Independent Football Schedule
- Thread starter FiliUTEP
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0.000000% chance that would be UTEPs Independent schedule.
It would depend how much money the school wants to commit to bringing in attractive schools. Plus most indy's have a late season problem with scheduling since most schools are playing their conference games then.
You’re missing a game, but yes a lot more realistic than what Foolie posted. No worse than what we have now, if not better playing more P5s.
I cant find a ncaa rule that says it has to be 12 games. The only rule I saw is 5 home games.
Good luck finding that roadie. Some P5 conferences are switching to 9 conference games eliminating the need for an extra ooc game. Unless you can find a rule that states FBS teams must schedule 12 games stop arguing with me. Instead list your damn schedule.
Unless you can find a FBS team that scheduled 11 games since going to 12 was approved, stop arguing with me.
That's my schedule and I'm not missing a game. It meets all the requirements for an FBS team. Feel free to make up your own hypothetical schedule with 12 games.
Wow, I guess it's a bye week so noting else to speculate on lol. I don't think UTEP ends up independent, I believe CUSA survives and for better or worse UTEP will remain in it at least for the time being until we make ourselves more attractive.
If UTEP goes independent, expect 5 home games a season, only because that's the minimum required for FBS schools. Otherwise UTEP will have to play on the road a lot.
Now is there anything that prevents teams from playing each other twice in one season? Maybe UTEP and NMSU can schedule home and home games like they do in basketball.
Now is there anything that prevents teams from playing each other twice in one season? Maybe UTEP and NMSU can schedule home and home games like they do in basketball.
An independent schedule would look something like 6 or 7 road games where we are the Punching Bag of a Big Program, an NMSU game, and then a bunch of games against teams no one wants to see in the Sun Bowl.
And how is that different than what we see now?
Try to add Hawaii on the road, and UTEP is permitted to play 13 games instead of only 12.
Independence could work.
Schedule four P5 road paydays and there's at least 5 million. That's more money than the MW and the new AAC schools will make.
Schedule H&A series with MW schools. At least two per year. Every year we have one MW team at home and a different one on the road.
Play H&A with NMSU every season.
Same with any other Independent looking for games. (UMass, Liberty or UConn)
Schedule an FCS team at home.
Have a rotating H&A with the AAC west division schools.
Just have to make sure we have five home games. In years where we're traveling to an AAC school we would substitute one the P5 body bag games for another FCS home game.
It could work for a few years. Hopefully by then the WAC is Back at FBS.
All our other sports in the WAC. It wouldn't be a bad idea to put our Olympic sports there now and be football only for whatever version of CUSA remains.
Schedule four P5 road paydays and there's at least 5 million. That's more money than the MW and the new AAC schools will make.
Schedule H&A series with MW schools. At least two per year. Every year we have one MW team at home and a different one on the road.
Play H&A with NMSU every season.
Same with any other Independent looking for games. (UMass, Liberty or UConn)
Schedule an FCS team at home.
Have a rotating H&A with the AAC west division schools.
Just have to make sure we have five home games. In years where we're traveling to an AAC school we would substitute one the P5 body bag games for another FCS home game.
It could work for a few years. Hopefully by then the WAC is Back at FBS.
All our other sports in the WAC. It wouldn't be a bad idea to put our Olympic sports there now and be football only for whatever version of CUSA remains.
Hmmm. A few months ago, I was ridiculed and called an idiot for suggesting Independence and WAC. Now, it “could work” and “wouldn’t be a bad idea”. Bi-polar anyone?
Luckily Dimel has suspended anyone’s thoughts about dropping to FCS or dropping football at the moment. Doesn’t mean this is a upward trajectory that is set in stone.
Independence should be looked at hard now. Especially if LaTech is going to be our nearest conference opponent. We should know before the end of the season what CUSA will do. Going off of ODU’s statement, it’s probably not going to be better for UTEP.
Independence won't work. It works for military academies and religious schools with huge budgets. It's a shit show for everybody else. Just look at UMASS NMSU and UCONN. Where would basketball play? The WAC is not an option. We would be in worse conference than than all the the Texas FBS schools plus UTA. Wow no thanks. There would be no coming back from that. I don't want to know how depressing a conference game against Dixie State, Tarleton and ACU would be. There's no coming back from that it's not an option. At that point shut it all down.
I still believe realignment isn't over.
Good probability that the SB takes four teams. Marshall, ODU, USM and LT. Maybe even go for the death blow and take back WKU and MTSU too. Or maybe those two ask to join the MAC and are accepted.
There's a strong possibility there is no more cusa and no one has to pay exit fees.
UTEP would have no other option but to go independent.
UMass and UConn chose to be Independent. NMSU had no choice. So out of all the Independents only NMSU is there because of things “out of their control”. Liberty left FCS and decided to be Independent too. Everyone chose to be there except NMSU.
There’s no difference to most fans about which conference mates are playing. Arizona, Texas Tech, BYU, and TCU all used to come here. We have been downgrading ever since. Barely 11,000 showed up to watch Old Dominion play here. You’re going to “say” with a straight face, that Miner fans are going to be so disgusted because we’re playing Dixie St and Lamar instead of Old Dominion and Western Kentucky??? Come on.
