Future Schedules

[BluffsBluejayGal]

This is a really dumb reason but I kind of want to start playing UNO just to make it look worse that Nebraska won't.

However, UNO needs to show they can be consistently competitive.

Nebraska has played UNO since they went Division 1. Creighton has not. So they haven't dodged them like we have. Just sayin'.

[LynchMob]

This is a really dumb reason but I kind of want to start playing UNO just to make it look worse that Nebraska won't.

However, UNO needs to show they can be consistently competitive.

Nebraska has played UNO since they went Division 1. Creighton has not. So they haven't dodged them like we have. Just sayin'.

Oh believe me, I remember. UNO put a scare into them last year and UNL almost blew it, which is why now there is a 0% chance they will ever schedule them again, especially now that UNO is looking up and Nebraska is looking down.

The Board of Regents could not have been more clear in every way that the only acceptable role for UNO is that of a little brother, especially concerning athletics. The one exception is hockey because that makes a lot of money, and UNL doesn't have it.

If UNO's basketball program is consistently outperforming the program in Lincoln, which I expect they will be within a couple years, there will be serious calls to shut the program down.

All of which is exactly why Creighton should make an effort to schedule them.

[vjay]

I often day dream of ways to improve our schedule for next season.

I think finding games against teams that are not 200+ RPI is the key. But yet still games you should win. Teams like:
- Charleston
- Hofstra
- Long Beach State
- UC Santa Barbara
- LA Tech
- Montana
- Oral Roberts
- Vermont
- Weber State

That's how you improve your numbers.

I agree. I think the number of high level opponents are fine. 3-4 high major teams in non-conference is fine. It's the cupcakes that killed us. The staff needs to make a more concerted effort in scheduling cupcakes. Pay an extra 5K-10K to get a MAC team instead of a SWAC team cause we are paying for it now.

The Big East as a whole failed in the non-conference last year...

Big East teams with non-con SOS
Villanova - 11
Georgetown - 50
Xavier - 78
Providence - 144
Butler - 174
St. John's - 183
Seton Hall - 193
DePaul - 238
Creighton - 270
Marquette - 322

The Providence, Butler and Seton Hall non-con SOS's improved greatly because their numbers now include their 1 or 2 NCAA tournament games. All 3 schools headed into the Tourney with 200+ non-con SOS's (Providence - 214, Butler - 242 and Seton Hall - 231).

In comparing non-con SOS's to another similar league (by similar, I mean 10 teams that play an 18-game round-robin league schedule)...

Big 12 teams with non-con SOS
Texas - 23
Kansas - 27
Texas Tech - 36
Iowa State - 41
Oklahoma - 57
Baylor - 63
West Virginia - 89
Kansas State - 145
Oklahoma State - 291
TCU - 294

To be fair, their teams were also the beneficiary of NCAA games to improve their non-con numbers. Overall, though, the Big East should be looking at how the Big 12 schedules their non-league games and replicate it as much as possible.

As far as Creighton, specifically, I agree 100% with the above items from Panhandle and Jet, but where I really think we need to do better in our MTE's. The 4 games from last year's MHD (Maury Hanks Disaster) MTE yielded four opponents with an RPI of 175+... Here are the current RPI's of the seven other teams in next year's Paradise Jam (the MTE the Jays are in next season):

St. Joseph's - 22
Mississippi - 97
North Carolina State - 115
Montana - 146
Oral Roberts - 156
Washington State - 217
Loyola (IL) - 234

Unless a couple of these teams are going to be significantly better next season, this is yet another FAIL of an MTE. I do realize that when CU originally signed on for this that Purdue was part of the field - which would have made a favorable difference.

[vjay]

I would take a perpetual 2-for-1 series with UNO and start it out next season at the CLINK, then at Baxter, then next 2 at CLINK, 1 at Baxter, next two at CLINK, and so on. If UNO is at the top or near the top of the Summit league each year (which I think they can do) then it makes sense especially since they count in D-1 now. Adds more local interest, shows Creighton isn't avoiding UNO, and creates a nice rivalry with all the D-1 teams in the state.

We should never, ever have to play at Baxter. Period.

Plus if UNO hosted Creighton, it would be like printing money for their university. Unless their ticket office blocked sales (like UNL has done before), 80% or higher of that arena would be filled with blue. They would sell it out, keep all the gate, and have as much likelihood of winning as if they played at CenturyLink. Might as well buy a game from them, have CU keep the money, and have 17,000+ be able to actually attend.

I wouldn't mind seeing UNO on the schedule, but we should not have to play at their place... Why would you play a game that will easily attract 15,000+ fans in an 8,000-seat arena when you have a 17,000-seat arena available? Make the buy amount right so that they won't even want to play in their home venue. UNO averaged just over 2,200 per home game this year. If we ever did play in Baxter, it would be at least 70% blue...

