The Goat Pen

You don't remember Sporty? He owned you.

Bama backs out of its future series with Michigan State...cancelled a series with Georgia Tech earlier this year. Currently has exactly zero home-and-home series scheduled with anybody. Only these neutral site games which, at least in Atlanta, aren't really "neutral".

AA- All bashing aside, do you like this strategy? I was checking out Bama's old schedule and since 2004, Penn State is the only quality OOC game that's been played in Tuscaloosa. And like I say, there's no future ones scheduled.

It's due to the restructuring of the conference schedule. Going to a 9-game schedule will be happening in the next two years. Because of that, we will not play consecutive year home-and-homes because it would mean a 6-game home schedule every other year- which is a $10 million dollar loss. So, future home-and-homes will be on two odd years or two even years. We just don't know yet. Best to cancel and reschedule when we know. Many would say Bama is rich enough to only have a 6-game home slate. While that may be true, it's not what a prudent steward of our coffers should do. But personally, I am fine with yearly neutral field games. I am jealous of LSU and their game with Wiscy at Lambeau. Great move.

* Atlanta games are, indeed, neutral.

* Since Saban has been at Bama, (seven seasons) we've played a decent OOC team every year. Three have been closer geographically for Bama, two have been closer for the opponent, and two have been a H+H. Tickets have been an even split. That said, while Bama enjoys a 3-2 advantage in travel time, I do not think a two hour plane ride is appreciably more difficult for a college athlete than a three hour plane ride.

(2007) Florida State-Jax, (closer for FSU)
(2008) Clemson-ATL, (closer for Clemson)
(2009) VaTech-ATL, (closer for Bama)
(2010) Penn State H+H, (wash)
(2011) Penn State H*H, (wash)
(2012) Michigan-Dallas, (closer for Bama)
(2013) VaTech-ATL (closer for Bama)


* Seems I missed you excoriating Ohio State for cancelling their games with Georgia. An oversight, no doubt. Perhaps you did. I do MAR. Just post a link here. Especially since Ohio State's OOC has been pretty suspect.

Urban has taken the UF strategy to anOSU.

Our series with Georgia was replaced by a series with Oregon. We also have road games (true road games, not neutral sites in the north) scheduled with Virginia Tech, Oklahoma, Boston College, North Carolina, TCU, and Texas that'll all happen in the next 9 years. And yeah, we are still going to play road games even after we switch to a 9-game conf schedule in 2016.

Bama has played 2 true road games in the past 10 years (Duke and Penn State) and has none currently scheduled. By cancelling the MSU and GT series they are basically signalling that neutral site games have permanently replaced home-and-home series for the Tide.

We don't have to compare Bama with Ohio State at all actually. There are teams in your own conf that are still playing genuine road games and still scheduling them. LSU, for example. Heck, Georgia's played at AZ State, COlorado, and OK State all recently. And they even have the excuse of a permanent non-conf rival AND the annual neutral site game in Jax.

And as a genuine question, is it fair to season ticket holders to continue to raise prices year after year while supplying them with total shit games in Tuscaloosa and demanding they pay extra at bowl prices for a sterile NFL environment if they ever want to see Bama play anyone decent OOC?

And as a genuine question, is it fair to season ticket holders to continue to raise prices year after year while supplying them with total shit games in Tuscaloosa and demanding they pay extra at bowl prices for a sterile NFL environment if they ever want to see Bama play anyone decent OOC?

As the market bears, AFAIC. The conference schedule will provide quality games for the foreseeable future, and the Atlanta games provide an excellent opportunity for fans outside the state to see a good OOC opponent in a great atmosphere. If Saban retires and a return to the Mike Price/Mike Shula era ensues, adjustments will be made. For now the market allows the strategy.

You could have kept both, DSL. No need to cancel Georgia. Especially with the stench of the last two or three years' OOC slates. Ghastly. The last time Ohio State scheduled a BCS school OOC that finished with 10-wins, Urban was at Florida and Tim Tebow was his QB. tOSUc also lost that game by 32, so maybe that is some smart scheduling after that...

By cancelling the MSU and GT series they are basically signalling that neutral site games have permanently replaced home-and-home series for the Tide.

No, not necessarily. As I said, the SEC will be going to a 9-game schedule in the next few years. Cancelling those games until that is sorted out, simply means that we refuse to have a 6-game home schedule. Prudent. But Saban likes the big bowl-game feel of the games in Dallas, Atlanta, and Jacksonville, so that may be SOP until he goes. I hope so. I like it.

As to your "genuine question" (lmao): I've answered it in my post and in many previous conversations: I am perfectly fine with the big neutral site game. I do not think they "rip off" UA ticket holders (thanks for your concern, though).

I mean, c'mon. These tOSUc OOC scheds are like SEC OOC scheds. The difference is the SEC teams have to play in the SEC when they finish their cupcakes.





Just look at these. WOOF!

2013-
Buffalo (TBD)
San Diego State (TBD)
California (TBD)
Florida A&M (TBD)

2012-
Miami (Ohio) (4-8)
Central Florida (10-4)
California (3-9)
Alabama-Birmingham (3-9)

2011-
Akron (1-11)
Toledo (9-4)
Miami (Florida) (6-6)
Colorado (3-10)

2010-
Marshall (5-7)
Miami (Florida) (7-6)
Ohio (8-5)
Eastern Michigan (2-10)

One correction, DSL...

@Duke does not count as a 'true' road game....

true road 'scrimmage'?

