Future Schedules will have an air of respectability

Where would you rather be than Dayton, Ohio in late November? If you said anywhere in the world (besides countries that encourage female genital mutilation) you would hear no arguments from me. Or from Timmy Wabler apparently. Mr. Wabler has come up with some very attractive travel options for the coming years. The Dooger explains in today's DDN:

They’ll play in the 2013 Maui Invitational, which is hosted by Division II Chaminade University and has an eight-team field that includes schools from each of the six power conferences. The Flyers also have committed to play in the 2012 Charleston (S.C.) Classic and the 2011 Old Spice Classic in Orlando, Fla. All three events are held in late November and are either run by ESPN or receive expansive coverage on the network.

All three tournaments are top-notch, and will certainly give the Flyers an opportunity to rack up some substantive victories before conference play. Master Harris continues:

The fields in those events have yet to be announced, but Maui reserves room for just one team outside the Bowl Championship Series conferences. This year’s field includes Kentucky, Michigan State and UConn. “That’s a very coveted spot,” Gregory said. “And these other tournaments, while they may not have the history of Maui, are getting to be very close to the same level of play.” The Charleston Classic generally has four BCS schools in its eight-team field, drawing Georgetown this year, while the Old Spice Classic historically has six, including Wisconsin this year.

I am nodding my head enthusiastically.

UD Athletic Director Tim Wabler said three straight postseason trips, including an NIT title run, has helped the Flyers raise their profile as a program. “We’re a very attractive team right now,” he said.

I wouldn't say that the NIT title necessarily makes Dayton a "very attractive" program. Fuckable? Certainly, but let's not get carried away with ourselves.

Is anyone else starting to think UD's attempt at revisionist history (you know, where we all pretend that UD wasn't a runaway favorite to win the conference last year and make its second straight tournament appearance) might take root? Five years from now the narrative will be that the 2009-10 squad was a team full of inexperienced upstarts, doing the impossible, capturing the heart of the Gem City forever. As opposed to what it really was--an underachieving team that went on a five game run against mostly disinterested teams in half-full arenas.

But hey, Hawaii, Charleston and Orlando. Not bad, right? Tip of the cap to Mr. Wabler and company for a job well done.