No Saturday home dates for Iowa; Neb and Mich get 5!

[OnceAhawk]

Did Iowa get hosed on its men’s basketball schedule? Some would say yes.

No Saturday home dates out of a possible nine in Big Ten Conference play? How is that allowed to happen, especially when Michigan and Nebraska get as many as five each?

Saturday home basketball games are the mother lode. They’re great for attracting the best butt-in-seat turnouts because they’re more convenient for families and of out-of-towners. They are perfect centerpieces for recruits on their official visits. There’s also the nostalgic comfort of soaking in Saturday afternoon hoops.

But Iowa now hits a stretch of games on five consecutive Sundays, including four at home, starting this weekend at 3:30 p.m. against Michigan at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Although Iowa is expected to have sellouts this Sunday and next (vs. Purdue) and there isn't a huge revenue gulf created by the schedule, Saturdays bring the best atmospheres.

Of Iowa's 18 home games last season, five were sellouts of 15,400 — four Big Ten Saturday afternoon home games and a Friday night against rival Iowa State.

“We’d prefer to play as many Saturday home games as possible,” Iowa athletic director Gary Barta says. “It’s better for our fans and for our program. The Big Ten knows our preference. But they also have to solve a ‘Rubik’s cube’ formula every year.”


The entire article: http://www.hawkcentral.com/story/sp...mes-together-no-saturday-home-games/78862278/

 

[StormHawk42]

The article is actually quite informative and makes you realize scheduling isn't as easy as everyone thinks. Perhaps an added principle will be "at least one Saturday home game." That would take care of it I bet.

 

[OnceAhawk]

The article is actually quite informative and makes you realize scheduling isn't as easy as everyone thinks. Perhaps an added principle will be "at least one Saturday home game." That would take care of it I bet.

you would think that would help even things out; i can see why Saturday's are the much preferred day over Sunday

 

[wneff]

And, the only home nonconference Saturday game was the same day as the Big 10 football championship.

 

[Ronman]

Obviously it's possible.....No way it's fair!

Seems like we get screwed on televising our non-conference games and the conference scheduling. We keep hearing that it will all even out, but it never seems to.

 

[blockm2]

I personally prefer Sunday home games. Far fewer other games to compete with and I think you draw a bigger audience on TV than you otherwise would.

 

[Kabby]

I personally prefer Sunday home games. Far fewer other games to compete with and I think you draw a bigger audience on TV than you otherwise would.

Sunday games suck. Should only be a couple games each Sunday not the cluster they have now

 

[anon_i8nzeu2gbf0ba]

I'm so old I remember when there was no such thing as college sports on Sundays. Period. Nada. No way. No baseball. No basketball. No wrestling. Zilch. Then along came cable TV, ESPN, satellite TV, a gazillion channels, the BTN, a 14-team Big Ten, and there you have it. Now you have Big Ten games every day of the week but Monday and Friday.

Not THAT long ago, every Big Ten basketball team played on Thursday at 7 p.m. and on Saturday at 1 p.m. or 7 p.m.

Sure, it's tough to schedule with so many variables, but yes, one factor should be that every team gets at least two Saturday Big Ten home games. The scheduling inequities are rampant.
Compare Indiana's cake walk to the schedules of Iowa or Penn State.

I'm not a big fan of excuses. The Big Ten office has failed again. Legends and Leaders anyone?

So Barta and whoever else from Iowa who has any pull...the university president, perhaps...ought to make sure this mess evens out, and soon. Like next year Iowa gets Indiana's schedule and, say, ALL Saturday home games. If you play all Sundays one year, it seems like all Saturdays the next would be the right thing to do.

 

[Chewback]

The article is actually quite informative and makes you realize scheduling isn't as easy as everyone thinks. Perhaps an added principle will be "at least one Saturday home game." That would take care of it I bet.

Sounds like there are too damn many principles now combined with TV demanding certain dates that weren't common in the past. That's why the scientifically designed schedule still looks like it was determined by a monkey flinging poo at a dart board.

 

[OnceAhawk]

Obviously it's possible.....No way it's fair!

Seems like we get screwed on televising our non-conference games and the conference scheduling. We keep hearing that it will all even out, but it never seems to.

agreed. how do we get 0 home games on Sat and Nebby (of all teams) gets 5?

 

[WinOneThisCentury]

And on the 7th day, God created a B10 Champion.

 

[ROCKY MOUNTAIN HAWK]

Sunday games suck. Should only be a couple games each Sunday not the cluster they have now

This. Saturday games are the best. Sucks about 4 years ago the B1G sold out and have 3 to 5 Sunday games now and 2 to 3 Saturday games now is all. So dumb.

That's another (of a long list) reason why nfl sucks over CFB. Who wants to drink on a Sunday to watch their team? Is there anything worse than starting your work week hungover?!?!

 

[Ronman]

I personally prefer Sunday home games. Far fewer other games to compete with and I think you draw a bigger audience on TV than you otherwise would.

It would be different if today's game were on CBS (like MSU/OSU), where the casual fan might tune in to see us, but we are still on the BTN, which in my estimation, is for the more hard core fans.