First off, the notebook got bumped in the paper, not much room. We'll try it again middle of the week. But for now, we're going to try this mailbag thing. I'll just grab some questions in here and give you some thoughts on them. If you guys like it, send more, if you'd like to see something different, let me know. Hit me with questions/thoughts at mstraubblog@hotmail.com.
The first batch of questions I got is about scheduling. Who does it, why, and how is it done.
The schedules are done by the coaches and the athletic department. For example, Mike Ansarra has a part in the football schedule, though certainly Mac has input. Even if the ADs did all the scheduling, they wouldn't do it without consulting the coaches on everything.
As for the philosophies, I think it changes from sport to sport and year to year. If a coach knows the team is going to be young in a given year, they might not load the OOC slate. If a team expects to contend in a given year, it might want to play a good team or two to prepare themselves for the big-game atmosphere. For example, this year's men's hoops schedule is pretty good, and next year I think they'll play some good teams as they should expect to be very good themselves. Remember that many of these games are scheduled years in advance, so it's a bit of a guessing game. It's easier at Central, I'd imagine anyway, than it is at UConn, when they never know if a guy is leaving to go pro.
Some coaches just feel like the OOC schedule should be loaded. Women's soccer, for example, will play anyone, anytime, anywhere. That way, they're never intimidated by an NEC team, no matter how good it may be. After Mick's team takes on UConn and Yale, going to Monmouth isn't quite as scary. As the men's soccer team continues to move up the ranks, I think they'll schedule more big games. The UVA team they play Tuesday is right near the Top 25.
Can they be creative? Within limits. Teams from the west coast who have the money to come here or bring CCSU out there aren't going to play a little school like the Devils very often, and when they do they can find someone closer by. And teams that don't have resources aren't going to do much traveling. So the schedule will always be regional first.
(There are going to be exceptions to every generality I make here, so no need to hit me with dozens of "but this team played this team last year" emails).
I would still love to see the six "other" state basketball teams play a tripleheader, but I don't see what Yale would get out of playing Central in football. You have to look at it from the big school's perspective sometimes. If someone like UConn plays Central in anything and loses, rightly or wrongly, they are looked at as taking a "bad loss." If they win, they don't get any credit. So why would Yale or UConn play Central, especially in football? There's almost no benefit for them. A read FCS power with money to blow might take a chance. But then, if your program gets good or pulls an upset, the series isn't renewed. Let's put it this way: No one at CCSU I've talked to is expecting another call from Georgia Southern.
I do know most of the future football opponents, let me double-check this week about how much is public knowledge. There's nothing earth-shattering, but some interesting ones.
Last topic for today is the conferences: As a Northeastern grad, I have plenty of experience with the America East. It wouldn't necessarily be a step up in my humble opinion. You're playing state schools instead of privates, but does that really matter to anyone who isn't a school president? If CCSU replaces Monmouth games in New Britain with Vermont, are more people really coming? Maybe in basketball because of the run a couple of years ago, but that buzz will wear off.
Plus, the travel would be a killer. I've taken some of those road trips from Boston to UNH or Vermont. I don't even want to imagine New Britain to Orono, Maine. It's not worth the added expense, at least to me. It's not like they'd get a huge prestige jump. One of my friends in the media likes to refer to the AE as "America Least."
I know the Q talking about leaving is all the buzz. But remember, they're a completely different kind of school from CCSU (not saying better, just different). And just because they want to be in the A-10 doesn't mean they'll get there. I want to play second base for the Red Sox, that doesn't mean Theo Epstein will be calling me any time soon.
Anyway, those are some of my rambles on the topics that were in my inbox. I didn't want to do it like a straight mailbag, Mr. Simmons has market cornered on that, but if you like that format better we can try it. Keep the questions/comments coming.
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