Future schedules

[The Real SamC]

23 I-AA opponent: Central Connecticut State
24 I-AA opponent: SUNY Stony Brook
26 game: Middle Tennessee State, game is listed as "city TBA" with no return. No idea what that means. Cannot think of neutral site where it would be marketable. Are they just going to flip a coin to determine who gets a home game.

 

[TwolfHerdfan]

Mark Snyder played the most difficult schedules but haven’t we played an FCS team every year? More often than not?

 

[GoHerdMarshallYes]

23 I-AA opponent: Central Connecticut State
24 I-AA opponent: SUNY Stony Brook
26 game: Middle Tennessee State, game is listed as "city TBA" with no return. No idea what that means. Cannot think of neutral site where it would be marketable. Are they just going to flip a coin to determine who gets a home game.

It's good to see you still keeping up with CUSA teams.

 

[The Real SamC]

Mark Snyder played the most difficult schedules but haven’t we played an FCS team every year? More often than not?

Since moving to I-A (FBS, which is a stupid name) in 1997, MU has played at least one I-AA (FCS, which is a stupid name) team every year, except for 2004, when Troy, which was scheduled as a I-AA game, moved up to I-A that year; 2010; 2011; and 2017.

MU will play two I-AAs this year, because of the conference shift and thus, AFAIK, will have to go 7-5 rather than 6-6 to get bowl eligible since only one I-AA win counts towards bowls. That will, IMHO, be a tall order.

Our next years with 100% I-A schedules will be 25 and 26.

 

[wyocinherd]

Good stuff, Sam. To add, the 2024 home OOC schedule is absolutely inexcusable (Western Michigan & Stony Brook). It's an embarrassing blunder that comes at the worst time when MU is trying to rebuild the fanbase from the Doc/Hamrick disaster. Without knowing the details, wonder if this is fallout from Hamrick's hard-headedness on scheduling. The changed landscape of college football means Marshall can no longer apply the Hamrick rule of only home-and-home vs. P5. Need to work out some 2-for-1s. https://fbschedules.com/ncaa/marshall/

 

[ohio herd]

Good stuff, Sam. To add, the 2024 home OOC schedule is absolutely inexcusable (Western Michigan & Stony Brook). It's an embarrassing blunder that comes at the worst time when MU is trying to rebuild the fanbase from the Doc/Hamrick disaster. Without knowing the details, wonder if this is fallout from Hamrick's hard-headedness on scheduling. The changed landscape of college football means Marshall can no longer apply the Hamrick rule of only home-and-home vs. P5. Need to work out some 2-for-1s. https://fbschedules.com/ncaa/marshall/

I am curious how you came to the conclusion that Doc was a disaster? He was 85-54 for a percentage of 612% While he disappointed many that is certainly not a disaster.

 

[TwolfHerdfan]

I am curious how you came to the conclusion that Doc was a disaster? He was 85-54 for a percentage of 612% While he disappointed many that is certainly not a disaster.

He was solid but only 26 of those wins came against teams with winning records

 

[wyocinherd]

I am curious how you came to the conclusion that Doc was a disaster? He was 85-54 for a percentage of 612% While he disappointed many that is certainly not a disaster.

You’re right. I should’ve been more specific. His record overall wasn’t a disaster. I’m referring to the latter years of the Doc-Hamrick regime — the boring offenses, the inexplicable losses to inferior teams, the blowout losses at home, the lack of fan engagement, the lack of program transparency and the loss of seemingly a large swath of fans from a great fanbase.

Doc earned a mulligan for 2016. But he should’ve been let go after 2017, when the Herd lost 4 of their last 5 regular season games. It showed that Doc had reached his ceiling and wasn’t the guy to take us to another level. Instead, we got a whopping 3 more years of mediocre football. I fear the damage to our fan base is irreparable. And back to my original point, you can’t have home OOC schedules like 2022 and 2024 and expect to make big strides on getting people back into the stadium. I understand the situation this year. But 2024 is flat out inexcusable.

 

[RhinoD]

Playing a FCS team each year at home is not a bad thing for Marshall... Especially if it's week 1 or 2 of the season, before or after a P5 game.

