at some level we haven't been a consistent enough program for a lot schools to schedule. "
If you go search the schedules of VCU, Wichita, Creighton, Butler,
Xavier, Gonzaga doors opened over time for them. Schools aren't going to risk playing Dayton if they don't think their getting a quality opponent both years of the series.
The other option that
Ted Kissell mentioned was looking outside the power conferences, ie schools like St. Marys