We won't open the season against Boise State next year
Boise State has supposedly inked a deal with Virginia Tech to play the Hokies on September 4 next year.
http://voices.idahostatesman.com/2009/07/21/bmurphy/report_boise_state_…
Kind of a bummer. I had my hopes up for this one. I hope that we will still get a big name for the opener. Next year's home schedule is in serious need of a great home game other than Michigan State. The other two out-of-conference home games are Bowling Green and UMass.
Oh well. I have a feeling that we won't play anyone good.
Guess that all depends on your definition of good...
I am still hopeful. I think that the Michigan AD knows that next year's home schedule is really crappy and they risk letting a lot of seats going unsold if they don't add at least one decent game to it. Athletic departments have been operating under the assumption for years that demand for tickets is essentially infinite and no matter who is on the schedule, tickets will sell out. Up until now, the fans at major programs have proven them right, but if Michigan opens up next year with another MAC team, that assumption will be seriously tested.
I don't know, man. First game in the officially completed "new" stadium? I am pretty sure the demand for tickets will be infinite for that one, regardless of the opponent.
The Red Wings have found out in a very hard way that infinite demand doesn't exist. There are a lot of negative factors at work. One of them is the depression-like economy in Michigan, which has virtually destroyed the auto companies and led to 15% unemployment. This has cut across all income levels. The guys who pay $10,000 or whatever for a seat license have been seriously hit just as hard as the guys who can only afford to go to one game. People all over the place are upside down on their mortgates. The stadium renovation is interesting, but I doubt it will draw a lot of sentimental interest outside of the hardcore fans. After all, the stadium was just expanded 11 years ago. I wouldn't rely on that to sell 110,000 tickets to see Eastern Michigan or Kent State. Especially when you're also talking about luxury boxes, which are going to take a major hit from the terrible business climate. All of this on top of the saturated sports market in southern Michigan. Look around the country and you can see that nobody consistently gets 100,000+ in their stadium with as low a population base and as many competing sports.
People who really want to see that first game can just easily buy single game tickets either through the box office or outside the stadium for $10 a pop. That means that the first game could sell out, but some other games might not. They really need a marquee game other than Michigan State to sell the season ticket package. Nowadays lots of people just buy the seaon ticket package so that they will have a guaranteed seat for one or two games like Penn State, Ohio State, or Notre Dame. Then they sell or give away their tickets to the Purdues and Toledos of the world. Next year a lot of people might reconsider whether it's worth paying hundreds of dollars when the might not even get to see a top 20 team. I can't think of an example where a university has tried to pack a 100,000+ stadium for such a forgettable home schedule like what Michigan has next year.
and they risk letting a lot of seats going unsold if they don't add at least one decent game to it.
I will bet you one billion dollars that Michigan sells out every home game in 2010, no matter who is on the schedule.
Yeah we will. I hope we get someone good because that will be my first game as a student hopefully. I just don't see us getting a top 30 team. We won't get a 1-AA team, but we probably won't get a top 30 team.
Dex,
If unemployment continues to skyrocket in this state, don't be shocked if there is a game or two that isn't sold out.
You're a billionaire??
you didn't know? who do you think funds this operation?
Who's the most likely "big name" now? Seems like everyone else already had their schedule filled or had another big game on the slate. Oh well, hopefully Martin can pull something off.
Survey says...
[Directional] Michigan University!*
*completely uninformed and pessimistic epinion
Hey why not play Northern? So what if they're a D2 school, they should join in on the Directional school fun!
Bring on Michigan Tech or Lake State! It works for the GLI.
Lions
Eastern would be nothing but LOL, Western won't open two years in a row, and Michigan won't play Central as long as RichRod protege Butch Jones is the coach there (respect and whatnot).
APP STATE ROUND TWO BITCHES. FIGHT!
That’s what I was thinking. I want a rematch!
Arkansas being thrown around for a bit?
I'd be more than happy if that were the case.
I'd be more than happy if it was a BCS conference team.
Still would be awesome if they could pull of Georgia like they were mentioning.
How about Arizona State? They currently have Portland State scheduled for Sept 4th, but, well... screw Portland State. Give Threet a chance to make a Big House return?
For the next week. At first, I thought that might help our chances, but after looking at which teams are on its schedule, I think it makes in nearly impossible to make it work. And, ASU lost a home game and likely wants to fill that spot with a home game.
Georgia would be awesome and would definitely be interesting. I'm pretty sure GaTech would also be willing to make the hike, but I think their schedule is already set.
Maybe Rutgers? Clemson?
Brian debunked UGA the other day.
I wouldn't mind if Michigan got back to the home-and-home deals it had so that the years where we're @ ND, we have a at least a decent BCS-conference opponent coming to Michigan Stadium. Incidentally, those years are also the years where we're @ PSU and @ OSU - that even year schedule needs a boost.
The game doesn't have to be USC or Alabama or LSU - in fact, I'd prefer a middle-of-the-pack, but respectable opponent, one which, when Michigan plays in its stadium, people don;t wonder why the heck we're there. Then, I am 100% fine with two MAC pansies for the other two games. In my opinion, Eastern should always be on the schedule due to proximity.
