Editor’s Note:  Richard Hefner (Pitt-Cocks Fan) has come through again.  While I thought I would have nothing but time on this quarantine, it has been the exact opposite.  I am busier than ever.  Perhaps it’s because my company (and my customer) is scrambling to figure out what the 19 $ impact will be.  (Let me tell you, it’s not going to be good).  Perhaps it’s because we are all still trying to figure out how to be efficient working from home.  Perhaps it’s just because I am really, really enjoying the extra time with my family (even if it’s just 20 mins for breakfast and 30 mins for lunch).  What I can say is that I haven’t consumed this much alcohol on a weekly basis since I was an undergrad, and that Richard’s articles are just what the doctor ordered, ’cause I sure as hell don’t have time to write any.  Hail to Pitt.

PS – I turn 42 on Monday.  If you’re a fan of Douglas Adams, you’ll know that 42 is the meaning of Life.  On the eve of 42, I don’t disagree.  

OOC Scheduling, How do P5 teams do It

I’ve been doing a spreadsheet on future P5 OOC scheduled games since 2018. I got the idea from the discussions that always occurs when Pitt schedules a new opponent or comparing W/L records.

I have used the website FBSchedules: https://fbschedules.com

If you have a daily college football reading list, I suggest you add it. If not, at least take a glance. Besides the reporting of schedule additions across all FBS / FCS teams, they also occasionally write short articles like this one that I found interesting:  https://fbschedules.com/the-19-highest-future-non-conference-football-game-guarantees/

A little off topic, but did you know there is a business that helps in the scheduling process?  I don’t know anything about how a team/conference does scheduling. Obviously, there seems to be some type of guidance from the conference, but there must be some feedback from the teams. Anyway, turns out there is actually a company that helps in finding & facilitating an opponent be it P5, G5 or FCS that also has an opening for a specific date.  (Editor’s Note:  I am both surprised and not surprised.  After all, what college AD has time to figure this out?.  At the same time, I always lived under the assumption that AD’s just put out a lot of feelers.  Makes total sense that there is a broker here.  Really good find Richard.  Here is a pretty damn interesting article by the NY post of all rags, that describes it.  And here is the actual website of the company – Gridiron Schedule.  I feel like this in and of itself is worthy of an article and comments section.  Have no idea if Pitt uses it, but damn it’s like a video game.  Also, take a look at how they position themselves.  First sentence in the “Tour Gridiron” page:  “If you are in the beginning stages of rebuilding a program, have undergone an increase in the number of conference games, or made a coaching change that brings a different scheduling philosophy to the table – any and all of these things can dictate the need to make changes to your future schedules.”  Crazy.  Would love to take a peek under the hood on these guys.)

Before I show some data, I went to say this is not a critique of Pitt scheduling. Of course, I will use Pitt data as needed but I am trying to put it in context of all P5 conference teams.

As you all know, FBS teams are limited to 12 regular season games. (Note: there is an exception for teams playing Hawai’i in Hawai’i. I am ignoring that exception).

In the ACC & SEC there are 8 conference games per team leaving 4 OOC slots to fill each season. The Big 10, Big 12 & Pac 12 play 9 conference games. This leaves only 3 OOC slots to fill.
The below table shows the total number of OOC games scheduled per conference for the time period 2021 – 2030 (10 seasons). It is broken down into games against P5, G5 & FCS opponents. (Note: I am including Notre Dame & BYU as P5 teams. Most sane people think of BYU as a G5 team but the ACC, SEC & Big 10 allow their conference teams to consider them as meeting the recommended guideline of at least one P5 OOC opponent per season.)

I have also broken down the G5 games into categories – Buy, Home/Away & 2 for 1.
The data is current through Wednesday 3/5/2020.

Now this is a lot of data to consider. The ACC / SEC needs to fill 140 OOC FCS slots in a 10-year span. You can see that FCS scheduling is not done on average more than 4 years in advance. There are exceptions of course, Virginia Tech already has all 40 games scheduled.
G5 buy games are prevalent in the cash rich SEC & Big 10. The 2’nd link I provided to FBSchedules tells why. Over $36,000,000 for 19 buy games. There is also the drive to have at least 7 home games each year.

Editor’s Note:  I’m just going to throw this out there, but are there a lot of “buy” games in the SEC and Big 10 becasue the conference is cash-rich, or are there a lot of buy game because these two conferences are perceived as the most powerful? Or are they cash rich because they are perceived as powerful?  Lot of rabbit holes to go down as we consume more and more brown liquor… Richard is exactly right about seven home games though.  Also, it’s really interesting how ACC / Big 12 and Pac 12 all have similar (low) numbers of “buy” games.  

Let’s breakdown the above chart to individual teams. I am going to show the ACC & the Big 10 conferences. Who’s rich? Who’s poor? Guess who takes the guideline of at least one P5 opponent as Gospel? Who’s challenging their players? Who isn’t? Who likes to get it over with? Who is a laggard? Color coded is lowest % of OOC scheduled.  (MM’s Note:  Sorry this didn’t come through on the article I got)

If there are enough comments & questions, I can do other article(s) in greater detail. For example, there may be reasons to see a conference/division/team to see their individual team opponents.  For discussion’s sake:  What do you think?

I am also considering doing an article to allow you to schedule Pitt’s open P5 games based on availability of other teams for that particular year.

Editor’s Note:  Richard has done a good job of adding some though provoking questions but staying away from the proverbial third-rail.  I’ll do no such thing.  So I’ll pose two questions.  

  1. Is the ACC doing this right?
  2. Is PITT doing this right?  Their SOS has been damn high over the last two seasons (and I need to go back and check the season before that…).  Would you rather have some cupcakes and more wins? 

Thanks for reading and stay safe

Michaelangelo Monteleone

Michaelangelo holds a degree in Travel Writing from the University of Pittsburgh. He was a former staff writer for InPittsburgh Newsweekly, and currently resides near Atlanta, Georgia. He has been a Pitt fan since 1997 after he witnessed Pitt upset #22 Miami on Thursday night at Pitt Stadium.

203 thoughts on “Out of Conference Scheduling: Just How do They do It?”

  1. Enjoyed the article. It gives me some much needed sports information. The rich get richer. Check out big ten openers vs other conferences. This is why they have six teams in top ten for six weeks. They never play a tough game till the end of October Always seven and zero playing no one. Look at Oregon’s schedule better yet Georgia. Have great day and stay safe indoors. I feel strongly there will be non a football this year. Were in for a long tough haul and I hope all our readers stay safe. H2P

    Liked by 1 person

  2. I’ve always wondered why Pitt doesn’t play someone like Maryland. Its relatively close and would be a competitive game. It has to be better than Delaware or some team like that.

    Liked by 1 person

  3. I prefer a “smarter” schedule too to give yourself a better chance to be ranked at years end. Pitt finally puts together that kind of schedule and we may lose those games to a virus this year. ☹️ PittPT

    Liked by 1 person

  4. Mike – Thanks for posting & your editorial comments are spot on.

    btw – HAPPY BIRTHDAY. Ah to be 42 again (and magically know then what I know now)

    The links you provided to the Post & GridIron sites filled in some holes in my vast lack of knowledge of anything & everything.

    I see another article for the charts that didn’t make it over. The problem with using so many charts is it takes up so much space. I don’t know if long articles in general are the cause but I do know it takes longer to load or refresh the more comments.

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    1. Thanks Richard! I may have just missed a chart. Will have a look and see if I can update

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      1. Check your email. I just sent an email with word attachment that gives all 5 P5 conferences with summaries by team.

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  5. Thank you, Richard, for being a valuable member of the POV. And some nice “italics” by MM.

    Ideally, you’d have a soft schedule after you graduate a lot of starters or when you’re breaking in a new QB, and a tougher schedule in those years – rare for Pitt – when you have an experienced team with playmakers. But that’s tough to do intentionally, I suppose, unless you have a crystal ball.

