Cardinals Couldn't Get A Deal Closed for Season Opener

 

This was rumored all off-season. Sorry to see nothing ever came of it. Considering how many years in advance these non-conference games tend to be set up, it's not surprising that it didn't work. Still... would have been outstanding.

Really a shame but yea it seems like you need more notice to schedule a huge game like this. In fairness, Louisville probably wasn't even looked at as a potential huge game until after the Sugar Bowl.

Really a shame but yea it seems like you need more notice to schedule a huge game like this. In fairness, Louisville probably wasn't even looked at as a potential huge game until after the Sugar Bowl.

 

Exactly. I'd really like to know what goes into scheduling at this level. I honestly have no clue. In that opening week, Louisville is hosting Ohio and A&M will host Rice.

 

The last two series Louisville had with SEC teams were both abandoned. Georgia bought out of our series in order to play Boise State in Dallas a couple years ago and we had something lined up with Vanderbilt recently that fell apart as well.

It seems that football is done so far in advance that you cannot predict an up or down year to get a marquee match up without a whole lot of problems.

Exactly. I'd really like to know what goes into scheduling at this level. I honestly have no clue. In that opening week, Louisville is hosting Ohio and A&M will host Rice.

 

I would imagine that A&M felt some in-state pressure to not cancel a game with Rice. I would also imagine Rice didn't want to trade a big payday from A&M for a game with Ohio, even if it was a home game. The money difference would have been too much.

Looking at it from A&M perspective, they don't need this game for national profile/title hopes near as much as UL does.

Looking at it from A&M perspective, they don't need this game for national profile/title hopes near as much as UL does.

 

Yep. Tough luck for Louisville, but that's the way it goes. This was an attempt to try and deal with what everyone knew was going to be a transition year in which Louisville's former league fell apart and before entering a much better ACC. Didn't work.

 

I'll still be at Cardinal Stadium for the tailgate bright and early for the Ohio game on August 31.

How often will the Cards get Notre Dame in the ACC rotation? I think ND is playing 5 ACC schools per year, so Cards could get them every 2-3 seasons, I would think. I hope the Cards get ND at home sometime in the near future (while Strong is still there).

FWIW Johnny Football vs Teddy to start the season would have had incredible buildup all summer.

How often will the Cards get Notre Dame in the ACC rotation? I think ND is playing 5 ACC schools per year, so Cards could get them every 2-3 seasons, I would think. I hope the Cards get ND at home sometime in the near future (while Strong is still there).

As many times as they got ND in the Big East...

Nobody was going to take the risk of losing NC hopes in the 1st game against Louisville. Call me a homer if you want, but I guarantee that had at least something to do with it.

As many times as they got ND in the Big East...

 

I was under the impression Notre Dame would play all ACC teams in football over a 3-4 year period. I have been skeptical if it would actually play out that way.

Cardinals Couldn't Get A Deal Closed for Season Opener

 

This was rumored all off-season. Sorry to see nothing ever came of it. Considering how many years in advance these non-conference games tend to be set up, it's not surprising that it didn't work. Still... would have been outstanding.

 

 

Howard would have gotten it done. :sssh::lol2:

Nobody was going to take the risk of losing NC hopes in the 1st game against Louisville. Call me a homer if you want, but I guarantee that had at least something to do with it.

Sure, but it is a lose-lose situation for A&M. What good does a game against UL do them or for the rest of the SEC?

Howard would have gotten it done. :sssh::lol2:

 

YES HE WOULD.

 

The Pipe accomplished all things in his own time.

 

There are money concerns now that he didn't care about. But he definitely played EVERYBODY. Jurich has said that he doesn't favor the sort of 2-for-1 series it sometimes takes to get those contracts. Whatever; hard to blame him for much since it's gotten us from independent to C-USA to Big East to ACC in less than 20 years. And no matter what kind of scheduling you do, conference tie-ins to bowl games make life as an independent darn near impossible for anyone not named Notre Dame these days.

 

I was at Old Cardinal Stadium in 1994 when we last played A&M. It was the closest game of the three-game series we played with them from '92-'94. An Aggies fan on his way out was talking to my dad and gave me his hat. I still have it; been partial to the Aggies ever since.