YSU FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

[jjysuwin]

We should not be getting our information from Scalzo. Many of his articles are filled with misinformation.

[ysuguins4]

That's last week's poll.  They updated the records, but haven't released the new rankings yet.

[ysuguins4]

This is from Scalzo's Penguin Insider blog on Vindy.com.  I believe he makes some good points in here.


Before I talk about the win over Butler, I want to start with this score from Saturday: Indiana State 27, Ball State 20.

Earlier in the week, YSU athletic director Ron Strollo explained why the Penguins scheduled three weak home games, including one against the non-scholarship Bulldogs. And I get it. Running an athletic department isn't cheap and, like most schools, YSU needs football to pay the bills.

But I also think it's short-sighted. Unlike most schools in the Missouri Valley, the Penguins play in a MAC-obsessed state. Beating a team like Ball State may cost YSU a little money in the short-term, but not only does it give your playoff hopes a boost, it gets people talking about Youngstown State football. And trust me, as someone who writes about YSU football for a living, there's not enough of that happening in Youngstown.

Maybe the Penguins' accountants wouldn't trade the Butler game for Ball State, but I think they're the only ones.

Saturday's crowd wasn't bad — there were 14,381 tickets distributed, although I'd guess they probably had half that number in the stands — but nobody was there because they thought it would be a great game. They were there because they like watching YSU football.

I think these games do long-term damage, because I think many fans can (and do) start to resent having to watch blowouts just so YSU can balance its budget. Maybe a game at Akron or Kent doesn't make as much sense financially, but the fans (and, yes, the media) would love it.

It also doesn't help that YSU's home conference schedule stinks. The Penguins play North Dakota State and South Dakota State on the road and don't play Northern Iowa at all. (UNI is off YSU's schedule this year and next year.) That leaves Western Illinois, Southern Illinois, South Dakota and Indiana State.

One more point: If YSU had won more conference game in each of the last three seasons, this whole discussion is moot. Nobody would care. The frustration over YSU's playoff drought is spilling over into everything else.

But as I wrote earlier this week, YSU is one of just two MVFC teams not to play at least one full-scholarship FCS team in its non-conference schedule. And the other one, Western Illinois, is playing two Big Ten teams.

the breakdown of MVFC non-conference games:

Illinois State (only three games, all full-scholarship FCS)
Mississippi Valley State: SWAC
Eastern Illinois: OVC
Austin Peay: OVC

Indiana State (two FBS, two full-scholarship FCS)
Indiana: Big Ten
Tennessee Tech: OVC
Ball State: MAC
Liberty: Big South

Missouri State (one FBS, three full-scholarship FCS)
Northwestern State: Southland
Oklahoma State: Big 12
North Dakota: Big Sky
Central Arkansas: Southland

North Dakota State (one FBS, three full-scholarship FCS)
Iowa State: Big 12
Weber State: Big Sky
Incarnate Word: Southland
Montana: Big Sky

UNI (two FBS, two full-scholarship FCS)
Iowa: Big Ten
Hawaii: Mountain West
Northern Colorado: Big Sky
Tennessee Tech: OVC

South Dakota (one FBS, two full-scholarship FCS, one NAIA)
Oregon: PAC-12
William Penn: NAIA
Montana: Big Sky
Northern Arizona: Big Sky

South Dakota State (one FBS, two full-scholarship FCS, one Division III)
Missouri: SEC
Cal Poly: Big Sky
Southern Utah: Big Sky
Wis.-Oshkosh: Division III

Southern Illinois (one FBS, two full-scholarship FCS, one NAIA)
Taylor: NAIA
Eastern Illinois: OVC
SE Missouri State: OVC
Purdue: Big Ten

Western Illinois (two FBS, two non-scholarship FCS)
Valparaiso: Pioneer
Wisconsin: Big Ten
Drake: Pioneer
Northwestern: Big Ten

[paladin]

YSU's "weenie" schedule is an embarrassment. Scalzo makes lots of good points.  St. Frank is going to be thrilling !!

