Purdue and Alabama coaches rebut mid-major claims of power conference scheduling avoidance

The ongoing debate over non-conference scheduling in men's college basketball has intensified with comments from Miami (Ohio) coach Travis Steele, who accused power conference programs of "ducking" matchups against competitive mid-majors ahead of the NCAA Tournament.

Steele's RedHawks, competing in the Mid-American Conference (MAC), faced challenges securing games against power-four conference teams (Atlantic Coast Conference, Big Ten, Big 12, Southeastern Conference) for the 2024-25 season. Instead, Miami opened its schedule with wins over NAIA programs Defiance College (98-44 on November 4) and Wilberforce University (107-35 on November 8).[1][2]

Purdue coach Matt Painter addressed Steele's remarks following the Boilermakers' 87-76 victory over Oakland University, a Horizon League mid-major, on December 13. Painter stated his team plays five mid-majors among 11 non-conference games this season, increasing to 12 next year, and highlighted past matchups with MAC standouts Akron and Kent State.[3][4]

"If he was in my position, you’re going to play 11 non-conference games. Next year, it’s going to go to 12. And so we play 6 high-major games, and we play 5 mid-major teams," Painter said. "We’ve played Akron. We’ve played Kent State. We’ve played Oakland."[3]

Purdue's 2024-25 non-conference slate includes mid-majors such as Indiana State (Missouri Valley Conference), UT Arlington (Western Athletic Conference), Morehead State (Ohio Valley Conference) and Oakland.[4]

Alabama coach Nate Oats offered a similar response after a game on December 14, emphasizing that his Crimson Tide only declines mid-majors deemed insufficiently competitive for "buy games," which are paid exhibitions aimed at bolstering strength of schedule metrics like NET rankings. Oats pointed to Miami's NAIA contests as evidence of limited outreach efforts.[5][6]

"The only mid-major schools we turned down are ones that aren’t good enough... I’m not sure how hard you tried if you’re playing three non-Division I games," Oats said.[5]

The exchange underscores scheduling constraints for power-four programs, including commitments to multi-team events like the Maui Invitational and the need to optimize metrics for NCAA Tournament selection. The issue persists as teams finalize slates months before the season.[3][5]

Sources

1. Miami University Athletics. "2024-25 Men's Basketball Schedule." Accessed December 18, 2024. https://miamiredhawks.com/sports/mens-basketball/schedule/2024-25
2. NAIA.org. "Defiance College Athletics" and "Wilberforce University Athletics" (directory listings confirming NAIA membership). Accessed December 18, 2024. https://www.naia.org/sports/mbkb/2024-25/teams
3. CBSSports.com. "Purdue's Matt Painter claps back at Miami (Ohio) coach for claiming power programs are 'ducking' mid-majors." December 17, 2024. https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/purdues-matt-painter-claps-back-at-miami-ohio-coach-for-claiming-power-programs-are-ducking-midmajors/
4. Purdue University Athletics. "2024-25 Men's Basketball Schedule." Accessed December 18, 2024. https://purduesports.com/sports/mens-basketball/schedule/2024-25
5. CBSSports.com. "Alabama's Nate Oats has blunt response to Miami (Ohio)'s claims that Power 5 schools 'duck' mid-majors." December 17, 2024. https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/alabamas-nate-oats-has-blunt-response-to-miami-ohios-claims-that-power-5-schools-duck-midmajors/
6. AL.com. "Alabama’s Nate Oats not impressed by Miami (Ohio)’s mid-major scheduling complaints." December 17, 2024. https://www.al.com/sec/2024/12/alabamas-nate-oats-not-impressed-by-miami-ohs-mid-major-scheduling-complaints.html