    Thinking about the season and opportunity we’re about to miss kinda makes me ill…

    Go Pitt.

    Liked by 1 person

  6. Basketball news this morning. Sampson George in the transfer portal. Toney sez he’s gonna stay.

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  7. Richard, you do amazing work my friend…I need to reread a few times to digest it all.
    Maestro, Happy Birthday…🥳🎂👏

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  8. Thanks MM and Richard, as always. It certainly was not much a surprise to see the B1G and SEC buying much of the OOC … which also means they are playing lesser opponents who need the $$.

    It also means that records improve for the home team, and of course, when W-L records are similar, guess what two conferences benefit the most by being voted in the Top 25?

    It happens for the B1G BB rankings also. The attached is the final AP BB rankings and note towards the bottom half how many B1G teams with double digit losses there are … not to mention how close Mich and PSU came to getting there

    https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/rankings/ap/

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  9. Haven’t felt like commenting for a while, obsessing and frustrated about current events. Hope everyone is doing well considering the circumstances. Afraid we will lose some POVers and never know about it.

    In any case, thanks Richard for researching a topic that I have felt strongly about for years and have had some debates on, going back a long time.

    Pitt has been and continues to be it’s own enemy in scheduling these games and your data backs it up.

    The opposing argument has been two fold, 1 Fans want to see quality teams and 2 it helps with attendance.

    While there is a grain of truth to both suppositions, my argument is that overall wins are more important to the perceived strength of a program as exhibited in Richard’s analysis.

    This is/was one year we were going to get a break in the schedule, although we still have ND which I consider OOC, so not totally soft. But soon we will contend with WV and Tennessee, plus possible strong crossover games in the same year, all but eliminating a 9 or 10 win season. WHY? We are not Alabama or Clemson who could handle this kind of schedule. We are a middle of the road program, made to look worse, because strength of schedule, does not matter when it comes to end of year wins and losses, rankings and bowl games. Wake up Heather!

    Off topic, but is anybody else gaining weight? There is too much food in my refrigerator and I have no willpower or much desire to exercise. I think Covid 19 is going to add to national obesity. On a positive note, there is much more sex going on and there will be another baby boom, Not speaking personally about the latter of course.

    Stay positive my friends and good luck to you and yours.

    Liked by 4 people

    1. I am getting tired of eating meat…working on the stuff that’s been in the freezer…reminds me of the 2 weeks we lived without power after Hurricane Isabelle-cleaned out the fridge-grilling every night…luckily we flew to western Canada where I binged on salads for a week….

      Richard excellent article..will check out the stats more closely late. Happy to be in the office seeing patient’s. I am in the camp(s) of wanting to win more games but also see decent programs- and since we most always play (down) to the level of our competition does it really matter…now if we can finally whip the cup-cakes-the bring 2 or 3 on a year. Would love to see Army, Navy, Maryland and Cincinnati scheduled on a more regular basis..

      Michael, Happy Birthday !!!!

      Liked by 4 people

    2. Gordon, I encourage you to get out and walk; I’ve been doing it for years. And I don’t do primarily for exercise …. but for my mental state. I have founding nothing more therapeutic than getting outside, enjoying the fresh air, and even working up a sweat.

      And you won’t even get irate after making two double bogies in a row!

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Been walking every day, thanks wbb. seeing lots of neighbors, I never saw before. No doubt walking is a great stress reliever and gets you away from the refrigerator. I am actually doing pretty well under the circumstances. This would have been a lot tougher as a young guy. At least the young have their video games and social media. All we had was our friends and books.

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        1. GC and wwb..took my first boat ride up the river in front of my house-85 degrees and like a hot summer day. When we arrived near an island I saw several 5-6 boats rafted together and anchored full of partying young people…most of the girls wore wearing thong bikini bottoms (I looked-multiple times -couldn’t help myself and JeanieB was sitting right beside me) thought I entered some type of transporter portal and waws in Rio or Cancun !!!! Come on down- we can take an ole geezers new age “Dolphin watch”…don’t even need a “Show me your BOOTY” pirate flag these days……as far as social distancing go-the young ones didn’t heed the advice…I will keep my distance and carry binoculars the next trip !!!

          Liked by 1 person

  10. Richard – great job, as usual. You are really spoiling us. To me, the ideal OOC schedule is one in which we go 4-0, regardless of the strength of schedule.

    Maestro- Happy Birthday. What are you going to do to celebrate? Can’t be drinking – that’s evidently what you’ve been doing on your non-birthday days!

    Liked by 2 people

  11. Thanks MM.
    If I did the scheduling we would play 4 division 2 schools every year. Why play tough games for a few bucks more? Rankings are based on wins and nothing else.

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  12. I’ll drink a beer in your honor.

    Pitt fans show up to be entertained and to see a win. But mainly for the spectacle.

    The team shows up to win. Doing it splendidly is a bonus.

    Pitt needs to schedule teams that are an easy challenge. So that means mediocre Mac and aac teams. Find two of them each year. Find a rent a win for one million dollars. Schedule a traditional rival from a P5 school…domers or the Hoopies.

    That would make a fair and balanced schedule. Enough quality and a chance to go at least 3-1 every year.

    I also like scheduling schools like Cincy, Rutgers, Maryland, temple, navy, ucf, south Florida, and buffalo (UB is my grad school)

    Tex

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  13. MM, we are doing a virtual HH on Wednesday with folks at work. Seriously , we are getting on a skype call and having a beverage at talking crap. I suggest we do the same with you for your birthday. Just a thought. Although if you did that it would be a couple of thousand folks, so maybe invite your closest 10-15. or not. 🙂

    Liked by 3 people

  14. Oh the irony! In 2022, Pitt hosts WVU and Tennessee but plays at Western Michigan.

    HB Maestro, you look a lot younger than 42 unless you’re a master of touching up photos

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    1. 3 OOC home games & 4 home conference games. The magic number 7 (home games). 6 re P5 games.

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  15. Howdy folks, been awhile. Been preaching the scheduling/AD problems for years without much support from here. Many just replied that I don”t care for our current AD (I don’t). Today, I will say that she is not the only one to blame for our position. It took us a while to get to where we are at, which is middle of the pack in good years.

    You may have noticed that the big10 creates its own superiority perception by how they schedule and how they vote in polls. It is purposeful. They have a strategic plan. I have been saying for years that they are told to schedule weak early and have at least 5-6 teams with no losses going into week 7 of the season. They schedule the cupcakes and then each school votes in the coaching polls all big10 teams in the top ten. The local media does the same thing and poof…..you have a perception that the big10 is strong!

    Then they start playing the undefeated’s and get bonus points for the winner which in theory, should cement 3-4 schools in the playoff discussion every year. The big10 framework is meant to hoodwink the media to a certain extent and the media winks back. It is easy for galloway and herbstreit and robert smith to argue every day on a national stage for big10 superiority, when the voting suggests 6 teams in the big10 are in the top 10-12. Nobody argues back about scheduling. Its a joke and instead of the ACC learning from this theory, we ride the coattails of Clempson and hope they can win it each year. The big10 puts up 5-6 teams and then doesn’t care which of them makes it through the last 3 weeks unscaithed or with one loss.

    The next AD at Pitt needs to be able to convince the conference and the coaches that they all need to schedule the easiest games first and let the best teams duke it out for the championship during the last 3 weeks of play. Ever notice that The Dairy, OSU, Mih, Mich St and Wisconsin are always undefeated after 7 weeks and all highly ranked? Its a SCAM! The ACC doesn’t get it. Stated differently, the ACC doesn’t have bottom feeders every year like illinois, indiana, maryland and the like.

