Nobody Wants To Play Marshall

“The problem with a lot is that people don’t want to play us. We’re good. Some don’t even answer our phone calls or emails. We’re trying, believe me.”

This is what it’s like scheduling for a G5 juggernaut, as told by Marshall’s sixth-year AD, Mike Hamrick, in an article on his department’s site. The case he argues is enough to make you pity the man, even before launching into an inadvisable anecdote where he compares his wife to a Sun Belt team.

The College Football Playoff has ushered in a new era for the sport, and with it, new challenges. The committee has made it clear that strength of schedule will be a major factor when it comes time to decide who is in and who is out. So for teams on the edge, who sit outside of the Power 5, but can still play with any program in the country, scheduling has become a double edged sword.

How can you turn in a strong resume when nobody will play you?

Falling Behind By Winning

To say “nobody” wants to play Marshall is a bit of a stretch. Over the next four years, the Thundering Herd will play Purdue and Louisville in Huntington, and then face NC State in a home-and-home series for 2016-17. That’s three Power 5 teams making the trip to Joan C. Edwards Stadium.

But as Marshall football becomes more dangerous on the field, teams are shying away. To most Power 5 schools, beating a Group of 5 program will earn them little favor in the final standings, meanwhile a loss would be considered catastrophic for their season. It’s a no win situation, especially for Marshall.

Home Field Disadvantage

Hamrick isn’t doing himself any favors. He knows it would be easier to schedule “buy” games as he calls them, where Marshall would play a single game at an opponent’s venue, and instead of a return trip, the Herd just collects a seven figure check.

“But we might have to at some point because of financial issues.” Hamrick conceded.



Major programs aren’t scrambling to play in Huntington, WV. Even if they were, the town wouldn’t have anywhere to put them. For many games, visiting fans have to stay in nearby Charleston.

But Hamrick is doing what he believes is the right thing by pushing for home-and-home series. By refusing the easy check and insisting that opponents play Marshall in their stadium, Hamrick is putting his program on even footing with the Power 5 schools he lures.

Reminders Of The Past

Mike Hamrick isn’t pleading for patience with his fanbase because of any old scheduling issue. He’s in this situation because of who he scheduled. In 2021-22, Marshall is scheduled to play a home-and-home series with Appalachian State. Despite being their first meetings at the FBS level, the two schools go way back, and that’s where the problem lies.

The two were once foes in the FCS Southern Conference. In the nearly two decades since moving up to the FBS, Marshall has come a long way, and their fans are worry that their achievements will go unrecognized.

Just look at this past season. Before dropping a barn burner to WKU, many thought the Herd would go undefeated, and still possibly miss out on a major bowl invite. That has everything to do with how this program is perceived, and who they play throughout the year.

But Hamrick is making a gamble. App State has only had two losing seasons in the last 30 years, and he believes they can continue that success. Though they may not reach the level of a team like Louisville in the next six years, Hamrick is wagering that the Mountaineers will still own a winning record, and represent quality win for the Herd’s resume when the committee meets in December.