LSU Simply Can't Continue Playing The In-State La Schools....

This has become a true joke. In less than 2 football seasons, LSU has now played each of the 3
upstart supposedly D1A programs in La. one time each and has a combined score of LSU-146 Pretenders-17.

Games like these are pathetic and offer absolutely nothing to LSU,
not even decent competition. The lack of competition was in evidence at Tiger Stadium at halftime of tonight's game with La Tech. It was such an obvious mismatch that Tiger Stadium was about 2/3 empy by the 3rd quarter.

The truth is that these schools only want to use LSU as a payday to fund their pipedreams of being legitimate D1A programs.

Now, Southern University wants to fill in for Va. Tech as the opponent for the next season's opener. This kind of scheduling must stop as it is very detrimental to LSU's strength of schedule and BCS standing. LSU doesn't owe any of the other school anything and certainly not at the expensr of LSU's own program and standings. Skip needs to end these games before they become permenent fixtures (& parasites) on LSU schedules.

 

Playing Southern would be stupid.

 

I don' think worrying about BCS strength of schedule makes sense. The BCS is not long for this world folks.

I like the idea of playing 1 of these schools per year. Everyone pads their schedule with at least one out-matched out of conference team at home and I'd rather see in State schools make the money. LSU has moved from scheduling 1 of these games per year to 2 which I don't like but they're making money so that's not gonna change. Arizona is not in this category as it was an away game and there was no way to know they would be this bad when the series was agreed to.

 

Teams have to stop "Backing Out" of playing us in Baton Rouge.
That is a problem I see.....

It's hard to find repacements on short notice and more than
likely cound be an in-state school or lesser team

 

I hate to say it, but Chinese Bandit, right now, we do have to worry about it.

Because of Skip's decision, right now, our weak (at best) non-conference schedule is going to affect us negatively in the SOS department, which is now a huge factor in the BCS calculations of each computer ranking system.

Others in this thread have a point in that we are paying for the sins of the father when we play some of the schools like Troy State and Western Illinois, etc...because quality MAC teams like Bowling Green, and others like Marshall and Virginia Tech are backing out of their deals because of poor contractural stipulations agreed upon by the inept prior leadership in the Athletic Department.

Nevertheless, our current Athletic Director said that he would pursue a scheduling philosophy that would include in-state schools. I think this is a HUGE mistake.

They get money FROM LSU to fund their athletic department, IE-actually paying to help subsidize their recruiting departments to recruit players that LSU is after (whether they sign or not, I don't think that it's smart for LSU to fund in-state recruiting department's budgets. It's just silly.)

Let these teams sink on their own. Let them go get annihalated by other programs around the nation. Let them get their money from other programs. Not from LSU. I don't like the idea, never did, and I think that Louisiana Tech and Tulane are the FEW exceptions to the overall philosophy of scheduling in-state schools.

They are the only two teams that can have an excuse for being on LSU's roster for any other reason other than an emergency scheduling conflict.

In state schools are ridiculous, they lower our SOS rank, they lower our BCS rankings indirectly, and whether or not the BCS will soon be gone or not, the here and now dictates that LSU MUST start improving its non-conference schedule.

I think Mike Slive should initiate talks with the AD's and Commissioners of C-USA, the ACC, the Big XII, and the MAC to begin to try to initiate a revolving schedule of non-conference opponent agreements.

Like having a sliding schedule of home and homes between Big XII South teams and SEC West teams. Or one of the new ACC Divisions versus the SEC East....Or MAC teams versus any opponents in the SEC...

Anything other than letting an asleep at the wheel Athletic Director like LSU's Skip Bertman try to apply his scheduling ideas from Collegiate Baseball to big-time Division One Football.

 

At the very least, LSU should not play D1-AA schools, which Southern is.

Playing the instate schools is a no-win situation. If you win, you get no help in the SOS and if you lose, it's horrible.

LSU should try to schedule on OOC BCS school each year in a home and home arrangeent and two patsies to pad the schedule. The SEC is tough enough.

I figure that LSU should invite schools from the MAC and C-USA. Teams LSU should beat but will have to take seriously. Beating a MAC or C-USA school won't hurt SOS if you schedule a decent one.

That gives you 7 home games a year and 8 home games every other year.

 

While I'll agree that they don't offer much competition, I disagree (respectfully) that it doesn't offer anything else.

What it offers is a hands-down advantage in in-state recruiting. It takes away the option from ULL, La Tech, ULM and even Tulane from telling recruits that they're just as good, but can't prove it because "LSU won't play us". And don't think those comments haven't been made as sales-pitches in the past by the wanna-be's.

I much prefer kicking the snot out of in-state schools than those of similar caliber from another state (i.e. Utah St., Idaho, North Texas and Houston).

How long has Tech, ULM and ULL said that they could compete with us, but we just wouldn't play them, or that we were scared to play them???

 

I vote for starting up the Texas A&M series as possible "home-and-home" on a yearly basis.

In the recent past, both LSU and A&M have competed for recruits--namely LB's (LeDoux was a former A&M commitment as was West I believe).

So, major implications surround an Aggie/Tiger rivalry. Both stadiums are considered to be 2 of the toughest places for a visiting team and both have great fans.

 

The Texas A&M series will NOT happen anytime soon. I know everyone and their brother wants to renew the series but as long as the current AD and coach is still there it will not happen. A&M AD has said he does not want to play us because it will give us an edge in recruting in Texas. To summarize that statement for you he said "we are afraid to play LSU because we know they could kick our ass every year and are a bunch of redneck chickens" Lets focus on trying to get other marquee teams to play us instead of focusing on A&M.

 

Please! Get off your high horse people! Coach Bertman is right to schedule in-state schools and here's why:

2003 OOC home games attendance
ULM: 89,148
Western Illinois: 87,164
Louisiana Tech: 91,879

2002 OOC home games:
The Citadel: 85,002
Miami University: 90,010
UL-Lafayette: 91,357 (both sales and actual attendance would have been much higher if not for Hurricane Lili, and everyone here knows it)

2001
Tulane: 91,782 (a Tiger Stadium record at the time)
Utah State: 87,756
Middle Tennessee State: 88,249

Average attendance for in-state teams: 91,042
Average for out-of-state teams: 87,636

An average increase of about 3,400 tickets sold per game. 3,400 at $36 a pop is an extra $122,400 a game. 122.4K buys a lot of extra soccer balls and hip pads.

It's all about the money ladies and gents! Now, granted, winning BCS teams would bring big crowds, but they demand home-n-homes. In-state schools sell more tickets. End of story.