Overall, Marshall's upcoming non conference schedules are solid... 2025 is a little weak with no P5 opponent, but that is also a year where we don't have a FCS team.

 

[ThunderDrunk304]

Spears talk of “destinations” when scheduling has me concerned. No one’s excited to play MTSU, no matter how close they are to Nashville.

 

[ohio herd]

Spears talk of “destinations” when scheduling has me concerned. No one’s excited to play MTSU, no matter how close they are to Nashville.

what he needs to do is get us our game with Pitt in Huntington back on a future schedule

 

[ThunderDrunk304]

what he needs to do is get us our game with Pitt in Huntington back on a future schedule

If/when I meet Spears my first question will be what happened to that game.

 

[MUTHFAN]

Spears talk of “destinations” when scheduling has me concerned. No one’s excited to play MTSU, no matter how close they are to Nashville.

Dear lord, please don’t send us back to Miami hell lol

 

[Tonycried2]

Dear lord, please don’t send us back to Miami hell lol

I like MIami (O) not so much the canes!

 

[THUNDERGround]

I like MIami (O) not so much the canes!

I'd far rather that than playing something called a Central Connecticut State.

 

[MU PIKE]

Spears talk of “destinations” when scheduling has me concerned. No one’s excited to play MTSU, no matter how close they are to Nashville.

I went to the MTSU Herd game a couple years ago and it was the most pathetic sight regarding fan support. Makes us look like Ohio state.

 

[oldeherd]

I am curious how you came to the conclusion that Doc was a disaster? He was 85-54 for a percentage of 612% While he disappointed many that is certainly not a disaster.

Umm, Doc's winning percentage in 9 or 10 seasons was 61.2%. This year going into season #9, Danny D'Antoni's winning percentage is about 53%. That includes exactly ZERO wins against any MAJOR foes in EIGHT years of regular season play. Oh, and if you want to pooh-pooh many of Doc's wins, then let's do that too with MU basketball and "take out" all those HERD Ws in the last 8 seasons against the Rio Grande's, Bluefield's, Glenville, WV State, etc., not to mention the North Carolina A&T, etc., very low level "mid Major" foes too! Brings that winning percentage very close to that .500 level, which, at most D1 programs who really give a DAMN about their basketball, means that a Coach with such a record in 8 seasons, isn't around for Season #9, one NCAA tourney win notwithstanding!!

 

[muthed]

Spears talk of “destinations” when scheduling has me concerned. No one’s excited to play MTSU, no matter how close they are to Nashville.

Maybe we could concentrate on beating them more often than losing to them.

 

[raleighherdfan]

Umm, Doc's winning percentage in 9 or 10 seasons was 61.2%. This year going into season #9, Danny D'Antoni's winning percentage is about 53%. That includes exactly ZERO wins against any MAJOR foes in EIGHT years of regular season play. Oh, and if you want to pooh-pooh many of Doc's wins, then let's do that too with MU basketball and "take out" all those HERD Ws in the last 8 seasons against the Rio Grande's, Bluefield's, Glenville, WV State, etc., not to mention the North Carolina A&T, etc., very low level "mid Major" foes too! Brings that winning percentage very close to that .500 level, which, at most D1 programs who really give a DAMN about their basketball, means that a Coach with such a record in 8 seasons, isn't around for Season #9, one NCAA tourney win notwithstanding!!

That’s why I think Danny should have also been let go. The reality is a new AD, just a few weeks on the job, and a number of other initiatives related to conference changes took precedence over searching for a new Head BB coach.

 

[Tonycried2]

I'd far rather that than playing something called a Central Connecticut State.

Not sure how that bunch ended up on the slate...

 

[cincyherdfan]

Not sure how that bunch ended up on the slate...

Scheduling is done so far out and it’s very late to try and get teams scheduled OOC for next year and 2024…..CCSU and Stoney Brook were probably two of the very few left with any openings……especially when you factor next year’s game had to be a home game

 

[BleedsGreen33]

Mark Snyder played the most difficult schedules but haven’t we played an FCS team every year? More often than not?

As most teams do. Not sure why people get so worked up over playing them and we were forced into 2 FCS teams this year in order to exit CUSA a year early. A worthy sacrifice.