    If Pitts AD and the ones before had any pull with the conference (which they don’t), they would have 4 easy ooc games, then Duke, then Virginia, then Syracuse to get them started 7-0 for most years, 6-1 for all others……if you all assume we are recruiting better than those teams. Our problem is that we are mediocre and with a mediocre AD that has NO, ZERO, None pull with the conference, we can’t execute on a strategic plan to get out of the middle. Big thinking and big stick work together as an AD. Our carries a little stick. If she wanted to change things she would not be concerned with Pitt’s response to C-19. She would be developing a conference plan and working with the ACC President on the larger picture and to get ahead of the other conferences once the C19 passes.

    In times of crises, you either sit back and watch it play out and worry about your own little piece of the pie, or you go big and solve the big problems and the credit and stick will come with it. It’s a choice. Many AD’s will be on AD calls discussing these issues. Leaders naturally emerge. When they emerge with their solutions they get clout. When they get clout, they get re-paid in different ways. It’s all about taking a risk and turning it into an opportunity.

    Hope you all and your families remain healthy.

    Liked by 1 person

  17. Happy birthday Maestro. We are so glad that Reed found the best possible person to take over the POV. Enjoy your day, as much as this annoying virus will allow!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. That’s what it al about. Keep your mind off the situation, Question? – Is there a Virginia state law about scheduling Virginia based G5 & FCS teams. Va. Tech has a 10 year H/A with Old Dominion & two 2 for one’s with Liberty. Virginia seems to like Liberty. What FCS games are scheduled are mainly Virginia schools – Bill & Mary, James Madison, Richmond, Norfolk State VMI.

      I am pretty sure there is a South Carolina State law that makes Clemson, South Carolina play (& pay) one of 6 S.C. based FCS teams (3 private, 3 state related).

      Liked by 1 person

      2. This is what I have learned.
        VT and ECU had some sort of falling out – they had hjome and homes for years. (Perhaps it was due to the Pirates beating the Hokies more often than they liked). VT replaced them with ODU, which has stepped up to FBS in recent years. ODU delighted to have the game as well.
        Liberty University is a similar thing, a recent addition.

        No law that anyone is aware of though.

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        1. Thanks for spending the time to answer my question. Thinking about it, it makes sense for Va. tech to schedule Old Dominion. It’s in the Chesapeake area & am pretty sure that where a lot of the better football players call home. Good place for friends & family to see the locals play.

          I believe Liberty is relatively close to Virginia. It wouldn’t surprise me to they are scheduled to bring in Liberty fans.

          FCS is FCS & if you schedule in state them there is a better chance for some FCS fan to attend then a FCS team from Tennessee or North Carolina.

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          1. Fully agree.

            Liberty is on the outskirts of Lynchburg…perhaps an hour south of C’ville and not far from Blacksburg either. To your point, it certainly makes sense to go their route for the extra butts in the seats and the general level of interest increase.

            UVA schedules my UR Spiders regularly and a number of alum make the trek up I-64 in hopes of an upset…which happened a few years ago.

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  19. ike seemed a little down over the virus and related isolation. Not a good vib coming from him when he last checked in. Remember ike, misery loves company, so jump back on the POV train and weigh in on the issues at hand, namely the value of having 4 bottom feeders to start the season.. Maybe little Jimi Hendrix Experience would get the blood flowing again! 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  20. Huff is right. B10 has pulled the wool over everyone but they have not won championship for 6 years.

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    1. are you aware that the B10 had not won an AP or UPI national championship title from 1969 through 1997. Yet, 3 eastern independents (Pitt 76, PSU 82 & 86) as well as Miami (83, 87, 89) won titles in that time period.

      And even Michigan’s 97 title was controversial as Nebraska went 13-0 … BUT OF COURSE THE FREAKIN AP PICKED MICH! …even though the Corhuskers beat #3 Tennessee 42-17 in the Orange Bowl …. while Mich beat #8 Wash St 21-16 in the Rose Bowl

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  23. Probably not against the best of competition but Femi Odukale led his team to national prep championship this year shooting 59% from the field and 39% from the arc. His season stats:

    17.5 ppg / 8.8 apg / 8.2 rpg / 2.7 spg / 1.2 bpg

    Liked by 1 person

  26. Agreed that the big10 hasnt won a championship other than osu, but the point is that they manipulate all the data points and still cant get out of their own way at the end. They pull the wool over everyones eyes for all these years and the funny thing is that if you look at first round picks for the last 10-15 years….only one qb…dwayne haskins. That is not a coincidence. Too much koolaid and everyone becomes a follower. The draft doesnt lie.

    Coaches Poll and Media Poll are liar filled…..and noone calls em out.SCAM.

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  27. I look at algorithms. Saragin and rpi rankings

    But most aren’t like me hence the need for booster influence on the media as well as a strong ad and conference commish.

    Pitt should schedule one rental
    One scrub from the Mac or aac
    One lower to mid tier P5
    One rival

    Not sure why that approach is so difficult at Pitt

    Tex

    Liked by 1 person

  28. Hallelujah Tex….i’ve only been saying that for 10 years. It’s a simple formula that lines you up for a bowl every year and confidence. During down years, 7 wins. During good years, 9 wins. And when the stars align, a 10-11 win year. All doable with the right head coach, great recruiters and an AD that has a plan.

    I will be interested to see if all the proposed athletic spend and planning gets swallowed up by the virus, or the virus will be the latest excuse for not following thru. Not to say that the virus isn’t for real, it is. With every virus, there is an opportunity for growth. Pitt can use this pause as a way to pivot towards excellence or let others dictate to us, continued mediocrity. It’s a choice!

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  29. Has covid delayed construction projects like Victory Heights on campus

    If Pitt is savy, they would get a PA senator to write some pork in the next trillion dollar stimulus bill. An infrastructure project for Pitt. You know where I’m going.

    Tex

    Liked by 1 person

  30. Huff, I’m confident that the coaches will work hard to keep up the momentum in recruiting. But cuts in the budget can be disheartening and Pitt doesn’t have a deep bench of donors to fall back on. They are very dependent on that ACC check that has been reduced.

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    1. Pitt doesn’t have as much gravy for those biscuits anymore. The loss of March madness hurts a school like Pitt more than most. Saw about a quarter of their $30 million check comes from basketball. That’s a $7 million dollar hit.

      Tex

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  31. I like the idea of one cheese puff rental win and one MAC school each year…the MAC and cheese philosophy.
    Sorry about that…😎

    Liked by 6 people

  32. AT&T Sports has a special on Dick Groat followed by the 1960 7th game of the World Series tonight starting at 6:30.

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    1. I stopped over at Champion Lakes last August for a drink. Dick was at the bar having a see through explaining to some guy that the batter for the Bucs had his hands in the wrong place.
      I mean come on! That is one great life! Still going strong

      Liked by 3 people

  33. A nice thought Tex, but I don’t remember any mention of infrastructure included in the bailout.

    Pitt and our two hospital systems are very fortunate to have huge cash reserves and endowments because the rainy day is certainly here, although who knows how much the market has affected the totals.

    The big question is, how much of a financial collapse will result from the virus. How big a recession/depression and how long will a recovery take?

    It appears almost a certainty that the football season will be affected, unless a medical fix is discovered. This first wave of the virus is going to take a while to pass through, and actually the longer the better since that means we have flattened the curve. So when will people be allowed to restart commerce and when will they feel safe enough to do so? Will there be a second wave of the virus? A great deal of uncertainty not experienced since the Great Depression and WWII.

    Meanwhile life goes on, Capel in the hunt for another big time guy.

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    1. I’m thinking aid package number 4. What’s $500 million in another $2 trillion dollar package…peanuts.

      But does PA have the politicians with enough moxy and influence to make it into the next bill?

      Project would put thousands of people to work. Venue could be used for future surge hospital site at arms length of UPMC given pandemics are here to stay.

      But this obviously makes too much sense to ever happen.