NOT !

[jjysuwin]

You have to question Scalzo's journalistic integrity here. I know a lot of people who travel long distances just to come to YSU games because they love YSU football.

[Lets_Talk]

I thought this was one of the better articles written by Scalzo. He made alot of good points, and I like that he provided the OOC schedules for every team in MFVC.

Also, he is spot on about Ohio being a huge MAC state. Not sure I would go as far as to say obsessed, but there are 6 MAC schools in Ohio. EMU is only about 1 hour from Toledo. Buffalo is only a 3 hour drive from Ytown/Warren area. Also, there are tens of thousands, possibly hundreds of thousands of MAC school graduates living in Ohio. Ytown/Warren area alone likely has tens of thousands of grads from MAC schools.

[Observer]

As too the comment of the financial end being short-sighted, its actually quite the opposite.  With the formation of the Big 5, in 5-7 years time I-AA football will either be non-existant or DII.  Only the financially prudent will make  it to D-II.  With YSU's current gigantic budgetary short-falls, the last thing the football team needs at this point is over spending.   OR they can spend like crazy the next 5-7 years, not make it, and then YSU will turn into Eastern Gateway.

[jjysuwin]

As too the comment of the financial end being short-sighted, its actually quite the opposite.  With the formation of the Big 5, in 5-7 years time I-AA football will either be non-existant or DII.  Only the financially prudent will make  it to D-II.  With YSU's current gigantic budgetary short-falls, the last thing the football team needs at this point is over spending.   OR they can spend like crazy the next 5-7 years, not make it, and then YSU will turn into Eastern Gateway.

Great post Observer. Scalzo doesn't have an inch of economic education. To say only the accountants at YSU care is flat out stupid. Every University in the country is trying to maximize revenue. YSU's athletics department is no different.

If Scalzo thinks beating Ball State is better than making $200,000, well I've got some lakefront property on the South Side of Youngstown in an up and coming neighborhood to sell him.

[penguinpower]

As too the comment of the financial end being short-sighted, its actually quite the opposite.  With the formation of the Big 5, in 5-7 years time I-AA football will either be non-existant or DII.  Only the financially prudent will make  it to D-II.  With YSU's current gigantic budgetary short-falls, the last thing the football team needs at this point is over spending.   OR they can spend like crazy the next 5-7 years, not make it, and then YSU will turn into Eastern Gateway.

Great post Observer. Scalzo doesn't have an inch of economic education. To say only the accountants at YSU care is flat out stupid. Every University in the country is trying to maximize revenue. YSU's athletics department is no different.

If Scalzo thinks beating Ball State is better than making $200,000, well I've got some lakefront property on the South Side of Youngstown in an up and coming neighborhood to sell him.

How about start winning big games.  Get into the playoffs.   Win a few National Championships, become relevant again and the fans will fill the stands and the money will flow. 

[ysuguins4]

You have to question Scalzo's journalistic integrity here. I know a lot of people who travel long distances just to come to YSU games because they love YSU football.

He mentions those folks when he says "nobody was there because they thought it would be a great game. They were there because they like watching YSU football."

[jjysuwin]

As too the comment of the financial end being short-sighted, its actually quite the opposite.  With the formation of the Big 5, in 5-7 years time I-AA football will either be non-existant or DII.  Only the financially prudent will make  it to D-II.  With YSU's current gigantic budgetary short-falls, the last thing the football team needs at this point is over spending.   OR they can spend like crazy the next 5-7 years, not make it, and then YSU will turn into Eastern Gateway.

Great post Observer. Scalzo doesn't have an inch of economic education. To say only the accountants at YSU care is flat out stupid. Every University in the country is trying to maximize revenue. YSU's athletics department is no different.

If Scalzo thinks beating Ball State is better than making $200,000, well I've got some lakefront property on the South Side of Youngstown in an up and coming neighborhood to sell him.

How about start winning big games.  Get into the playoffs.   Win a few National Championships, become relevant again and the fans will fill the stands and the money will flow.