 

[Tonycried2]

Scheduling is done so far out and it’s very late to try and get teams scheduled OOC for next year and 2024…..CCSU and Stoney Brook were probably two of the very few left with any openings……especially when you factor next year’s game had to be a home game

That explains it but doesn't make it any more palatable....I'm willing to take it for granted we're better than Stony Brook or Central Conn.

 

[BleedsGreen33]

Good stuff, Sam. To add, the 2024 home OOC schedule is absolutely inexcusable (Western Michigan & Stony Brook). It's an embarrassing blunder that comes at the worst time when MU is trying to rebuild the fanbase from the Doc/Hamrick disaster. Without knowing the details, wonder if this is fallout from Hamrick's hard-headedness on scheduling. The changed landscape of college football means Marshall can no longer apply the Hamrick rule of only home-and-home vs. P5. Need to work out some 2-for-1s. https://fbschedules.com/ncaa/marshall/

Head-headedness on scheduling? There's a lot to criticize Hamrick on, but scheduling was not one of them. He put together some of the best schedules we have ever had. Had it not been for COVID we would have had Pitt and Boise at home in 2020 and oh by the way we're playing Notre Dame this year.

Also your post is more Marshall fan irony. For years we complained that all we did was play mercenary games that we could never get P5 to visit the Joan and if they did we'd let them out anyways like we did with Miami. Well Hamrick heard that complaint and decided unless it was a special deal (like Notre Dame) we were getting return games. Thus we saw Purdue, Louisville, NCST, VT, and should have seen Boise and Pitt. Though I am not sure either of those last two are a complete lost cause. Especially given that Spears came from Pitt and was a part of that series agreement so he might be able to get that return trip.

Also "the changed landscape" is a landscape that no longer cares for the G5s at all. Marshall fans and G5 fans need to let go of the delusion that we're actually at the table and that enjoyment of our seasons hinge on being involved with the P5 (soon to be P4) even if it mean whoring ourselves out.

The fact is getting home-and-homes with the bottom half of the P5s won't be too tough as you've seen more of this going on in recent years.

 

[BleedsGreen33]

what he needs to do is get us our game with Pitt in Huntington back on a future schedule

I think that could happen. Especially given he was party to the first agreement.

 

[BleedsGreen33]

Scheduling is done so far out and it’s very late to try and get teams scheduled OOC for next year and 2024…..CCSU and Stoney Brook were probably two of the very few left with any openings……especially when you factor next year’s game had to be a home game

That explains it but doesn't make it any more palatable....I'm willing to take it for granted we're better than Stony Brook or Central Conn.

It was the price we had to pay in order to leave CUSA early. I think it's a worthy tradeoff. We're not a playoff team. Had we not left early, kept the same schedule we had, and ran the table we still wouldn't be "in". Now even with two FCS teams this year we can still have a really memorable season. We play Notre Dame and we're in what looks like a more fun conference than CUSA 3.5 was ever going to be.

IF we can upset Notre Dame this will already be an amazing season. Then you get a rivalry game with App, payback matchup with ULL, a matchup with Coastal who could be ranked and easily drivable games. I'm not saying this would happen, but IF we ran the table in 2022 no one should even care or remember we played two FCS teams.

Anyways we're almost always going to have an FCS team on the schedule. CCSU doesn't move the meter, but then again what FCS team would and the only ones that would you'd be beyond stupid to schedule. See the Big XII disasters. The next several years are pretty darn good OoC schedules. We have a home and home with VT, If Liberty keeps their momentum those will be fun games, we get NAVY at home, a home and home with Army, ECU is back on the schedule for and h&h, and oh yea we have Boise reschedule and we're visiting PSU in 2026.

I really don't get what is wrong with these schedules. Unless people really do just want to whore ourselves out like we did under Snyder and just load up on a bunch of 1 off mercenary games. Which everyone complained about back then.