      Tex

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  36. Glad you’re back, ike! Can’t keep a good man down! 🙂 If you’re looking to keep busy, ike, please tap your AD sources and see if any transfers or BB signings are coming up. By the way, I’m basically satisfied with Heather’s performance thus far, but that video she just sent out was really putrid. Why she feels the need to tell us she folds clothes in the morning and picks up a hot chocolate on her way to work is beyond me. I concede that she is mother of the year, but learned nothing new about Pitt athletics on that video.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. I learned that she is the wrong AD for Pitt. It’s called a validation video. But I knew that when the BoT hired her. Seriously people, she left EMU with a huge budget deficit and the incoming AD had to cut 5 highly successful programs so that football could eat cake. She needs to post a video of her packing her bags to leave Pittsburgh.

      Tex

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  38. The sooner EJ becomes AD the better. His Pitt passion alone will do wonders. Heather is just auditioning for a Big 10 Job. And she’s doing poorly at it.

    Tex

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  39. You POV people mean the world to me…………..

    Also my newest honor, being adopted as Tex second father is truly a testimonial as to how this POV Blog is /was meant and set up to be. Truly remarkable considering Tex, my southern third son, don’t really see eye to all the time, much like my other two sons. Having said that, are bond is based in concrete for our love of PITT. Now don’t make me ground you Tex. 🙂

    From what I’ve heard is that EJ has “Less Than Zero” interest in becoming the next AD at PITT or anywhere. He’s happy with what he’s doing and wants to just roll and watch his family grow. He’s great at what he does and is fine in that role.

    Liked by 1 person

  40. Happy belated birthday MM!! At 42, you’re still young enough to use the wisdom you are gaining by hanging around with us old farts! Of course, little kids will take all the energy out of you ;-). Here’s wishing you at least another 42 healthy years – with most of them at the helm of POV!!

    Liked by 4 people

  41. Was watching a tape of the 1985 NCAA final today…Nova hoops team beating Georgetown. Gary Mclain had the same goofy jump shot that X man has..
    Shot starts near his sternum.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I do not approve of this HH handle and will be deleting any comments under it. Sorry but personal appearance is not fair game on this board.

      Like

  43. Watched some of the seventh game of the 1960 World Series. An amazing game.

    Refreshing to watch a game where the batters stayed in the batters’ box between pitches. And no stepping out to adjust the batting gloves after every pitch – because no batting gloves… 😊

    Go Pitt.

    Liked by 1 person

  45. Oh I just watched the video. Tough one to stomach. You can actually hear the pages being turned as she read. Not a good effort at all. I immediately flashed back to her introductory speech when she copied it from the eastern michigan acceptance speech. Why would the Chancellor talk to every head coach before they split? That’s her job. She should have every head coach tag with her once per week for 45-60 minutes.

    Once completed, she should take her notes and take to twitter to support the coaches and players something like, hey, I am going to give a two minute update on each sport every single day so that you fans stay connected to the program as best you can. Check back daily for your favorite teams update. Might be corny, but she might connect. At a minimum, it lets your athlete students know they are not on an island. They need to feel connected.

    She should share stories of players, what the ncaa is talikng about. What are the coaches able to do, etc. Let whats left of the fanbase know whats going on. Wanna know if your AD has clout, see how many hits she gets, Wanna see what the fanbase is interested in hearing about, track the hits by sport. And then market to it!!

    As previously stated, risk is just another way to look at opportunity. If you think offensively, you will prosper. There is no downside for communicating in the manner suggested above,The downside of reading a message off a paper is that you come off as having no confidence and uncertain about what you are doing. Quit namedropping Gallagher.

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  46. I watched that 2023 NCAA final where Pitt defeated Kentucky for the National Championship when Femi Odukale hit a three point shot with 2 seconds left on the clock. Oh wait, I dreamt that…

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    1. Vor, I had the same dream.
      What caught my eye was Ryan Murphy scoring 32 for Kentucky in a losing cause after sitting out 2 years on concussion protocol.

      Liked by 2 people

  47. Decided to watch the AD’s video, expecting to find that some of you guys were a bit rough on her.

    The video was way too long and I’m not really sure I needed her to tell me the sports world is on end.
    The page turning didn’t bother me as much…and yes, one mention of the Chancellor.

    IMO – her marketing team isn’t doing her any favors.

    Like

  49. I just thought the video was poorly done and served little purpose.
    I used to see the same stuff when I was in management before retirement.

    Like

  50. Not sure if everyone is aware but Mike pinned an update (summary by conference/team) of this article BELOW this article, So scroll down & review.

    Like

  51. I see the pandemic hasn’t softened POV’s tough crowd over a much ado about nothing video.

    My guess is Heather is as bored as the rest of us. She would much rather be sneaking in on Pitt spring practices to monitor the quality control coaches. But instead, she said “hey girls, let’s make a video”
    “But why mom?” “Because we can”

    Now don’t get me wrong …. hot chocolate at Starbucks? and she completely blew the one good line in the entire segment … about Zoom. But, look at the bright side …. it gave us a break from our intense scrutiny of Rich’s data. I can tell you from experience …. that if you create and/or study enough spreadsheets, you can start having nightmares about them … trust me about that.

    But come to think of it …. Heather gave us something that we here specialize in …. criticizing Pitt athletics. So kudos Miss Lyke

    Like

  52. Criticize or not, bored or not, liberty shmiberty. Constructive criticism is always welcome in my world and leads to improvement if the receiver is open to it. Or the receiver can pout and do nothing to change. She is new. She is not prepared for any type of crisis management. That is not a knock on her. It is a knock on her resume, which is different. A crisis doesn’t mean you stop performing. I was actually fine that she did a video. It was the content that was the nothing burger. She wasted my time. I might not click on the next one. One of her main duties is to bring Pitt fans together. You bring them together by glad-handing (cant do because of distancing). Social Media can serve that purpose.

    Update us on coaches, teams, ncaa, who is recruiting, who isnt recruiting, who is prohibited from recruiting, who is tele-recruiting. Heck, her video’s on each sports team can be used as a recruiting tool to help the coaches. Highlight wrastling and womens vball!!! You are either moving forward or backwords. Crises allow for either. Pitt has been playing ketchup since they joined the conference and it’s when others are sidetracked that you can seize the opportunity. The opportunist jumps on it. I think she missed bigly.

    We are all starved for content. We all complain about Narduzzi keeping things closed. C-19 is an opportunity to do something different and actually open things up. That’s all I am saying. We know what doing nothing for 40 years looks like.

    Maybe Narduzzi is related to Nostradamus wherein he accurately predicted the “Lock the Gates” scenario!! Pitt did. What a parody that would be.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. She cannot update us on recruiting because she cannot name names. That’s what Rivals, 247 and tweeters lie Dokish are for. As far as anything else …. what’s the use of projecting anything right now … we have all seen how misguiding most of the early projections have been.

      Liked by 1 person

  54. not true wbb – she can absolutely update us on what the current rules are in recruiting. Who can do what, how they are doing it etc. NCAA updates/changes. She can video a 3 minute segment on each sport that can be used in marketing and recruiting. I think the fanbase has been in a constant state of waiting for 40 years. Things just dont happen. You need to make them happen.

    Violations occur when you name specific athlete students and their status as recruits. I never suggested that at all. We have only known that for like forever. Wanny struggled with that every once in awhile. C’mon now, don’t be snippy at me.:) Pick on something else as I have made plenty of incorrect statements….that one time.

    I am just giving out suggestions to help instead of saying how great Pitt athletics is and has been. Forty years of the same thing requires change. I just listened to Mark Cuban ten minutes ago and he said there are opportunities aplenty around c19. Or we can be like everyone else. Sit around…do do do….heee hummm! Forty more years…..c19 phil saw his shadow. Six more weeks of stay at home!

    i’ll leave on this…..Pitt could put out a social distancing public service announcement which states we were ahead of the game by practicing social distancing……and then show a picture of the yellow seats during a game at steeler stadium. Funny, sad, but true. The AD is charged with getting butts in the seats. My recommendation was for her to do something different. She can do it or not. She has a captive audience because people can’t go anywhere. What is she waiting for!

