A follow-up on the new/old ACC scheduling plan for football. Pitt now finds itself a game short for 2013. And having, once more, to start scrambling to find another game for next year.
When Pitt first put its 2013 schedule together, it was with the expectation of being in the Big East with 8 teams. It featured Villanova, ND, at Navy, at VT and NC State. Obviously, once Pitt got its invite to the ACC last year things changed. The NC St. was tossed and VT became a conference game. Not to worry. The ACC was going to a 9-game schedule so Pitt was set. Three non-cons, two at home. That’s a 6-game slate — perhaps 7 if Pitt got 5 home conference games — and all was well.
Now it’s trickier.
The good news for Pitt is they have flexibility. With 6 home games, they don’t need a home non-con. They can do a quality home-and-home where they go on the road next year, if need be. This is a big change from the 2012 scramble, when they lost a scheduled conference home game with the moves of TCU and WVU (they got one back with the addition of Temple). That means no need — and no way — they add a second 1-AA team.
There is another possibility. Pitt is overbooked for 2014.
The non-con has Delaware, at FIU, Iowa, Akron and at ND. Even if Notre Dame joins the ACC in 2014, ACC Commissioner Swofford indicated that most of the present deals with ND and ACC teams would be honored for the first few years. So, that game probably wouldn’t be lost.
The assumption was that Pitt might have to buy out its game at FIU. Instead, maybe Pitt sees if FIU will move up the game to 2013. Right now they have an open date at the end of September. As does Pitt.
That might be the way to try and swing things. Pitt doesn’t have to pay to get out of a game. They rectify their gap for 2013 without having to scramble so much. FIU still gets the marquee home game. Just a year earlier. Something they might need with their move to Conference USA.
The only other headache will be the fact that the 2014 schedule will have a 2-week gap to fill right at the beginning of September. While the ACC does schedule at least one early conference game for teams, that doesn’t completely solve the issue. Well, maybe Akron will move their game up a couple weeks.
FIU wasn’t a home-and-home. It was a 2-for-1 deal. There’s no buying the game, so it does have some cost savings. Same as Akron — Pitt goes there in 2015.
problem?
and if they do becuse of the 8 games insted of 9
cant we just play one of the ACC teams that was said on here that we would not play for was it 6 years becuse of div they were in .
or did i miss undestand that post abought how offten we play some of the ACC teams?
According to PPG:
“The inbound Squirrel Hill Tunnel will be closed on the weekends of Oct. 12-15 and 19-22. The closures will begin at 9 p.m. Friday and be lifted no later than 5 a.m. Monday. The posted detour will require traffic to merge into one lane to exit the highway at Edgewood-Swissvale (Exit 77). ”
Sigh.
i was just trying to help forget it.
it would only work if every acc team did it and they may not all need the games.
If so, then all of what we have been posting about over the past day or so would be academic.
It could be that so many ACC team’s schedules were already in place for an 8 game league, they decided to keep that format just for 2013.
In 014 or 015 they go to a 9 game schedule, then we would play 2 teams from the other division in addition to Syracuse, so we would see the likes of FSU at Heinz every 6 years instead of 12.
while the language may have left the possibility open, I sincerely doubt they will go to 9 games. I think they did so, more in the event that more than just the Pac-12 and Big 12 go to a 9-game conference schedule.
The possibility of scheduling another ACC school as a non-con — at least for 2013 — may not be so far fetched. There are 13 other ACC schools that now have to fill that gap. VT’s AD has even floated the idea.
It wouldn’t be a conference game, despite being between conference members. So it wouldn’t count in the standings. Weird but possible.
Ya, why not, get together with the ACC teams that aren’t on your schedule, fill in your spots and needs, and they won’t count in the conference!!
They’ll never do it, they will say, “we don’t do that”, “it’s not professional”, “it would make us look like a second rate league”.
And I can see that. It would look like amatuer hour.
Then again, if you’re in a real jam???
There was talk of playing WVU twice a few years ago because of some problem.
That’s why I liked the 9, play as many people in your conference.
Also, if you played a 9 or even a 10 game conference schedule, you have a spot for a rival and a cupcake.
Plus, being in the conference, the desire to want the A.D. to schedule a Iowa, Tennessee or just someone different, I believe, is going to be a lot less, if you have a steady stream of ACC opponents coming in, that you haven’t played often or in awhile, that will be exciting unto itself.
Ya, even Duke and Wake, I mean, that is what you’d get if you scheduled Illinois, Kentucky, Minnesota etc. etc. from other BCS conf., just someone different that isn’t a div 2 school.
Hey, all we can do is vent on here a bit.
This isn’t anything that angers me, just a shakin’ the head thing.
I get that. Just b.s.ing out loud.
who in the atlantic do we want to play i want maryland.
I want Maryland as well Frankcan. Edsall is such a world class jerk. WVU, PSU, maybe even a Big east opponent. What a schedule wouldn’t have much trouble selling tickets for those games. The more this move materializes the more I like it despite some of the scheduling headaches.
Maybe Pitt can take the trip to Hawaii and play PSU there. Isn’t pedophile stare looking to juice up its schedule with exotic venues in lieu of bowl games?
All kidding aside, I have a question. If the drop back to 8 games forces all ACC teams to fill a void, then why do it in the first place? Am I missing something? Help me folks.
Me: 66.
You?
I am hoping to see us play FSU more often. They are good to measure ourselves against. We played some great games against them back in the day.
One of the few things I don’t miss living out of the area now is Rte 28
Who actually thought Mario Cristobal would have been a good hire?
sorry wbb I wasn’t trying to be a jerk, I figured for sure you were talking about that other eagles running back. I was trying to be clever but once again I failed.
If it’s not being worked on, it’s a better choice than the Parkway East Sq Hill Tunnel detour for sure.
Roads suck everywhere except in Europe. Must be the contracting kickback thing here in America.
They built an outer loop interstate down here, that has become obsolete before it’s even finished as parts of it are only 2 lanes in each direction.
Duh, the city has only added about 300,000 residents plus in the last 10 years.
Smiley did. We would have got Cristobal unless some movers & shakers didn’t step in and overule Mr. Cornhole.
These are schools NOT to schedule next year (2013)
Youngstown State
Ohio U.
Toledo
Bowling Green
Furman (didn’t lose but should have)
Got it Cornhole. Good ! Mark it down so you don’t forget !
Or try any of the Rt. 376 exits after Penn Hills. Churchill exit, down the hill to Allegheny River Blvd. Or Wilkinsburg exit to Penn Avenue on thru East Liberty and into town. Or Edgewood/Swissvale onto Braddock ave, to Penn ave and on into town.
But if I were coming in on the Tpike I would take my chances on Rt. 28.
I’m starting to really love what I’m seeing with the Chryst Pitt era.
Don’t care what stumbles (aka Syracuse).
If you haven’t seen it, watch Pat Bostick’s interview with Ryan Turnley and how they break down the offensive line blocking schemes on PittsburghPanthers.com.
We’ve got ourselves an NFL-caliber coached team compared to anything Graham or even Wannstedt brought to the table.
If I were an offensive lineman, I would come to Pitt knowing that any NFL team that drafted me knew they were not getting just a rookie they could have drafted from any other school!
Lastly, good Pitt chat in the PG. Why do I feel confident about tomorrows’ game?
steve 1….52 and counting.
Arkansas State 34 Florida International 20
FIU now 1 win 4 losses.
