re: Alabama adds Western Carolina to already terrible 2019 schedule

I'm fine with playing Western Carolina late in the season, and okay with opening with Duke at a neutral...not much we can do about that setup. I do have a problem with New Mexico State week 2. We need a P5 in that slot.

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For example, ESPN paid us an extra million for USC in exchange for us keeping 2020 open for Dallas, and also included a promise that we will receive a minimum of $1 million more than whoever they find to play us in that game. They love us right now, and pay us a shitload of money to play in the neutral site games every year.

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This may be great for the program's coffers but I think it is going to be at the cost of an inferior opponent and a sub-par match-up. Why would a name program like SoCal or Michigan agree to take $1MM less than Bama? It's kind of an insulting offer from their perspective because another blue blood can draw as well. We wound up with Duke and I suspect we will wind with someone like that for Dallas.

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get reputation and pride may be a factor but why would the money thing matter to another school if the number is right? Hypothetically, If I'm getting 5 million and you are getting 4 mil and that is 2 million more than you could get anywhere else, why would you care?

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It may make sense to some schools and I know Bama has committed early so we should get compensated for that.....but a top tier program like USC, Michigan, or Texas isn't going to look favorably on taking $1MM less than Bama. It's like: "We have a huge fanbase that travels, a national brand like Bama, we draw eyeballs to the TV, the game will sell tons of ad dollars, our fans will help sell out AT&T, its a matchup that everyone will be talking about so why should we take a million less than Alabama? We aren't some 2nd tier wanna-be program? It cheapens our brand and not to mention we are probably going to lose to Saban so we should get paid too.......I suspect in Dallas we wind up with a TCU or maybe a Nebraska or some Pac12 meh team like UCLA or Oregon......

You are probably right but I guess it’s a question is who wants that cash and who is willing to square up against Bama to start the season. It’s sort of like a prize fight. Bama ( the Champ) will be at AT&T Labor Day weekend ready to play a game. We are committed to be there ready to go so who wants some? Because we committed and because we are the marquee name in football, we should get paid for that......my point was other marquee names may not be that hungry for the payday knowing they are almost certainly guaranteed a loss as they have playoff aspirations themselves and don’t necessarily need a big payday. Their AD would have to weigh the merits of taking the game because it is a shitload of money.

I was at the Wisconsin game a couple of years ago and it was lame af. Whisky didn’t come close to selling their allotment and the entire upper deck on the Whisky side was empty as was most of the end zone seating. Now they just played LSU there the year before so it was dumb to reschedule them.

USC and Michigan games were off the chain crazy fun and even though they ended up getting run off the field their fans reperesented big time. USC at least during the first half was one of the loudest games I have heard in awhile.

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Why would a name program like SoCal or Michigan agree to take $1MM less than Bama? It's kind of an insulting offer from their perspective because another blue blood can draw as well.

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USC already did it once under those circumstances. It's the real world, and they know they aren't in as much demand, but the game paid more than they would have made even for a home game and promised them the opening day spotlight.

I think our biggest problem is that we haven't lost one of them yet. No one with playoff aspirations wants to risk an opening day loss. I'm a little worried about 2020, too. That game's 18 months away and we would never find a P5 team to come to Tuscaloosa in that short a window if ESPN can't come up with a good opponent. (Unless Byrne has something up his sleeve)

Someone else said Minnesota and Northwestern are the leading candidates. Not ideal, but we owe Minnesota revenge.

ETA - I may be wrong about the terms for Dallas. I'm certain we are guaranteed a minimum of more than $1 million for the upcoming game. I'm not 100% certain about the initial bonus for the USC year, but I'm pretty sure that's what I read in the article about it.

I am a fan of the match-up but Frost is a dick. I also agree he is a good coach though.

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What about Penn State? Seems like they might go for it.

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Wasn't there some chatter about another home and home with them? I believe PSU was talking it up....and they are pretty good now.....I mean that would be one where we should take it.

I say go for it......LOT of history with those guys.....

Penn State 2020 schedule is already set. The Big 10 have thier schedules locked in years in advance.

There is only a few power 5 teams that don't have a game already scheduled that opening weekend in 2020.

OU is open, but play Tennessee the 2nd weekend, so that's not likely.

Minnesota and Syracuse still have open dates with no power 5 teams in the schedule.

Not looking like a great opponent will be scheduled in 2020.