 

[ohio herd]

Umm, Doc's winning percentage in 9 or 10 seasons was 61.2%. This year going into season #9, Danny D'Antoni's winning percentage is about 53%. That includes exactly ZERO wins against any MAJOR foes in EIGHT years of regular season play. Oh, and if you want to pooh-pooh many of Doc's wins, then let's do that too with MU basketball and "take out" all those HERD Ws in the last 8 seasons against the Rio Grande's, Bluefield's, Glenville, WV State, etc., not to mention the North Carolina A&T, etc., very low level "mid Major" foes too! Brings that winning percentage very close to that .500 level, which, at most D1 programs who really give a DAMN about their basketball, means that a Coach with such a record in 8 seasons, isn't around for Season #9, one NCAA tourney win notwithstanding!!

what is your problem? I was defending Doc not attacking him. Learn to read buddy, It was the other guys who said stuff about him

 

[GoHerdMarshallYes]

Good stuff, Sam. To add, the 2024 home OOC schedule is absolutely inexcusable (Western Michigan & Stony Brook). It's an embarrassing blunder that comes at the worst time when MU is trying to rebuild the fanbase from the Doc/Hamrick disaster. Without knowing the details, wonder if this is fallout from Hamrick's hard-headedness on scheduling. The changed landscape of college football means Marshall can no longer apply the Hamrick rule of only home-and-home vs. P5. Need to work out some 2-for-1s. https://fbschedules.com/ncaa/marshall/

Considering how badly everyone claimed MU should go back to the MAC, why are you upset that a MAC school is on the OOC schedule?

Huff put up a winning record and was within 1 win from a conference title in his first year and somehow you think it'll take some ridiculous amount of time to rebuild from Doc/Hamrick?

One thing I can't bash Hamrick on, was his scheduling. He gave MU some really good schedules and the fans were (largely) happy with it.

 

[Tonycried2]

It was the price we had to pay in order to leave CUSA early. I think it's a worthy tradeoff. We're not a playoff team. Had we not left early, kept the same schedule we had, and ran the table we still wouldn't be "in". Now even with two FCS teams this year we can still have a really memorable season. We play Notre Dame and we're in what looks like a more fun conference than CUSA 3.5 was ever going to be.

IF we can upset Notre Dame this will already be an amazing season. Then you get a rivalry game with App, payback matchup with ULL, a matchup with Coastal who could be ranked and easily drivable games. I'm not saying this would happen, but IF we ran the table in 2022 no one should even care or remember we played two FCS teams.

Anyways we're almost always going to have an FCS team on the schedule. CCSU doesn't move the meter, but then again what FCS team would and the only ones that would you'd be beyond stupid to schedule. See the Big XII disasters. The next several years are pretty darn good OoC schedules. We have a home and home with VT, If Liberty keeps their momentum those will be fun games, we get NAVY at home, a home and home with Army, ECU is back on the schedule for and h&h, and oh yea we have Boise reschedule and we're visiting PSU in 2026.

I really don't get what is wrong with these schedules. Unless people really do just want to whore ourselves out like we did under Snyder and just load up on a bunch of 1 off mercenary games. Which everyone complained about back then.

If we're going to play bottom feeder FCS schools much rather play ones of which we have a common history, WCU, VMI, Richmond...don't think Central Conn or Stony Brook know anymore about us than we do them! 12,000 will be a big crowd for either of those tilts!

 

[GoHerdMarshallYes]

Doc earned a mulligan for 2016. But he should’ve been let go after 2017, when the Herd lost 4 of their last 5 regular season games. It showed that Doc had reached his ceiling and wasn’t the guy to take us to another level. Instead, we got a whopping 3 more years of mediocre football. I fear the damage to our fan base is irreparable. And back to my original point, you can’t have home OOC schedules like 2022 and 2024 and expect to make big strides on getting people back into the stadium. I understand the situation this year. But 2024 is flat out inexcusable.

If you stop posting on here, I'll presume it's because you burst into flames from the drama of this post I'm quoting.

MU went 8-5...as a G5 program...who just went 3-9 the previous year...then went 9-4 the year after.
You probably don't realize, for MU and what it is, vs how many P5 programs burn millions to try to get such a recovery in such a short period of time, that is damn near an insane program recovery.

As for the scheduling...does your foolish self really think it is as easy as picking up a phone? Given how much the P5 wants to distance themselves from the G5 even further?
Do you not understand OOC schedules announced in 2022 are for 2026 and on seasons? Are you that mentally frail to not accept MU has actually had good schedules and given the entire shift in MU AD, they can't just re-schedule for (see P5/G5 separation)?