However, that means giving up a home game - and the revenue associated with it - something Michigan hasn't done since we were @ Oregon in 2003 - a deal struck before Martin arrived in 2000.
I would suggest TCU but their defense is so painfully good I'm not so sure Big Billy Dollaz would go for it. Whoever we play, Michigan has to put up some points. What with the christening and all that.
Hokies playing the Broncos. Yay!
FedEx Field? WTF? I'd rather go back to Atlanta (or Charlotte, Miami, or anywhere else).
Even if we have to settle for a mid-major team, why don't we look to a different conference than the MAC. I would much rather see a team that is not a usual opponent. Someone out west or down south-I dont know how the schedules work out but I'm sure there is a decent team out there willing to accept a monster payday at the Big House without a return game
... why weren't we going hard after a home-and-home with V.Tech. That's exactly the kind of game the fans want
I have a feeling our AD is not shopping a home-and-home, which means, a one-and-done with a 2nd-tier team.
Come on down Tulsa! Maybe Rice... how about San Jose St.
Yeah I was thinking Rice too. McGuffie vs Michigan. I'm trying to think of teams we've played in the last 10 years. What about a mid to lower Pac10 team? We've played Washington before. Hopefully we don't get a SDSU game again.
i think mr. mcguffie has gotten enough concussions in michigan stadium. imagine rice's OL trying to stop martin, campbell, & vanbergen
We need to find one for the opener and then even one more correct? We do have Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin at home. How are they looking for next year. I'd expect Illinois to suck without Juice and Benn, but Iowa and Wisconsin might not be that bad.
2 0 1 0
Date Opponent
Sept. 4 TBA
Sept. 11 at Notre Dame
Sept. 18 MASSACHUSETTS
Sept. 25 BOWLING GREEN
Oct. 2 at Indiana*
Oct. 9 MICHIGAN STATE*
Oct. 16 IOWA* (HC)
Oct. 30 at Penn State*
Nov. 6 ILLINOIS*
Nov. 13 at Purdue*
Nov. 20 WISCONSIN*
Nov. 27 at Ohio State*
thanks
LSU?
they are supposed to play Tulane that day
Never get them. Right now their profile is higher than ours. They'd say, "You want to play us, you come HERE for one game."
Let's get LSU to move Tulane, and take them here on 9/4.
Then return the favor in 2011 - we'll have Notre Dame at home in 2011.
That would be awesome. Ladies and gentlemen, it's Saturday night....in Tiger Stadium......please welcome.....the Michigan Wolverines....
No, I mean I don't think they'd move their schedule around to play us here at all.
I would walk to that game if I had to. They would murder us, but hey, I hear Les Miles is a good coach.*
*I don't want to be docked points for this, it's a joke.
Rice's non-conference schedule is set through the middle of the next decade unless someone backs out.
It's probably going to be a MAC school or some other non-BCS FBS institution. And it's going to sell out--even if it's Kalamazoo.
By Kalamazoo, do you mean Western, or are you suggesting we play K College? That would be gloriously terrible
The point being that the opponent is irrelevant to whether the game sells out or not. It's going to sell out.
Just who in the hell do we think we can line up that's worth seeing on such short notice? I would think the brainiacs in the athletic dept. could have anticipated several years ahead of time that they would be needing an intriguing match-up for the opening of the newly renovated stadium. This seems to me to be pure stupidity, laziness, incompetence or some combination.
I was saying the same thing when they ended up booking Delaware State for '09. I found it unconscionable that in February 2009, our 2009 schedule was still incomplete. The conference schedules are set years in advance, so you'd think that would pave the way for setting non-conference games far in advance as well.
strong adjective.
You should send your resume to Mary Sue
The rules around the number of games teams could play in a season changed a few years ago.
It had been a team could only play 12 games if there were a certain number of Saturdays between Labor weekend and Thanksgiving. It seemed like there would be 12 games roughly half of the years. in the last few years the NCAA allowed 12 games every season. This is why teams have been scrambling for the last couple of years to schedule a 12th game.
I suspect in a year or two, the this transition period will be complete and schools won't be running around to schedule a 12th game in the 11th hour.
which automatically rules out good, BCS-level competition. It's all about the money (cough, cough). The fact that it also conveniently allows you to avoid playing teams with a good chance of beating you at home is just a coincidence, I'm sure. (cough)
I think he will if he has to. He'd like to avoid it, but he knows people aren't going to accept "Lousy U" for the opening game. He's said over and over that he wants a big name, and we know he was TALKING to Georgia.
of what teams have that date open? Does it matter? I guess not if you're Delaware State, but I don't think anyone reputable is going to repeat that fiasco.
Assuming we don't get any major BCS teams, how about Cinci? Or Stanford? Both have games scheduled though . . . .
If we're going to get anybody, SOMEBODY is going to have to do some schedule moving. To come play on national TV and get that kind of exposure, they will.