If you're like me, you were thrilled when you saw the headline on Ball State's athletic Web site saying the football schedule for 2005 was out.
And if you're even more like me, after you looked over the schedule, you asked yourself these questions:
Why only four home games?
Why only one night game?
Why are the first four games against teams far superior to ours?
Looking at the schedule, the first four games look like this: at Iowa, vs. Bowling Green, at Auburn and at Boston College. For those of you keeping score at home, those four teams lost a total of eight games last season. Two of them (Iowa and Auburn) won major bowl games. The first three teams on the schedule are ranked in the preseason top 25, and Boston College is not far off.
It is understandable that BSU has to schedule guaranteed routs out of conference, such as Iowa and Auburn, each year. It brings a lot of money to the athletic department, which helps keep the smaller sports going year after year. Also, college football games are scheduled well in advance. BSU obviously did not know that its slate was going to be as intimidating as it looks now, but did BSU have to schedule teams who have enjoyed so much success? There are out-of-conference teams that are not as perennially successful on the football field as the ones due up this year that could bring in as much money to Ball State's athletic department without as much hopelessness brought to the Ball State fans (Michigan State, Clemson and Syracuse are a few examples).
This schedule would look less taxing if BSU had done what its did two years ago, when it brought in Indiana State to start the season at home and to build some confidence. A home game against a somewhat weaker opponent would enable the team to get that first win out of the way and start searching for more. Perhaps the team still would not be able to win any of the following games, but at least that way it would have one win to hang its hat on.
With every major conference except for the Atlantic Coast Conference supporting a new resolution to mandate 12 games on every Division I team's schedule, such an extra game would also prepare the team for a longer slate in the future.
Also, there's only one night game. Ball State saw last year with the Boston College and Western Michigan games that night games drew more attendance.
"We need to continue to work on awareness, which we've tried to do," athletic director Bubba Cunningham said after last season, referring to the fan turnout. "Evening and midweek games seemed to work best."
If evening and midweek games worked best, why is there only one evening game and no midweek tilts this year on the schedule?
The 2005 football schedule presents a problem for Ball State. With an 0-4 start nearly inevitable and the prospect of falling below that 15,000 attendance mark looming again, why didn't the athletic department do anything it could to ensure that it was more likely to avoid either one of those fates?
Good luck to Ball State's football team in its 2005 season. With the slate placed before the players, they're going to need it.
Write to Andy at
ndistops@hotmail.com
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