AM by CoastalVANDAL.)
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05-27-2020 09:13 AM |
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Nerdlinger
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RE: Big Sky dropping 4 conference games
Here's the best arrangement I could come up with for determining which teams play a 2nd game against one another.
Code:
EASTERN WASHINGTON Idaho Portland State Montana Montana State Northern Colorado Sacramento State
IDAHO Sacramento State Eastern Washington Idaho State Portland State Montana Montana State
IDAHO STATE Montana Weber State Montana State Idaho Northern Arizona Southern Utah
MONTANA Montana State Idaho State Portland State Eastern Washington Weber State Idaho
MONTANA STATE Northern Colorado Montana Eastern Washington Idaho State Idaho Weber State
NORTHERN ARIZONA Southern Utah Northern Colorado Sacramento State Weber State Portland State Idaho State
NORTHERN COLORADO Northern Arizona Montana State Weber State Southern Utah Sacramento State Eastern Washington
PORTLAND STATE Eastern Washington Sacramento State Idaho Montana Southern Utah Northern Arizona
SACRAMENTO STATE Portland State Idaho Southern Utah Northern Arizona Eastern Washington Northern Colorado
SOUTHERN UTAH Weber State Northern Arizona Northern Colorado Sacramento State Idaho State Portland State
WEBER STATE Idaho State Southern Utah Northern Arizona Northern Colorado Montana State Montana
I tried to keep the travel distances as low as possible, but some long trips had to be made.
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05-29-2020 08:26 PM |
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