College athletics directors are quick to bemoan the challenge of filling oversized football stadiums during an era in which fans can watch games on high-definition, big-screen televisions while sipping cheap beer from their recliner.
To combat this, ADs try to attract fans through flash sales or enhance the fan experience with features like improved Wi-Fi and LED light shows.
But here’s a truth most ADs aren’t quick to offer: Scheduling compelling matchups is one of the surest ways to entice fans to attend games while also appealing to television executives, and yet Power Five schools pay multiple nonconference patsies each year to appear in games that are designed to be easy wins for the home team.