When the Stony Brook football team takes the field for its season opener at LaValle Stadium on Thursday, September 1 against North Dakota, it will mark the culmination of an agreement reached between the two schools in 2013. Our second game against Temple on September 10 was scheduled even earlier, dating back to 2012.



Football is one of the more unique sports to schedule because it is often done years in advance. As an FCS (Football Championship Subdivision) institution, our scheduling philosophy includes playing one FBS opponent each year. These matchups are referred to as "money" or "guarantee" games because there is a guaranteed sum that is paid by the FBS school. We rely upon those dollars each year in our operating budget. Plus, it provides us with an opportunity to showcase Stony Brook on a larger stage.

Finding an FBS opponent is becoming more difficult each year because of the increasing number of FCS teams looking for guarantee games. I feel very good about the fact that we are scheduled out through 2018. Next year our football team will travel to Tampa to take on South Florida, and I am pleased to report that we recently signed a contract to play at Air Force in 2018.

As we build up our football program at Stony Brook, it is critical to play home games during our non-conference schedule. This means investing in guarantee games ourselves. Over the next three seasons, we have Sacred Heart, Wagner and Bryant scheduled to play at LaValle Stadium and we will also begin a home-and-home series with Fordham in 2018. Our goal is to play regional opponents as often as we can during our non-conference schedule, and these schools definitely align with our scheduling approach.

Another factor that plays into scheduling for several of our sports is the Rating Percentage Index, more commonly referred to as RPI. The RPI is a formula used to rank NCAA baseball, softball, soccer, lacrosse and volleyball teams based upon wins and losses while also taking strength of schedule into account. What that means is you should cheer for any team on our schedule – except for when they play Stony Brook, of course. The better our opponents do, the higher our RPI because of the strength of schedule component. For a program like women's lacrosse, which finished the season ranked no. 6 but with an RPI of 13, scheduling top RPI teams is very important because it can mean the difference between hosting a game in the NCAA Tournament or going on the road.

Scheduling games is often a tricky process for coaches and administrators. Like the saying goes, "it takes two to tango" but finding the right dance partner requires open dates and open minds. We may have interest in scheduling a certain opponent but the feeling isn't always mutual.



That has certainly been the case for men's basketball, which has had an incredibly difficult time scheduling games in recent years. When you win 20 games in six out of seven seasons and feature one of the most dominant players in college basketball, you hear "thanks, but no thanks" more often than not when calling potential opponents. Men's basketball assistant coach Lamar Chapman, who serves as the team's scheduling coordinator, found that when calling opponents to fill out the 2016-17 schedule, his calls were being returned at a more frequent rate. The result? Although we lost Jameel Warney, Tre Puriefoy and Rayshaun McGrew to graduation, we gained a strong home schedule.

The science of scheduling is one of the many fun challenges of our job. I know that our supporters want to see even more top programs come to Long Island to take on the Seawolves. Trust me, we do too, and we will never stop working at it.

Women's Soccer Scrimmage on Friday



Our women's soccer team will take the field tomorrow night at LaValle Stadium in an exhibition match against the Western New York Flash of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL).

The NWSL is on hiatus during the Olympics as many of its players are competing in Rio, and the exhibition will be an incredible test for our women in preparation for their season opener on August 19 against Bryant. I am so excited to watch them compete this season and I strongly encourage you to come out and support them tomorrow. Admission is free and the match begins at 7 p.m.

Football: The First Week

The football team held its first scrimmage yesterday and, although it is still very early in fall camp, there is a different look and feel to this team. The first, and most obvious to me, is that with Coach Priore not coaching the offensive line as he did last season, he has been able to be more involved in all aspects of the team during practices. Anyone who has attended a practice can see that we are deeper than we have ever been at the skill positions of running back and receiver since joining the CAA.

I'm also very excited at the growth and development of sophomore quarterback Joe Carbone. He dedicated himself in the offseason to be a stronger leader and game manager. The results have been evident during the first few practices.

Our defense may have lost the CAA Co-Defensive Player of the Year in Victor Ochi, but the cupboard was merely restocked. I expect our defense to be just as fast as we were a year ago with players like Aaron Thompson, Tyrice Beverette and Jaheem Woods leading the way along with several young players ready to make names for themselves.

Get your game tickets and Seawolves Town parking passes today! The season opener against North Dakota on September 1 is just around the corner.

Together We Transform!

Warm regards,



Shawn