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Conference USA: Scheduling changes coming soon

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Conference USA athletics scheduling changes are on their way with modifications to the upcoming fall sports calendar expected soon.

The extended offseason has been a busy one for Conference USA and its member institutions and conversations among league officials and athletic directors about the structure of future schedules have been at the forefront.

“I don’t think there’s any question that our geographic stretch is a challenge for us,” Rice Athletic Director Joe Karlgaard said. “Pre-pandemic it was something that we made work. I think post-pandemic it’s something that we are really looking closely at.”

Ideas have been tossed around from sources inside and outside of Conference USA. Basketball is expected to end bonus play and could consider moving to a divisional structure to reduce travel. Olympics sports, in particular, are taking a hard look at more regionalized scheduling.

Administrators are also keeping an eye on what’s happening across the nation. The MAC cut postseason tournaments in several sports. Those changes reflect the historical Ivy League model, which traditionally awarded regular-season champions with any relevant postseason bids.

What will those changes look like? Karlgaard said the scope was far-reaching. “All of that is on the table for us to evaluate going forward.”

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This is not smoke and mirrors. Karlgaard has already been in discussion with Athletic Directors at schools in close geographic proximity. “They’re all interested [in regionalized scheduling],” he said. “What form and shape that takes, I think, is going to take longer for us to hash out.”

Long term scheduling adjustments will take time to play out, but changes to the upcoming seasons are imminent. Karlgaard indicated that he expects Conference USA to address fall scheduling as soon as this week, particularly with athletes now allowed to return to campus at several member schools. Rice had not yet set a timetable for the return of their own student-athletes.

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The Roost Podcast | Ep. 34 – Adolfo Carvalho and Star Wars ranks

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Who better to discuss the world of Star Wars than Fulbright honoree and former Rice cross country runner Adolfo Carvalho. He joins the show to offer his ranks.

Former Rice cross country runner Adolfo Carvalho stopped by The Roost Podcast to share some of his favorite moments from his Rice Athletics experience. From walking on to the cross country team to juggling athletics and academics, his unique vantage point offered an interesting angle into what Rice athletes go through on a day to day basis.

We also touched on an intersection between Carvalho’s field of study and his personal passions: Star Wars. He gave us his power ranking of every live-action movie and some of his opinions on the series as a whole.

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You can always find previous episodes on the podcast page. For now, give a listen to our chat with Adolfo Carvalho on Episode 34.


Episode 34 Notes

  • Housekeeping — Thanks to all of you who have followed the show on Twitter and left a review on iTunes. It’s quick, but it makes a difference. Make sure you Adolfo Carvalho on Twitter and let him know if you enjoyed having him on the pod.
  • Adolfo Carvalho joins the show — One of the brightest guests to join the show so far, Caravhol’s physics background and athletic memories provided lots of interesting discussion topics:
    • His Rice experience and academic and athletic honors
    • What’s next for him in his studies and beyond
    • His favorite non-athletic Rice memories
    • How he rewatching the Star Wars series became an annual tradition
    • His rankings of every live-action Star Wars movie

Where can you find us?

Download and subscribe to The Roost Podcast on any of your favorite podcast providers. The show is available on iTunes, GooglePlay, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn and PodBean. Please consider leaving a review wherever you listen.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

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College Sports Realignment: What’s next for Olympic sports?

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COVID-19 has already begun to change the college sports landscape as we know it and more adjustments could be on the way soon.

Change is coming for college sports and several programs have already reached the “worst-case scenario”. Old Dominion wrestling, FIU men’s track and field, Cincinnati men’s soccer and Bowling Green baseball have all been eliminated. More cuts are likely in the coming weeks as the financial ramifications of the shutdown persist. If football seasons are impacted, things could get much worse.

With that bleak backdrop, cost savings have become increasingly important. Could schools consider splitting their sports across multiple conferences in an effort to save costs? It’s plausible.

Why it makes sense

Football is the engine that makes college athletics go. Without the revenue from the gridiron, and in some cases men’s basketball, athletic programs operate in the red. Olympic sports are a prime example of athletic competitions that don’t make money. An alternative to slashing programs from the start could be a bifurcation of conference play by sport.

College football could continue to operate in much the same way. The revenue it derives from television contracts can support a few cross country flights and the various costs associated with fielding a team. But why does Rice volleyball need to fly to Charlotte or FAU? The Owls might be better suited taking a bus to play Texas State, Sam Houston or Lamar.

More regionalized scheduling in non-football sports would cut costs and provide matchups with more appeal to local fans.

What stands in the way?

Having one school span multiple conferences wouldn’t be a first, but it would be a departure from the norm. Schools like Wichita State, a basketball member of the American Conference, don’t participate in football with the AAC schools. Notre Dame is a pseudo-football member with ACC but has retained its independent status.

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Playing football with one group of teams and other sports might seem unusual, but its far from unprecedented. Budget crunch or not, this is a solution that seems plausible and palatable for the future.

And the people say…

When the idea of regionalized scheduling started to be discussed, Rice football fans said it would change their attendance patterns. 58 percent of fans said a more regionalized schedule would cause them to attend more games, with 47 percent saying they would attend more away games if more Texas teams were added to the schedule.

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The Roost Podcast | Ep. 28 – JP Abercrumbie discusses Rice Athletics off the field

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The Roost Podcast returns with special guest JP Abercrumbie to talk about what Rice Athletics is doing for its current student athletes off the field.

Most who listen to this show are well aware of what Rice Athletics is doing on the field. Whether its the Rice football team, basketball team, tennis squad or somewhere in between, athletic achievement seldom goes unrecognized. But there’s so much more to the student-athlete experience at South Main.

Assistant Athletic Director for Student Development JP Abercrumbie joins the show this week to share more on what else the Owls are doing for their athletes. She gives a behind-the-scenes look at the efforts of the administration to care for these students when they step away from the field of competition.

You can always find previous episodes on the podcast page. For now, Give a listen to Episode 28.


Episode 28 Notes

  • Housekeeping — If you like the show, please don’t forget to rate and subscribe on your favorite podcast platform. Spreading the word helps and your voice matters!
  • JP Abercrumbie joins the show — JP pulled back the curtain on the inner workings of Rice Athletics, shining a light on the programs and people working every day to make the lives’ of Rice student-athletes better. We discussed:
    • Her journey to Rice and how she first got interested in student development
    • Programs and events her department has worked on over the past several months and how those are currently impacting Rice athletes
    • How her team is responding to the current environment
    • Her officemates (Beary the Bear and Jephee the Goat) and some of her favorite funny moments at Rice so far

Jephee Beary

Where can you find us?

Download and subscribe to The Roost Podcast on any of your favorite podcast providers. The show is available on iTunes, GooglePlay, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn and PodBean. Please consider leaving a review wherever you listen.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

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The Roost Podcast | Ep. 26 – Rice Owls Voice JP Heath and 2010s Mount Rushmore

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The spring Rice Athletics seasons have come to an end, freeing up Rice Owls Voice JP Heath to join the show and talk Rice greats of the past decade.

On a normal evening in late-March, Rice Owls Voice JP Heath would be calling a Rice Baseball game. An NCAA Tournament berth for a hopeful Rice women’s basketball team could have been on the docket, too. With Rice Athletics on hiatus til at least the fall, he joined The Roost Podcast to recap a wild few weeks in sports.

You can always find previous episodes on the podcast page. Last week we talked with Erica Ogwumike. For now, Give a listen to Episode 26.

Episode 26 Notes

  • JP’s journey to Rice — Starting with his days in Commerce, Texas, JP recounts his journey to South Main.
  • Rice Athletics in the 2010s — Starting with his first season on the diamond in 2009, JP’s been around to see coaching transitions for Rice baseball (Wayne Graham to Matt Bragga), Rice basketball (Mike Rhoades to Scott Pera) and Rice football (David Bailiff to Mike Bloomgren). He gives us an overview of how each program has grown through those changes.
  • Rice Athletic’s 2010s Mount Rushmore — We closed the show with a challenging game, with JP, Carter and Matthew working through their Mount Rushmore for Rice Athletes in the 2010s.
    ** Spoiler Alert**
    The final four: Anthony Rendon, Christian Covington, Erica Ogwumike and Sam McGuffie
  • Honorable Mentions — Listen to the show for a long list of honorable mentions. Rice quarterback Taylor McHargue was on the cusp of the final four, narrowly losing out to McGuffie. Was that the right call? Let us know! Send in your 2010’s Mount Rushmore for Rice Athletics below.

Where can you find us?

Download and subscribe to The Roost Podcast on any of your favorite podcast providers. The show is available on iTunes, GooglePlay, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn and PodBean. Please consider leaving a review wherever you listen.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

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