 

[GoHerdMarshallYes]

I went to the MTSU Herd game a couple years ago and it was the most pathetic sight regarding fan support. Makes us look like Ohio state.

When I went, I'm pretty sure we out outnumbered their fans 2-1.

 

[GoHerdMarshallYes]

Umm, Doc's winning percentage in 9 or 10 seasons was 61.2%. This year going into season #9, Danny D'Antoni's winning percentage is about 53%. That includes exactly ZERO wins against any MAJOR foes in EIGHT years of regular season play. Oh, and if you want to pooh-pooh many of Doc's wins, then let's do that too with MU basketball and "take out" all those HERD Ws in the last 8 seasons against the Rio Grande's, Bluefield's, Glenville, WV State, etc., not to mention the North Carolina A&T, etc., very low level "mid Major" foes too! Brings that winning percentage very close to that .500 level, which, at most D1 programs who really give a DAMN about their basketball, means that a Coach with such a record in 8 seasons, isn't around for Season #9, one NCAA tourney win notwithstanding!!

Since MU never won a game in the tournament, it was something very special, no doubt about it.
But once you realize the NCAA tournament is literally all about upsets, you'll start to see that MU winning such a game is pretty par for the course.
Also, seeing that UMBC literally has had the greatest upset of the tournament ever, everything else may not even come close...which happened to be the same year MU won its first game.

 

[GoHerdMarshallYes]

Head-headedness on scheduling? There's a lot to criticize Hamrick on, but scheduling was not one of them. He put together some of the best schedules we have ever had. Had it not been for COVID we would have had Pitt and Boise at home in 2020 and oh by the way we're playing Notre Dame this year.

Also your post is more Marshall fan irony. For years we complained that all we did was play mercenary games that we could never get P5 to visit the Joan and if they did we'd let them out anyways like we did with Miami. Well Hamrick heard that complaint and decided unless it was a special deal (like Notre Dame) we were getting return games. Thus we saw Purdue, Louisville, NCST, VT, and should have seen Boise and Pitt. Though I am not sure either of those last two are a complete lost cause. Especially given that Spears came from Pitt and was a part of that series agreement so he might be able to get that return trip.

Also "the changed landscape" is a landscape that no longer cares for the G5s at all. Marshall fans and G5 fans need to let go of the delusion that we're actually at the table and that enjoyment of our seasons hinge on being involved with the P5 (soon to be P4) even if it mean whoring ourselves out.

The fact is getting home-and-homes with the bottom half of the P5s won't be too tough as you've seen more of this going on in recent years.

This 100000%

I wouldn't bother trying to respond to the poster, he's either drowned himself from his tears of "oh the sky is falling" or burst into flames because he just can't fathom a single year where MU plays a MAC school and an FCS team.

I'm betting on the latter BTW.

 

[TwolfHerdfan]

This 100000%

I wouldn't bother trying to respond to the poster, he's either drowned himself from his tears of "oh the sky is falling" or burst into flames because he just can't fathom a single year where MU plays a MAC school and an FCS team.

I'm betting on the latter BTW.

No questions Hamricks strong points were scheduling and facilities. Jmo.

 

[The Real SamC]

List of schools that do not regularly play one I-AA every year:

Notre Dame

(End of list)

Everybody plays a I-AA. Alabama plays UT-Chattanooga, Austin Peay State, and Eastern Illinois in coming years. Georgia plays UT-Martin, Austin Peay State, Samford, and Tennessee Tech. Clemson plays Furman, Wofford, The Citadel, and Charleston Southern. And the Spamies play Robert Morris, Towson State, Duquesene, SUNY Albany, UT Martin, and VMI.

It is how the system works. Everybody plays a I-AA, the I-AA pays for its money losing program, the I-A gets (unless you are Mark Snyder) an easy win and the crowds, since it is usually, but not always, the home opener, are not bad.

Some people would complain about anything.

