mannie@msdc.UUCP (Mannie Lowe) (11/07/85)
The recent discussion about the schedules of the SEC, BIG 10, & PAC 10 teams
has started me thinking (I know, very dangerous of me). Why do football
coaches have to schedule their games three and four years in advance? Why
can't they make up their schedules at the end of the bowl games like the
basketball teams work on theirs after the tournament. This has always
puzzled me. Teams are changing conferences all the time, being put on
probation, establishing dynasties and falling flat on their faces. It seems
that with creative and maybe intelligent scheduling we won't be debating
the relative strengths and weaknesses of the schedules.
Anyone out there have any reasons, good or bad, why schedules are made
up this way???
Mannie Lowe
Medical Systems Development Corp
{gatech,ihnp4,mcnc,ncsu,akgua}!msdc!manniecwd@cuae2.UUCP (Chris Donahue) (11/08/85)
I think the problem is that football is a big money sport and therefore long term contracts to play teams are made. A 70,000 seat stadium for football brings in a lot more money than a 9,000 seat basketball arena. As a case in point, the University of Michigan will open its season against Notre Dame from 1985 - 1990. This was agreed to via a long term contract signed in 1971 (or so). Both teams stand to make a lot of money from the games and the contract specifies how much the visitor gets to take home. I am not sure that basketball teams negotiate these details. If they did, the amount of money to be shared is still small compared to football. Chris Donahue AT&T Info. Sys. Application Engineering