UPDATED (10/13) Gophers cancel home and home with North Carolina; add New Mexico St

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OddStack said:
Oregon State is on the schedule in '17 and '18. I'm just curious...did you guys have the same level of frustration AS Mason was doing the same thing?
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I know I did and it's one of the main reasons I will always take Mason's record with a grain of salt. Playing cupcakes to get to 6th or 7th level tier bowl tie-in got really old really quickly.

I do not remember Mason cancelling an already scheduled home/home with an average-at-best BCS program and having to pay 800k as a result. This is new in that regard. It's one thing to not schedule an opponent like UNC. It's another to get out of it the way we did and for the reasons we did. I hated Mason's scheduling philosophy. I hate Kill's as well.
 

A single game vs a bcs opponent should be mandatory. I'm not saying every year we need Florida or USC, but Colorado, UNC, and maybe when we feel we have a contender put a big name in the hat and get an extra night game on espn with the whole country watching. This takes any and all momentum away from our program and makes it again look to the casual fan that we are the "same old gophers." If we struggle selling out now its just going to get worse trying to get people through the doors for kent frickin state
 

I don't think this is a good idea. It gives the media a talking point which distracts from everything else. I hope it is not a long-term pattern, that this is just one series that is being cancelled, and that future games against BCS teams will remain on the schedule.
 

I'm disappointed, but seriously, are people really going to get this hyped up over losing UNC on the schedule? It's not like it's a USC, Alabama, or a name brand football program here.

I know, I know, it's the principle of paying $800K to get out of a game cause you're "scared" to play it. Okay, point taken, we look like punks. But it sounds as though the plan is to recoup that money. This appears to be likely to end up profitable. If that NMSU rumor were true, I would have been questioning the move greatly, but it appears that was not true. I still question it, but not as much.

But the bottom line is, we can get all kinds of messed up about our non-conference schedule, but (not to go wren on this) it is all about conference play for the vast majority of people. Challenging teams in our non-conference has done little to appease people about the program when you're losing those games and going 2-6, 3-5 in conference.

If we go the Becky route for the next few years, but in a couple years we have won more than half our B1G games, I really don't think people are gonna be that up in arms that we don't play a BCS NC opponent until 2017, that's just my opinion. If we so happen to win a conference title in 2017, are we really gonna sit there and whine cause we didn't play a UNC type opponent in the non-conference? I doubt it.
 


I fear it is almost making a statement that says we can't compete in the B1G, the only way to make it to a bowl game is by stacking the NC schedule with cupcakes, that was Mason's philosophy, on a very good year you go 4-4, on an average year, 2-6, and a bad year 1-7. Is that all we have to look forward to.
 

I'm not super pumped about it either, but I'm reserving judgement for now. It's not like ALL of the 800k won't be recovered. I want to see the replacements and the figures.

As far as MNVCGUY says, "The other factor in this is look at the rest of the conference, they are all playing at least one game against a BCS school." WE ARE NOT ON PAR WITH OUR PEERS; we haven't had success to warrant what they are doing! We are trying to BUILD a program they already have.

B1G bowl-less teams:
'07: Northwestern, US
'08: Illinois, Purdue, Michigan, Indiana
'09: Michigan, Purdue, Indiana
'10: Purdue, Indiana, US
'11: Indiana, US
In last 5 years B1G teams and seasons without bowls:
4=Indiana
3=US and Purdue
2=Michigan
1=Northwestern and Illinois

Are we really as good as our peers?

All of this said, I'd like to see better teams, too. However, it is what it is. We don't know all the facts; let's wait it out.
 

And people wonder why Gopher football has suffered from a lack of faith amongst Minnesotans. I present you with exhibit A. Too incompetent to field a winning product for more than 50 years and now too afraid to play teams from other BCS conferences. In fact, we're so scared of other BCS teams, we'll even PAY to not play you!! Now, about those ticket prices...
 

OddStack said:
I'm not super pumped about it either, but I'm reserving judgement for now. It's not like ALL of the 800k won't be recovered. I want to see the replacements and the figures.

As far as MNVCGUY says, "The other factor in this is look at the rest of the conference, they are all playing at least one game against a BCS school." WE ARE NOT ON PAR WITH OUR PEERS; we haven't had success to warrant what they are doing! We are trying to BUILD a program they already have.