 

[BleedsGreen33]

List of schools that do not regularly play one I-AA every year:

Notre Dame

(End of list)

Everybody plays a I-AA. Alabama plays UT-Chattanooga, Austin Peay State, and Eastern Illinois in coming years. Georgia plays UT-Martin, Austin Peay State, Samford, and Tennessee Tech. Clemson plays Furman, Wofford, The Citadel, and Charleston Southern. And the Spamies play Robert Morris, Towson State, Duquesene, SUNY Albany, UT Martin, and VMI.

It is how the system works. Everybody plays a I-AA, the I-AA pays for its money losing program, the I-A gets (unless you are Mark Snyder) an easy win and the crowds, since it is usually, but not always, the home opener, are not bad.

Some people would complain about anything.

They're tune up games. It's the first game you can play against someone that is actually trying to hit you. TBH I am glad we have an FCS most years and especially this year seeing how we are breaking in a new(ish) QB who won't be able to officially be in the system until Fall Camp.

Like I said the I-AA complaint is the same as the bowl opponent complaint. They are pointless gripes and discussions because neither is ever going to change.

The other thing is fans need to realize that most G5s and lower P5s are looking to add FCS opponents and bad opponents so they can reach that glorious 6-6 record. We're a very good G5 team with a recognizable brand and a history of success. Middle of the road P5s and G5s aren't looking to add a Marshall because there's a high probability of losing.

We hate WVU fans for saying it, but it is true. There is nothing to gain (from a ranking/national perspective) from beating us and everything to lose. That's exactly what UK's AD told Hamrick. The game doesn't excite their fans and if we beat them he'd be in trouble.

Everyone likes to point to Boise, but Boise started their runs with the lower P5s, built a reputation, and then once they because a hot team ESPN started brokering some deals for them too because they drew eyeballs after beating OU.

Just for arguments sake let's look at the future OoC schedules for the better G5 teams not named Boise State.

Appy
2022 - UNC, @aTm, The Citadel, and Robert Morris
2023 - Gardner-Webb, @UNC, ECU, @Wyoming
2024 - ETSU, @Clemson, @ECU, Liberty
2025 - @S.Car, Toledo
2026 - @ECU, Charlotte
2027 - @S.Car, @Charlotte
2028 - Charlotte, @Toledo

Coastal
2022 - Army, Gardner-Webb, Buffalo, @UVA
2023 - @UCLA, Duquesne, @Army
2024 - @Liberty, Bill&Mary, @Temple, UVA
2025 - @UVA, Charleston Southern, @S.Car
2026 - Temple, Army
2027 - Liberty, Army

ULL
2022 - Southeastern Louisiana, EMU, @Rice, @FSU
2023 - Northwestern State, @UAB, @Minnesota, NMST
2024 - @Michigan State, Tulane, @NMST
2025 - Rice, @EMU, @Missouri
2026 - UAB, @LaTech

Memphis
2022 - @Mississippi State, Arkansas St, North Texas, North Alabama
2023 - @Arkansas State, Missouri, Boise
2024 - North Alabama, Troy, @FSU, MTSU
2025 - @GaSt, @Troy, Arkansas
2026 - Arkansas State, @Arkansas, @Boise
2027 - @Arkansas State, @MTSU
2028 - @Arkansas State, @Arkansas, @Mississippi State

SMU
2022 - @North Texas, Lamar, @Maryland, TCU
2023 - LaTech, @TCU
2024 - Houston Baptist, @Vandy, TCU

I can keep listing teams, but this is just what it is and I don't know why so many get so bent out of shape about our OoC schedules. Unless you're Boise, NAVY, or ARMY this is pretty much how it goes.

Just for arguments sake here's what UC has going forward.
2022 - @Arkansas, Kennesaw State, Little Miami, Indiana
2023 - EKU, @Pitt, Little Miami, @NCST
2024 - Pitt, @Little Miami
2025 - Little Miami, Nebraska, @WKU
2026 - BC, @OHIO, Little Miami, WKU

The other component to this regionality. Most OoC games are going to be against teams that are reasonably within the region the teams are located so that greatly reduces the chances of landing home and homes. I mean who does UK want to face? Marshall or Little Miami? Let's look at this SEC juggernaut's schedule lol.

