Week 2 Update + Multiple Contract Unloads

The last two weeks The D1 Docket has been busy in the FOIA kitchen and things are starting to come out of the oven at a healthy rate. Kansas joined fellow Big XII member West Virginia on the other side to reveal a typically challenging schedule for the Jayhawks.

Along with the mainstay season opener in the Champions Classic, this year facing Michigan State, Kansas will face 4 other power conference teams with at least two of those games, Colorado and St. John’s, on the road. Kansas and Missouri rekindle their rivalry for the first time since Missouri left the Big XII in 2012 on December 11^th. Kansas opponent and site has yet to be determined for the Big XII-SEC Challenge.

Harvard was lined-up to play at Allen Fieldhouse last season before the Ivy League cancelled the 2020-21 Athletics’ season but will now play that game in late December. Kansas will see if it can ward off Stephen F. Austin’s reputation as giant killer as the last home game before Christmas. It looks like UTEP was able to negotiate a semi-neutral site game this season as part of their agreement to play Kansas during the make-up game week in March, the Miners and Jayhawks will play in Kansas City on December 7^th.

Along with an appearance in the ESPN Events Invitational, Kansas will have every opportunity to build a resume worthy of a high seed in the non-conference season.

In stark contrast to Kansas’s schedule is Idaho State’s slate of games so far. The Bengals are signed up for five guarantee games on the road, collecting $385,000 in guarantees along the way, such as life in the Big XII

Idaho State Non-Conference Game Contract Details
Date	Opponent	Terms
Nov 9th	Eastern Oregon (Non-DI)	$3,000 Guarantee
Nov 12th	@ Pepperdine	$60,000 Guarantee
Nov 14th	@ Seattle	$80,000 Guarantee
Nov 19th	@ Nebraska	$90,000 Guarantee
Nov 27th or Nov 28th	@ Air Force	$67,500 Guarantee
Dec 8th	@ California	$87,500 Guarantee
Dec 18th	Bethesda (Non-DI)	$3,000 Guarantee

 Up next are Sun Belt Conference and in-state rivals Georgia Southern and Georgia State. The Eagles do not have many games on the books just yet but will be heading to the Bronx for a match-up with Fordham.

*The contract for the Fordham game was signed in 2019, with Fordham's participation in an event at Madison Square Garden that day it is apparent the terms of that initial deal have been changed or terminated. Notices of cancellation were also requested but none were provided.

Georgia Southern Non-Conference Game Contract Details
Date	Opponent	Terms
TBD	@ Fordham	$80,000 Guarantee
Dec 15th	@ Campbell	First game of Home & Home

 Georgia State has a few more games on the books, with the only home game secured so far being a return game from Mercer.

Georgia State Non-Conference Game Contract Details
Date	Opponent	Terms
Nov 16th	@ Richmond	$75,000 Guarantee
Nov 20th	vs. TBD (High Point, NC)	Multi-Team Exempt Event
Nov 21st	vs. TBD (High Point, NC)
Dec 4th	Mercer	Fourth game of 4-year series
Dec 14th	@ Mississippi State	$70,000 Guarantee
Dec 21st	@ Georgia Tech	Second game of 3-year series

 Georgia State will make rounds and collect checks from NCAA tournament contenders Mississippi State and Richmond. The Panthers will go into the Christmas break by returning to the scene of their 4OT victory over cross-town rivals Georgia Tech on opening night of last season. This is the 2^nd of 3 games in the series, the finale taking place at Georgia State during the 2022-23 season.

The Panthers visit High Point for an Exempt event organized by Gazelle Group. Aside from Georgia State and the hosts, High Point, a source has confirmed to The D1 Docket that the other participants are slated to be Howard and William & Mary.

William & Mary will play in above mentioned event, before visiting Navy the first weekend of December. The gameday will be determined by whether or not Navy earns the right to host the AAC Championship Game on December 4^th.

William & Mary Non-Conference Game Contract Details
Date	Opponent	Terms
Nov 20th	vs. TBD (High Point, NC)	Multi-Team Exempt Event
Nov 21st	vs. TBD (High Point, NC)
Dec 4th or Dec 5th	@ Navy	First game of Home & Home
TBD	Fairfield	2nd game of Home & Home
TBD	@ Richmond	First game of 4-year series

 Florida Atlantic has nearly completed their non-conference slate, including a return game from Miami-FL and hosting a 3-game MTE in Boca Raton.

