It’s hard to avoid noticing the trend. At the beginning of Mount Union’s run, the Purple Raiders were playing Defiance for their non-conference game (the Ohio Athletic Conference has 10 teams, meaning only one opponent must be found each year). Then it was Albion, followed by Allegheny. All regional foes, all within a reasonable distance and with the last two, some reason to expect a competitive result, at least at the time the game was scheduled.
But two years of Allegheny were followed by two years of UW-Whitewater, then Wash U, not an easy trip for either squad. The outcome was hardly in doubt last year and won’t be this year. Next on the list, Averett, a nearly 500-mile trip past Salem to the North Carolina/Virginia border. Mount Union has to go further and further afield to find an opponent. In an era of automatic playoff bids for winning your conference and Pool C bids expanding from three to seven, there’s less and less reason to duck a strong non-conference opponent.
Kudos to Averett for taking the challenge. And shame on anyone closer to Alliance who shared the same open date.
Kind of like UMHB/Willamette (Or.) and UW-Steven’s Point/Linfield having to kill each other for two years because schools that are closer just won’t play these tougher programs. (I’m looking at you SCIAC!)
Logistically it would be a perfect match for Mount to play Wash-Jeff. Unforunately that has been their one scrimmage for years. The school that disappoints me, and some Mount alum, is Wooster. A former OAC opponent, their location makes this rivalry a natural for the schools and fans. Unfortunately, most of the NCAC schools would rather achieve a decent record by playing the losers of DIII. I applaud Witt for taking on a better schedule–maybe the other schools will learn from this. Obviously I don’t know if there was any discussion between Woo and MUC on a game the next 2 years–and if there was a discussion who turned it down and why. But you’re right Pat; shame on those who weren’t up to the challenge.
I have been watching the open dates recently and Wooster had both of the Sept dates available the same as Mount. It sure would have been a game of interest for both schools as jdean said. The 40-50 miles from Alliance to Wooster is a better idea than 500 miles past Salem. Hmmm they have to go past Salem to get to Averett, more like they will go through Averett to get to Salem in 2006 & 2007.
Maybe it’s Emory & Henry in 2008 & 2009. I would think the dates are open for both. Just a thought……
I don’t know what open dates are available in the future for either team, but look for Waynesburg to try and get together with Mount now that Shepas is there.
What is Averett thinking?
Scheduling is such a quirky thing, I guess, because every coach has a different philosophy on it. Some people will play anybody, and it ends up hurting their record. Some claim no one will play them, and they have 8 and 9 games, which kinda hurts the kids who get shorted a game. And still others won’t schedule any out of conference opponents at all …
(Looks at soapbox. Walks away instead)