BeeDee
05-22-2005, 11:24 AM
UM close to deal to play Wake Forest in Oxford in 2006
By Michael Wallace
mwallace@clarionledger.com (mwallace@clarionledger.com)
OXFORD — When the NCAA recently approved legislation to expand the college football season from 11 to 12 games starting in 2006, Ole Miss had to scramble just like other major Division I programs to find an extra opponent.
Ole Miss is close to reaching deals with three schools, including ACC member Wake Forest, to finalize the 2006 non-conference slate, athletic director Pete Boone said.
Ole Miss officials are negotiating a deal that would bring the Demon Deacons to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium next season, with the Rebels making the return trip to the Winston-Salem, N.C., school tentatively in 2009.
Wake Forest is on the verge of becoming the second ACC team to strike a deal with Ole Miss in as many months. Last month, Boone reached a home-and-home deal with Georgia Tech for a 2010 game in Atlanta and a 2011 matchup in Oxford.
Ole Miss also has deals in the works with Louisiana programs Tulane and Northwestern State. Boone has been in discussions with Tulane officials for months about renewing a home-and-home series with the New Orleans school.
"What we're trying to do is regionalize the schedule a bit more and get some games with teams that would generate an even higher level of excitement with our fans," Boone said. "Wake Forest is a team from a great conference. And when you look at Tulane, our fans have always liked going to New Orleans when we've played them there."
If the 2006 schedule works out according to plans, Ole Miss would play non-conference home games against Memphis, Wake Forest and Northwestern State in addition to its four home SEC games. The Rebels would host Tulane in years when they travel to play Memphis.
Each of those contests appear to be advantageous to Ole Miss.
Ole Miss has never played Wake Forest or Northwestern State, according to the Rebels' football media guide. But the Demon Deacons would give the Rebels a ninth game against a team from a Bowl Championship Series conference.
The Wake Forest game would increase Ole Miss' strength of schedule in 2006 and could be beneficial when potential bowl bids are issued. Northwestern State, a Division I-AA school, would guarantee Ole Miss of a seventh home game that would generate at least $1.2 million in ticket revenue alone, Boone said.
The matchup would also have sentimental value, pitting Ole Miss coach Ed Orgeron against his alma mater starting in what would be his second season with the Rebels.
And Tulane and Memphis have been long-standing regional rivals. Ole Miss and Tulane have played 69 games between 1893 and 2000, with the Rebels owning a 41-28 advantage in the series.
Boone said he has long been in favor of the NCAA extending the regular season to 12 games. "There's really no reason not to do it," Boone said. "You're not really adding time to the season because most teams had two open dates with an 11-game schedule. I think the players would rather be playing. Financially, it's a windfall. We'll try to have seven home games every year. That money just helps you support all of your programs."
By Michael Wallace
mwallace@clarionledger.com (mwallace@clarionledger.com)
OXFORD — When the NCAA recently approved legislation to expand the college football season from 11 to 12 games starting in 2006, Ole Miss had to scramble just like other major Division I programs to find an extra opponent.
Ole Miss is close to reaching deals with three schools, including ACC member Wake Forest, to finalize the 2006 non-conference slate, athletic director Pete Boone said.
Ole Miss officials are negotiating a deal that would bring the Demon Deacons to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium next season, with the Rebels making the return trip to the Winston-Salem, N.C., school tentatively in 2009.
Wake Forest is on the verge of becoming the second ACC team to strike a deal with Ole Miss in as many months. Last month, Boone reached a home-and-home deal with Georgia Tech for a 2010 game in Atlanta and a 2011 matchup in Oxford.
Ole Miss also has deals in the works with Louisiana programs Tulane and Northwestern State. Boone has been in discussions with Tulane officials for months about renewing a home-and-home series with the New Orleans school.
"What we're trying to do is regionalize the schedule a bit more and get some games with teams that would generate an even higher level of excitement with our fans," Boone said. "Wake Forest is a team from a great conference. And when you look at Tulane, our fans have always liked going to New Orleans when we've played them there."
If the 2006 schedule works out according to plans, Ole Miss would play non-conference home games against Memphis, Wake Forest and Northwestern State in addition to its four home SEC games. The Rebels would host Tulane in years when they travel to play Memphis.
Each of those contests appear to be advantageous to Ole Miss.
Ole Miss has never played Wake Forest or Northwestern State, according to the Rebels' football media guide. But the Demon Deacons would give the Rebels a ninth game against a team from a Bowl Championship Series conference.
The Wake Forest game would increase Ole Miss' strength of schedule in 2006 and could be beneficial when potential bowl bids are issued. Northwestern State, a Division I-AA school, would guarantee Ole Miss of a seventh home game that would generate at least $1.2 million in ticket revenue alone, Boone said.
The matchup would also have sentimental value, pitting Ole Miss coach Ed Orgeron against his alma mater starting in what would be his second season with the Rebels.
And Tulane and Memphis have been long-standing regional rivals. Ole Miss and Tulane have played 69 games between 1893 and 2000, with the Rebels owning a 41-28 advantage in the series.
Boone said he has long been in favor of the NCAA extending the regular season to 12 games. "There's really no reason not to do it," Boone said. "You're not really adding time to the season because most teams had two open dates with an 11-game schedule. I think the players would rather be playing. Financially, it's a windfall. We'll try to have seven home games every year. That money just helps you support all of your programs."