Troy added to NC State Football Schedule + more on scheduling

Like Oklahoma State and Tennessee before, LSU has bought out its future home and home series with NC State.

N.C. State will open the 2015 season in Raleigh with Troy and visit the Trojans in southeastern Alabama in 2017. The Wolfpack had been set to play at LSU in ’17 with the Tigers coming to Raleigh in ’20.

LSU recently paid $100,000 to get out of the series, replacing N.C. State with fellow ACC member Syracuse, leaving the Wolfpack with a hole to fill.

Wow. A whopping $100,000!?!? Boy, that Lee Fowler really knew how to strike a deal! What a ridiculously low buyout payment. The insanity of the awful business that Fowler ran (or didn’t run) from his Lake Gaston office never ceases to amaze me. Compare that deal to the deal that Central Michigan had with NC State that required the Wolfpack to pay $350,000 to buyout a return game and I hope you have just another data point of the extreme ineptitude that our Board of Trustees allowed to linger in your Athletics Department for a decade.

In LSU’s place, it was announced yesterday that NC State has added a home and home series with Troy for 2015 and 2017. That usually means that Troy will play at NC State in 2015 and the Wolfpack will buyout the return game with the Trojans 2017.

The following is the current status of NC State’s out of conference football schedule…but, I caution about getting too upset about the next few years as I foresee some buyouts on the horizon.

2014: Georgia Southern, Old Dominion, at South Florida, Presbyterian

2015: Troy, at Old Dominion, at South Alabama

2016: Notre Dame, at ECU

2017: at Troy, at Notre Dame

2018:

2019: ECU

2022: at ECU

The News & Observer has more here:

Yow, who inherited the South Florida and Presbyterian games on the 2014 schedule and the trip to South Alabama in 2015 from former AD Lee Fowler, said she realizes there are valid complaints about the quality of the nonconference opponents.

This year’s home schedule in particular – with Georgia Southern and Old Dominion making the transition from the Football Championship Subdivision and no date with North Carolina or Duke – is unappealing.

“And I understand the complaints, in partial context,” Yow said, “but we have to give ourselves a chance to be competitive.”

Yow pointed out on the upcoming schedule the Wolfpack will play Florida State, Clemson and Louisville in a four-week span with no extra time off to prepare for any of those three games. The Clemson and Louisville games are on the road.

Florida State went 14-0 and won the national title last season and hasn’t lost an ACC game since a trip to Raleigh in 2012. Clemson finished 11-2 at No. 8 in the final AP poll after an Orange Bowl victory against Ohio State. The Tigers’ only two ACC losses in 2012 and ’13 were to FSU.

ACC newcomer Louisville went 12-1 last season and finished ranked No. 15. All three schools finished in the top 15 in 2012, as well. All three are in the Atlantic Division with N.C. State, which is why Yow has been less inclined to seek out a big game out of the league.

Football schedules can be complicated, and N.C. State has had its issues with locking in opponents. The school had a home-and-home with Pittsburgh on the books, and the two played in Raleigh in 2009, but then Pitt joined the ACC.

I’m sure that you’ve got a lot of opinions on this topic as it is a heated topic amongst Wolfpackers. With that said, SFN had a conversation with Debbie Yow about this a few months ago and her comments can be found by clicking here.

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Home Forums Troy added to NC State Football Schedule + more on scheduling

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  • #51488
    StateFans
    Keymaster

    Like Oklahoma State and Tennessee before, LSU has bought out its future home and home series with NC State. N.C. State will open the 2015 season in Ra
    [See the full post at: Troy added to NC State Football Schedule + more on scheduling]

    #51490
    tobaccordshow
    Keymaster

    This is ridiculous. Why do I continue to pay my LTRs is beyond me. It’s a special form of insanity.

    #51491
    Wulfpack
    Participant

    I understand the “why”. But that doesn’t mean the “what is” remains a pathetic schedule. I don’t know how you raise your profile with such a schedule. It is what it is.

