Ease the Burden of Nonconference Scheduling

Written for Sport Tours International and originally published here:
https://web.archive.org/web/20200511232459/http://sporttours.net/news/2017/Schedule_2018

Shortly after the Final Four wraps up in early April each year, there is at least one team that announces their nonconference schedule for the next season. While the national champion is still celebrating with parades and fan rallies, the schedule early birds have already moved on to recruiting and postseason workouts. It is an impressive feat and one that seems impossible for many teams to accomplish.

Crafting a non-conference schedule that fits a team’s particular needs can be a long drawn out process that begins over a year before the first game of the regular season. When a program has a multi-year series with another school, the coaching staff has a head start in filling in dates. However, even when the majority of the schedule is set in stone by the end of spring, the gaps left by two or three missing games can be worrisome.

Up-and-coming teams have trouble solidifying opponents because big name schools may be reluctant to schedule an emerging program that could cause an upset. Even elite teams can face difficulties during late spring mixing and matching contests and finding suitable opponents.

Furthermore, with the important evaluation periods taking place in late April and mid-summer, many coaching staffs are on the road scouting prep talent, spending hours traveling across the country, and sitting in gyms. That last thing a coach wants to do is scramble to schedule a matchup with a compatible team at the end of spring and have staffers post desperate-sounding “needs home game” notices on web forums.

Your team does not have to be among the stragglers struggling to schedule games during the late spring. An easy way to avoid this dilemma is to add a tournament to the regular season schedule a year in advance. Teams can get a head start by booking games now for 2018. With the help of Sport Tours Internatonal, your program can schedule matchups in a tropical tournament setting for a fun-in-the-sun type of event or head to the bright lights and stunning sights of Las Vegas.

Trips to Puerto Rico and Daytona Beach include spectacular beachfront locations, premium hotels, and excellent competition. Tournaments in Las Vegas include four-star accommodations and are easily accessible to teams from the East Coast, Midwest, and West Coast. Fans can join in on the fun by booking trips to tournaments via Sport Tours.

Previous participants in Sport Tours tournaments have included small mid-majors as well as perennial top 25 programs.

The 2018 Sport Tours tournament schedule includes the following events: