More equitable scheduling idea

rAggie · Post by **rAggie** » October 14th, 2021, 2:56 pm

There's no doubt there is an imbalance in the way the MW cross division schedules work.

Boise playing Nevada, San Diego and Fresno while Utah State gets San Jose, UNLV, and Hawaii is sure great for us this year, but is very unbalanced.

An argument could be made that not in every year will USU get the three worst of the west and Boise will get the three best, but I wonder if there is a way to mix it up more and reduce the odds, and yes, a lot of this has to come because HISTORICALY UNLV, Hawaii, and San Jose have been on average weaker than Fresno, SDSU, and Nevada.

So I propose this alteration to MW scheduling: If you finish top three in your division, then the next season you play the 2, 4, 6 teams from the west. If you finish bottom three in the division then the next year you play 1, 3, 5. Removing last year as an outlier because of Covid, here is what recent cross-division schedules would look like for USU:

2020: (Top 3 in 19) - SDSU, SJSU, UNLV
2019: (Top 3 in 18) - Nevada, SDSU, SJSU
2018: (Bottom 3 in 17) Fresno, UNLV, Hawaii
2017: (Bottom 3 in 16) - SDSU, SJSU, UNLV

Frequency of seeing each team over 4 year period:

SDSU: 3
UNLV: 3
SJSU: 3
Nevada: 1
Hawaii: 1
Fresno: 1

Pro: More diversity in quality of opponent. Not arbitrarily locked into the same three schools home and home for two years and then the other two. New rivalries could be developed/fostered.
Cons: Not guaranteed one road trip to each west school once every 4 years.

Thoughts?

rAggie · Post by **rAggie** » October 14th, 2021, 3:04 pm

I just realized this doesn't work because it only considers the standings one directionally. i.e. the top three in the Mountain get 2, 4, and 6, that means the 2, 4, and 6 in the West get 1, 2, 3 in the Mountain.

rAggie · Post by **rAggie** » October 14th, 2021, 3:05 pm

So maybe it should be: 1, 3, 5 in a division get 1, 3, 5 in the opposite division, and 2, 4, 6 the same.

In this scenario, here is who we play (year is based on previous year's schedule):

2020: (Third place): Hawaii, Nevada, Fresno
2019: (Second place): Nevada, SDSU, SJSU
2018: (Fifth): Fresno, UNLV, Hawaii
2017: (Sixth): Hawaii, Nevada, Fresno

Frequency:
Hawaii: 3
Nevada: 3
Fresno: 3
SDSU: 1
SJSU: 1
UNLV: 1

NVAggie · Post by **NVAggie** » October 14th, 2021, 3:57 pm

Seems like a really complicated way to fix a problem that doesn't exist.

rAggie · Post by **rAggie** » October 14th, 2021, 5:56 pm

You'll think it's a problem that doesn't exist until Boise makes it a problem if they miss out on the MWCG because they played three substantially more difficult teams than whoever wins the Mountain division did (hopefully USU).

NVAggie · Post by **NVAggie** » October 14th, 2021, 6:31 pm

It already happened in 2013 or 2014 when we played Fresno. I don’t recall a bunch of complaining back then.

USU78 · Post by **USU78** » October 14th, 2021, 6:37 pm

The boazybunch whined and griped and groused because we stole what they see as solely and only theirs

YoungBloodAggie · Post by **YoungBloodAggie** » October 14th, 2021, 7:40 pm

Over the four/five-year career of a football player, it will all balance out. There are worse arrangements for cross-divisional scheduling in college football (hello, SEC!), and I don't really think this is something that needs to be remedied.

Sl7vk · Post by **Sl7vk** » October 14th, 2021, 8:14 pm

Wait, I’m supposed to feel bad for Boise…. This year?!??

No.
No…..

Not now not ever.

GameFAQSAggie · Post by **GameFAQSAggie** » October 14th, 2021, 10:54 pm

The schedule balances out with us getting our turn to play and miss the teams Boise has to miss and play this year. For recruiting, we need the certainty of telling kids that we WILL play in San Diego, Fresno, and Hawaii once. Not that we may depending on the standings.

BigBlueDart · Post by **BigBlueDart** » October 15th, 2021, 9:29 am

Indeed. I always thought it was interesting that Boise and we play opposite cross-division schedules. We never play the same Western teams. I think they should just reshuffle after every four year cycle.

nvspuds · Post by **nvspuds** » October 15th, 2021, 9:41 pm

The Divisions may be gone as soon as next season..

JSHarvey · Post by **JSHarvey** » October 16th, 2021, 1:37 pm

Scheduling is done multiple years out, it is not feasible to switch teams every year.

AggieFBObsession · Post by **AggieFBObsession** » October 16th, 2021, 1:58 pm

Why is so much attention given to this? Utah State hasn't won a MWC championship. Therefore, Utah State should feel guilty for having its schedule?

You want to shut the Bozo State fans up? Beat them on the football field. Otherwise when they whine and cry, ignore them. That's what they deserve.

LoveMyAggies · Post by **LoveMyAggies** » October 16th, 2021, 9:30 pm

Sl7vk wrote:Wait, I’m supposed to feel bad for Boise…. This year?!??

No.
No…..

Not now not ever.

I agree Boise Bozos can go pound salt, if they dont think the schedule is fair

DreadPirateRoberts · Post by **DreadPirateRoberts** » October 16th, 2021, 10:44 pm

Boise just lost to Air Force. So, this conversation about their schedule being fair really doesn't matter anymore.

Sl7vk · Post by **Sl7vk** » October 16th, 2021, 10:47 pm

Yeah this did not age well.

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