The Owls were quick to answer the phone and hit the road last season, pivoting three 11^th hour scheduling additions into home games during the 2021-22 season.

Florida Atlantic Non-Conference Game Contract Details
Date	Opponent	Terms
Nov 10th	@ New Mexico	$70,000 Guarantee
Nov 16th	Miami-FL	Second game of Home & Home
Nov 19th	North Dakota/UT-Martin/Troy	Multi-Team Exempt Event, $48,000 total in guarantees
Nov 20th	North Dakota/UT-Martin/Troy
Nov 21st	North Dakota/UT-Martin/Troy
TBD	vs Florida Gulf Coast	Third game of 4-year series
TBD	James Madison	Second game of Home & Home
TBD	Stetson	Second game of Home & Home
TBD	North Florida	Second game of Home & Home

 The Maine Black Bears will also be filling the schedule with guarantee games, collecting $315,000 for four games currently secured. The games against Virginia Tech and Colorado were originally scheduled for last season but the teams were able to agree to terms for rescheduling the games.

Maine Non-Conference Game Contract Details
Date	Opponent	Terms
Nov 9th	@ Virginia Tech	$85,000 Guarantee
Nov 12th	Maine-Farmington (Non-DI)	N/A
Nov 15th	@ Colorado	$85,000 Guarantee
Nov 19th	Maine-Fort Kent	N/A
Nov 27th	@ Bradley	$75,000 Guarantee
Dec 29th	@ Rutgers	$70,000 Guarantee

 

Until next time, this is Charles from The D1 Docket signing off…

Week 1 Update + Morgan State & Radford 2021 Contract Unloads

West Virginia broke the seal on the release of 2021-22 non-conference schedules last week. It was no surprise that the Mountaineers were first, once again, as they have been consistently among those quick to finish and announce their scheduling business. At just 159 days prior to opening day this is the latest a non-conference schedule has been released since The Docket began tracking this information in 2014. With the obvious omission of 2020, an average north of 8 teams would be expected to have released their schedule at this point in any given offseason. Coaches are cautiously navigating the wake of the 2020 fiasco of rescheduled games, deflated guarantee market and the waning uncertainty as COVID case numbers continue their sharp decrease in the United States.

Early efforts to obtain contracts came up mostly dry but as the calendar has rolled over into June The Docket is back on the scent for freshly signed contracts. 

Two early responses are from Morgan State and Radford.

Morgan State had a strong season, finishing with a KenPom rank of 223, 2nd in the MEAC and falling 1 game short of an NCAA Tournament bid by losing to Norfolk State in the MEAC Championship Game.

Date	Opponent	Terms
Nov 14th	At George Mason	Up to $60,000 Guarantee
Nov 18th	At Seattle	$75,000 Guarantee
Nov 20th	At Portland	$65,000 Guarantee
Dec 29th	At Kansas State	$75,000 Guarantee

The Bears have four games on the books so far, including an early season trip to the west coast. Morgan State still has plenty of room to add games, including an exempt event, as the MEAC schedule will likely be whittled down to just 14 games following the departures of Bethune-Cookman, Florida A&M and North Carolina A&T.

Radford, on the other hand, has yet to make plans to stray to far from home in lining up seven non-conference games so far.

Date	Opponent	Terms
Nov 12th	At Virginia	Up to $80,000 Guarantee
Nov 15th	At Virginia Tech	$60,000 Guarantee
Nov 19th	At Furman	$10,000 Guarantee
Nov 20th	Vs. Navy (Greenville, SC)
Nov 28th	Eastern Kentucky	Return game at EKU, 2022-23
Dec 4th	At West Virginia	Up to $85,000 Guarantee
Dec 20th	At Akron	Up to $65,000

The Highlanders will collect checks from in-commonwealth ACC foes Virginia and Virginia Tech before playing in a two-game MTE hosted by Furman. The only home game so far is the opening of a home and home with Eastern Kentucky but expect some non-D1 games to fill in much of their remaining schedule. These seven games plus the 18-game Big South slate gives Radford up to five more games to schedule.

Very interesting that several contracts still include clauses which pro-rate the guarantee fee based on allowable attendance. While COVID-19 cases are on the decline there is still enough uncertainty that the programs writing the checks are still protecting themselves financially. 

Hopefully the 2nd week of June has some more activity, both in press releases and public record responses. Until next time, this is The D1 Docket signing off..