Non-Conference games 2020/2021 season

[VALPO LI]

Tweet from Paul Oren:
______________________________________________
https://twitter.com/NWIOren/status/1271143577775747072
______________________________________________

- estimated travel time on the road for Valpo
6 1/2 hrs non stop to Nashville
3 1/2 hrs non stop to Toledo
3 1/2 hrs non stop to Mt. Pleasant (Central Mich.)
1 hr. To Chicago (UIC)

*Not sure if we will be on the road to play Chicago State for I do not believe this game is confirmed, if so 1hr to Chicago again.

[vu84v2]

My guess is that this will be the policy for all Fall and Winter sports.

I think that I heard the Big East is dividing into two divisions for Fall sports to minimize or eliminate air travel. I sort of doubt that the MVC would need to do this, given that the largest distance is still much less than the Big East.

[VALPO LI]

https://twitter.com/TheD1Docket/status/1275557459684450306

https://twitter.com/TheD1Docket/status/1275568026046398466

Looks like Charlotte is heading to DC in late December instead of NW Indiana as we once thought.  Maybe the game got rescheduled to a different date or perhaps it is another buy out to get out of playing at the ARC? We will have to wait and see.

[EddieCabot]

https://twitter.com/TheD1Docket/status/1275557459684450306

https://twitter.com/TheD1Docket/status/1275568026046398466

Looks like Charlotte is heading to DC in late December instead of NW Indiana as we once thought.  Maybe the game got rescheduled to a different date or perhaps it is another buy out to get out of playing at the ARC? We will have to wait and see.

The return game may have been pushed out a year given the current travel challenges.

[VALPO LI]

Could be what was meant by Paul's tweet that there are still some moving pieces for the final games on our schedule and that "the final pieces are always the hardest." Excited to see how it all plays out.

[VUGrad1314]

Man screw GW. First they screw us out of a home game and now this. I am beginning to really hate that program.

[VALPO LI]

"The return game may have been pushed out a year given the current travel challenges."
-If that is the case we then loose a marquis home game for this upcoming season.  That would leave Valpo with Eastern Michigan and SIU-e...Plus what ever is in the works.

[EddieCabot]

"The return game may have been pushed out a year given the current travel challenges."
-If that is the case we then loose a marquis home game for this upcoming season.  That would leave Valpo with Eastern Michigan and SIU-e...Plus what ever is in the works.

On the bright side, I assume several other schools in the midwest are also scrambling for games, so maybe this opens some doors with schools in Indiana, Michigan and Ohio.

[Pgmado]

Charlotte will be a couple days earlier than originally scheduled. Lots of moving around.

[VALPO LI]

Charlotte will be a couple days earlier than originally scheduled. Lots of moving around.

That is reassuring news.  Glad they are still on the schedule this year. 

[VALPO LI]

Toledo is the first team to announce Valpo on their schedule for non conference play.  I'm glad this game is still on our schedule.

DECEMBER 19th 2020 @ Toledo.

https://utrockets.com/news/2020/10/27/mens-basketball-rockets-finalize-non-conference-schedule.aspx

[vok22]

Am I reading properly that Valpo is Playing Purdue on December 4th. I see Oren posted an article about it but nobody has mentioned it yet...

[VUBBFan]

https://twitter.com/NWIOren/status/1321544522418032648

[VALPO LI]

WHAT???
THIS IS AWESOME NEWS!!!!!!
Valpo @ Purdue 12/4!

[ValpoDad89]

Glad we are playing Purdue again but man, this is the year for P 5's to play OOC on the road. Flip side, limited schedule means limited OOC games. Man the smaller guys still get screwed!!! 

[valpotx]

Great!  I believe that Purdue had been adamant about never playing us again, so there is 1 benefit of COVID (proximity)!

[justducky]

Glad we are playing Purdue again but man, this is the year for P 5's to play OOC on the road. Flip side, limited schedule means limited OOC games. Man the smaller guys still get screwed!!! 

