Because it is so detrimental to our SOS. I think that we should impsose a clause that says "If you back out of a home & home, or any previous engagement for any reason. The team that you screwed gets to approach any team it wants and what ever the price is, the team that backed out, is financially responsible to pay the new client..... So, in the case of Marshall and VT, this year instead of playing a division II school. We could have approached a real school that had a cupcake that week and no matter what their financial wants were, it would be no skin off our back because Marshall would be on the hook for it. I guarantee that VT would still have us scheduled if instead of backing out for $500k, they would have to pay the likes of USC or Washington, or Michigan the exuberant amout for a home and home with us. Just a thought. We can't do anything about the fact that Arizona sucks this year. When we scheduled them they rocked.
Soon we will have to insist on getting the visit first before going on the road for teams like VaTech.
I think the NCAA should do something about this.... I think if you back out of a deal and have a winning year you should forfeit a bowl game. There has to be some other penalties so teams won't do this because it could cause a team like us to miss out on a shot for the NC if they back out and all we can do is find a lesser opponent.
Apparently these nonconference game contracts mean nothing. It could not be financially worthwhile for a team like LSU to bargain for a $500k payoff. The strength of schedule damage and loss of tv revenue suffered when an opponent backs out could never be worthwhile. These contracts are like asking someone to the prom..."I'd like for you to go with me unless I get a better date later."
didn't Bowling Green back out on you guys also this year? Auburn is backing out on a bunch of NC games going into the late decade . .I think we are trying to add home games to help with some stadium renovations . . its not real popular with the fans . .I think they have cancelled home-homes with Clemson and Virginia Tech (I think in 05-06, and 07-08)
I don't particularly mind a team backing out when enough time is given. Marshall could have given us a little more notice and maybe we should build in a clause in all contracts that you must give at least one year's notice to back out. BUT, the problem I have is when you schedule a big time 1-for-1 and the other team cancels AFTER the first team has already made its visit to your home town. We gave VTech a game they'll never forget (just go back and read the Blacksburg papers after the game), AND NOW they back out??? I hope we can get them in a BCS game (IF we can't get the NC game), just so that we can yell "CHICKEN$HIT" thoughtout the entire game. I'm also hoping that they are balckballed in the future by all other big time programs when it comes to scheduling 1-for-1's.
You shouldn't be able to back out of a game within a certain amount of time then, or maybe you can only if your opponent finds an opponent of equal calibur. I realize that they have backed out and left us short changed because we didn't have enough notice. I don't mind someone backing out as long as your strength of schedule isn't screwed. Guess What: If Virginia Tech and Marshall back out this year and we have to play LA Tech and ULM again, and we run the tables in SEC and are undefeated they've cost us a chance at a NC and that Pisses me off. I too hope we get VaTch in a bowl game this year. I would Love an opportunity to beat the shit out of them. I was hoping we could repay the assholes for our trip to Blacksburg that I won't soon forget.
These kind of evolving schedules happen all of the time and we don't hear about most of it. There will come a time when LSU needs to cancel a game in its best interests. But timing is the key. These backouts of less than a year forcing us to play Div I-AA teams costs us TV dollars and BCS rating points and fan dissatisfaction. Backouts with less than a year remaining should pay a fairly high cash penalty. They should pay what it costs us, not what it costs them. A million bucks for big schools, maybe.
I don't think that any amount of money adequately compensates a team that is the victim of a backout when the backout results in BCS ranking damage. Under what circumstances would LSU want to back out of a game? If we are a top tier program we would never need to run and hide.
It ain't a matter of running and hiding. And I don't know of LSU ever backing out in less than a year. But teams do shift schedules regularly to set up TV matchups or to meet new conference rules. LSU has terminated decades-long arrangements with Rice and Tulane. LSU also had to drop several schduled out-of-conference teams when they were forced by the SEC to go to 7 conference games in the 70s and then to 8 conference games in the 80's. LSU AD Bob Broadhead dropped several small schools that Paul Dietzel had scheduled because he wanted to upgrade LSUs grade of opponent for Bill Arnsparger.
