I was reading this article on the USA site - LINK - and came across the following:

Article Wrote:The Jags also expect to play eight Sun Belt Conference opponents in 2012, which could include match-ups with Troy — the Trojans have participated in three bowl games this decade since moving up from the NCAA Division I-AA (Football Championship Subdivision) to the NCAA Division I-A (Football Bowl Subdivision) level — and Florida Atlantic, coached by the legendary Howard Schnellenberger, which was invited to the Motor City Bowl where the Owls defeated Central Michigan in December.

Going on the assumption that the SBC will have 10 football schools in 2012, would you guys rather have 8 conference games (as the article implies) or 9? 8 offers the balance of 4 home and 4 road conference matchups and allows for 4 OOC games, but 9 would let everybody play each other. Personally, I'd prefer to see the SBC play 9, but I'm just a casual observer of the league. What do you guys think?

(03-28-2009 02:55 PM)Chappy Wrote:  I was reading this article on the USA site - LINK - and came across the following:

Article Wrote:The Jags also expect to play eight Sun Belt Conference opponents in 2012, which could include match-ups with Troy — the Trojans have participated in three bowl games this decade since moving up from the NCAA Division I-AA (Football Championship Subdivision) to the NCAA Division I-A (Football Bowl Subdivision) level — and Florida Atlantic, coached by the legendary Howard Schnellenberger, which was invited to the Motor City Bowl where the Owls defeated Central Michigan in December.

Going on the assumption that the SBC will have 10 football schools in 2012, would you guys rather have 8 conference games (as the article implies) or 9? 8 offers the balance of 4 home and 4 road conference matchups and allows for 4 OOC games, but 9 would let everybody play each other. Personally, I'd prefer to see the SBC play 9, but I'm just a casual observer of the league. What do you guys think?

This is going to become an interesting debate as USA becomes fully integrated into the league... I like having 4 OOC games, but not playing the nine conference games can make things complicated for scheduling.

Maybe splittling the SBC into two divisions (East/West) may do the trick, with 5 in one and 5 in the other. Each team would play the 4 other teams in their division and an alternation system would be set up for what 4 teams from the other division a team would play. That way each team still has 4 OOC games.

I don't know if the Sun Belt would gain anything by having divisions with only 10 schools-likely what would happen would be that each school gets one guaranteed opponent every year (i.e., USA-Troy, FAU-FIU, etc.) and rotate the "no-play" pairings every two years. For example:

2012-13: USA wouldn't play North Texas
2014-15: USA wouldn't play WKU
2015-16: USA wouldn't play ULM
etc. . . .

Given the way the conference is laid out, going 5/5 would split up a natural geographic rival as well.

I hope we can have at least two guaranteed opponents. WKU and either stAte or Troy-- makes it easier for our fans (and theirs) to travel.

Troy and stAte by far bring more than any other Belt visiting team to Murfreesboro. I know we normally bring a good crew to both Jonesboro and Troy.

(03-28-2009 03:20 PM)Joel Wrote:  

(03-28-2009 02:55 PM)Chappy Wrote:  I was reading this article on the USA site - LINK - and came across the following:

Article Wrote:The Jags also expect to play eight Sun Belt Conference opponents in 2012, which could include match-ups with Troy — the Trojans have participated in three bowl games this decade since moving up from the NCAA Division I-AA (Football Championship Subdivision) to the NCAA Division I-A (Football Bowl Subdivision) level — and Florida Atlantic, coached by the legendary Howard Schnellenberger, which was invited to the Motor City Bowl where the Owls defeated Central Michigan in December.

Going on the assumption that the SBC will have 10 football schools in 2012, would you guys rather have 8 conference games (as the article implies) or 9? 8 offers the balance of 4 home and 4 road conference matchups and allows for 4 OOC games, but 9 would let everybody play each other. Personally, I'd prefer to see the SBC play 9, but I'm just a casual observer of the league. What do you guys think?

This is going to become an interesting debate as USA becomes fully integrated into the league... I like having 4 OOC games, but not playing the nine conference games can make things complicated for scheduling.

Maybe splittling the SBC into two divisions (East/West) may do the trick, with 5 in one and 5 in the other. Each team would play the 4 other teams in their division and an alternation system would be set up for what 4 teams from the other division a team would play. That way each team still has 4 OOC games.

Can't have divisions with less than 12 teams.

With 10 football members, I prefer to play 9 conference games each year and 3 OOC (2 Body Bag max, 1 CUSA, WAC, MAC)

(03-28-2009 02:55 PM)Chappy Wrote:  I was reading this article on the USA site - LINK - and came across the following:

Article Wrote:The Jags also expect to play eight Sun Belt Conference opponents in 2012, which could include match-ups with Troy — the Trojans have participated in three bowl games this decade since moving up from the NCAA Division I-AA (Football Championship Subdivision) to the NCAA Division I-A (Football Bowl Subdivision) level — and Florida Atlantic, coached by the legendary Howard Schnellenberger, which was invited to the Motor City Bowl where the Owls defeated Central Michigan in December.

Going on the assumption that the SBC will have 10 football schools in 2012, would you guys rather have 8 conference games (as the article implies) or 9? 8 offers the balance of 4 home and 4 road conference matchups and allows for 4 OOC games, but 9 would let everybody play each other. Personally, I'd prefer to see the SBC play 9, but I'm just a casual observer of the league. What do you guys think?

I vote 8 games with one designated geographic rival. UL-ULM, MTSU-WKU, FAU-FIU, USA-Troy, and by process of elimination ASU-UNT.