Keeping up with the latest covid thinking and strategies is near impossible. Any thoughts on their ticket sales limitations for something only 5 weeks off?

[Corohan2]

Is Fazekas going to be playng anywhere this year? Trying to find out.

[FWalum]

Great!  I believe that Purdue had been adamant about never playing us again, so there is 1 benefit of COVID (proximity)!

Had heard that it may not fit into the scheduling plan because of some of the changes with Big Ten scheduling, but I don't think there was anything "adamant" about that from Painter or any other person associated with athletics. If you have anything on that I would love to see it.

[VUBBFan]

Keeping up with the latest covid thinking and strategies is near impossible. Any thoughts on their ticket sales limitations for something only 5 weeks off?

I'm thinking the schedule for who and how many teams we are hosting is only going to be finalized 2 or 3 weeks before the season starts. It's going to be a night mare for the ticket office in allocating seats for season ticket holders. I heard they were not going to fill the first row, in order to make distancing for people walking to their seats and the players. Have no idea how they are going to distance people in the stands or decide who gets tickets if they are limited.

The State relaxed their maximum group capacity about a month ago, but at that time the county had a max gathering of 250 people still in place. Don't know what the limits are right now or if there is a chance they will change again in a month from now.

Regardless of what happens, I hope the games are still televised, I have my ESPN+ subscription, but personally I'd like to see the games in person. Of course there is no guarantee that there will be a season or that it doesn't gets canceled after a couple of weeks. Other than all of that, I'm excited to see this team play.

[vu84v2]

Keeping up with the latest covid thinking and strategies is near impossible. Any thoughts on their ticket sales limitations for something only 5 weeks off?

I'm thinking the schedule for who and how many teams we are hosting is only going to be finalized 2 or 3 weeks before the season starts. It's going to be a night mare for the ticket office in allocating seats for season ticket holders. I heard they were not going to fill the first row, in order to make distancing for people walking to their seats and the players. Have no idea how they are going to distance people in the stands or decide who gets tickets if they are limited.

The State relaxed their maximum group capacity about a month ago, but at that time the county had a max gathering of 250 people still in place. Don't know what the limits are right now or if there is a chance they will change again in a month from now.

Regardless of what happens, I hope the games are still televised, I have my ESPN+ subscription, but personally I'd like to see the games in person. Of course there is no guarantee that there will be a season or that it doesn't gets canceled after a couple of weeks. Other than all of that, I'm excited to see this team play.

I just talked with a colleague close to the program at one of the blueblood programs. He said that they were going to allow 1500 people in a stadium that holds 16000. The major donors get 400 of the seats and the balance goes to students, faculty and other donors.  I would expect about 10% of capacity to be allowed at other schools.

[valpotx]

Great!  I believe that Purdue had been adamant about never playing us again, so there is 1 benefit of COVID (proximity)!

Had heard that it may not fit into the scheduling plan because of some of the changes with Big Ten scheduling, but I don't think there was anything "adamant" about that from Painter or any other person associated with athletics. If you have anything on that I would love to see it.

It is just what I heard from folks in the program, after their last game against us at the ARC many years ago.

[FWalum]

It is just what I heard from folks in the program, after their last game against us at the ARC many years ago.

You are right that they will probably never play at the ARC again. I think that we will continue to play them occasionally at Mackey like we did in 2017 and it appears we will do again this December.

[VALPO LI]

Chicago State released their entire schedule today and I am surprised (not disappointed  ) that Valpo was not on it.  I heard some talk about us playing the Cougars this season.  Drake, Illinois St. and Loyola are on their schedule.

https://www.gocsucougars.com/news/2020/11/5/csu-releases-2020-21-mens-basketball-schedule.aspx

[VALPO LI]

SIU-e is officially on the schedule to play at the ARC Wednesday December 9th.

https://www.siuecougars.com/sports/m-baskbl/2020-21/releases/20201105ikluny

That's 3 non conference games publicly announced for Valpo.

12/4 @ Purdue
12/9 vs. SIU-e
12/19 @ Toledo