The point is quality opponents matter if we want to expand the base. I’m not talking about the great stuff happening on the field. A bottom dwelling MAC like schedule isn’t going to cut it, especially if we wish to be considered for a power conference. With CR and super conference scheduling , we are perilously close to being unable to schedule any P4 teams. The is a big picture issue.
Literally tomorrow we could have a few PAC teams on the slate. Id get home and away with Stanford, Cal, WSU and OSU on the schedule over the next 4 years. One west coast trip a year isn’t going to kill us. We could have one come in and we go out for the other filling 2 games a year.
I agree fully.
I personally believe that the remaining PAC schools should work out a situation where they are merged with the WCC for all sports except football (so their Olympic sports won't have to pile up tens of thousands of frequent flyer miles every season) and operate as football independents with scheduling arrangements with each other. Among other things, this will allow (if one school has a good enough football season, that school would receive a full share of a CFP payout) them to maintain their athletics at a reasonable level. I also have a slightly selfish angle on this as I would want an extended scheduling arrangement with these schools for us.
One thing we will need to face (keep in mind, this is how schools like Miami and FSU were able to gain credibility as national powers 40+ years ago) is that we will have to be road warriors at some level to play top level schools. What some call
body bag games will actually be opportunities to both gain a payday and compete at the highest level. After a few years of winning some of these we may be able to gain a sufficient enough ranking where we can schedule a stray home game or two against a name opponent.
If you are worried about being able to schedule any P4 opponents, we should be able to. If you are worried about being able to schedule home games against top P4 opponents, that will only happen if schools like Syracuse, Duke and BC have seasons where they are near the top of the rannkings.