10 game conference schedule?

[Panthadad2]

Strength of schedule is always a factor and will continue. There are 6 Auto bids and 6 at-large. The best resumes will get in for those at large.

This year two 3 loss teams won their conferences and would be in KSU and Utah. Washington at 10-2 is out due to Tulane being highest G5.

Next in line, based on ranking, are Florida State, Oregon St. and Oregon. All 9-3. Are we moving them ahead of any of the bottom teams? Penn State, USC or Clemson?

Now if the Big 10 plays 10 conference games and two non-conference games, say 1 P5 and 1G5/FCS and SEC continues with 8 games and 4 non-conference 1 P5, 2 G5 and 1 FCS, we have a program.

I don't think you would see any more Power 5 non-conference games in the BG10 if they move to 10 games. As posters above mentioned, that would cost them a 7th home game which is worth several million in revenue.

 

[Ope3]

Most P5 teams have and want to continuing having 7 home games per year (in a 12 game regular season). You can't do that if you're scheduling P5 home-and-home contracts.

Iowa is locked into playing Iowa State, though. Nothing they can do about that.

The 7 Home game model certainly may not be as necessary given the amount of dough rolling in from the broadcast partners.

Iowa could either accept that some years they will only have 6 Home games or they could elect to not play Iowa St beyond 2027. Certainly there would be blowback and downstream consequences from such a decision, good and bad.

 

[Gophers_4life]

The 7 Home game model certainly may not be as necessary given the amount of dough rolling in from the broadcast partners.

Iowa could either accept that some years they will only have 6 Home games or they could elect to not play Iowa St beyond 2027. Certainly there would be blowback and downstream consequences from such a decision, good and bad.

True.

The flip side is also worth considering: in the years when Big Ten teams host a P5 non-conf, our TV partners will own the rights to those games, too. Those are valuable games, vs the BTN type games against MAC/MWC/FCS teams.

 

[Gophers_4life]

I would wonder how much money we actually gleaned, net everything, for having the "7th home game" vs Western Illinois this year.

More than zero, for sure, but worth it?

 

[Panthadad2]

I would wonder how much money we actually gleaned, net everything, for having the "7th home game" vs Western Illinois this year.

More than zero, for sure, but worth it?

If you figure an average of ~$75 total spend (pulling that out of my ass) for the 43,859 attendance, that would be $3.3M in gameday revenue before expenses. That figure might be low. Students would spend less but others pay WAY more per person on gameday, especially if paying for parking on campus.

 

[Ope3]

I would wonder how much money we actually gleaned, net everything, for having the "7th home game" vs Western Illinois this year.

More than zero, for sure, but worth it?

Schools could charge the same for a "Season Pass" regardless of the number of games that are included as part of the package. I think that already happens for basketball, but if anyone else can clear that up it would be greatly appreciated. As a consumer, if a Leathernecks type match up wasn't going to take place but my Season Ticket price stayed they same for 6 games, I wouldn't flinch.

If there is potentially more broadcast revenue for an extra Conference game on the road then playing Western Illinois, totally worth it.

 

[Gophers_4life]

If you figure an average of ~$75 total spend (pulling that out of my ass) for the 43,859 attendance, that would be $3.3M in gameday revenue before expenses. That figure might be low. Students would spend less but others pay WAY more per person on gameday, especially if paying for parking on campus.

Was that really the announced attendance for that game? Zero chance that many were in the stadium. I got in late from the tailgating lot. Also, right there, parking/tailgating, I don't think that revenue gets to be counted as "athletic dept" revenue?

 

[Gophers_4life]

Schools could charge the same for a "Season Pass" regardless of the number of games that are included as part of the package. I think that already happens for basketball, but if anyone else can clear that up it would be greatly appreciated. As a consumer, if a Leathernecks type match up wasn't going to take place but my Season Ticket price stayed they same for 6 games, I wouldn't flinch.

If there is potentially more broadcast revenue for an extra Conference game on the road then playing Western Illinois, totally worth it.

If it's a good game, agree.

Though if the ballpark figure from Panthadad2 is in any way correct -- say that "net profit" (in whatever sense you want to do it) is even $1M for the Western Illinois game -- then I doubt there's much chance the TV contract would go up per school per year by that amount or more? Maybe ...

 

[Panthadad2]

Was that really the announced attendance for that game? Zero chance that many were in the stadium. I got in late from the tailgating lot. Also, right there, parking/tailgating, I don't think that revenue gets to be counted as "athletic dept" revenue?

That was the announced attendance in the box score. I'm sure there were a lot of season ticketholders passing on the game and doing other stuff. If I recall correctly, the pretty people season ticketholder stands were half full but the student section was pretty full to start the game. Regardless of what department gets the parking or other gameday revenue, it's incremental money to the university. I don't think that can be ignored.

 

[Ope3]

If it's a good game, agree.

Though if the ballpark figure from Panthadad2 is in any way correct -- say that "net profit" (in whatever sense you want to do it) is even $1M for the Western Illinois game -- then I doubt there's much chance the TV contract would go up per school per year by that amount or more? Maybe ...

Yeah, hard to say on that part. Above my pay grade to figure out.

Other factors that could eliminate or minimize games against FCS teams:

- How is Strength of Schedule going to impact the BCS Playoff? Perhaps playing such a game could be really punitive, or not playing one could be rewarded in some fashion.

- Would Bowl Eligibility remain 6 Wins and/or FCS Wins count? Not even factoring what the non-Playoff Bowl landscape will be in the future, an easy fix would be to lower the eligibility requirement to 5 Wins. Not having those games count for a Bowl takes away a huge incentive for scheduling them in the first place.

 

[MaxyJR1]

Similarly, the SEC and ACC have yearly games between Florida-FSU, Georgia-GT, SC-Clemson, and Kentucky-Louisville.

Which is why they've resisted going from 8 conf to 9 conf.

I think the 12 team bracket will change a lot of this sentiment. TV is going to say we don't want G5 and FCS games, but I agree the extra game is huge. Season tix will go up that's for sure.

 

[MaxyJR1]

I don't think you would see any more Power 5 non-conference games in the BG10 if they move to 10 games. As posters above mentioned, that would cost them a 7th home game which is worth several million in revenue.

That's the way it been lately I guess, the Non-Conference P5 game just becomes your 10th conference game. I guess the conference only game schedule with 2 cream puffs allows the narrative to be controlled and you wouldn't be able to compare across any common games.