Delaware @ Colorado in 2025

[dovetail]

Agreed.

[Caribbean Hen]

It will be interesting to see who the first big name team that comes to Newark for a game …

Who will it be?

[Cluck U]

Army?

Navy?

Air Force? Do they fly commercial or on an AF plane? Could land in Dover and give a pep talk to the base.

Marshall? Cincy? Any MAC team or Sunbelt team…especially our former FCS brethren Appy/GSU/ODU/JMU.

A team in search of PA, Jersey, MD talent.

[jd of de]

It will be interesting to see who the first big name team that comes to Newark for a game …

Who will it be?

UMass or UConn. And why you may ask; Independent scheduling. Everyone else is in search of 4 opponents each season. The Minutemen and Huskies are in search of 12 every year.

edit; UConn has a opening in 2025, and with only 4 road games scheduled that year, they would be a real candidate.

edit; UMass has two openings in 2025, but already has 6 road games scheduled.

edit; JMU has a 2025 opening and 2 home games already on the schedule.

Temple has an opening in 2025, but with 2 road games already on the books, they probably want a home game. And the same situation exists for them in 2027.

My personal preference is to stick with MAC and Sun Belt teams as much as possible the first couple of seasons and try to get to 6 wins and bowl eligibility as quickly as we can. Colorado will be great exposure but most other P4’s are just paycheck games.

2025
@ Colorado (paycheck game)
@ UMass (home-home contract)
UConn (home-home contract)
JMU (home-home contract)

And that’s how you build interest in FBS football to the casual fans in Newark.

[Bluewyn Gold]

Oregon State and Washington State just might need some dates to fill on future schedules.

[Caribbean Hen]

Oregon State and Washington State just might need some dates to fill on future schedules.

Now this is more like it, I apologize in advance, but UConn UMass just don’t do it for me as big time opponents… kind of like going to see the movie Jaws, but only seeing a barracuda eating a minnow

Whatever happened to Cameron Ward that started out at Incarnate Word and transferred to Washington State? That dude was real

[Info Hound]

I like any of these options. If we are able to escape St. Francis, Duquesne, Sacred Heart, MEAC, etc., I will be happy..
I think we should keep our expectations tempered for 2024, however.

[UDHoops]

It will be interesting to see who the first big name team that comes to Newark for a game …

Who will it be?

UMass or UConn. And why you may ask; Independent scheduling. Everyone else is in search of 4 opponents each season. The Minutemen and Huskies are in search of 12 every year.

edit; UConn has a opening in 2025, and with only 4 road games scheduled that year, they would be a real candidate.

edit; UMass has two openings in 2025, but already has 6 road games scheduled.

edit; JMU has a 2025 opening and 2 home games already on the schedule.

Temple has an opening in 2025, but with 2 road games already on the books, they probably want a home game. And the same situation exists for them in 2027.

My personal preference is to stick with MAC and Sun Belt teams as much as possible the first couple of seasons and try to get to 6 wins and bowl eligibility as quickly as we can. Colorado will be great exposure but most other P4’s are just paycheck games.

2025
@ Colorado (paycheck game)
@ UMass (home-home contract)
UConn (home-home contract)
JMU (home-home contract)

And that’s how you build interest in FBS football to the casual fans in Newark.

Great research, thanks

[Cluck U]

Forgot about the lands of misfit toys…errrr…teams.

UMass and UConn. Easy picks…jd nailed the reasons. But, as Carib mentioned, not exactly big football names. But waaaay better than the dreck we have on tap.

Trying to think who we could host for a College Game Day event that would draw national interest. Navy…they could talk about the history of the games played and play quick footage from the Flacco game and the Napoleon RB guy who was on the Heisman list (until after that game) and talk about both teams’ QBs (Staubach, Gannon, Flacco and other players that went on to the pros) and our (in)famous alums...drawing a blank on the QB who ended up on the Most Wanted list.

Fun to speculate.

[Hengrad07]

Love to see the JMU matchup return. I always thought that was UD’s best rival!

Also looking forward to Liberty’s first visit!

[udsb97]

JD- Excellent projections. Now we just have to start beating someone that plays decent football and continue to do so as we upgrade. There would be immediate interest in JMU for sure but if they kick our azz like Nova the exodus down South Collège will be immediate.

UMass & UConn have shown how not to make the leap. JMU & Liberty programs are good role models for the Hens to duplicate.

[jd of de]

My guess, our FBS schedule model will be;
1- FCS game at home
1- FBS / P4 game away (paycheck game)
1- FBS / G5 game at home
1- FBS / G5 game away
4- CUSA games at home
4- CUSA games away

We weren’t will to have fewer than 6 home as a FCS team, so I don’t see that changing as a FBS team.

The FCS game doesn’t count towards the 6 and assuming we don’t upset a P4 team (can we get Virginia while they are down?), 6-4 gets us to a bowl game.

Winning, bowl games and old Yankee Conference opponents will put more casual fans in the TUB during our early FBS early years. P4’s aren’t coming to Newark, so stick with the names casual fans know for the home schedule. UConn, UMass, Temple, Army, Navy, Marshall and AppState being at the top of the list. And play P4 paycheck games we can be competitive in or like Colorado, get us a lot of exposure.

[HENJOHN]

Nice Summary JD.

[Info Hound]

Nice Summary JD.

Almost sounds like it came straight from the AD!

[Hens79]

Yep great stuff. And great opponents all. And for teams like JMU, it will take time to beat. They are just so far ahead of UD, most UD fans would understand where the Hens have come from and where they are headed that a one time beat down wouldn’t send fans to the exits.