    Like

  55. Talk about opportunity. Both parties are pushing a huge trillion dollar infrastructure project. Write your congresspeople. Now is the time for public transit and a MPC for Oakland. Bigly Federal monies and zero percent interest bonds. But Pitt will blow it because they won’t even lobby for it.

    Tex

    Like

  56. are you guys aware that Pitt just donated 500 laptops to the city schools. Oh I guess not since the announcement didn’t come from the athletic department.

    Cut me (and Heather) a break for goodness sakes. The pertinent things going on at your university right now has very little to do with athletics

    Liked by 3 people

  57. So, haven’t watched the video and have no interest to do so. Much ado about nothing.

    I don’t remember hearing Myslinski, our best AD ever utter two words. I do remember him coming to one of our meets and people being impressed, but even then I don’t even think he spoke to the coach, let alone us.
    He kind of stood there on his own and I think left early.

    These are unprecedented times affecting every aspect of normal life.

    How it affects Pitt sports is pretty irrelevant. I do wonder how our athletes are coping since they pretty much can only work out on their own, no group conditioning or practice. I really feel bad for the seniors who are probably going to miss out on something they have been training for all of their lives. While this is frustrating for all of us it is particularly hard on them. The only comparison I can think of is the Moscow Olympics that we backed out of. How many superstars missed their one opportunity for greatness because of politics?

    This will be over at some point, Pitt sports will resume. For now those that want to be critical of all things Pitt are having to dig deep, since very little is happening, other than coaches trying to recruit and stay in touch with players during the hiatus. Hopefully our kids are of high enough character to stay strong during the lockdown and use this time to improve themselves as best they can.

    In the meantime I am rooting for Pitt’s scientists to do their job and all Pitt health care grads that are helping to save lives at great personal risk.

    Liked by 2 people

  58. Look, I really really don’t mind if someone wants to criticize Heather or Narduzzi or even me. We are entitled to our own opinions and I defend that. The question I raise is….. why can’t I not like what you’re saying. Not trying to censor just expressing my opinion. Not Huff the Third but I have been accused of censoring others on the POV. Like I have that kind of power. If one wants to critique others then expect to be critiqued back.

    My other thought is……. when you don’t like someone, you can find no right in what they do, only wrong at every turn. I guess it’s PITT sports partisanship?

    Liked by 2 people

  59. Just for the record I dont dislike Heather at all…I dont want my flippant remark misinterpreted.
    By the way I get my Pitt fix watching replays of old games I have on tape or U tube. Watched the 13-9 game last week…leafed through many of the books I have on Pitt sports.
    Old media guides and game day programs are in my future.
    H2P and stay safe.

    Liked by 4 people

  60. There’s a reason why heather only makes $400k when the average comp for ACC AD’s is over one million. There is a reason why heather is paid near the bottom among all P5 schools.

    She didn’t have the resume.
    Pitt doesn’t value the position

    We fans deserve better

    I’m fine with Narduzzi making top 40 pay given his team results are in the 50’s per saragin and rpi. A little over valued in my opinion but not that far off.

    With heather, you need to judge her on many factors. Create a scorecard with actual non subjective data. Grade her on budget, revenues, ticket sales, gifting rates, capital projects, coach hires, brand equity, overall sports competitiveness, facilities, fan engagement, scheduling, etc

    Here’s a quick synopsis.

    Budget: pitt still has to massively subsidize sports. One of the highest subsidies in P5.

    Revenues: still near the bottom of P5 schools

    Ticket sales: based on the eye test, not so good. Don’t believe the phony numbers published by Pitt

    Gifting rates: little to no change. Day of giving this year was a mixed bag.

    Coach hires: TBD

    Brand equity: the new colors helped along with the new Pitt studio and most social media tactics. But did it really move the needle? If Pitt was evaluated by Forbes, Pitts worth is more like the bengals than the Steelers.

    Capital projects: Victory Heights is a step in the right direction but massive debt financing is not the way to do it. One can also rationally debate the priorities of the various phases. I’m not happy about an indoor track coming before an outdoor one or even talk about a single purpose lacrosse field.

    Sports competitiveness: see last place in directors cup. Only soccer improved the ranking this year. Pitt would have still finished in the bottom 20 percent of P5 schools after final tally in summer.

    Facilities: good upgrades to soccer and baseball fields. Switching the court for basketball also deserves credit.

    Fan engagement: not sure. Donations are flat. Season ticket sales for football down. Followers of pitt twitter? Growth in pitt fan clubs? More fan volunteers?

    Scheduling: asinine.

    She doesn’t grade out well Ike. Narduzzi at least passed my course.

    Tex

    Like

  61. If this coming season wasn’t PITTs turn to play Notre Dame and Fla State it would be one of the easiest schedules in the country. Although Heather probably has very little to do about that. Tex, you bring up a great point about Heather’s salary. IMO, PITT got one hell of a deal with her.

    Here’s a tidbit………… I know of at least 12 POVer’s who will sit in club seats this year that hadn’t purchased them prior to the 2018 season. I just hope we get to sit in them this coming season.

    Like

  62. gordon makes the point that apparently ruffled some feathers. If Gordon wants to know about the “seniors”, other people do too. Why can’t the AD say that the NCAA is seriously looking at granting an extra year of eligibility to the seniors, what that would mean for a financial commitment from Pitt, etc. That it wasn’t in the budget…That is simple to do and doesn’t violate any ncaa regulations. She could even expand on it. That was my point, yet many believe i am being critical.

    I am being opportunistic. You can sit around like everyone else and embrace the lock the gates mentality….or…you can take this virus, tell it that you are not going to let it control your destiny….and then change your trajectory and potentially the trajectory of the university. Doing what everyone else does, gets you where everyone else is. The middle.

    I don’t like the middle. I don’t accept the middle with anything I do. Now, I may not be good enough and end up in the middle, but before getting there I try just about anything for the edge. Its the old saying “if someone believed the sky was the limit, we never would have gotten to the moon”. I am imploring our AD and all the ones before her to get better, not hope to get better.

    All our advice is free which to me is comical. Businesses/Universities pay for this type of thinking and only here is it condemned!

    So every business at one time or another hires a consultant. Consultant’s don’t come in and say that everything is perfect, or they would be out of business. A consultant looks at a situation and says this is where and how you can get better. It is embraced by executive leadership. Here, it is scorned and you are told you’re a negative nancy and demand nicer treatment…of other people. The reality is tough to swallow. It’s rule number 1 in the 12 step program. Admit there is a problem. Many on here can’t admit that with Pitt Athletics. You can’t get to step 2 without believing and accepting step 1. It’s really not about liking or not liking people personally. Not at all. It’s about getting better. 40 years in the desert. I’m thirsty!

    Liked by 1 person

  63. I’d like to now how pitt is gonna offset a $10 million plus hit from closure of the ACC network and no monies from March madness.

    Basketball is responsible for 25 percent of the ACC revenues shared between schools. The network was supposed to bring in at least $5 million extra per school each year.

    Pitt will probably lose close to $25 million this year in sports.

    Nobody is talking about that.

    Tex

    Like

      1. Yes. And you should care. Because a $25 million dollar deficit is nothing to take lightly. Hide behind your anonymous a-hole. You all know who I am. Mike f-n andra. Grad of pitt CAS 1993. Aka Tex. Don’t mess.