2022 - Little Miami, Youngstown State, NIU, Louisville
2023 - Ball State, EKU, Akron, @Louisville
2024 - @Akron, OHIO, Murray State, Louisville
2025 - Toledo, EMU, @Louisville
2026 - Akron, Youngstown State, South Alabama, Louisville
2027 - Toledo, Murray State, Ball State, @Louisville
2028 - @Toledo, Eastern Illinois, Louisville
2029 - Ga Southern, @Louisville

Look at the world beaters up north.
2022 - @Pitt, Towson, @VT
2023 - @PSU, Duquesne, Pitt
2024 - PSU, UAlbany, @Pitt
2025 - Robert Morris, @OHIO (that can't be right can it???), Pitt
2026 - Alabama, UT-Martin, @ECU
2027 - @Alabama, VMI, OHIO

Most teams do not load up on their OoC schedules. They get one big game, a game against a peer, a low level G5, and an FCS team.

 

[BleedsGreen33]

No questions Hamricks strong points were scheduling and facilities. Jmo.

Hamrick had a lot of AD friends that enabled him to pull those off. I don't know too much about Spears, but I hope he can keep up what Hamrick had been doing.

 

[wyocinherd]

If you stop posting on here, I'll presume it's because you burst into flames from the drama of this post I'm quoting.

MU went 8-5...as a G5 program...who just went 3-9 the previous year...then went 9-4 the year after.
You probably don't realize, for MU and what it is, vs how many P5 programs burn millions to try to get such a recovery in such a short period of time, that is damn near an insane program recovery.

As for the scheduling...does your foolish self really think it is as easy as picking up a phone? Given how much the P5 wants to distance themselves from the G5 even further?
Do you not understand OOC schedules announced in 2022 are for 2026 and on seasons? Are you that mentally frail to not accept MU has actually had good schedules and given the entire shift in MU AD, they can't just re-schedule for (see P5/G5 separation)?

Understand it all perfectly.

What you don't understand is in 2017, the Herd finished 1-4 w/ three losses to inferior teams (two of those at home). Not really interested in continuing to dwell on this, but since you want to get into the gutter w/ sophomoric name-calling rather than into the facts, well, here we are. My overall point was that we're still recovering from the Doc-Hamrick era -- and we're seeing that in the scheduling.

Some are saying Hamrick's strength was football scheduling. Yes and no. He landed some nice home-and-home series. Credit where credit's due. On the other hand, Hamrick's insistence on only playing P5's home-and-home (with a few exceptions), has boxed us into a corner on future schedules (i.e. 2024 w/ no marquee home OOC game; 2025 w/ no P5 at all). Let's not forget that we've had other seasons with no P5 on the schedule (2014 and 2022). You have to have a P5 on the schedule every year. No excuses. Schools like Marshall have to be more flexible on scheduling. Marshall has to be willing to play more one-off P5 games and schedule 2-for-1 P5 series. And if you don't see that, then you don't understand the P5/G5 schism.

 

[BleedsGreen33]

Understand it all perfectly.

What you don't understand is in 2017, the Herd finished 1-4 w/ three losses to inferior teams (two of those at home). Not really interested in continuing to dwell on this, but since you want to get into the gutter w/ sophomoric name-calling rather than into the facts, well, here we are. My overall point was that we're still recovering from the Doc-Hamrick era -- and we're seeing that in the scheduling.

Some are saying Hamrick's strength was football scheduling. Yes and no. He landed some nice home-and-home series. Credit where credit's due. On the other hand, Hamrick's insistence on only playing P5's home-and-home (with a few exceptions), has boxed us into a corner on future schedules (i.e. 2024 w/ no marquee home OOC game; 2025 w/ no P5 at all). Let's not forget that we've had other seasons with no P5 on the schedule (2014 and 2022). You have to have a P5 on the schedule every year. No excuses. Schools like Marshall have to be more flexible on scheduling. Marshall has to be willing to play more one-off P5 games and schedule 2-for-1 P5 series. And if you don't see that, then you don't understand the P5/G5 schism.

You do remember why we didn't have a P5 in 2014 right? Louisville changed conferences and was going to drop us. Hamrick ended up keeping them on the hook to come back in 2016. So that wasn't on him.

