The latest chapter of the Vandy-Middle Tennessee saga began unfolding Friday morning when Vice-Chancellor for Kickball and Hopscotch David Williams opined to The Tennessean writer Maurice Patton on the difficulty of scheduling games with the addition of a 12th game in the FCS (formerly known as D-IA). That article was followed up by MT AD Chris Massaro's perspective on Vandy's scheduling woes — namely their reluctance to put Middle Tennessee on the schedule — and a less than 'Dore-friendly column from The Tennessean columnist David Climer. So we know the media is watching.

How tough is scheduling for Vanderbilt? So tough that the Commodores cannot afford the requisite buy games that their SEC brethren indulge in. No, Williams conceded, Vanderbilt does not have the blank-check luxury that the Floridas, Alabamas, and Tennessees of the world have. That's why the Commodores must offer return games to fill out their schedule.

Home games with whom, you might ask? Well the logical choice: Eastern Michigan and Miami (OH). Despite the fact that a certain FCS school 30 miles away has already traveled to Dudley Field three times, the Commodores would much rather venture north in an attempt to secure a win.

Secure a win is the key phrase in that last paragraph because the obvious choice Middle Tennesse, for those of you not privileged enough to walk the hallowed halls of Vandyland, thereby making you illiterate and basically a bad person, holds a 3-0 record this decade against Vandy. That record, we are assured, holds no bearing in Vanderbilt's reluctance to schedule a game with the riff-raff from Murfreesboro. Rather, it is a lack of holes in the schedule which make it so difficult. Nevermind the fact that both contracts with MAC schools were signed within the last year.

So why are MT fans up in arms? Who knows? Heavyweight champions don't request rematches with lightweights they just pummeled. On a park basketball court (something I'm sure most of the Vandy faithful have seen in TV shows such as The Wire) you don't keep asking the team you just beat to stick around.

No, the position of power here should lie with the Blue Raiders, the team that has been to a bowl in the lifetimes of fourth-year medical students.

MT AD Chris Massaro's efforts are to be commended. He has a point to feel like the Blue Raiders are entitled to a game that David Williams promised in good faith. But no, 2007 has been pushed back to 2010, and 2010 pushed back to 2015. So much for good faith, but give Vandy credit. Their operating style has brought them plenty of success in the last 25 years.