        Tex

        Like

  64. Note: I don’t have much of a care about the Directors Cup standings. To be clear, I do want all the PITT sports teams to do well but in many sports the odds are stacked against PITT. Having said that, I looked up standings and couldn’t find much but I did see where PITT is ranked 36th in the country ,with a couple teams from the ACC behind them. This with PITT very well represented in the NCAA wrestling championships being canceled. Maybe it’s my research skills or lack of them but I couldn’t find any site where PITT is dead last. Maybe you can post a link for the research challenged Tex? ……….. again, not that I really care.

    Like

    1. Ike, if this played out, pitt would be ranked in the bottom 20 percent. The only difference between this year and last is men’s soccer. They wouldn’t be dead last but they would be in the basement. Heather sucks.

      Tex your adopted son

      Like

  65. On a lighter note. AP has heather leaving Pitt and becoming the new AD at Michigan State effective June 1. Good riddance.

    Tex

    Like

  66. every school is losing money this year. If FB is cancelled, you will not believe what the likes of Oh St, Tex, PSU, Clemson, Bama will lose But note that expenses will also drop quite a bit.

    The aforementioned are large FB profit centers, Pitt is not. Now I’m certainly not going to feel sorry these guys. All the big powers, Pitt and our economy will survive but it may take a while. (Not sure about a couple of my funds though)

    BTW, I just read where a national sportswriter tweeted that a P5 school president told a G5 president to be prepared to play FB next spring

    Like

    1. Pitt will be hit harder than most schools. Pitt is already heavily subsidized and has a small and apathetic donor base.

      Tex

      Like

  67. Everyone has opinions and expressing them is the main point of a forum like the Pitt POV. This includes both praise and criticism. But unless you have been an Athletic Director at a major university or a D1 coach, your criticism has as much credibility as mine would be if I were to criticize BigB or PittPT on the way they are treating their patients. That would be none. So it’s interesting to share thoughts with one another. But let’s not fool ourselves into thinking that we are speaking from authority.

    Liked by 3 people

    2. Farmers, I’m a stats guy. A numbers guy. A data guy. A quant guy. You can easily build a scorecard based on available data. Heather gets a failing grade. Narduzzi actually passes and is paid fairly. I wouldn’t pay heather more than minimum wage for the results we’ve seen under her tenure. The info is out there for you to properly judge unlike in a private doctor and patient relationship.
      She should just do the right thing…and resign.

      Tex

      Like

  68. A huge percentage of individuals and organizations are taking and will take huge financial haircuts including bankruptcy and closing up shop. Pitt is getting a light trim by comparison. It remains to be seen how much if any belt tightening will occur. Depends on the length of the crisis and potential recovery rate.

    No need to get panties all bunched up prematurely.

    Schools that have overbuilt facilities and have big debt payments may have more concerns.

    Like

    1. Yes actually all of it. Turns out corona is just a crappy beer from Mexico and this is all just one really bad hangover. Now go back to work tomorrow!

      Liked by 5 people

      1. I knew I shouldn’t have done that shot of tequila at risky Rita’s in the Fort Worth stockyards.

        Tex

        Like

      2. Relevant to nothing, but it makes me roll my eyes every time I see that Director’s Cup ad where the narrator, in his best radio voice, intones: “The Director’s Cup, the crown jewel of college sports since 1993!”

        Shows how old and out-of-touch I am…

        Go Pitt.

        Like

  70. OT: Wimbledon Cancelled this year. First time since WW II. Note the dates scheduled this year were from June 29th to July12th. These cancellations are getting closer and closer to the dates for NFL and College football startup schedules. Right now I don’t like the odds of playing any FB this coming year.

    Like

  71. filling out paper- work to get all loan to keep people on the payroll and cover business expenses … it is amazing how fast the leadership got this enacted with a very simple paper- work process in dealing with the local bank….hurray!!!!!

    Now to kick that Wuhan bat bugs ass!!!! Our scientist will get’er done.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Good to hear that it’s an easy process and you are supporting your people B. Important in these times!

      Like

  72. So, adding to the discussion of Heather’s fireside chat…. I have been more in her corner than against her, but I thought she did herself no favors with that video. An example of, if you have nothing relevant to say, best to wait until you do. BTW, thanks for the shout out Wolfe!

    Like

  73. just wondering if anyone understood the quite cryptic post of mine above

    considering the ones i try to state clearly and f them up, probably not

    let me state clearly – i think Heather is doing a good job and look forward to the next few with her leading Pitt athletics – and i am also looking for her to do even better

    i would like to and expect to see JC do great things with basketball
    i am still hopeful for better things from PN and this upcoming year might be a breakthrough yet i am not optimistic that it won’t be a covid casualty

    Liked by 1 person

  74. I heard (or read) a few days ago – local news, I think, where the NCAA announced that all senior spring sport athletes will be given an extra year of eligibility to make up for the lost season. Has anyone else heard that – or was it just the Corona hangover Mike mentioned this afternoon?

    No mention was made of increasing the number of schollies to accommodate this year’s incoming recruits. We in the midst of an interesting college sports year

    Like

  75. Well Farmer, it might be presumptive of you to think that we are all just fans without relevant experience in these matters. Just sayin! I can’t and wont say nobody has any experience in these matters. Candidly, there are a lot of excellent comments in support or in lack of support for the AD, the Chancellor, Administration, Head Coach, etc.

    Tex might be a better quantitative analyst than anyone here or at Pitt for all we know. The stats don’t lie, and is the reason you are seeing young stats geeks take over sport organizations in their 30’s and move into the c-suite earlier and earlier. Just because you haven’t called a play on the sideline doesn’t mean your less qualified to do so based on statistical data and knowledge. Watch how sport csuite is changing.

    Point is, noone knows who is really on this forum and what experiences they bring to the table. It’s free advice and often good advice in my estimation. I dont know Tex, but we could be related based on his comments and mine.We came to the same conclusions independent of each other. He seems to base his with his quantitative slant and i go off no experience doing anything important.

    What you are describing is Pitt’s problem for the last 40 years. Its called hubris.

    Like

    1. Well Huff the Third, it’s also presumptive of me to think that you just plain do not like Heather for no reason that I can identify or that you’ve made clear to me. The fact you haven’t liked her from day one is my reason to draw this conclusion. Same as my newly adopted son from Texas. << He didn’t get Tressel as the next PITT AD and hasn’t forgiven Heather ever since. Again, that’s just one mans opinion.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Probably is presumptive on your end Ike. People can be really nice personally, but not qualified or able to be successful in their current role, sometimes thru no fault of their own. Two different things. She is nice personally.

        I dont necessarily require someone to be nice. I am in the business of winning and learning how to take disasters and turn them into lemonade.

        I would advocate for Tressel and did, knowing it would never happen because Gallagher couldn’t handle the pressure of knowing he had an ex-President of a university reporting to him and if the powers shifted, could be out of a job. It wasnt about any scandal for one minute. Pitt brass would tell you that because it was their best cover for their own insecurity, but that’s a whole different article. Now, Tressel is nice personally and talented for an AD role. Checks my boxes. He would be in the top right quadrant.

        Like

  76. Huff — what I don’t understand is when you state that the problem is that many on here won’t admit that there are problems with Pitt athletics. Like we’re just to ignorant to recognize what is so obvious to you and Tex.

    I could be wrong, but I can’t think of one person on here that fits your description. I think we all realize there are problems with Pitt athletics. In spite of those problems, most tend to support Pitt athletics, and not turn their back on Pitt or make fun of the people trying to make Pitt a winner.

    Some see this as a weakness. Hell, I supported Pitt athletics when they were much worse than they are now.

    Seems to me that Heather has been a positive factor in the arrow pointing upward for the big three of Pitt FB and men’s and women’s basketball.

    Go Pitt.

    Liked by 6 people

    1. You have to realize John that Heather is a lousy AD because the PITT women’s field hockey team didn’t do well this past year. Shame on her for six weeks……..