At least playing in a regional conference allows for Central Texas area alums to continue to attend games in/near their homes. How many MTSU, WKU, FIU, ODU, and Marshall fans make trips here? How many of us take trips there?
UTEP going to an independent schedule would be a death blow not only for the football program but also for the athletic department as a whole. Say what you want about the football team and it’s history/trajectory but women’s volleyball, and women’s basketball for example are on a nice upswing. Could UTEP afford to keep their coaches if they were to become unaffiliated with a conference?
It’s probably not a wise move. However if it’s a move made out of necessity, that’s a different story. That’s my take on it anyway. And there are no guarantees that it would be a viable option. We may have to find out by trial.
Football independence is not the way to go. Unfortunately, the UTEP brand is one that is not selling. Neither MWC or AAC wants us, so what makes some think that we could make a good independent schedule? Ask NMSU how they like playing Alabama on the road in November? So many are saying that our attendance struggles are because of the Bethune Cookmans of the world playing here. Well, unfortunately that is what our home schedule will look like. I am holding my breath and praying that CUSA stays as is right now because that unfortunately looks like our only lifeline right now. Marshall, however, looks ready to bolt and I can’t blame them. How ironic that we are now in the same position as NMSU now…crazy times.
Unfortunately even if CUSA survives it's not sustainable for us. Unless we somehow start dominating the league. Then many won't care if all of our road games are 1000-2000 miles away.
Everytime we were left behind at least there were a few teams in our proximity that we could relate to. This time it's different. Literally everyone around us is gone.
I hope everyone that has a connection to UTEP realizes the danger the football program will find itself in. Support contribute and do whatever is possible to raise money to improve the athletic department. If nothing changes UTEP football could have its days counted.
Everytime we were left behind at least there were a few teams in our proximity that we could relate to. This time it's different. Literally everyone around us is gone.
I hope everyone that has a connection to UTEP realizes the danger the football program will find itself in. Support contribute and do whatever is possible to raise money to improve the athletic department. If nothing changes UTEP football could have its days counted.
The problem isn’t 4 football games a year, it’s basketball x2, volleyball, women’s soccer, and whatever other sports require visiting another’s field. Even if we do dominate, the tv money and travel for non-football sports will not cancel each other out. Being in CUSA, appears to not be a long-term home for UTEP.
Adding NMSU and Texas St would alleviate some of that travel, but not that much. Chances are those 2 teams are not joining, nor anyone between us and LaTech. Assuming LaTech is staying.
Definitely a gut punch, but this is what we have to deal with now.
That's why UTEP needs to eat humble pie and realize the best financial move for the university is to go football only in this eastern conference led by Marshall and ODU. I hate the idea that you're right, even if it's out of necessity, but UTEP Olympic sports have to go to the WAC.
I think that makes everyone in the new CUSA eastern league happy too.
I think that makes everyone in the new CUSA eastern league happy too.
Yes, the only problem with that is CUSA needs 8 full time members. So they would need to add 1 to make us Football only. The WAC wouldn’t be the only option, but it’s the best. UTEP could join the Big Sky, but with GCU and SFA, the WAC has “more attractive” teams.
If UTEP could afford to offer some sort of travel subsidy, higher payment for a game, something along those lines, then Senter should investigate the Big West and even the WCC. Hawaii does that as a Big West member. Another way to help that situation is for NMSU to join CUSA and give visiting non fb teams two conference encounters for one trip.
We have never played in a"bus league". We've always been far away for our conference mates. You hold out in C-USA. They can't join the WAC. There is no coming back from that. People will point to NMSU, it's completely different circumstances. 10 years ago we're in the same conference as SMU and Houston and now you're in a conference with Tarleton and ACU. That's a fall you don't get up from. The sponsors go running. What's left of the donors would go running. You could play basketball games in Memorial Gym and plenty of room. On a good night maybe 1500 show up. I love this school I've supported it financially for years. However if they joined the WAC and went indy in football I'm out and know there are lot more like me. It would hurt but not near as much as it would hurt to see them in conference with dixie f****** state and tarleton. No way in hell. I guarantee you in five years West texas a&m and UTPB will be in the WAC. Rumor is West Texas A&M will probably get an invite before the end of the year. What a f****** joke.
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50 years ago we played with Arizona and Arizona St
40 years ago we played with BYU and Utah
30 years ago we played with Fresno and New Mexico
20 years ago we played with TCU and Boise
10 years ago we played with SMU and Houston
In 10 years, we be saying the same thing about Rice and UAB.
There’s no difference between ODU football and Tarleton St. Except UTEP fans will be at the game in Stephenville and more Tarleton fans will be at the Sun Bowl than ODU fans will ever. 11,000 showed up for ODU. That’s for a team with a 3-1 record. How many would have shown up for a 1-3 UTEP team?
It’s “retarded” to play in a basketball league with teams in Virginia and Florida. And it’s not like they’re the good teams in Virginia and Florida. CUSA will be unable to add any teams “close” to UTEP. It makes zero sense to stay in a far flung, 1 bid league, when you can likely join a closer 1 bid league.
You have to consider travel costs and sports other than football. Especially if you’re in the worst FBS conference.
