Games to be played Friday and Saturday Nights

[rtb]

I don't know if I like this or not, but it appears the league games this year will be played on back to back nights Friday and Saturday.

http://www.flatheadbeacon.com/articles/ ... uts/10558/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[c.falls cat]

wasn't this tried a few years back? I am thinking it was but I don't remember why it didn't stick.

[Domako]

They tried it back when I played and it was very hard on the players. Playing back to back nights was very hard
on the legs and travel was difficult at best. They like to do it so the players miss less classes, but I think it
is a bad idea.

[wbtfg]

This provides a major home court advantage for Sac and NAU on Saturday nights, as that is a brutal trip. ESPECIALLY if Flagstaff is in the middle of a blizzard which is not uncommon during bball season.

[RationalGriz]

The NAU-Sac trip will still be a Thurs-Sat setup.

[Old Skool Cat]

From a fan's perspective, I like it. Typically, I can not make the drive over to Bozeman from Helena on Thursday nights. But Friday night games will allow me to take in a lot more Bobcat basketball next season.

[mslacat]

This has been done off and on for the last 30 years, but usually only lasts for a season or two. Most Big Sky teams always complain that this is a big advantage for Montana State and Montana. The argument is that the bus ride between Missoula and Bozeman can be a long arduous trip especially when there is bad roads/weather. Northern Arizona has been the biggest opponent of a Friday/ Saturday schedule if they are forced to have their home games Thur/Sat. In there opinion they really do not see much of a difference between the Bozeman/Missoula trip from the Flagstaff /Sacramento trip.

This Friday / Saturday will be a an advantage for the Saturday Home team do doubt about it, but a bigger advantage for Boosters / Fans who live out of town. I am willing to bet I will be able to take in a few more games now.

[bpcats]

Until the economy improves significantly, this move makes sense. From a fan standpoint, I actually like it.

[wbtfg]

Good move for lots or reasons (fan convenience, ticket revenue, travel costs, athletes missing less class…etc). It will however, mean a more grueling conference season for both coaches and athletes.

Due to the short turn around, would this new schedule would favor the teams with more talent and athleticism, as opposed to the teams who rely on out-scheming their opponents?

Also, does this mean no more Sunday games?

[bozbobcat]

The Big Sky did this last in 2002 for basketball, and went back to Thursday-Saturday scheduling the next season. It was a big advantage for the Bobcats, as they went 6-1 at home in conference play. Of course, they went 6-1 on the road in conference play, so I don't think it mattered all that much. It was just a good year. I would guess that the Sunday games will still be played...it's too much money for the Big Sky to walk away from easily.

[MSU01]

From the selfish perspective of someone who travels to Bozeman from out of town for games, I like this in that I can now go to both games in a weekend instead of just the Saturday game (not even I am big enough a fan to drive to Bozeman on Thursday, then back home to work on Friday, then back down to Bozeman again on Saturday).

In theory, I do think this system gives a greater advantage to home teams, and road wins on Saturday nights will become much more tough to get and valuable. However, unless I'm mistaken the MSU men got a very rare win in Flagstaff on Saturday night the last year the Fri/Sat schedule was used after having played in Sacramento the previous night, so maybe it's not as bad as we might think it is. I do wonder just how many class days this really saves though, especially since a lot of classes (at least at MSU) have an MWF schedule and player attendance at these classes won't be affected at all by this. Something tells me that whatever the stated reasons for the change are, $$$ has a lot more to do with it than anything else as hotel & food costs will decrease with shorter trips.

Edit: The article does state that money is the biggest reason for the change, which makes sense. The 450-mile bus rule is interesting as well.

[GOKATS]

From the selfish perspective of someone who travels to Bozeman from out of town for games, I like this in that I can now go to both games in a weekend instead of just the Saturday game (not even I am big enough a fan to drive to Bozeman on Thursday, then back home to work on Friday, then back down to Bozeman again on Saturday).

In theory, I do think this system gives a greater advantage to home teams, and road wins on Saturday nights will become much more tough to get and valuable. However, unless I'm mistaken the MSU men got a very rare win in Flagstaff on Saturday night the last year the Fri/Sat schedule was used after having played in Sacramento the previous night, so maybe it's not as bad as we might think it is. I do wonder just how many class days this really saves though, especially since a lot of classes (at least at MSU) have an MWF schedule and player attendance at these classes won't be affected at all by this. Something tells me that whatever the stated reasons for the change are, $$$ has a lot more to do with it than anything else as hotel & food costs will decrease with shorter trips.

Edit: The article does state that money is the biggest reason for the change, which makes sense. The 450-mile bus rule is interesting as well.

It's all about money as the BSC just concluded their spring meeting. Several proposals were voted down, such as limiting BB and VB BSC tournaments to four teams, cutting down on travel teams for FB, etc. The motions that passed, such as the Fri/Sat schedule for BB, travel limitaions, etc. will save each school an average of $46,000/yr. The 450 mile bus rule is what the NCAA dictates for FB playoffs so makes sense. It's just dealing with the current economic conditions and I think it'll probably boost attendance at BB games (I've been thru several cycles of Fri/Sat vs Thurs/Sat). It's no doubt more physically demanding whether you're at home or on the road, but that additonal conditioning could prove very beneficial come tourney and post season time.

[CARDIAC_CATS]

Good move! At least from a fan perspective. I will be attending more games next year in Bozeman as I can come up and stay Friday night and come back on Saturdays after the game.

[mslacat]

Here is an article from Rivals.com on the subject that came out today that I thought was interesting.