B1G bowl-less teams:
'07: Northwestern, US
'08: Illinois, Purdue, Michigan, Indiana
'09: Michigan, Purdue, Indiana, US
'10: Purdue, Indiana, US
'11: Indiana, US
In last 5 years B1G teams and seasons without bowls:
4=US and Indiana
3=Purdue
2=Michigan
1=Northwestern and Illinois

Are we really as good as our peers?

All of this said, I'd like to see better teams, too. However, it is what it is. We don't know all the facts; let's wait it out.
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We went bowling in '08 and '09.
 



OddStack said:
I'm not super pumped about it either, but I'm reserving judgement for now. It's not like ALL of the 800k won't be recovered. I want to see the replacements and the figures.
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Isn't $800k the figure? That is a sunk cost that got you nothing, right? The "replacements" didn't need to be replacements - you could have scheduled them in the first place. So even if you make money with another opponent, you threw away $800k. As compared to yesterday, sure, you may be able to net some amounts... but overall, it's an $800k loss (plus the cost of needing to find opponents late in the game - which could have negative implications - financial and qualitative... although quality wouldn't appear to be a concern).
 


Between 2011 and 2016, we will play New Mexico State four times. In that same span, we will play Penn State twice. Perhaps we can transfer the Governor's Victory Bell to be awarded to the winner of our new rivalry game with the warriors from Las Cruces?
 

Gopher Warrior said:
Isn't $800k the figure? That is a sunk cost that got you nothing, right? The "replacements" didn't need to be replacements - you could have scheduled them in the first place. So even if you make money with another opponent, you threw away $800k. As compared to yesterday, sure, you may be able to net some amounts... but overall, it's an $800k loss (plus the cost of needing to find opponents late in the game - which could have negative implications - financial and qualitative... although quality wouldn't appear to be a concern).
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You will probably get TWO home games instead of just one. You now have an EXTRA home game to help make up some of the 800k that you wouldn't have if the schedule was as is.
 



How much revenue does a home game bring in? On one side of the ledger is the 800K we're paying to UNC. On the other is revenues from a home game, and elimination of travel costs. On the financial side, it's clear that this will not cost the U a net of 800K. It could even be a decision for the U that makes money.

Cancelling this game doesn't inspire confidence in the fans. If is more of a negative to cancel it than it would have been to not have scheduled the game in the first place. It's not great timing either, if this would have been cancelled before the season started, it would have been better. On the other hand, if we lost the game, fans and the media wouldn't have been forgiving just because the U played a BCS team.

I wonder what we're going to have to pay NMSU to come here? It shouldn't cost too much, NMSU is desperate to fill their schedule.
 

Let's be conservative.

Let's say we continue to lose STH and only have 25,000 in '13. 25000 x $35 is $875,000 in ticket sales only from STH. Let's figure there are 4 to a car, that's 6,250 cars. Multiply that by $15 per spot for the game (some less $10...some spots more $25). That's another $93,750.

That's a Gross of $968,750 before any $ is spent on anything else. We have to probably pay the other team as it won't likely be a home/home and the employees.

This makes me feel as though there's not a lot of the 800k that won't be coming back. It likely makes money when you figure the travel costs saved in not making a trip to UNC.
 

Jike Spingleton said:
Between 2011 and 2016, we will play New Mexico State four times. In that same span, we will play Penn State twice. Perhaps we can transfer the Governor's Victory Bell to be awarded to the winner of our new rivalry game with the warriors from Las Cruces?
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Ha! That is SAD!!

Go Gophers!!
 



Is there any connection between this scheduling change and NMSU's plight with the demise of the WAC?
 

Bo Darville said:
Is there any connection between this scheduling change and NMSU's plight with the demise of the WAC?
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If there is, it only further shows complete incompentence by Kill and Teague. Let New Mexico State deal with their own issues. If our leaders are really so stupid that they're willing to damage the football program to help out NMSU, then they should be fired immediately.
 

MRJ said:
If there is, it only further shows complete incompentence by Kill and Teague. Let New Mexico State deal with their own issues. If our leaders are really so stupid that they're willing to damage the football program to help out NMSU, then they should be fired immediately.
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If you're at all entertaining the idea that the U cancelled the game against UNC to do NMSU a favor, you need to calm down. With the game against UNC cancelled, the U needs to schedule another game. With the demise of the WAC, NMSU is desperate for games, and thus, they can't ask as much money.
 

