Looking at the Basketball Travelers website today...

[Maroon Eagle]

1. State is offering money for two non-conference guarantee games on November 8 and January 2-4.

Scanning the site for teams wanting guarantees and are willing to play on November 8, possibilities are Wisconsin-Green Bay (although they'd probably be more interested in playing Iowa State-- also offering a guarantee as are Charlotte, Colorado, and Oklahoma State), St. Francis (NY), South Alabama, New Orleans, and maybe USC-Upstate or Arkansas-Little Rock.

2. Phil Cunningham is scheduling for Troy as head coach-- even using the yahoo email address he used while at MSU.

3. USM has no money to spare in the athletics department-- as we know. Their scheduler wrote "We do not have additional funds for a guarantee." They are willing to throw in hotel rooms though.

 

[SkullCandy.sixpack]

Play South Alabama-- no money exchange, minimal travel costs. Maybe Ark Little Rock for the same reasons.

 

[Maroon Eagle]

UALR wants $90,000 for the guarantee...

...and South Alabama prefers a series though they are open to different arrangements (which is why I mentioned them) and I wouldn't be opposed to given that it gives coastal residents a chance to see the Bulldogs play.

 

[patdog]

I'd like to see us do a 2-for-1 with South Alabama. I went down the last time we played down there, Ran into Richard Williams and a couple of MSU fans from the coast I know. I see that Ray is moving the "neutral OOC game" around and playing in Tupelo next year. He needs to also play in Biloxi (or Mobile) occasionally. Ideally, I'd like to see a rotation with Jackson every other year and rotate the off year between Tupelo and Biloxi, and Southaven.

 

[Maroon Eagle]

That'd be nice. I was thinking Home - Neutral at Biloxi (for a Neutral OOC) - Away and maybe even another Home game mixed in there.