During the spring, Tod Kowalczyk did what most college basketball coaches do at that time of year: he texted a colleague at a top-50 program about a potential home-and-home series.
The response, unfortunately for Kowalczyk and the University of Toledo’s loyal fan base, was all too familiar.
“You have lost your [expletive] mind.”
Another coach texted, “Not completely ruling it out, but highly unlikely to do it!”
Toledo contacted 61 schools from power conferences and mid-majors inquiring about home-and-homes and two-for-ones. Richmond was the only school that agreed to a deal.
The Rockets are in the unenviable zone of being too good for major programs (and fellow mid-majors) to take a chance because the risk of losing is perceived as too high.