I think that's what they're trying to do.

By giving them three easy non-conference wins, I'm sure they figure that's one way to get them back into the playoffs. I could be wrong though.

[guinpen]

How about start winning big games.  Get into the playoffs.   Win a few National Championships, become relevant again and the fans will fill the stands and the money will flow.

Well you broke it down to the basics, but really that is all there is to it.

[ysuguins4]

If Scalzo thinks beating Ball State is better than making $200,000, well I've got some lakefront property on the South Side of Youngstown in an up and coming neighborhood to sell him.

Don't forget to subtract the MAC school's payout YSU would receive from the 200,000.  If YSU could get Kent or Akron to pay them close to 200,000, then they would come close to breaking even.

[IAA Fan]

As too the comment of the financial end being short-sighted, its actually quite the opposite.  With the formation of the Big 5, in 5-7 years time I-AA football will either be non-existant or DII.  Only the financially prudent will make  it to D-II.  With YSU's current gigantic budgetary short-falls, the last thing the football team needs at this point is over spending.   OR they can spend like crazy the next 5-7 years, not make it, and then YSU will turn into Eastern Gateway.

Great post Observer. Scalzo doesn't have an inch of economic education. To say only the accountants at YSU care is flat out stupid. Every University in the country is trying to maximize revenue. YSU's athletics department is no different.

If Scalzo thinks beating Ball State is better than making $200,000, well I've got some lakefront property on the South Side of Youngstown in an up and coming neighborhood to sell him.

In some cases it is JJ. It all depends on department goals and we really do not know them. I can say that Strollo has really been able to do so much more than any of his predecessors with his money. He has realized the value of building from the inside out. Facilities first.

Beating Ball State helps us with regional recognition.

[ysuguins4]

According to this article on fbschedules.com, Kent is paying 290,000 to Howard in 2017 and 2018.  Strollo told Joe Scalzo back in September that YSU clears around 200,000 per home game.  Even if YSU would just break-even, I would rather drive to Kent for a good game against the Flashes than watch the Guins destroy Valpo at home.  Makes me wonder if Strollo has had any conversations with the Ohio MAC schools about possible games.



The Kent State Golden Flashes have added games against Alabama, Howard, and Kennesaw State to their future football schedules, FBSchedules.com has learned through records obtained from KSU.

Kent State will travel to face the Alabama Crimson Tide at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa on Sept. 24, 2016. The Golden Flashes will receive a $1.5 million guarantee for playing the game, according to a copy of the contract.

Alabama and Kent State’s first and only meeting took place in Tuscaloosa in 2011. The Crimson Tide won that contest 48-7.

Other games previously scheduled for Kent State in 2016 include at Penn State (Sept. 3), vs. Monmouth (Sept. 17), and at Army (Oct. 1).

Kent State will play Howard, an FCS program they’ve never faced, in consecutive seasons. The Golden Flashes are set to host the Bison at Dix Stadium in Kent, Ohio on Sept. 9, 2017 and Sept. 8, 2018.

Howard will receive a $290,000 guarantee for each game played against Kent State.

Kent State opens the 2017 season at Clemson (Sept. 2) and also travels to Marshall (Sept. 16). The Golden Flashes need one more game to complete their 2017 slate.

The addition of Howard tentatively completes the 2018 schedule for Kent State. KSU opens the season at Illinois (Sept. 1), travels to Penn State (Sept. 15), and later hosts Georgia Southern (Sept. 22).

Kent State has also added a pair of games against another FCS opponent. The Golden Flashes will host the Kennesaw State Owls at Dix Stadium on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2019 and again on Thursday, Sept. 3, 2020, both season-openers.

The Owls will receive guarantees of $300,000 for the 2019 game and $315,000 for the 2020 game.

Kennesaw State, which is located in Kennesaw, Georgia, recently started their football program. They begin play in 2015 and will be a member of the Big South Conference in the Football Championship Subdivision.