(03-28-2009 08:47 PM)Hilltopper2K Wrote:  I vote 8 games with one designated geographic rival. MTSU-WKU, FAU-FIU, USA-Troy, and by process of elimination ASU-UNT.

I'm guessing UL and ULM would be the other geographic match? But how about natural rivalries like Troy and MTSU? I think there should be more than just one designated game for each team.

Even with only one designated rival, everyone would still play each other 14 out of 16 years.

(03-28-2009 08:53 PM)Joel Wrote:  

(03-28-2009 08:47 PM)Hilltopper2K Wrote:  I vote 8 games with one designated geographic rival. MTSU-WKU, FAU-FIU, USA-Troy, and by process of elimination ASU-UNT.

I'm guessing UL and ULM would be the other geographic match? But how about natural rivalries like Troy and MTSU? I think there should be more than just one designated game for each team.

Yes, of course. I fixed it for completion's sake.

At any rate, the one geographic rival plays out very cleanly for everybody except ASU and UNT. With two rivals, doesn't it get a lot stickier? How would that work exactly?

2nd choices (after the first geographic rival)...

WKU would want ASU?
MTSU would want... Troy? ASU?
UNT would want UL?
FIU and FAU are not really close to anybody else.
UL would want... UNT?
Monroe would want ASU?
ASU would want Monroe? WKU? MTSU?
Troy would want MTSU? FAU?
USA would want UL? ULM?

If you were going to do it that way, I'd say break it (the 2nd designated opponent) down something like this.

ASU-Monroe
UL-UNT
MTSU-Troy
USA-FIU
WKU-FAU

Maybe?

I don't think there is any chance we will play 9 games.

The question is will we
1. Do a full rotation dropping each league opponent for two years and rotate around.
2. Create 5 pairs that play annually while rotating the schools not in the pairs (ie. FAU/FIU, USA/Troy, MT/WKU, ULL/ULM, ASU/UNT).
3. Create two groups of five permanent opponents and rotate the other five. (ie. ASU/WKU/MT/FIU/FAU and UNT/ULL/ULM/Troy/USA) I think that is the only basic 5 arrangement that works because the pairs FIU/FAU, Troy/USA, WKU/MT, ULL/ULM pretty much have to be left together.

Option 2 or 3.

MTSU is really the only one that has more than one rivalry.

Gimmie 9 conference games.

It will give everyone another home game every other year. And will keep from benefiting one school more than another (if their annual opponent just sucks every year). This will hopefully allow for better records and more bowl eligible teams.

Until we have a conference championship game (I hope it never happens) I don't wanna see unbalanced schedules. And I don't wanna see one of my favorite games go away for a year. (I would hate for us to beat Troy the year before we take a break, and have an extra year to rub it in. Who knows what it would do to their egos.)

A rotation could lead to true co-champions. Which is good and bad.

(03-29-2009 11:27 PM)galojah Wrote:  Option 2 or 3.

MTSU is really the only one that has more than one rivalry.

the Troy/ FAU series is quickly becoming a rivalry in football.

(03-30-2009 07:59 AM)Trojan Delta Chi Wrote:  

(03-29-2009 11:27 PM)galojah Wrote:  Option 2 or 3.

MTSU is really the only one that has more than one rivalry.

the Troy/ FAU series is quickly becoming a rivalry in football.

I agree, I would rank FAU's current "rivalrys" in this order:

1.) Troy

Due to the 07 game, and our mutual successes.

2.) FIU

Glad to see FIU is finally getting on board, I know many of them would prefer to see UM as thier main rival.


3.) MTSU

Many of our "Firsts" have come against the Raiders and with that hail mary pass last year we REALLY want a piece of them.

I think everyone is missing the point of the article. It said that USA would play 8 SBC opponents in 2012. Not what the rest of the conference would be doing. Other parts of that same article:

The Jaguars will be an unclassified NCAA program their first two seasons of competition before beginning a two-year transition to the NCAA I-A/FBS level. USA will count as an NCAA I-AA/FCS school on opponents’ schedules in 2011, but will be considered an NCAA I-A/FBS opponent for schools the next fall. In 2013, the Jags will be eligible for a bowl and the Sun Belt Conference championship for the first time in school history.

So going by that, they will be similar to WKU in 2011-2012. They will be going through the transition year, and will be playing most of the SBC schools. Will not be a full member until 2013. The article just mentioned that in 2012, they will be playing eight SBC schools. It was a short article about scheduling and future opponents.

(03-30-2009 08:33 AM)RDA Trojan Wrote:  I think everyone is missing the point of the article. It said that USA would play 8 SBC opponents in 2012. Not what the rest of the conference would be doing.....

I've one, maybe two, articles in which (and back when Wright Waters was doing the 'Ask the Commish' video thing even seen and heard) Wright Waters state he had or would recommend to the ADs at the appropriate time that the schedule be eight conference games instead of nine. I hope we continue to play wku and troy each year however that 8 conference game schedule is accomplished.

(03-30-2009 08:33 AM)RDA Trojan Wrote:  I think everyone is missing the point of the article. It said that USA would play 8 SBC opponents in 2012. Not what the rest of the conference would be doing.....

I've seen one, maybe two, articles in which (and back when Wright Waters was doing the 'Ask the Commish' video thing even seen and heard) Wright Waters state he had or would recommend to the ADs at the appropriate time that the schedule be eight conference games instead of nine. I hope we continue to play wku and troy each year however that 8 conference game schedule is accomplished.