Yet if we know anything about coach Dennis Gates, there’s a rigorous and coldly logical impetus behind its construction. Griping and complaining about this assemblage is easy. Admittedly, though, some members of our masthead are pleased to see Liberty swapped out - even if the Flames might have wound up as a potential Quad 2 victory on the Tigers’ resume. Those mystery teams? They included Lindenwood, Houston Baptist, Coastal Carolina, and Southeast Missouri State. Yet, when it was over, the complete mosaic showed a November packed with seven home games against teams who - at best - might qualify as Tier 3 quality in the NCAA’s quad system. Would MU unveil a home-and-home with another power-conference program? Or would the Tigers opt for a suitable match from a league like the American Athletic Conference or Atlantic 10? And what of a supposed multi-team event it was supposedly putting on with the Air Force Academy?īy mid-afternoon, the air of mystery gave way to an assortment of opponents that are light on intrigue. Yet by the time Mizzou got around to rolling out this slate of games, all but three opponents remained unknown. So, inevitably, it meant that someone would have to announce previously reported tilts against the likes of Southern Indiana and Penn. No matter how ambitious a staff might be, buy games are a fact of life for most high-major programs.

Every 30 minutes, a roster member appeared in a homemade video announcing a new opponent and date - usually followed by a call for MU fans to show up en masse.

Over six hours last Friday, Missouri attempted what amounted to a slow clap in releasing the Tigers’ non-conference schedule.

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