@ MSU - 2017

[98_BG_GRAD]

Forgive me if I missed this somewhere but saw this story on mlive.com this morning. BG will play at Michigan State on Sept. 9, 2017. Article makes it sound like this was just announced by the MSU AD and BG replaced Miami (OH) on the schedule. It doesn't look like there are any details as to why Miami was dropped off the schedule. MSU was also originally supposed to play Alabama at home in 2017 but as usual an SEC team refuses to play north of the Mason-Dixon line so that series was canceled (Sparty was scheduled to play at Alabama in 2016 and at home in 2017. Alabama wanted to move the 2017 game to a neutral site so MSU dropped them).

http://www.mlive.com/spartans/index.ssf ... ope_1.html" target="_blank

[Schadenfreude]

Nice. I like it.

[mscarn]

Another road game where BG will be a 5-6 touchdown underdog. Tremendous. Wasn't loading up on these teams supposed to be just a one-year thing? The program that was assiduously built piece by piece is being systematically dismantled by a scheduling philosophy that places revenue ahead of competitive success.

MSU spent $107 million (compared to BG's $23 million) so what will the guarantee be this time? $1.4 million? It won't be spent on upgrading things like the recruiting budget but rather will likely fund lavish administrative trips to pointless "conferences" and "workshops" whose sole purpose is to facilitate networking to land another job at one of the higher revenue schools.

This can't be how this athletic program operates. People talk about bar fights and off-the-field transgressions causing interest in the program to wane. How about continuously putting the highest profile program at the school in near impossible conditions to succeed?

(BTW, I give the current team and staff credit. They're putting out Instagram posts with slogans like "Anywhere, any time" and "Home field advantage doesn't matter," etc. It's a valiant response to an utterly irresponsible and shameful situation they've been put in.)

[BGFalconfromCincy]

Another road game where BG will be a 5-6 touchdown underdog. Tremendous. Wasn't loading up on these teams supposed to be just a one-year thing? The program that was assiduously built piece by piece is being systematically dismantled by a scheduling philosophy that places revenue ahead of competitive success.

MSU spent $107 million (compared to BG's $23 million) so what will the guarantee be this time? $1.4 million? It won't be spent on upgrading things like the recruiting budget but rather will likely fund lavish administrative trips to pointless "conferences" and "workshops" whose sole purpose is to facilitate networking to land another job at one of the higher revenue schools.

This can't be how this athletic program operates. People talk about bar fights and off-the-field transgressions causing interest in the program to wane. How about continuously putting the highest profile program at the school in near impossible conditions to succeed?

(BTW, I give the current team and staff credit. They're putting out Instagram posts with slogans like "Anywhere, any time" and "Home field advantage doesn't matter," etc. It's a valiant response to an utterly irresponsible and shameful situation they've been put in.)

The only other game schedule for 2017 is at Middle Tennessee State, overreaction much

There is always going to be one "money" road game on the schedule. Looking back there has been at least one since 2001 and looking ahead we have one scheduled each year through 2019. Now if we schedule another money road game for 2017, meaning two of those in one year and three road games that season, then I'll be with you. Right now its just business as usual

[Siborg]

I thought we also had the 3rd game with Indiana in 2017 (last of a 2:1). Was that cancelled?

[ZuluWarrior]

If people don't want is to play with the big dogs we should lower our status. With we are in or we are out. I like the money, but more importantly if lightning we're to strike one year - and we reach a BCS Bowl then we'll need to beat a Top 20 team.

[Schadenfreude]

Another road game where BG will be a 5-6 touchdown underdog.

Hyperbole.

This is the kind of game we should schedule once in a while. Sparty is normally within reach for us -- a challenge, but within reach. Let's do this.

[Schadenfreude]

This is the kind of game we should schedule once in a while. Sparty is normally within reach for us -- a challenge, but within reach.

I'll go further: This is the kind of game we should probably schedule every year. As BGFalconfromCincy pointed out, it isn't like we have two of these games on the '17 schedule. If we did, mscarn's concerns would carry a lot more weight.

Also, as choices of Big Ten schools go, this isn't the biggest challenge. A rough gauge of what the Falcons will be up against, in terms of resources, is the average size of crowds in Sparty Stadium. By that measure, it could be a lot worse. It isn't like we are playing in Ann Arbor... or Columbus... or Madison... or State College... or Lincoln... or in most of the SEC.

[Falconfreak90]

We're 0-2 at East Lansing losing 10-7 and 28-17. I like playing MSU....and will make that road trip again.

[mscarn]

If that truly ends up as the lone Power 5 conference road game then I agree it's appropriate and consistent with past practice. Given the current regime and their driving priorities there's no reason to believe it will be.

[threestooges]

I have to think the players would rather go up against Michigan State than, say, Murray State. It's a chance to see how they stack up against a so-called Power 5 Conference team. Also, I'm sure there's a lot of extra motivation for the Michigan natives to prove to MSU that they (MSU) made a mistake in not recruiting them (the players).

From the athletic department's perspective, I'm sure there is a guarantee ($$$$$) involved in playing games like this. I, personally, am OK with that. The money generated from these games helps pay the bills for not just football, but for many other sports. And as we know, without those other sports, there's no Division-I football at BGSU.

Finally, from a fan's perspective (or at least from THIS fan's perspective), I'd much rather see us play a Big 10 team (or two, or three) on the road each year. I have no interest in watching a home game vs. Tennessee Tech or Morgan State. Injuries are just as likely to occur against Morgan State as against Michigan State, BTW. If BG ever wants to shock the world and be in the discussion for a real bowl game at the end of the year, BG is gonna need to have a win or two against a school like Michigan State (or Purdue, or Maryland, etc.) on the resume.

(TL;DR -- I would rather play Michigan State four times than Morgan State even once)

[kdog27]

Another road game where BG will be a 5-6 touchdown underdog. Tremendous. Wasn't loading up on these teams supposed to be just a one-year thing? The program that was assiduously built piece by piece is being systematically dismantled by a scheduling philosophy that places revenue ahead of competitive success.

MSU spent $107 million (compared to BG's $23 million) so what will the guarantee be this time? $1.4 million? It won't be spent on upgrading things like the recruiting budget but rather will likely fund lavish administrative trips to pointless "conferences" and "workshops" whose sole purpose is to facilitate networking to land another job at one of the higher revenue schools.

This can't be how this athletic program operates. People talk about bar fights and off-the-field transgressions causing interest in the program to wane. How about continuously putting the highest profile program at the school in near impossible conditions to succeed?

(BTW, I give the current team and staff credit. They're putting out Instagram posts with slogans like "Anywhere, any time" and "Home field advantage doesn't matter," etc. It's a valiant response to an utterly irresponsible and shameful situation they've been put in.)

Are you this doom and gloom with everything or just BG football?

[BGFalconfromCincy]

If that truly ends up as the lone Power 5 conference road game then I agree it's appropriate and consistent with past practice. Given the current regime and their driving priorities there's no reason to believe it will be.

2016 and 2018 also only have 1 Power 5 road game of the two road games currently scheduled for those years.