    #51492
    Virginia Wolf
    Participant

    I keep hearing that “We need to put ourselves in a position to be competitive.” That is not a realistic view of building a winning team. You don’t lower your standards to be competitive with those weaker programs, you work your butt off to be competitive with those stonger programs. The real reason we are scheduling teams like this is to make every effort to win 6 games and go to a bowl! IMHO, that is a pathetic way to build a football program. If our coach can’t handle a tougher schedule, then get a coach that can. If the AD can’t handle it then get an AD that can. There are no excuses!!! I’ve been a proponent of leaving the ACC and joining the SEC but with this philosphy, maybe we need to leave the ACC and join the Sun Belt Conference so we can be competitive. I’m sorry, but I’m not paying $50 to see Presbyterian, Ga. Southern, Old Dominion or Troy play my beloved Wolfpack. Let’s play some decent competition and see Carter Finley full and rocking again. I’ve been a season ticket holder since 1972 and remember seeing some great teams come to C.F., Penn St., Florida, Michigan State, Texas Tech, SMU, etc. Compare the teams we’re playing with the teams UNX is playing and their coach is only in his 3rd year. Look at Duke and Wake’s schedules and even App. St. and ECU non conference games and our’s non-conference schedule is the worst one of all the teams in the state. There are no excuses for this!!!! Why would you agree to go to Southern Alabama and play a football game in early Sept. where it’s 90 degrees with 100% humidity? And really, why would you agree to a home and home with teams like this? I’m very close to dropping my Wolfpack Club membership! I’m out!!!!

    #51494
    BJD95
    Keymaster

    Yes, in the world of Craigslist ticket availability…no idea why anyone would bother with LTRs or season tickets at all.

    What a joy to see our business acumen in this morning’s paper – LSU pays NC State $100K, NC State pays Central Michigan $350K. Of course, I suppose it’s insanity to expect us to have the kind of leverage that the mighty Chippewas posess.

    Paying $350K to obtain an extra home game hardly seems like sound fiscal policy, in any event. Especially when it involves pissing off your alumni base by making them pay for a near-valueless ticket to a game like Old Dominion. Double especially when it puts a SECOND away game on next season’s schedule (@ODU), which logically will need to be bought out as well.

    I understand that the prior regime left some dogshit on the lawn…but cut your f-cking losses already.

    The only thing that can save college football from itself (that bubble is going to burst sooner or later, as the current system is rife with perverse incentives) is a super conference alignment with centralized scheduling (like the NFL) AND a 16-team playoff. Notre Dame either joins a super conference or they don’t get invited. I mean, really…what’s their alternative? Playing outside the system with the WAC and Big East, with 10% the viewership of the supers? I’m sure NBC would just love that.

    #51495
    Tuffy2
    Participant

    I understand playing FSU, Clemson, and Louisville helps the scheduling when 2 of those 3 are at home. There are BCS teams from some conferences out there who are always rebuilding that would satisfy ticket holders who we can play early on. Playing a bottom tier BCS conference team compared to an Old Dominion or Presbyterian would also benefit the team as the drop off would not be as huge when they get into ACC play. The exception this years scheduling of course.

    #51496
    1.21 Jigawatts
    Keymaster

    This is ridiculous. Why do I continue to pay my LTRs is beyond me. It’s a special form of insanity.

    The sad thing is I’m in the same stupid boat as you. What’s worse is now that I can’t go every weekend we suck so bad I can’t even give away my tickets, let alone recover my cost against this beyond awful schedule.

    This line about “I understand the complaints, in partial context,” Yow said, “but we have to give ourselves a chance to be competitive” holds absolutely no water when you look at the teams we have scheduled in the future. Either they expect us to never improve from the dumpster fire we are currently in or they are lying to us.

    #51497
    Tuffy2
    Participant

    Virginia Wolf- When I say we, I mean inside the university itself lies the problem. NC State is its own worst enemy. I understand and agree with you.
    This is off the topic but it all fits if you really think about it. During the alumni tag football game I ran into about 50 fans that wanted to know why they did not do the play by play so we could follow along. I myself complained to these two men that were about to take the elevators up the tower at the stadium. Would you not think if you care at all about the fans and would you think that just maybe these former players would have loved to here their names called out one last time?

