NC State to Buy Out Central Michigan Football Series

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In a surprise to absolutely no one, NC State is buying out of the rest of the Central Michigan series as reported by the AP.

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. — Central Michigan says N.C. State is buying out the finale of a three-game football series between the schools, meaning next year’s game in Mount Pleasant won’t be happening.

The teams played at N.C. State this year and in 2011. They were supposed to play at CMU next season.

CMU says N.C. State has agreed to pay $350,000 for ending the series.

CMU athletic director Dave Heeke says he’s disappointed that N.C. State won’t be making the trip next year, but he is hoping to find a quality opponent to fill out the 2014 non-conference schedule.

Currently our 2014 schedule is setting up to look like:

Conference
Home – Boston College, FSU, GaTech, Wake Forest
Away – UNC, Clemson, Cuse, Louisville

Non-conference
Georgia Southern, Presbyterian, @ South Florida, Old Dominion

and for 2015 I expect us to buy out of the @ South Alabama game shortly.

Debbie Yow was on record saying she’s been trying to rework the schedule as State is due to have only 5 home games in 2014 and that is a recipe for financial troubles.  She also said she has been working on a game with an SEC opponent but with the SEC moving to a 9 game conference schedule that may not happen.  I’d look for someone from the Big 10 or Big 12 to fill that gap but I’d love to see a Pac 12 school on the schedule.

Originally we had Oklahoma State on the schedule but for some reason they bought out of that game and then to throw another monkey-wrench into things the league reversed it decision on the 9 game league schedule. That reversal was the reason we had Lousiana Tech on the schedule this year and Ga Southern and ODU on the schedule for 2014.  Both GaSouthern and ODU will be FBS next year so we don’t have to worry about them not counting towards bowl eligibility.

The question is a never-ending debate among fans of any school, do you schedule cupcakes and get easy wins or do you try and load your schedule up with tough games and hope you come out alive.  In our case, I’m not so sure which is better.  Some fans will argue they don’t want to pay their hard earned money to watch State pound on the Central Michigans or William & Mary’s of the world but would rather see State in a “real” game even if that meant not always coming out on the winning side. In a case like ECU, who schedules up every year isn’t helping their cause any.  Teams like Boise State have made a name for themselves winning 10 games a year vs Wyoming School for the Blind and then beating the one FBS team on their schedule, there is not reason the Pirates shouldn’t be doing the same but I’m not sure that’s the best route for us. I’d much rather the ACC move to a 9 game conference schedule although I think Notre Dame might throw a wrench into that plan.

About JackWolf

I'm an unapologetic NC State fan but also consider myself a rational one. Hit me up on twitter if you want to talk @NCStateFootball

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11 Responses to NC State to Buy Out Central Michigan Football Series

  1. Texpack 10/04/2013 at 4:16 PM #

    Find one OOC Rivalry game to schedule every year. (South Carolina is the natural choice for us because of the history of the series. PSU isn’t a bad second choice)
    Schedule two non AQ schools or one non AQ and an FCS
    Schedule another AQ game each year.

  2. Wulfpack 10/04/2013 at 4:34 PM #

    As a fan of college football, I hardly even watch our garbage games (and sometimes you can’t even find them streaming anywhere on the web). I would much rather watch games that matter that have national implications. Call me a bad fan but I work too hard to waste 3-4 hours of my weekend to watch something that hardly matters. I don’t think the kids get up for these games, either. Just my $.02 and I understand there are differing opinions.

  3. tractor57 10/04/2013 at 4:42 PM #

    Back in my day any TV of the Pack was a thing of joy. Of course these sort of game were never shown any way any how. I appreciate the effort to upgrade the schedule and like Wulf I’m not likely to watch crap (actually not likely to watch most any college FB other than the Pack but that is another story).

    I’ll agree that scheduling should go hand in hand with building the program. TOB did help build the program but in part by a weaker schedule. New day and new measures I hope.

  4. Greywolf 10/04/2013 at 4:52 PM #

    NC State and teams like us are between a rock and a hard place when it comes to scheduling. We’re not the most desirable team to schedule like ND, SoCal or Ohio State so we can’t schedule anybody we want. We are good enough that not everybody wants a non-glamorous loss on their record.

    We must schedule 4 OC games every year. We will be fortunate to schedule 1 decent game each year and every other year will be an away game. We are like men who marry the best looking girl who will have us and then complain because our wives are not pretty enough.

    Honestly, I’m tired of hearing the screeching about the schedule. It’s too bad we don’t have someone like ole Jed to blame our scheduling dislikes on.

    Face it, we likely will have 4 home and 4 away games every year leaving 4 OOC games to schedule. If Penn State would play us H & H, that would be great. Even better would be to add Carolina H & H but it ain’t going to happen. So we are left with a minimum of 3 and maybe 4 mid majors or 3 mm’s and an FCS team.

    Maybe with her connections Debbie might cop a coup and schedule a Big 10 or SEC or Big 12 or Pac whatever it is this week. We will get ND occasionally.

    Complaining about having to watch us play a couple or 3 mm’s ain’t doing shit except exposing ignorance of the facts of life in the scheduling world. Alabama does the same and so does nearly every other FBS team. When we do get a good game close game such as Richmond, we piss and moan because we don’t blow them out. What’s an AD to do?

  5. ryebread 10/04/2013 at 4:58 PM #

    Good lord this schedule is awful:
    Georgia Southern, Presbyterian, @ South Florida, Old Dominion

    Pick one of ODU, G. Southern or Presbyterian and use that as a tune up game.

    @ SF is fine. We need one “middle” game against a decent team like that.

    We need a headliner game against one of the top 5 conferences. I’d like to see us play a SC/Penn State/Tennessee/MD every year, which would help us in our target recruiting areas.

    Play ECU or Charlotte every season. It will at least pack the stadium and keep the fans happy. We’ll win 75% of them and that’s fine.

  6. Greywolf 10/04/2013 at 5:14 PM #

    8 conference games leaves 4 OOC games to schedule. As Ryebread says 1 tune-up game, 1 in-stater such as ECU or Charlotte and 1 Mid Major, and 1 such as SC/Penn State/Tennessee.

  7. the_phisherman 10/04/2013 at 8:05 PM #

    Add Boston College and Wake Forest and you really only have 2 interesting home games

  8. 13OT 10/04/2013 at 8:15 PM #

    I’d like to know why we can’t play Duke, UVA, VT or GT more often as non-conference games?

    As long as we have a good in-conference home schedule, the OOC cupcake games aren’t too bad IF we’re not playing the Central Michigans and South Alabamas of the world multiple times.

    It does appear that somebody is trying to improve our OOC schedule, especially at home.

    Just please don’t schedule any more games in Charlotte or in Atlanta.

  9. Greywolf 10/04/2013 at 10:38 PM #

    Every week there are complaints about how few interesting games are available on television. Why pray tell do we expect all our home games to be ‘Game of the Week’ quality.

    We bitch about not winning championships. If we win all our games, most will not be ‘good’ and close games to watch. Alabama beats most teams like rented mules and the fans fill the stadium to watch. Perhaps we State fans need to get real.

  10. Virginia Wolf 10/05/2013 at 3:52 PM #

    I agree with WufPack, except I’d watch any State game on the tube. Glad to see this change and hopefully the Presbyterian game will dissapear and S. Ala. will be bought out too.

  11. Wulfpack 10/05/2013 at 6:19 PM #

    Oh I watch them when they are on the tube. But i don’t mess with the online junk. Not worth my time.

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