‘26-27 Schedule

[SchnitzelBoy]

I'm excited about the home-and-home with Michigan, but there's a chance Dusty rolls out world-beating squads bankrolled by their donors and these end up being lopsided affairs.

Mississippi State isn't even remotely exciting to me, and we have no idea how good a lower-tier SEC team will even be for our SOS. At that point, we might as well arrange home-and-homes with better brands like Syracuse or Pitt where there's some history. I'm not dying for more Big Ten matchups but I wouldn't mind a series with Iowa or Illinois. UCLA and Oregon would be good west coast options.

The ones I want the most would be games with Gonzaga, Louisville, or UNC

[The Sultan]

Bitch about Michigan because they're too good.

Bitch about Mississippi State because it doesn't excite people.

Bitch about Atlantis because it's not bracketed.

Do we have complaints about the Wisconsin game too?

[MU82]

Bitch about Michigan because they're too good.

Bitch about Mississippi State because it doesn't excite people.

Bitch about Atlantis because it's not bracketed.

Do we have complaints about the Wisconsin game too?

Well, my brother-in-law says ...

[1318WWells]

Excited about the game at the UC this year. Last seasons IU game was an 11:00 tip going up against a noon kickoff for a Bears home game.

This year Bears are on a bye 11/15. Game should have more hype and better attendance.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

As for the overall NC schedule...

It's shaping up pretty well.  But, like last year it's multiple ( 3 ) neutral site games.  As Michigan is on the road, they really need another decent NC
home game for the season ticket holders
( like myself ) cuz the home schedule will otherwise be pretty bad for the 2d straight season.

Mississippi State is not going to draw many people.

I don't disagree.

I always hear this, but I'm honestly skeptical that better high major opponents make a significant difference in attendance. Is there a significant population of fans that won't go to a game against Mississippi State but would go to a game against a Auburn or other unranked high major?

I think games with historical context draw attendance (Notre Dame, Louisville, etc). Games against highly ranked teams draw attendance, though you have to balance that with putting together enough wins in your non-conference. And I think a very small group of select programs will draw attendance (Duke, UNC, UK, KU, Gonzaga, etc), though most of that attendance draw will be from opposing fans buying up tickets.

[Jay Bee]

We do not know the start time for MU / Mizzou, true? IIRC we tipped right at noon for I4 last year. I stayed after and flew out Monday morning, although this year I may want to book it out of there that night if we start at noon.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Preseason projections obviously require massive grains of salt, but here's how the strength of schedule is looking per Bart Torvik:

#6 Michigan (A)
#9 Virginia (N)
#11 St. John's
#13 UConn
#25 Villanova
#29 Marquette
#39 Mizzou (N)
#42 Creighton
#45 Wisconsin (H)
#48 Texas A&M (N)
#51 Providence
#56 Xavier
#63 DePaul
#70 Mississippi State (H)
#73 Seton Hall
#83 Georgetown
#89 Butler
#298 New Hampshire (H)

My gut reaction is that St. John's is a little too high and Providence is much too low, but otherwise looks like reasonable projections.

Torvik projections and NET rankings are very different things. But if these teams' NET rankings end up around their Torvik projections here's the current break down of Quadrant opportunities (with 5 games left to be announced):

15 Q1 Games
9 Q2 games
2 Q3 games
1 Q4 games

[wadesworld]

I can't believe people are actually crying (again) about non conference scheduling.  Scheduling has been no worse than an A- since Shaka arrived.  Before Shaka arrived, your average non-conference schedule would be a home game against EITHER Wisconsin or a good high major (alternating years), one good road game (often in a conference "battle" that we didn't schedule for ourselves), and one MTE that often had at least one mid major taking up a game before two decent neutrals.

Our high major non conference games prior to Shaka arriving and prior to COVID were:

2019: home against Purdue, road against Wisconsin and Kansas State, neutral against USC and Maryland

2018: road against Indiana, neutral against Kansas and Louisville, home against Wisconsin

2017: home against Purdue and Georgia, neutral against LSU, road against Wisconsin

2016: neutral against Vanderbilt, Michigan, and Pitt, road against Georgia, home against Wisconsin

2015: home against Iowa, neutral against LSU and Arizona State, road against Wisconsin

2014: road against Ohio State, neutral against Georgia Tech, Michigan State, Tennessee, home against Wisconsin

2013: home against Ohio State, road against Arizona State and Wisconsin

2012: neutral against Butler, Mississippi State, and USC, road against Florida, home against Wisconsin and LSU

2011: neutral against Ole Miss and Washington, at LSU and Wisconsin, home against Vanderbilt

2010: neutral against Duke and Gonzaga, road against Vanderbilt, home against Wisconsin

2009: neutral against Xavier, Michigan, and Florida State, home against NC State, road against Wisconsin

2008: home against Wisconsin, neutral against Tennessee, at NC State

2007: neutral against OK State and Duke, at Wisconsin (best non-con home game was...Milwaukee?)

2006: neutral against Texas Tech and Duke, home against Wisconsin

2005: neutral against South Carolina, road against Nebraska and Wisconsin (best non-con home game was...Winthrop or Valpo?)

2004: home against Wisconsin, Arizona, and Nebraska

2003: road against St. John's, Arizona, and Wisconsin, home against Notre Dame

[Tha Hound]

Preseason projections obviously require massive grains of salt, but here's how the strength of schedule is looking per Bart Torvik:

#6 Michigan (A)
#9 Virginia (N)
#11 St. John's
#13 UConn
#25 Villanova
#29 Marquette
#39 Mizzou (N)
#42 Creighton
#45 Wisconsin (H)
#48 Texas A&M (N)
#51 Providence
#56 Xavier
#63 DePaul
#70 Mississippi State (H)
#73 Seton Hall
#83 Georgetown
#89 Butler
#298 New Hampshire (H)

My gut reaction is that St. John's is a little too high and Providence is much too low, but otherwise looks like reasonable projections.

Torvik projections and NET rankings are very different things. But if these teams' NET rankings end up around their Torvik projections here's the current break down of Quadrant opportunities (with 5 games left to be announced):

15 Q1 Games
9 Q2 games
2 Q3 games
1 Q4 games

I'd pencil this in for every year moving forward if I could.