    It all connects folks……….. But it is like you said Virginia Wolf get to 6-6 go to a bowl,PASS GO COLLECT 200 DOLLARS!

    #51498
    JohnGalt78
    Participant

    I called the WPC recently and inquired as to what might happen to my LTR package of 4 seats if I did not buy tickets this year. I was told I could “take a year off” but that I would need to “return” next year. I’m considering this….more as a protest than anything else.

    #51499
    ncsslim
    Participant

    I guess we can mock the business acumen of our administration all we want, however somehow these buffoons have a ton of people (me included) feeling trapped into a process that requires year-in-year-out support of an f’n train wreck. I assume the low LSU buyout is the net between the cancellation of a home and home (I’m guessing)?

    Win or lose, I despise home schedules like we are fed. When you start reaching a certain point in your life, you realize you’re not going to be able to do this forever, and god almighty, WTNY is not a sustaining strategy. My problem is that we are bankrolling this crap and the only way to have a say is to walk away, which is having no say whatsoever.

    These people do not own this product, just significantly profit from it. Good gig if you can get it.

    #51500
    primacyone
    Participant

    As I have said before: “Presbyterian??? In Football??? We would be better off playing Greensboro Dudley. Really!”

    JED loved his steak and tonics!

    #51501
    eas
    Participant

    I’m sitting here trying my best to think of something positive to say about decisions being made with our program (or should I say programs) but I can’t.

    What else is there to say? It’s what we do an do well. Madness…

    #51502
    Hawkeye Whitney
    Participant

    My favorite thing about Presbyterian College is their nickname, the feared and mighty “Blue Hose”. Not to be confused with our friends in Chapel Hill, the “Blue Hosers”.

    #51503
    WolftownVA81
    Participant

    All I can say is, I’m glad I’m not invested in season tickets. I would like to attend some home games this year but I can see that it’s not going to be worth the 4.5 hour trip to Raleigh. TV will have to do.

    #51504
    Virginia Wolf
    Participant

    I agree that the problem is inside our administration. But I’m tired of hearing this is “rebuilding year.” We’ve been rebuilding since 1982. I’m just fed up with this crap!!!!

    #51505
    Virginia Wolf
    Participant

    I also believe someone’s head needs to role for this kind of scheduling. I’ve been negotiating contracts for Forbes 500 business for 25 years and its not that difficult. Why don’t they just let some of us with experience in this do it on a volunteer basis. We certainly couldn’t do any worse. Change is a good thing when it points in the upward direction but if it points in the downward direction, just go ahead and change again. D.D. himself said he wanted to play one name program a year but we’re not doing that. Get to work on improving or get out and quit whining. We’ve had coaches before who were winners and it didn’t take 5 years to turn things around. So, I assume we’ll still be rebuilding in 2017, when we play at Troy!!!

    #51507
    VaWolf82
    Keymaster

    Yes, in the world of Craigslist ticket availability…no idea why anyone would bother with LTRs or season tickets at all.

    I think that BobLee is the first person I saw write about the impact of large, high-def TVs on sports. The obstacles/cost of seeing games in person are substantial to many. Poor schedules are just another reason for people to stay at home on their couches.

    You have always been a big proponent of ESPN’s GamePlan. You can go to the stadium and watch one game or stay at home and watch anything that interests you. Not one of life’s hardest decisions for many.

    Notre Dame either joins a super conference or they don’t get invited.

    Pardon me, if I don’t hold my breath while waiting on this.

    #51508
    JasonP
    Participant

    Yes, in the world of Craigslist ticket availability…no idea why anyone would bother with LTRs or season tickets at all.

    This. All day long.

    #51509
    Virginia Wolf
    Participant

    Correction to my last post. I meant “Fortune 500,” not “Forbes 500”. I am so upset with the scheduling that I can’t see the page I’m writing on. I’ve decided to not renew my season tickets after this season. Looking back at the money I’ve wasted on games like Presby., South Alabama, Citadel, Troy, etc. Good bye Carter Finley, it was a good ride until about 6 years ago.

