Interesting article coming out in the EIU newspaper tomorrow about whether or not it's worth it for
I-AA schools to play one or two I-A games each year?
Obviously ISU has 2 I-A games this season and I am pretty sure next year they play at Louisville and Tulsa, which will probably be 2 blowout losses.
I know the school needs the $ badly from these games, but is it worth it to the program to keep doing it year after year and risk getting players injured and being out for an entire season? And not to mention the almost assured blowout losses (unless you're App. State or any other bigger I-AA power). I'm sure the kids really look forward to these games though and they could be a recruiting tool for ISU coaches. (maybe they'll get some PA kids to ISU since they're playing at Penn State?)
I wonder how much Penn State is paying ISU to play at PSU in 2010 or whenever that game is? Is it enough to cover the cost of playing 2 lower division I-A schools, like ISU is doing this season with EMU and NIU? I know some of the bigger schools pay I-AA schools $300,000 or more for a game, I can almost be sure that ISU is not getting that much from EMU and NIU combined? Who knows?
So instead of the 2 I-A schools every year, why not start scheduling another weak I-AA school (i.e. Northern Colorado or Southern Utah for example), or even a D-II school? That would at least give ISU a "chance" to win an early game in the season and give the team some confidence. It wouldn't gaurantee a win by any means, one has to look no further than Mizzery State's loss last weekend to
D-II Washburn and lest we forget the ISU blowout loss to NAIA power St. Francis of Fort Wayne, IN in Lou West's 1st season at ISU.
anyway, the FB board has been kinda quiet, so maybe this will generate some discussion prior to the EIU game on Saturday. Let's all pray for a good effort from ISU Saturday night.
I-AA schools to play one or two I-A games each year?
Obviously ISU has 2 I-A games this season and I am pretty sure next year they play at Louisville and Tulsa, which will probably be 2 blowout losses.
I know the school needs the $ badly from these games, but is it worth it to the program to keep doing it year after year and risk getting players injured and being out for an entire season? And not to mention the almost assured blowout losses (unless you're App. State or any other bigger I-AA power). I'm sure the kids really look forward to these games though and they could be a recruiting tool for ISU coaches. (maybe they'll get some PA kids to ISU since they're playing at Penn State?)
I wonder how much Penn State is paying ISU to play at PSU in 2010 or whenever that game is? Is it enough to cover the cost of playing 2 lower division I-A schools, like ISU is doing this season with EMU and NIU? I know some of the bigger schools pay I-AA schools $300,000 or more for a game, I can almost be sure that ISU is not getting that much from EMU and NIU combined? Who knows?
So instead of the 2 I-A schools every year, why not start scheduling another weak I-AA school (i.e. Northern Colorado or Southern Utah for example), or even a D-II school? That would at least give ISU a "chance" to win an early game in the season and give the team some confidence. It wouldn't gaurantee a win by any means, one has to look no further than Mizzery State's loss last weekend to
D-II Washburn and lest we forget the ISU blowout loss to NAIA power St. Francis of Fort Wayne, IN in Lou West's 1st season at ISU.
anyway, the FB board has been kinda quiet, so maybe this will generate some discussion prior to the EIU game on Saturday. Let's all pray for a good effort from ISU Saturday night.
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