Bo Darville said:
Is there any connection between this scheduling change and NMSU's plight with the demise of the WAC?
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Only that both schools knew there were going to be some holes in New Mexico State's schedule that needed to be filled. That would give Minnesota a little "cover" when the wanted to slink away from their commitment to UNC.
 

RodentRampage said:
If you're at all entertaining the idea that the U cancelled the game against UNC to do NMSU a favor, you need to calm down. With the game against UNC cancelled, the U needs to schedule another game. With the demise of the WAC, NMSU is desperate for games, and thus, they can't ask as much money.
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Makes sense. I was just wondering since there seems to be so many connections between the U and their athletics department.
 

RodentRampage said:
If you're at all entertaining the idea that the U cancelled the game against UNC to do NMSU a favor, you need to calm down. With the game against UNC cancelled, the U needs to schedule another game. With the demise of the WAC, NMSU is desperate for games, and thus, they can't ask as much money.
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I wasn't, but I saw a couple other posters float this idea out there, so I addressed it. I agree that this idea is so ridiculous it's almost beyond comprehension. Frankly, I find it shocking that some seem to think it actually carries weight. It's also possible that I misunderstood what folks were intimating with the NMSU situation. If that's the case, then I apologize for my misinterpretation of what was posted.
 

What were they thinking?

I have been accused of drinking too much Gopher Kool-Aid before, but I won't here. This UNC backout is a colossal failure. Everybody Kill, Kahler, Teague, and anyone else who didn't stand against this are open for blame. This just made our already iffy image worse. I still support Kill and Teague and think they can get it done, but I for the first time won't criticize Reusse for ripping us a new one.

:confused:
 

There is no such thing as bad publicity.

Go Gophers !!!!!!!
 


This is a brilliant move. The Gophers are coming off two loses and everyone is talking about them. Any publicity is better than none and they're getting more than 10 x $800K worth of it. A bunch of idiots who never pay attention to the program are talking about Gopher football. This board is lit up when normally things would be quiet after a couple of tough loses. The financial implications don't amount to a hill of beans and the reduced strength of schedule argument doesn't fly (we'll still play 11 of the 12 opponents on our schedule). I'm amused at the overreaction. Take a deep breath and remember that this like everything else will pass.

+1 to maroon five

Go Gophers!
 


RodentRampage said:
How much revenue does a home game bring in? On one side of the ledger is the 800K we're paying to UNC. On the other is revenues from a home game, and elimination of travel costs. On the financial side, it's clear that this will not cost the U a net of 800K. It could even be a decision for the U that makes money.

Cancelling this game doesn't inspire confidence in the fans. If is more of a negative to cancel it than it would have been to not have scheduled the game in the first place. It's not great timing either, if this would have been cancelled before the season started, it would have been better. On the other hand, if we lost the game, fans and the media wouldn't have been forgiving just because the U played a BCS team.

I wonder what we're going to have to pay NMSU to come here? It shouldn't cost too much, NMSU is desperate to fill their schedule.
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Hit the nail on the head with the bolded statement. If we would have scheduled a home and home with NMSU for the next 20 consecutive years I don't know that anyone would have freaked out about it. But to pay $800,000 to get out of the series and to literally come out and say that it's because we don't think the team will be competitive is absolutely stunning.

I'm sorry, but that means in Kill's fourth year as coach here, with a majority of players here "his" players, the team still isn't going to be good enough to play a mid-level ACC team ON PROBATION??? Wow. If he really thinks he can't have the team competitive by then he should step down. Honestly. I really like the guy, but this is absolutely ridiculous.

When they announced this I was very disappointed, but when they flat out came out and said it's because we won't win that was what floored me. I expected a statement that they ran the numbers, and while $800,000 sounds like a lot of money, they calculated that the U would make more off the extra homegame.

The only thing I can think of out of this is that Teague wants to give Kill enough rope to hang himself. If the team isn't in a Bowl game next year and the year after, he can use this to justify canning him, where if the team is in a Bowl game (especially if the extra win jumps them into a decent Bowl) they can all sit back and say we told you so. That and when Kill whines about the practice facility Teague can say "if only we hadn't paid UNC that $800,000, we could use that to pay for...".
 

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