MikeBigg
Well-Known Member
I was giving thought to our status as a basketball conference. I've noticed some impressive outings by PVU and TxSU against U of H and Lamar. Taking nothing from PVU and TxSU because these two wins are huge! But this is the type of scheduling that all of us should be doing.
We have no need to be getting our azzes kicked by major conference teams just for the dollar. These shellackings are hurting our league ratings. If we are to ever make some money in basketball, we need to focus on improving our conferences ranking in relations to other mid-major to lower seeded conferences. Instead we act as independent entities out to cut our own individual deals.
Hopefully Commissioner Vowels will take an active role in steering our basketball teams in a new direction. Our AD's need to meet and formulate a strategy to play mid-major conferences and similar seeded conferences on a home and home basis. It makes sense to me on many fronts.
1. We need to compete with these teams for the players who are not being recruited by major conference teams. There are plenty of quality players who compete for mid-major and below conferences. Let's compete against these teams and recruit against these teams for players. Home and Home against these teams help build our programs and helps our attendance. Let's be real, basketball fans are more racially intergrated than football fans.
2. Mid major basketball conferences are more willing to schedule games against HBCU's especially since it usually means reduced travel costs. Consequently, it means reduced travel costs to our schools as well.
3. Our schools reside in a region with many mid-major opponents to schedule against. The Southland, SunBelt, TransAmerican, Ohio Valley, and even Conference USA offer quality opponents who's talent level we can compete with. I admit that most of them have a talent edge, however that can be overcome with a couple of good recruiting years.
4. If two or more of our teams have some quality wins against these conference members quality teams our overall ranking will improve. We need to focus on improving our ranking so that we get at least two teams into the Big Dance. Over time we will see our coffers fill due to making this change in philosophy!
Kudos to PVU and TxSU for showing the way!
We have no need to be getting our azzes kicked by major conference teams just for the dollar. These shellackings are hurting our league ratings. If we are to ever make some money in basketball, we need to focus on improving our conferences ranking in relations to other mid-major to lower seeded conferences. Instead we act as independent entities out to cut our own individual deals.
Hopefully Commissioner Vowels will take an active role in steering our basketball teams in a new direction. Our AD's need to meet and formulate a strategy to play mid-major conferences and similar seeded conferences on a home and home basis. It makes sense to me on many fronts.
1. We need to compete with these teams for the players who are not being recruited by major conference teams. There are plenty of quality players who compete for mid-major and below conferences. Let's compete against these teams and recruit against these teams for players. Home and Home against these teams help build our programs and helps our attendance. Let's be real, basketball fans are more racially intergrated than football fans.
2. Mid major basketball conferences are more willing to schedule games against HBCU's especially since it usually means reduced travel costs. Consequently, it means reduced travel costs to our schools as well.
3. Our schools reside in a region with many mid-major opponents to schedule against. The Southland, SunBelt, TransAmerican, Ohio Valley, and even Conference USA offer quality opponents who's talent level we can compete with. I admit that most of them have a talent edge, however that can be overcome with a couple of good recruiting years.
4. If two or more of our teams have some quality wins against these conference members quality teams our overall ranking will improve. We need to focus on improving our ranking so that we get at least two teams into the Big Dance. Over time we will see our coffers fill due to making this change in philosophy!
Kudos to PVU and TxSU for showing the way!