Conflicts, Lack Of Money Leave UI Football Team With 10 Games

The University of Idaho likely will play 10 regular-season football games, one less than the standard 11, during the 1995 season, athletic director Pete Liske said.

The Vandals tried to arrange an 11th game - even broaching the possibility of playing rival Boise State in a non-conference matchup - but couldn’t overcome schedule conflicts and/or money concerns, Liske said.

In the case of Boise State, Liske said there was some trepidation about playing the Broncos twice in the same season, particularly with the Vandals having a new coaching staff. UI would have played at BSU in September and then entertained BSU in a Big Sky contest to close the regular season on Nov. 18.

“From a financial standpoint, it would have made a lot of sense,” Liske said. “It’s radical to play your arch-rival (twice) in a season. At the time they were short and we were short a game and we were thinking very seriously about doing it.”

Barring something unforeseen, Liske said UI’s schedule is probably set. UI will open at Corvallis against Oregon State of the Pac-10 on Sept. 2, then have a bye week. The Vandals’ Kibbie Dome opener follows against NCAA Division II Sonoma State before a second bye.

Idaho then encounters its seven-game Big Sky schedule, interrupted only by a visit to Division I-AA power Northern Iowa on Nov. 11.

“I kind of like having a bye after Oregon State because that will be a physical game,” new UI coach Chris Tormey said. “After Sonoma, we’ll have two weeks to prepare for our conference opener (against Idaho State).”

Liske said Idaho tried to add a quality I-AA opponent, such as Stephen F. Austin and Eastern Kentucky. He shied away from scheduling a second Division II opponent because “that doesn’t add anything to your program.

“Stephen F. was willing to come up, but we had to get two or three others (schools) to change and the third one wouldn’t change,” said Liske, who noted that Eastern Kentucky also will play a 10-game schedule.

Discussions were held with Delaware State and Texas Southern, but Liske said those I-AA schools wanted too much money to visit the Dome.

Liske and Tormey said playing 10 games shouldn’t impair the Vandals’ playoff chances.

“Our out-of-conference schedule with Northern Iowa and Oregon State is just fine and probably stronger than most I-AAs,” Liske said. “What we do in conference will probably determine (the playoffs).”

Upcoming track meets

The Pacific-10 multi-event championships get under way in Tucson, Ariz., today, with WSU’s Leo Slack in the decathlon and Heidi Schulz in the heptathlon.

Slack, a freshman, is ranked fourth in the conference in the decathlon with a score of 7,072 in his first collegiate decathlon in March.

Schulz, a sophomore, is also rated fourth in the conference. She finished eighth in last year’s conference meet.

A group of Cougars and Idaho competitors will be in action at the Modesto Invitational Saturday, while many other area track athletes will be in Seattle for the Pacific Northwest Championship.