      Like

    2. Well said, John. I know that I don’t have the answers to Pitt’s hurdles in athletics. But I do feel that Heather has been doing a very good job. And fortunately for me, I had the opportunity to tell her so at one of the basketball games this past season.

      But that’s my opinion. Others have a different opinion. That’s okay. They are just opinions.

      Liked by 2 people

      1. ..and if they don’t agree or have other thoughts, say them to her F2F. Doing it on here incessently under the guise of “constructive criticism” is just emoting and does nothing – zilch – to help move the programs forward.

        And please don’t mistake my comment for somrt some of effort to suppress criticism, negativity, etc becuase its not. But if one must do it, try to keep it fresh so its at least entertaining to the rest of us. And skip the juvenile “horseteeth” type monikers…

        Like

  77. another example of me being in total agreement with the other great MM here
    some people just get it

    Like

  78. We are talking about Heather and HBO ran a documentary on basketball coaches paying players – the Scheme. Many of you scream for Sean Miller every time there is an opening at Pitt. He is heard on the wire talking about paying a 100k as easy as strolling through a park on a spring day. We all realize some programs do this routinely and the NCAA is powerless to stop it, that they don’t pay players above room and board and schollie making them hypocrites. The FBI and US Attorney office bungled the case six ways from Sunday but it was interesting to hear those involved talk of it like its nothing. And you all want to talk about a boring video?
    Sean Miller should not be coaching BB anywhere ever again as well as Pitino and Wade. Go ahead Poverts light the torches and march to my house and burn me alive for denigrating the “good name” of the Miller Mafia. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. He was a punk arse beach at Pitt. Back in the early 90’s I knew he was trouble. Mathews and swervin were scholar athletes with honor. I wish miller jail time and a sore mouth.

      Tex

      Like

  79. According to PSN, Skippy, who will graduate this spring and be immediately eligible for his final season, has narrowed his list to BYU, UC-Santa Barbara, East Carolina and Tulane.

    Be interesting to see how he does…

    Go Pitt.

    Like

  81. Right you are Fran…. Stats in the hands of someone trying to prove their own personal viewpoints lie all the time and sometimes always.. 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

  83. No one who has followed Pitt athletics for the past 35 years believes that Pitt is without problems. For most of those years I lived in hope that it was the year they would break out and turn things around. I can’t say I ever wanted a FB or BB coach to be fired. I even thought that Foge would turn it around. In some ways it is better not to analyze Pitt’s programs too deeply, it leads to despair…

    Liked by 4 people

  84. So VoR and others, expect the great disappointment when this coming season is canceled just when many thought this was the year we all have been waiting to materialize when Narduzzi and PITT could have possibly won 10 or more games. Not to mention they could garnered a great deal of the grand and almighty Directors Cup points.

    Just for the record Huff the Third and my boy Tex, I would have been perfectly happy with Tressell as the AD. And yes, it would have been weird to have a University President dropping down and coming to PITT…. speaking of being presumptive.

    Like

  85. couldn’t agree more with rkb above. I saw the 2nd half of the HBO show he referred to, and yes while the FBI was right on the verge of entrapment, they also could have done more to expose what’s going on in CBB. They were out to get Pitino, and got him … but he is now back coaching. Both Miller and LSU HC Will Wade were caught red-handed via wiretaps, yet the FBI never fully pursued it … although their assistants were fired.

    Here’s the crazy part …. the AD at LSU suspended Wade and was in the process of firing him, yet he instead was fired and Wade was retained. I don’t believe that was mentioned on ‘The Scheme’ but I may have missed it since I didn’t watch the entire show.

    But what really galled me is that Jay Bilas is quoted on the show that players have been getting paid for years …. yet he seemed to not think it was that big of a deal. He’s like everyone else on ESPN because they know what’s going on and realize who is really paying their salaries.

    I just think of how many times Pitt has been on the final list of big time players (BB and FB) in the past decade, yet never got a commitment

    Liked by 2 people

  86. I have always wondered how Coach K and Calipari seem to get the top one and dones?

    Obviously Calipari has a checkered past, but Coach K has been above the fray.

    Meanwhile, Boeheim, much like Paterno gets to pick his own retirement date.

    Spanier didn’t have the power to fire Paterno.

    UNC athletes didn’t have to go to class for years. No punishment.

    Meanwhile Pitt is on probation.

    New England had the Steelers plays, the commissioner burns the evidence.

    Cheaters never prosper my a$$.

    Liked by 3 people

  87. check this out

    .
    If I understand this correctly, Pitt recruiting the 2nd half of the decade has outdone the first half. The irony is that Wisconsin, under Paulie, has far outdone his 2 predecessors.

    Like

    1. I guess I didn’t understand it correctly. On 2nd thought, It measures on-field performance of the past 5 years vs recruiting ratings of the decade, thus it appears that the recent staff is doing a pretty good job with what it has. Meanwhile, Wisconsin continues to excel in this which has been quite apparent for a long while …. and Paulie has done very well

      Like

    3. and BTW, I don’t think it is any coincidence that the Big 10 West has 4 teams in the Top 10.

      Like

      1. Bill, thanks for pointing that Big 10 West out…I see 5 of the top 10 are from that conference…What does that say – I’m thinking their coaching staffs can do more with less…HCPC learned on the job at PITT when we had hit rock bottom…..maybe not- I will reserve the “bottom” for the Dave Hart years….

        Liked by 1 person

    4. Puzzling to see Clemson, the Nitwits and Mich so high on this list… Seems like their recruiting classes over this period would have been highly ranked…

      Go Pitt.

      Like

  88. No basketball power is above the fray. I explained to dokish and the blather and all others years ago about how the money trail actually worked and I got this directly from a Sweet 16, Final 4 head coach. Again, directly. Not a friend of a friend who knows somebody. I also got this information during a summer sitdown and he was obviously frustrated. Boeheim, K and all the other blue bloods did/do this.

    The head coaches do not pay for anything directly to a player. As an example, the apparel companies have their guy go to the AAU guy and say “player x should go to duke”. If we get him to go to Duke, I will give you 200k. Of that, you keep 100k for you and your teams expenses and 100k goes to the family. There is no paper trail back to the coach and it is NOT an NCAA violation by rule because the coach is out of the negotiation and financial transaction loop.

    From the apparel company side, they have agreements with coaches to wear nike, adidas, etc. Some coaches get paid to wear and outfit their teams with certain gear. Some coaches tell those companies that they want no pay, but wink, wink, it would be nice if I could get player x this year to wear your uniforms here at x institution. That means the coach wants player x. Middle man makes it happen. No compensation to the coach or from the coach. Easy peasy. This is why these kids have “handlers” so young.

    Miller was stupid and did his bidding by phone. There’s a list of about 7-10 programs that fall into this category. Just check the rankings year after year. Also, the NCAA knows/knew about it but accepted the risk because it was good for the…..NCAA.

    Liked by 4 people

    1. That doesn’t surprise me one bit. What galls me is that there is clear evidence that Miller and Wade cheated but they are still at their positions. Maybe this HBO show will force them out., but wouldn’t bet on it

      Meanwhile, these holier-than-thou sportscasters also know what’s going on but will never say anything because they know that the major players bring about the big ratings.

      Liked by 3 people

    2. Totally agree. I was referring to Coach K’s public image which is untarnished, much like John Wooden, even though he had a bag man.

      Like

    3. Huff — thanks for sharing that info.

      But it could be anybody going to the AAU coach, couldn’t it? I mean any alum or a big-time fan with deep pockets, for example, who knew their school wanted a certain player…

      That would seem to help explain why recruits sometimes make some odd school selections late in the game…

      Go Pitt.

      Like

      1. Yes and no. The tie in is that the coach and institution agree to a brand “Nike” to wear and of course all the free shoes and clothes for players, coaches, administration, up to a limit. The coach has to give the approval for the player to matriculate first. The coach would probably not have those types of discussions with boosters for fear of being outed to his own institution or thru loose lips.