[cujaysfan]

here's how it should work with UNO

we should do something like the union pacific (or insert other prominent local company) omaha classic

sat/sun (or fri/sat) format - uno plays big name team - jays play decent opponent

Sun - winners play for that title - if UNO wins - they get a shot at the crown

everyone wins - jays should get a shot at a very good team (or UNO who if they win will be good and not an RPI killer)

visiting power team gets a shot at CU which should always be a good game - plus two games for pretty much the price of one without having to do home and home - and one team is basically a buy game

but - likelihood of this happening is nil

[section202jay]

UNO averaged just over 2,200 per home game this year. If we ever did play in Baxter, it would be at least 70% blue...

And probably 1,000 UNL trolls that would show up in Husker hoodies just to cheer against us.

[wildjays]

This is going to come off kind of harsh, but has the fact that Creighton moved up to the Big East made us all hypocrites of what made Creighton fans mad about scheduling when in the MVC? UNO is strictly a buy game? Would opinions be different if Creighton was still in the Valley?

I don't see any issues with a 2-for-1 each series. You throw UNO a bone to build their program while at the same time at Baxter you split the gate. So what if it is 70% Blue at Baxter. It makes for a better ticket with higher demand for those that really want to go to the games. The NIT has proven that for the CLink. The ones that were there for the home games there were the fans that were able and really wanted to be there. And even if it was a hostile environment with a bunch of husker trolls, if Creighton is going to be "the" team in the state, then they will play up to the adversity and win the game. Builds character for road games while still playing in town.

If you want to build up basketball in this state and develop more players, then continue to build strong D-1 programs. That in turn creates better rivalries, develops more talent that may stay in the state and interest is generated. I don't want IUPUI or Western Illinois on the schedule anymore. If Creighton has to schedule a Summit League team then lock in UNO. First year eligible for D1 posteason, UNO is 150 in the Kenpom. Seems like a good game to me.

I guess I'm getting old and have too many outlandish ideas that don't jive with everyone else these days. I'll agree to disagree on this one, but seems to me there is a viable opponent in-town that seems like a no-brainer to me and Creighton can prove that the Big East status can still remember the challenges the MVC provided when it comes to scheduling by helping out the little guy a bit and not being like Kansas/K-State/Wichita St.

[gtmoBlue]

This is going to come off kind of harsh, but has the fact that Creighton moved up to the Big East made us all hypocrites of what made Creighton fans mad about scheduling when in the MVC? UNO is strictly a buy game? Would opinions be different if Creighton was still in the Valley?

I don't see any issues with a 2-for-1 each series. You throw UNO a bone to build their program while at the same time at Baxter you split the gate. So what if it is 70% Blue at Baxter. It makes for a better ticket with higher demand for those that really want to go to the games. The NIT has proven that for the CLink. The ones that were there for the home games there were the fans that were able and really wanted to be there. And even if it was a hostile environment with a bunch of husker trolls, if Creighton is going to be "the" team in the state, then they will play up to the adversity and win the game. Builds character for road games while still playing in town.

If you want to build up basketball in this state and develop more players, then continue to build strong D-1 programs. That in turn creates better rivalries, develops more talent that may stay in the state and interest is generated. I don't want IUPUI or Western Illinois on the schedule anymore. If Creighton has to schedule a Summit League team then lock in UNO. First year eligible for D1 posteason, UNO is 150 in the Kenpom. Seems like a good game to me.

I guess I'm getting old and have too many outlandish ideas that don't jive with everyone else these days. I'll agree to disagree on this one, but seems to me there is a viable opponent in-town that seems like a no-brainer to me and Creighton can prove that the Big East status can still remember the challenges the MVC provided when it comes to scheduling by helping out the little guy a bit and not being like Kansas/K-State/Wichita St.

+1
schedule UNO...and the Saluki's.
Jays need to fill 4-7 noncon slots. Give the Mavs and SIU Coach Spoon a break.

[BluffsBluejayGal]

I'm a fan of Creighton, but maybe a bigger fan of the game of basketball. A game against Western Illinois only excites the Creighton fanbase by the fact that it's another Jays game. But a CU vs. UNO game would excite both fanbases and capture some neutral attention in the city.

Look at Philadelphia. They have Penn, Nova, Temple, La Salle, St. Joe's all playing each other. It helps create the perception that it's a basketball town. We could have a little slice of that feeling using UNO.

A mini-tournament/event format at the CenturyLink Center where CU plays UNO while Nebraska faces off against Colorado (or whoever) before teams swap opponents might be a pipe dream. But we can start with Creighton vs. UNO. You know it'd at least be entertaining with the way the Mavs play.

[vivid_dude]

This is going to come off kind of harsh, but has the fact that Creighton moved up to the Big East made us all hypocrites of what made Creighton fans mad about scheduling when in the MVC? UNO is strictly a buy game? Would opinions be different if Creighton was still in the Valley?

Welcome to the party! I've noticed that since the day we joined the Big East. Quite a few of the most vocal mid-major defenders for decades immediately abandoned their former stance when the Jays made the switch, and today either deny it happened, or say "yeah, well, now we're in the Big East, so..."

Essentially what a lot of these people have been saying, without saying it, was "I was wrong for decades. It made sense for the power conference teams to not schedule Creighton."

So, yes. Definitely some hypocrites.