This is the kind of sass I relish...

But Saban likes the big bowl-game feel of the games in Dallas, Atlanta, and Jacksonville

Saban should schedule a series with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Bama would win.

The difference between OSU and Alabama is that OSU has left its region more than once every 12 years.

And LMAO at "we don't know what the future can bring so we must halt all home-and-home deals."

1) Bama stopped entering into home-and-home deals before the SEC had expanded to 14 teams. Now they are cancelling all the ones they had previously entered into, except for Penn State because Penn State had done Bama a favor by not playing those games in 2004 and 2005 like they should have been. Bama was too chickenshit to play those games while on probation and PSU was gracious enough to allow the games to be postponed.

2) No other teams have stopped scheduling road games in the SEC except Bama. LSU and Miles have always had bigger balls than Bama, the country knows that, but this just makes it a lot more obvious.I would think you'd be infuriated by Bama's complete cowardice on this issue.

Anyways, of course not an honest question. Though I did read a number of Bama boards before asking you...and there ARE plenty of Bama fans who are peeved about the total lack of quality games in Tuscaloosa. I can understand a neutral site game once in a while but I will honestly say I do not see why you like doing it every single year. Except that it keeps Coach Saban happy, and that you like whatever Coach Saban likes.

KeviNole wrote:

And as a genuine question, is it fair to season ticket holders to continue to raise prices year after year while supplying them with total shit games in Tuscaloosa and demanding they pay extra at bowl prices for a sterile NFL environment if they ever want to see Bama play anyone decent OOC?

As the market bears, AFAIC. The conference schedule will provide quality games for the foreseeable future, and the Atlanta games provide an excellent opportunity for fans outside the state to see a good OOC opponent in a great atmosphere. If Saban retires and a return to the Mike Price/Mike Shula era ensues, adjustments will be made. For now the market allows the strategy.

I'm not so sure the market isn't at a tipping point. There have been articles this season about games at both Bama and Florida failing to sell out. Florida State hasn't averaged a sellout in years. And I guess the student section at Bama has been appallingly empty so far this year. I think fewer and fewer people are going to want to make the effort and spend the kind of money an SEC program demands from them if what they're going to be presented with is a glorified practice.

And how does playing a game in Atlanta against VA Tech in an NFL stadium provide out of state fans an amazing experience that playing at GA Tech couldn't possibly provide? How about USC? Or Oklahoma? Alabama used to play those types of games. Were they doing it all wrong and the fanbase truly demands more games in pro stadiums that are 500 miles from campus? I think if given the choice between having all decent OOC games played at neutral sites or playing more in Tuscaloosa, most fans would want to see at least SOME of those games at Bryant-Denny.

But I understand why Saban loves this shit. It helps him recruit. And the school loves it because ESPN is willing to hand them bags of cash to agree to these games. And the NFL owners make their bribes too. But I know that if Ohio State started playing ALL of its quality OOC games at Ford Field or Soldier Field, and in 10 years there had been only a single decent game played in Columbus, I'd be pissed about it.

If Bama sells the non-conf portion of the home schedule separate from its conf season tickets, then I don't know why anyone would even bother. Western Carolina, Georgia State, and LA-Monroe is what you're likely paying for.

A few comments and questions:

*Two neutral site games are as tough as a home and home. +3/-3 vs +0/-0. It's a wash.

*More balls? What? Are you 14?

*Would you say that Central Florida has been the best opponent that tOSUc's has faced in the past 3 years?

*WRT Bama finances: We're the 4th richest athletic department in the nation by most sources. We're doing okay.

* Saban likes the neutral game deal. So does the team and the fans. It works. You don't. Fine. Whatever. Burn your Bama cap and don't order any more tickets. I'll miss you, dude.

* "Leaving the region" ? I've never considered Dallas or Jacksonville our region. But none of that matters. This isn't 1938 and we're not getting on a train and taking a 32-hour trip to wherever. The players put their iPods in and before they finish their in-flight movie and the new Kanye album, they're Ianding.

* I would love a neutral site game in LA or Chicago or (as I said earlier) Lambeau.

* Keep going after those windmills, DSL, you'll get one sooner or later.

A bunch of the posters at Bama's Scout board do NOT like having a neutral site game every single year.

I'm not sure why Saban prefers to enrich NFL owners rather than the merchants of Tuscaloosa, but it is what it is.

Okay, you asked ME. If you want the opinion of your imaginary Scout Bama fans, go to them and leave me out if it. Together, you can rail against Saban and curse him for pulling one game every two years from the poor Tuscaloosa merchants - who are making more money now than they have since Bryant was coach.

None of the people I know dislike the trips to play these games, and I find this outrage of yours on this matter completely ridiculous.

Why is Strange so defensive?

Can I get a "DSL, YAAM"?

AlabamAlum wrote:Okay, you asked ME. If you want the opinion of your imaginary Scout Bama fans, go to them and leave me out if it. Together, you can rail against Saban and curse him for pulling one game every two years from the poor Tuscaloosa merchants - who are making more money now than they have since Bryant was coach.

None of the people I know dislike the trips to play these games, and I find this outrage of yours on this matter completely ridiculous.

Yes, but you travel in circles of overpaid hospital administrators. The gametime experience for you is arriving in a cab 15 minutes after kickoff, traveling up the elevator to your luxury suite, sampling the lobster pate, grabbing a merlot at the bar, and occasionally glancing out the window at the game while discussing worldly affairs with your peers.