By Chadd Cripe
ccripe@idahostatesman.com
Boise State and the Mid-American Conference are putting together a deal for the Broncos to play at Bowling Green this season instead of Toledo, Boise State athletic director Gene Bleymaier said. Bowling Green is just outside Toledo, so it's virtually the same trip.
The deal would move the Toledo game to 2011 in place of the Broncos' game at Bowling Green, but it hasn't been completed, Bleymaier said.
Toledo is scheduled to play in Boise in 2010. A Toledo spokesman confirmed the Rockets plan to play both games against the Broncos.
This mess started with Miami of Ohio scheduling a 13th game and dropping Colorado. That sent the MAC scrambling to find Colorado an opponent, which will be Toledo, and then Boise State an opponent.
The Broncos beat Bowling Green in 2005 and 2008 in Boise. They were scheduled to play at Bowling Green in 2006 and 2007, but both those games were scrapped because of MAC scheduling problems.
Bowling Green returns to Boise in 2012.
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Yay Cupcakes!
I knew Gene couldn't resist more cupcakes!
CORRECT!!!
Good ole Gene is afraid to step up the competition, and the the President of BSU must approve of this lack of scheduling. Both are chumps!!! BSU is ready for the competition, the powers that be are holding them back!
Nooooooooooooo!
We need a real schedule! SEC, PAC 10 or a decent ACC team. At least it wasn't Sacramento State or Cal Davis.
BSU_FB - no you don't
Remember what happened "between the hedges" last time? BSU playing any SEC team would be a disaster for BSU.
Yeeeeessssss!!!
BSU_FB_Fan--UC Davis IS on the schedule this year.
UC Davis
Stronger Team than the Vandals!
at least it's a better opponent
Toledo went 3-9 last year. Bowling Green went 6-6 and beat Toledo in their last game.
Not from a BCS point of View
We need better oppenents so we can prove ourselves in the BCS.
don't get it
Ticket prices keep going up, but the level of opponents isn't. Shouldn't we be paying for a better product? Why do they keep charging more to watch DII and MAC schools? I know it is hard, but it seems like a lot of other teams take their lumps and go on the road to play good teams. Eventually you might get them to come back here.
UGH!!! Another to do list.
Please, please, PLEASE schudule 2 BCS teams per year. Football and Basketball.
Coach Graham is on watch. He's got two years max to turn BSU into the WAC's best team, or off he goes ( I say).
Beotch slap every Mountain West team and beat them in everything. Show them they messed up for not bringing us in.
Lame blog I know....
BSU Athletics
This is why Bleymaier gets the big bucks; to schedule mediocre MAC teams?
Upgrade it!!!
No more MAC teams!!!! BCS or Bust Gene!!!!
Booooooooooooo!!!!!!
Boooooooooooo!!!! Boooooooooooo!!!! Gene for the love of GOD and all that is holy, get us some decent teams. We may take our lumps, but we'll get better!!! what happened to the Ole Miss talk??
Bowling Green again? What Burley High wasn't available? Its sad when our new Suites are more respected than our schedule!!! Booooooooooooooo!
SUCK IT!!
The AD and the President of BSU reminds me of the execs of AIG, taking all the money from the success of the team and not rewarding them for their success. This team needs to be challenged, which means butt whippings at the hands of some of the big boys, but the team will feel better and get more respect. If you keep scheduling GreenLeaf Idaho teams, then you will keep getting shafted.
Congratulations Gene !!!
We knew you'd work hard to find a way to trade a cupcake for a cupcake. Great job!!
Ahh, the duality of BSU fandom
Schedule better teams/we can't control our scheduling
We play a weak non-conference schedule/the WAC schedule brings us down
We need to play better non-conference teams/the WAC needs to get tougher
Our 12-0 record was exposed by TCU/If we would have beat TCU we would have deserved to be national champs
I'm just glad there are a few BSU fans who have the common sense to recognize the game Gene Bleymaier plays with BSU football. The rest can enjoy the Bowling Green/UC Davis/Miami of Ohio games this season. If that schedule doesn't put you into the top 10, well, I guess we'll just have to live with the same dimwitted outrage from bronco nation that we do every year.
It's nice to have bsu making
It's nice to have bsu making ridiculous football decisions again. I haven't been on this board in a while. Did i mention Idaho beat bsu twice in basketball? hahaha
It's also nice that UofI
continues to remain as a dying and decrepit institution in the middle of nowhere. Their fans think that school is so great, yet they live 300 miles away from it.
Don't forget...
Don't forget that prior to this year, the Broncos BB beat the Vandals 16 straight and probably no one care in Boise. So congrats to the Vandals on winning both games against BSU. But let me remind you that Football is the king in Boise. It has been the king sport for a long time and it will contiue to be that way. No questions about it. Have a nice day......
Does anyone know if gene is
Does anyone know if gene is under a contract. I really don't understand why he can't schedule better teams. Nevada, fresno and the list could go on, they all schedule some tough opponents year in and year out. We keep scheduling the cupcakes and as you know we will never recieve any respect. I would rather schedule a Georgia and get our butt kicked then schedule a idaho st type of team.
JWC: you hit the penny of the head for that one. Why do our ticket prices go up when we keep scheduling the cupcakes.
Finally
Finally true football fans that love their team realize that the schedule BSU plays is weak and brings into question some of the success they have had over the years. BSU is a decent football team with an upside, but what is BSU using as a measuring stick???
Nothing is easy folks...
The real problem is the fact people think that everything is supposed to be simple when the truth is it really isn't. You think scheduling is so easy, then why don't you try it? Oh wait, you can't because it is not your job. You can't always get what you want.