    #51510
    mak4dpak
    Participant

    Can’t say I am too excited about the out of conference schedule. But it is what it is. If we ever become the quality team, that draws attention, then the schedule can be changed. Big schools will want to schedule NC State, but we have to earn that respect. This years schedule, though not eye popping, may be a spring board to a brighter future, especially after last year. If Doeren and the team want respect, then earn it. Then the big boys will come calling. And we can’t lose to these teams that nobody expects us to lose to, and we win the games over the big boys like FSU/CLEMSON/LOUISVILLE. That will solve the problem. I am a Wolfpacker to the end, so I will be there, regardless of the opposition.

    #51511
    john of sparta
    Participant

    “it is what it is”, in my language means: I GIVE UP.
    there’s a speech about not giving up.
    It is what WE MAKE IT.
    there. i feel better.

    #51512
    gopack 17
    Participant

    This schedule is just flat our absurd. What a freaking joke.
    I was just talking to my Engineer buddy and we were laughing over the home schedule. I have been going to NCSU Football games my entire life, and this is the 1st year I honestly don’t care. I really hesitated on renewing season tickets on my 4 LTR’s and gave the absolute minimum to the Wolfpack Club. I am looking forward to future tee times instead of “Cream Puff” games, but like other posts I won’t even be able to give them away.

    #51513
    13OT
    Participant

    The first thing that should be a slapping wake-up to Wolfpackers is that LSU replaced us with SYRACUSE! And this is FOOTBALL, not basketball. Hell, maybe we should have followed ASU to the Sun Belt Conference; at least we’d get to play the Mountaineers, who would generate a hundred times more interest than Troy (or Georgia Southern and South Alabama).

    I sympathize with those of you, who, like me, have LTRs at CF. After 19 years, this may well be my last season too. The OOC home games aren’t worth the paper that the tickets are printed on anymore, and like someone said, if you can’t go, you can’t GIVE these tickets away. Plus, ACC officials have ruined our league rivalries with Duke, GT and UVA, plus have not allowed us to develop ones with VT and Miami. And I’ve heard nary a complaint from the NCSU brass about the screw job we’re getting with scheduling as the league continues to expand and hand over more and more control to television.

    I said it on here a few months ago and I’ll say it again: NCSU sports needs a thorough housecleaning, from administrators to coaches. Never has any ACC school spent so much in an endeavor to be relevant with such dismal results as has North Carolina State University. I don’t mind paying for the rights to hold my seats for the rest of my life, but I sure do mind having to sit in them every Saturday as long as we continue to bring in substandard opponents far from our state borders.

    I’d rather go play quality teams on the road than host cupcakes. Eating cupcakes will not build a strong program, and we are living proof!

    #51514
    choppack1
    Participant

    Don’t worry guys – we are building a sparkling new indoor practice facility that will no doubt tilt the field in our favor.

    Hell, I go to the game now to see friends I have had since college. If they stop going or stop being friends I would probably stop going too.

    I have let go of those dreams of a magical season (really in any sport) and I may have enjoyed last season more than the one before.

    As for HDTV it really depends on why you are watching the game. To me the biggest drawback with going to the game is the other college football I miss. Everything else is preferable at the game.

    #51515
    gopack 17
    Participant

    Amen 13OT, I concur whole heartily. Might I add that whatever mixed feelings the WPN had about CTC, at least he made Wolfpack Football somewhat relevant, fun to watch, exciting, etc. But in the span of 15 years or so the game has drastically changed. Sure, I know he would sell you the most beat up jalopy with the fanciest mags known to man. Sure, probably had control issues and could not coach his way out of a paper bag, but man could he recruit when the right staff was in place. But like usual, we went polar opposite with TOB and some what payed for it in the long run. Dorean is the right guy for the job, but do we have the pieces in place to build it.? I for one have limited patience and the weekends are precious.

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