2024-25 OOC Schedule Discussion

It will always be the Providence Civic Centahhh to me  

Good news....a game that should be played nearly annually imo

It seems that Providence fans are paying a bit more attention to the the crafting of their OOC schedule and its strength this year. For many seasons the team had the benefit of automatically being in two BE conference challenges along with an MTE Tournament. They didn't worry too much about their other OOC opponents so much as they only wanted them for easy wins to pad their record. The BE had recently been so strong that the quality of OOC opponents did not matter as much. That may now be changing. BE teams did not provide the big SOS NET numbers LY it had typically done in recent seasons. There were big gaps in the league's NET rankings last year. Three teams were rated in the top 15 but the next six fell in the 32-68 range with half of them hovering near .500 records. The bottom two members (min 4 games) dragged down everyone else being ranked #205 & #320. This very much factored in the league only getting three NCAA bids, its lowest total since it was reformed back in 2013. The conference challenge with the Big Ten ended last year and the similar series with the Big12 ends this upcoming season as a result of these power leagues increasing members and adding more conference games. The quality of OOC games may now have more importance for BE members, especially for teams such as a PC or SHU.

Friar fans are already a bit antsy about the 2024-25 schedule as it looks like something the program might have had some 50 years. Supposed opponents at this time for Providence are thought to be Central Ct, Holy Cross, @uri, BC & UMass at Mohegan Sun, and BYU (Conference Challenge). Some of their fans fear this may again not be strong enough. It is getting particularly hard to even now gauge the possible future strength of opponents as rosters are in such a state of flux.

A reminder of an era bygone. The Patriot League KILLED Holy Cross hoops. It is what it is. I'm in the acceptance stage now. Series with BC, Providence and Uconn have made way for Maine, Quinnipiac, UNH, Stonehill and Sacred Heart. And we can't even win those games.

Ted Shallcross. Outstanding Crusader. 

Same here.  Games with PC, BC, etc, infrequent as they are, just don't mean much to me any more.  In most cases, we don't have much of a chance to win and the rivalries went by the boards many years ago.  I was fortunate to see the ECAC New England days in the 70's and that was truly a special albeit brief, era.  I can still name many of the opposition players from those days when HC generally battled 6 other programs from NE for the coveted 4 spots in the tourney.  

Perhaps better than most of the competition

Not for the cash from our alumni base and the NCAA, but forty years where we became the Duke, Stanford, UVA, UNC of the Big East and our image and likeness was of greater value than our competition— but we will never know because the leadership believed in a myth for the future- were they right- not even close- after all we are and always have been an institution based on values and mission- they had that part right but never trusted that we could get it right for the ivies. They made a major mistake and we lost

Game, set, match they destroyed the tradition and history of Crusader athletics as a national program

Move on, of course because we have no choice, but accept, honor,  and applaud them as visionary leaders- not a close call I don't give a free pass for bad decisions

If we all believe Holy Cross is special than the decision by the BOT must go down as one of the worst possible decisions by a school. Of course we now view the insanity in the world and I begin to think none of this matters and just happy we still try to find some pleasure in competition

Drake has 8 players in the portal, including 4 starters

HC has one player in the portal

Perhaps you are too young to realize how special those days were for Holy Cross. And yes Father Brooks might have accepted Davidson in a league, but St Joe’s and Drake my goodness he would not ever entertain those schools as partners, even though they are a rich man’s version of Bryant, Merrimack, and Quinnipiac among other NE schools that we are left with today as schedule fillers.

Outside of Big East Royalty, UConn, Villanova with some in/out temporary teams the Big East seems to be in decline. Most of the lower level teams are a mere afterthought. And none more so than Georgetown. Maybe it's time for the Hoyas to ditch their big time illusions and join the PL. TBT there is little interest in the Hoyas in DC. GTown is a high academic university and would best compete w/other high academic schools.The PL or IL in all sports would be a perfect landing spot. G-Town in the BE was from a different time in a different space a long, long time ago. It is time for the Hoyas to move on.