I suspect in a few months
I suspect in a few months after we beat Oregon....BTW a legitimate team, you will say, it was Only Oregons 2nd game of the year. Sounds like Vandal fans again tryin to bring BSU down to their level
Schedule NDSU Bison
BSU should schedule NDSU Bison. You might laugh but they are a much better team then the teams everybody is talking about and the Bison are used to traveling to play up in competition.
The peanut gallery
Maybe if Vandal fans obtained a BSU degree, they would get a good enough job to afford their BSU season tickets and we wouldnt have to hear as much whining.
No wonder we get no respect
Nevada played Missouri and Texas Tech last year, this year they get Missouri again and play Notre Dame. Meanwhile the Broncs are in the midst of what feels like a 12 game series with Bowling Green. What's wrong with this picture?
Grow a Set Gene
You're pathetic Gene. What, do you think that a couple of losses to a powerhouse SEC team will make Bronco fans "jump off the wagon"? Some of us, including myself, have been on the wagon our entire lives and can remember the days in the Big Sky. It's no fun to know the outcome of a game before it's played.
Give us a reason to keep watching!!!!
Everyone likes Cupcakes
Even FLorida and Oklahoma are playing some this year. I just wish Boise State would stop accepting them and try SOMETHING better.
Same old story, new chapter...
Alright guys, this issue has been posted many times before; but with RMSanford's post, I guess it needs to be said again.
Yes, all of the major teams from major conferences schedule in relative cupcakes every year. Why? It makes for a great warmup/practice game for them where they can play a lot of their 2nd and 3rd and 4th stringers -- not just their first string players. They are looking to prepare their team for the big boys in their league, but with minimal chance of injury to their top players.
OK, the motivation is obvious and they can get away with it without it hurting their SOS much because of how tough their conference play is -- or at least because of how tough their conference is viewed.
Boise State, and all other teams in mid-major conferences don't have that luxury. They can't afford to schedule light competition if they care at all about SOS and how the nation, media, coaches, ect. view them. IF Boise State (i.e. Gene) is able to schedule teams from better conferences exclusively (more like what Fresno does), then the nation will take us seriously and give the team the respect that it wants. Ultimately, we need to get into a better conference -- unless the WAC really picks it up and consistently becomes much better overall from top to bottom, which is not likely.
Yes, BSU would be taking a risk by scheduling in 'big boys' in their non-conference schedule, but I think everyone accept Gene is ready to take that risk. Note: I hope I am wrong and Gene is actually starting to do just that -- prioritizing looking for teams from BCS conferences.
And how has that ever worked out well for Fresno?
I think Gene has done a wonderful job of taking a young (1-A wise) program and building it to national prominence. BSU is not an SEC, Big 10, PAC 10, Big 12 school or program. We will not be in the hunt for the national championship no matter what our SoS becomes. But consistent building has allowed us to get our foot in the door, without having the embarrassing spectacle of Fresno’s mistake of being the go-to sacrificial lamb. Perhaps 5-15 years down the road as BSU continues to grow and Kustra’s vision of BSU becoming a research U takes hold, BSU will move into a better conference and perhaps take their place as one of the elite programs. For now, we are one of the top 3 or so mid-major programs that garner a lot of attention from the national sports press, have a better shot at recruiting than most programs our size, a dedicated fan base, and a team, staff and school we can be proud of.
Disclosure: I am a BSU alum and have met Gene several times (wonderful, humble man).
If it was up to me...
I would schedule 1 team from the PAC-10 that is NOT called USC, and 1-2 teams from the MWC, C-USA, BIG EAST or ACC. Maybe even 1 of the mid-level Big Ten teams would be a good game. Right now, the Big East and ACC would probably decline because of the traveling, which would be easier for the other 3 conferences I mentioned. Well, they may be the final factor.
But, any of the following schools could provide a good game with Boise State: Boston College, Florida St, Rutgers, Michigan St, Ohio St (yes, them), Tulsa, Rice, Houston, East Carolina (again), Ball St. AND, most of the teams I listed had 8 or 9 wins last year. Who knows? Boise State may not remain undefeated, but these 5 conferences will increase their credibility. What will ESPN say if we were beat Florida St or Ohio St during the season?
Gene needs to stop sugarcoating the schedule and give our teams some challenges. It seems the toughest games we have are in the Bowl Games, and we're unprepared.
GET RID OF BLEYMAIER
Get rid of Bleymaier.....He should be put on waivers. Boise State should find a new AD. The Administration should hire Fred Goode. He would be a great AD......
Toledo is a Good Opponent for BSU
Toledo is no pitiful University of Idaho, they have a long history of winning against big name schools, Michigan, Purdue, Pitt, Indiana, Iowa State...They play 2 top level teams every year. In 2009 they play will play Purdue, Ohio State, Florida International, and Boise State (or should I say Colorado). They are often ranked in the top 25. They have had players picked in the first round of the NFL draft.
How does Toledo (3-9 last year - though Fresno won because Toledo went for the win rather than an easy tie) schedule these teams and BSU can not? The word out from ESPN and ND, UM fans etc. is that BSU schedules patsies to reach undefeated status at the end of the season and hopes to latch on to a bowl game whereby they have a chance to win one big game which will insure their national ranking rather than prove themselves week in and week out. Don't blame me for that message it comes loud and clear from Lou Holtz and other ESPN analyst.
Toledo is a good opponent for BSU, but they should be part of the schedule, not BSU's big game of the year.