        It’s a small fraternity with the double secret handshake nod wink. Jamie Dixon was not in that fraternity. Stallings definitely wasnt.

        For those that travel alot by air, how often do you see AAU teams in airports? They fly to their games! AAU!! How do they get funded? Do the math. I think I heard Pitino is back in the college game.

        Liked by 1 person

  89. Meanwhile, there is a PG article today entitled “In John Hugley, Pitt may finally be getting the kind of big man it hasn’t had for years” Amen!

    Can’t read it because I’m not a subscriber but many of you should enjoy it

    Like

  91. Pitt and UPMC announcing this morning that they have created a Covid-19 vaccine and are proceeding to clinical trials.!!

    Any Directors Cup points for that?

    Liked by 7 people

    1. If they successfully engineer a vaccine, then Pitt wins the Cup hands down.

      Tex with Crown

      Like

  94. Just got a survey from the Women’s BB team looking for ways to improve the game day experience. Told them that the pre-game Chalk-Talks by one of the coaches are great. Wish all the teams found a way to do them — great way to connect with the fans…

    And the women players are engaging – a few come up in the stands after games and greet the fans. Pretty cool, IMHO, and highly appreciated by the (admittedly small group of) Women’s team’s fans…

    I think their crowds will grow over the next couple years as these players mature and start winning…

    Go Pitt.

    Like

  95. ^^ Thanks Fran, Skippy is truly a nomad, wherever he lays his hat is his home. Skippy is a Rolling Stone. Strange for a California boy. Good luck Skippy.

    Liked by 1 person

  98. if the vaccine works out just think of the headlines ….. Pitt does it again! 66 years ago, the University of Pittsburgh under the direction of Dr Jonas Salk announced a cure for polio, a dreaded disease that had killed millions of people worldwide. Now it appears that the University has done it again ………..

    ….. and we especially would like to acknowledge the contributions of AD Heather Lyke

    Liked by 5 people

  100. BTW, make one thing clear. The University of Pittsburgh was one of the very few selected to research potential cures. Not UPMC. Credit should go to where it is due

    Liked by 2 people

  101. Chris Dokish@ChrisDokish

    The person that tweeted that Pitt will beat COVID and lose to gingivitis is maybe my favorite tweet in Twitter history.

    Liked by 1 person

  103. then there is this Smizik story on Beano’s passing … required reading https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/bob-smizik/2006/07/02/Smizik-This-Cook-found-successful-recipe-for-life/stories/200607020316

    here is an excerpt:

    In 1958, the most famous man on the Pitt campus was Dr. Jonas Salk, who discovered the vaccine that, delivered as a shot, cured polio. Perhaps the second-most famous was Don Hennon, a two-time All-American and a player of remarkable skill at shooting and handling the basketball.

    It speaks to Cook’s ingenuity that he sent Salk a letter saying that he wished to speak to him about an idea he had.

    “He called me,” Cook vividly remembered the other day, “and said, ‘Is this Carroll Cook? This is Dr. Jonas Salk.’

    “I stood up in my chair. I just stood up. This is the guy who beat polio.

    “I said this is what I have in mind. We have a very good basketball player named Don Hennon. I would like to pose you with him for a photo. I want to get the two of you in front of the Cathedral of Learning, and the caption would be, ‘The World’s Two Greatest Shot Makers.’

    “He said, ‘Well, Mr. Cook, I don’t even know who Don Hennon is. Is he in one of my [medical school] classes?’

    “I said, ‘No.’

    “He said, ‘Well, I can’t do it.’ “

    Liked by 1 person

    1. the irony is that Hennon would soon be in med school. He has had a lengthy career as an area surgeon

      Like

  104. Since you mentioned Heather, Bill, I wanted to note that I finally took the time to watch her video. I don’t see the problem that others have. Her message appeared to be very similar to the letter penned by Coach Capel. He didn’t talk about recruits or transfers or injury updates. He talked about these perilous times and to hang in there, we are all in this together. His letter was praised here as “outstanding”, “excellent”, “classy”. That is essentially the message in Heather’s video, just stated differently. I’m confused.

    Liked by 4 people

    1. well you really shouldn’t be. This site and its predecessor have its fall guys. People who was blamed for everything … and Heather is the current candidate.

      I have made it my business to defend them …. and as long as there posts exist and there is one breath in body left, I shall defend them to the very best of my ability

      Liked by 1 person

    2. Everything is praised here as excellent, outstanding, classy, excellent and outstanding. We are good that way, especially Tex. Hey Tex, where you from? I would propose that MM add a dislike to balance out the likes…… that way, i would get some email.

      Like

      2. I’m from Indiana. PA that is. Lived in buffalo, New York. UB is my grad school. Now live in DFW. Mansfield. Ike used to swim in the clear cold waters near my hometown. I think Bernie still comes to my county to cut Christmas trees.

        Tex

        Like

  105. One thing Pitt should do is test Coach Salem’s blood. The way he travels far and wide, he must have Super coronavirus antibodies…😊

    Go Pitt.

    Liked by 3 people

  106. So, if Pittcovacc proves out, and goes world wide to save us all, does Pitt get to monetize it?? And, if so, will all that $$ go to the General Fund, or is there a chance they could slide enough over to the AD, so she could retain Tex to direct/erect a City of Pittsburgh “Public Use” domed complex in Schenley Park? You know, maybe 40K seating, ice rink, bball court, etc? And maybe have a little room left over for the full sized slate bed pool tables that used to be in The Student Union? (They aren’t there any more, are they?)

    Iek – how bout checking with your son to see if he could clear his schedule? Just thinking ahead!

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Are you talking about Tex BL? Truth here….. so far from joining the POV I have two adopted sons and a brother from a different mother. We are an extended family. 🙂

      Like

    2. Pitt needs to patent the vaccine. Nothing is free and with money comes the opportunity for even greater good. Like the money that buys a MPC on campus. I’m hopeful the infrastructure bill will provide the seeds for public transit and the MPC in Oakland. Pitt is more Oakland than Pittsburgh. I wouldn’t mind Pitt changing its name to Oakland. Pittsburgh is a city of neighborhoods. Mister Rogers approves.

      Tex

      Like

  107. Maybe the research team can dot the l with heather at homecoming this fall.

    ….if there IS a homecoming this fall.

    H2P!

    Liked by 1 person

  108. I assume Pitt will need human volunteers for their clinical trial. Who’s in? (Cue Bluto leading the charge in Animal House)

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks, Ike! Some day maybe you can conduct an online training session on how to post those videos for dolts like me.

      Liked by 1 person

  110. So, Tex: if you are successful in build ing the MPC, AND in changing us to the University of Oakland, please be sure all our unis have a Script “Oak” on them 😉

    And while you’re at it, maybe change our mascot from the Panthers, to The Studs! (Women’s teams may not be wild about it!)

    Like

    1. The university of Pitt Oakland. But then there would be turf fights over south and north Oakland. I lived in north Oakland right down from chiefs and the Luna. My bro lived in south Oakland. It would be a civil war. Bring it on.

      Tex

      Like

  113. The recruiting dead period has ben extended to end of May …. which I believe means tweets only. (maybe phone calls but certainly no visits) Looks like more and more that we will not see that mid-June surge of Pitt commits that we have witnessed over the past couple of years.

    Liked by 1 person

  115. Saving the world…again.
    Heard Farmets U is working on a new ice cream flavor to celebrate.

    Like

  119. Saw a post on Twitter today that said something to the effect of “Pitt beats COVID-19 only to lose the fight against gingivitis.”

    Only a Pitt fan could have written that.

    Like

      1. Pavlov was able to reduce their fart emissions based on his ground breaking conditioning theory.

        Tex

        Like

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