Charter Flight Benefit

[Cajunsmike]

A charter flight to Texas State became available shortly before Wednesday’s game. Folks in the administration and basketball staff were able to go through the process necessary to book the flight for the team. They left late Tuesday afternoon and returned Wednesday night. Bus trip to Mobile was taken Friday afternoon and team is probably almost home as I write this.

What I wonder is if the charter helped performance last 2 games. Without the charter, team would have had 2 commercial flights a layover and some bus rides to get to San Marcos. They would have had a similar experience on Thursday to get to Mobile from Texas. Another benefit of the charter was academics. Team also was able to actually Attend class on Thursday and Friday morning as well due to the charter. I have no idea if the team would have played just as well with the original plan. Still with the results of this trip, I hope more charter opportunities became available when it makes sense to travel that way.

[Turbine]

It had to help and definitely couldn't hurt.

A flight for one game to Mobile (when you hadn't been travelimg) would be a different matter.

[ManAboutTown]

We chartered a flight to Troy and lost.

I think it has a lot more to do with Texas St being ranked 260 and South Al 231 in the NET.

[Duggie35]

The charter flight may or may not have had an effect on the team’s play. But with the portal and NIL now so prevalent in college sports, let’s please refrain from bringing up academics anymore in these discussions! Academics is no longer a priority in college athletics.

[ZoomZoom]

A charter flight to Texas State became available shortly before Wednesday’s game. Folks in the administration and basketball staff were able to go through the process necessary to book the flight for the team. They left late Tuesday afternoon and returned Wednesday night. Bus trip to Mobile was taken Friday afternoon and team is probably almost home as I write this.

What I wonder is if the charter helped performance last 2 games. Without the charter, team would have had 2 commercial flights a layover and some bus rides to get to San Marcos. They would have had a similar experience on Thursday to get to Mobile from Texas. Another benefit of the charter was academics. Team also was able to actually Attend class on Thursday and Friday morning as well due to the charter. I have no idea if the team would have played just as well with the original plan. Still with the results of this trip, I hope more charter opportunities became available when it makes sense to travel that way.

As been brought up on RP, flying was one of the keys to Gonzaga’s run over the last 20 years. It appears now, maybe due to NIL, the Zags, abet still ranked, aren’t what they’ve been.

[Cajunsmike]

We chartered a flight to Troy and lost.

I think it has a lot more to do with Texas St being ranked 260 and South Al 231 in the NET.

We also chartered to Ark State from Troy. May have helped performance there. I agree TX State is poor. However South Alabama has been playing well lately and they always come on strong in the back half of conference play due to their annual new slew of transfers coming together as season progresses. We will never find out if results would have been same without the charter. We can agree it definitely does not hurt. Personally excessive traveling exhausts me. Of course I am no longer a young person but my body did not handle it well when I had to do it in my early business career.

[Crawfish]

The charter flight may or may not have had an effect on the team’s play. But with the portal and NIL now so prevalent in college sports, let’s please refrain from bringing up academics anymore in these discussions! Academics is no longer a priority in college athletics.

Don't they still have to pass?

[Cajunsmike]

Academics comes into play as far as retaining eligibility and playing time is concerned. The better student does not play over the better player. However when things are even, the guy who cuts class sees less time. It may matter to guys like Kobe Julien and Kentrell Garnett. Kobe is a grad student and Kentrell is nearing completion of requirements for a finance degree.

[Turbine]

Don't they still have to pass?

Yes, ball movement is very important to the success of a basketball team.

[Cajunsmike]

One more point on this issue. I am not saying we should charter to all distant road games. Our budget cannot afford it. I am saying we need to consider it when the travel situation is difficult and the charter is economically feasible. For Wednesday’s game a charter was not planned. Good to see something at UL come together quickly for the benefit of athletes. That does not always happen.

[R1Letterman]

Sounds like charter is better for mid distance that are in locations that require mutli modes, which likely ends up being just as expensive. A long distance game near a bigger place may actually have more flights to destination and better cost.

[CajunSID]

Sounds like charter is better for mid distance that are in locations that require mutli modes, which likely ends up being just as expensive. A long distance game near a bigger place may actually have more flights to destination and better cost.

On the court, it doesn’t provide much impact for 18-22 yo’s in peak physical condition. Been a few good UL hoops teams in the past who were good on the road despite a year’s worth of travel headaches.

Academically, c’mon guys, let’s not play that charade. Now, OFF the court, it pays dividends. Coaches can tell recruits we charter flights. Shows the recruit and their families school is committed to program, and that (and NIL $$) goes a long way.