Troy Athletics

OUR FRIENDLY SCHEDULE I just finished putting together my travel bag for our road trip to Jonesboro, Arkansas this weekend for a Sun Belt series with Arkansas State. As I was double checking all the things you have to take on the road; it hit me that it's March 31st and this is the first time this year we've had to pack an overnight bag. The early season schedule has been very friendly to the Trojans as we have played 24 games and have not left the state of Alabama. Our three road games were all against in-state opponents and were one day trips back and forth. The other 21 games were played right here at home, on our beautiful surface in front of our great group of fans. It has been wonderful to spend so many nights in a row at home, that's for certain! One of my responsibilities here at Troy is to coordinate the scheduling for the program, which I have done for the last nine years. First of all, the conference schedule is handled by the Sun Belt office. Their staff posts the 10-week, 30 game schedule of which 15 are at home and 15 are on the road. That leaves four weekends and 26 non-conference games to schedule each year. Alabama, Auburn, Jacksonville State, Samford & UAB comprise 10 midweek games in the state that we typically play on Tuesdays throughout the year. We try and have three non-conference weekends in Troy and one weekend on the road. Two of the three weekends at home we will play a 4-game series. Add all those together and that equals 24 games that are built into the schedule. We have to locate two more games during the midweek to complete the schedule. The 2012 schedule has been completed for over a month as the arrangements are made well in advance. The 2013 schedule is halfway completed and should be done by the late spring or early summer. Our 2012 home schedule consists of two 4-game non-conference series and our five Sun Belt series along with our in-state midweek opponents. We also will host East Carolina in a Wednesday night game in early March which should be a great matchup. We have 29 games scheduled at Riddle-Pace Field in 2012. We lose a non-conference weekend at home as we have two return trips we must make. We continue our four-year home and home series with Southern Miss as we travel to Hattiesburg and we return a trip to Bethune-Cookman, who we hosted in 2010. The 2013 schedule will likely have 32 home games as that number is our target each year we schedule. I wish every year could be like this season, with six straight home weekends and 21 of the first 23 at home, but this year was a lucky scheduling year that we have all definitely enjoyed. Heading toward the bus now to load up the gear and head to Jonesboro. Be sure and tune in to your radios and computers this weekend and follow all the action. See you next week right back here at Riddle-Pace Field as we host Auburn on Tuesday and Florida International next weekend. Go Trojans!