It's Official: Big Sky to go to 18-game league schedule

[Skippy]

http://www.bigskyconf.com/news/2013/6/6/GEN_0606131009.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This is good news, allows conference teams to play more non-conference games -- and hopefully, more HOME non-conference games. No divisions created, however, which kind of surprises me.

 

[PBP]

You and me both partner although I understand the reasoning (i.e. Big Sky can't get home games).

Granted it might only be one more home game but every little bit helps.

What I'm curious about is how are they going to set the conference schedule since there will be 12 teams in the conference and you'll be playing 18 games...some teams are going to get 'easier' schedules at times than others.

Perhaps they will go to some sort of "historic rival" opponents that a team will play more often in a season.

PBP

 

[E5Bengal]

I think this will help ISU. If you take 18 Conf games, 2 non-D1, Bracketbuster (if big sky still does it) and a return Bracket buster, 22 games thats a good thing leaving only 8 games to schedule. They will still have the money games but this will allow ISU to get more winnable games. What would be a Idea PBP is if they game school "areas" or regions that you always play them home and home. If ISU can bus to SUU, MU, MSU, WSU it would be nice if they could play them twice every year. Big ten deals with the 18 game schedule and as do most large conferences now that have 12 or more teams.

 

[PBP]

I think the "bracketbuster" games are now finished for the Big Sky (although I could be wrong on that) Last year was the last year of the deal as I recall and I haven't seen anything saying they were renewing.

I understand your point about the scheduling aspect although again do you want to have to play say Weber and Montana twice a year in men's basketball while say Northern Colorado plays schools like Southern Utah and North Dakota twice?

That's a big disadvantage for ISU from a caliber of opponent standpoint.

To me it would be fairer at least in theory to rotate games. Every team plays a game against every other school in the league. That's 11 games. Then you take the remaining seven and rotate them over the years so one year you might play Eastern, Portland, Sac. Idaho, NAU, So. Utah and Weber twice. The next year it might be Montana, Montana St., No. Dakota, No. Colorado, Eastern, Portland and Sac twice.

You just keep cycling it through for everyone.

The schedule for the Big Sky is finalized after recommendations by the same folks who do the NBA and MLB schedules.

Given the oddity of the MLB schedules every year, that does explain some things. LOL :lol:

PBP