Hamrick wasn't against one off P5 games. As evidenced with us going to Notre Dame this season and visiting PSU in 2026. He just believed only doing so with special teams. With most P5s, Marshall is good enough to warrant return trips. Outside of WVU and KState there had never been a P5/BCS team come into the Joan prior to Hamrick. Well Temple in 1999, but it was Temple.

Still don't get where Hamrick "boxed us in a corner". You point to 2024 as an example, but reverting to the pre-Hamrick era of scheduling philosophies that VT game would have still been a road game and most likely would have just been a one off deal. That "boxed in" 2024 season also provided us with VT coming to Huntington in 2023. That home game wasn't happening prior to Hamrick. And oh by the way it's pretty unheard of for a P5 to visit the G5 on the front end of a series like that.

Yea 2025 is a season with no "marquee" opponent, but that's just one season out of how many that Hamrick is responsible for setting up?

Let's revisit the old way of scheduling.
1997 - @WVU, @ARMY, Western Illinois
1998 - Troy, @S.Car, Wofford
1999 - @Clemson, Liberty, Temple
2000 - SE Missouri State, @Michigan St, @UNC
2001 - @Florida, UMASS, TCU(canceled due to 9/11)
2002 - Appy, @VT, Troy
2003 - Hofstra, @Tennesee, @KState, @Troy
2004 - Troy, @tOSU, @UGA
2005 - Bill&Mary, KState, @VT
2006 - @WVU, Hofstra, @KState, @Tennessee
2007 - @Miami, WVU, New Hampshire, @Cincy
2008 - Illinois State, @Wisconsin, @WVU, Cincy
2009 - Southern Illinois, @VT, BGSU, @WVU
2010 - @tOSU, WVU, @BGSU, OHIO
2011 - @WVU, @OHIO, VT, @Louisville

How many "Marquee" home games were there during this stretch? WVU was done by Joe Manchin so that really doesn't count and even then we got the raw end of that deal. From 1997 to 2004 our marquee home game was Temple because they were a Big East team. Then there was KState, but that was a 1-2 deal. All the others were you guessed it. One off mercenary games until VT showed up in 2011, but that was one visit to Huntington compared to 3 visits to Blacksburg.

You can call it "painting us in a corner" if you want, but in reality it was us finally having an AD that believed we deserved better and went out and got us better. Some of those OoC schedules that Mark Snyder had to endure were ridiculous and made us look hard up for money. Also letting Miami out of their return trip was a ballless move too.

No under Hamrick we've seen more home games and several home and home deals with P5s. Home and homes with Louisville, Purdue, NCST, VT, Pitt, and Boise with fantasy games like Notre Dame and PSU. Did anyone ever believe we'd be playing those games? PSU usually only schedules bottom feeder G5s instead of a FCS team though I'd be curious when their 2018 game vs Appy was inked.

Mike Hamrick can be rightly criticized for things during his tenure. Like how he handled the HCs, but scheduling and facilities should be pretty much off limits because you really do just look foolish to take jabs in those two categories. He pretty much did things in those areas that no fan every thought we would see get done.

Not to mention it just isn't as easy as an AD picking up the phone and telling whatever team that we're playing. Let's go back and look at 2024 for example. @VT, WMU, @Liberty, and @Stony Brook. Yea the two best games are on the road, but what options was Hamrick left with for the other two home games? Liberty is a pretty solid pickup and us visiting first was the only option. Given the constantly shifting conferences over the last 10 years I'd say it's a pretty difficult job to nail down any game right now. Shoot we just had to pick up a second FCS team to fill a void from going to the SBC.

And one last point. The reason we are "recovering" as you put it from the Doc-Hamrick era isn't because of the OoC scheduling philosophy. It's from Doc's late season choke jobs where he was unable to seal the deal on winning the conference. Truth be told Marshall should have won the title in 2013, 2014, 2015(had B Froh stayed), 2018, 2019, and 2020. Doc was always positioned to grab the conference, but could only seal the deal one time. That's why Marshall football is "recovering". That's why Doc is out of a job.

I for one appreciated having an AD that didn't believe we had to whore ourselves out for decent to good schedules. I hope Spears take the baton from Hamrick and doesn't revert back to the old ways.

 

[rammer101]

I don't care who is on the schedule, I'm happy Doc and Hammy are gone