Link

http://jucojunction.rivals.com/content. ... CID=949971" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Steve Megargee
Rivals.com College Basketball


When athletic officials refer to the bottom line these days, they likely aren't talking about their team's won-loss record.

The gloomy economic climate has forced conferences across the country to adopt cost-cutting measures. The ACC moved its 2009 baseball tournament from Fenway Park to the more centrally located Durham, N.C. The Big Ten will stop giving out gift packages to players before the conference tournament. Conference USA presidents are discussing a proposal to reduce football traveling squads to 66 players.



Kirk Earlywine is a vocal opponent of the Big Sky's switch to playing on back-to-back days each week.
Perhaps the biggest basketball-related change is coming from one of the nation's smaller conferences: The Big Sky plans to have men's basketball teams play conference games on back-to-back nights (Friday and Saturday).

Big Sky officials say the move should save $3,000 to $5,000 per school while keeping student-athletes in class more often. But some coaches around the conference wonder if the safety concerns outweigh the cost benefits.

"If it was such a great idea, why didn't anyone else do it?" Eastern Washington coach Kirk Earlywine said. "I couldn't be more against it. I think it jeopardizes the health and well-being of our student-athletes."

The Ivy League also plays league games on back-to-back nights, but the Big Sky's far-flung nature – it has nine schools from eight states – makes travel tougher, particularly during the snowy winters.

For instance, most Big Sky schools now will have to play at Montana and Montana State on back-to-back nights. How will the weather affect their travel plans after that Friday night game? Do they drive to the next school late Friday night? Do they stop halfway between the campuses? Or do they remain in town until Saturday morning, then leave? Whichever option they choose, they won't have much time to prepare for their Saturday night opponent.

Teams also will have to play at Eastern Washington and Portland State on back-to-back nights, which could prove difficult if foggy weather delays flights from Spokane to Portland.

The Big Sky will revert to its Thursday-Saturday scheduling format when teams make the road swing through Northern Colorado and Northern Arizona, since getting from one school to the other soon enough to play on back-to-back nights isn't feasible. The other exception will involve games that are scheduled for Sunday as part of the Big Sky's regional TV package.

Northern Arizona's Mike Adras is the only Big Sky coach who was at his current position during the 2001-02 season, when the league last played conference games on back-to-back nights.

"I remember the trainers the last time we did this saying they just felt it wasn't safe for kids to have to perform on back-to-back nights with all the travel and lack of sleep and everything else involved," he said.

Earlywine was blunter in his appraisal.

"You're diminishing the quality of play, and you're jeopardizing the health and well-being of student-athletes first and foremost," he said. "If there's any league that can do it, it's the Pac-10. You can play Cal and Stanford and stay in the same hotel. You can play USC and UCLA and stay in the same hotel. You can play Oregon and Oregon State and stay in the same hotel. If you chose to, you could play Arizona and Arizona State and stay in the same hotel. There are no weather or travel issues.



Mike Adras and Northern Arizona face playing conference road games on consecutive nights.
"If it's such a great idea, why doesn't the Pac-10 do it? I guess we're smarter in the Big Sky than the Pac-10."

The Pac-10 hasn't played conference games on back-to-back nights since 1978-79 – its first year as a 10-member league – and has no plans at this time to go back to the format. The West Coast Conference also hasn't discussed playing games on back-to-back nights.

While this move would seem to put Big Sky road teams at a huge disadvantage, history shows that's not necessarily the case.

Big Sky road teams went 22-34 for a conference winning percentage of .393 during the 2001-02 season that featured games on back-to-back nights. That figure included an 8-14 (.364) mark during the back end of those trips. Road teams actually have fared slightly worse – 158-282 (.359) – in the seven seasons since.

"In the interviews we've done with kids and with some coaches who have done this, they say they actually end up liking it because they don't have the days of down time," Big Sky commissioner Doug Fullerton said.

Big Sky officials also are hoping the new scheduling format results in bigger crowds and better grades.

Fullerton noted that schools such as Montana and Montana State get much of their fan support from across the state. Now that home games are on Friday and Saturday instead of Thursday, families don't have to worry about making long drives on school nights.

"We've had tremendous fan support, and I think this will only enhance that, with people having the opportunity to come, spend the night and catch two games as opposed to when it was split up," Montana State coach Brad Huse said. "I've been hearing that feedback quite a bit from fans and boosters across the state already."

And under the Thursday-Saturday format, teams typically left school on Wednesday to begin their road trips. Now they won't leave until Thursday, which will keep them from missing quite as many classes. That's a big issue in the Big Sky, which received bad news in the NCAA's latest release of the Academic Progress Report findings.

"The economy and the APR are two pretty major issues," Weber State coach Randy Rahe said. "We understand why [the schedule change] happened. We're just going to make the best of it."

Idaho State, Montana and Northern Colorado were the only Big Sky athletic departments that received no scholarship losses or public warnings in the NCAA's latest APR release. The men's basketball programs at Eastern Washington and Portland State were penalized with a loss of scholarships.

"We're not where we need to be in the APR, and the presidents know that," Fullerton said. "I think in at least two or three presidents' minds, they thought in those terms, that we were taking the kids out too early in the week."

Earlywine remains skeptical. He worked in the Big Sky as an assistant at Weber State during the 2001-02 season. Earlywine indicated the scheduling change that season meant just three extra days in class.

"I'm not trying to minimize that," Earlywine said. "We obviously try to minimize the amount of classes we miss at all times. But I think you can look at Cal and Stanford and USC and UCLA – in general, people would agree those are much stronger academic institutions than we have in the Big Sky. If it was that big a deal, you'd think they'd do it."