Nate Oats reacts to mid-major scheduling controversy, calls out Miami (OH)

A subplot has broken out during the NCAA Tournament — scheduling. Conversation about the topic began due to Miami (OH) and High Point, with both head coaches saying they are not able to get games against high-major opponents. Plenty have chimed in, with Purdue’s Matt Painter clapping back at the idea following their win on Friday.

Now, Nate Oats has gotten involved when recently speaking to the media. Oats has experience at the power conference level with Alabama, never really being afraid to schedule anybody. He is looking for something specific when getting buy games, explaining as such while also calling out Miami (OH).

“The only mid-major schools we turn down are ones that aren’t good enough,” Oats said. “Like, when we look at our buy games, they need to be good enough because I don’t want to be playing Quad 4 games. I want to be playing really good ones. Some of the mid-major schools that were talking about not being able to find games played multiple non-Division I games. I’m not sure how hard you tried if you’re playing three non-Division I games.”

To an extent, Oats does relate to all these mid-major coaches out there. Buffalo is where Greg Byrne hired Oats from after finding success with the MAC program. Oats pointed out games the Bulls played against West Virginia and Syracuse, even beating the Mountainers. He felt as if Buffalo was then prepared for the NCAA Tournament and eventually pulled off an upset in 2018 over Arizona.

Now, despite calling out Miami (OH) for their three non-Division I games, the comments from Oats are more generous than what Painter produced. Painter called coaches who cannot figure out the NET rankings when it comes to scheduling “bozos.” Certainly a topic he feels strongly about.

“I didn’t set the NET rankings. The net rankings set themselves, but I’m gonna go by it,” Painter continued. “Like, I’m gonna figure it out. The coaches that don’t look at the NET rankings and get things figured out how to schedule are bozos. They’re absolute bozos.

“You are going to do what is best for your institution so you can get in the tournament and help your seed. We’re the only program in the country that’s been in top four seed nine years in a row. We played Akron, we played Kent State, we played Oakland. So like, we’ve played mid-majors. But everybody plays mid-majors. Every high-major plays mid-majors.”

Ironically enough, Oats and Painter have played each other in recent years. A matchup a little easier to set up, given the status of Alabama and Purdue. But still, the two head coaches both feel as if the mid-majors are on the wrong side of this argument.