The issue with a permanent last-game rival in a 14 team conference is that there would need to be one cross divisional rival. Not sure if any of the schools would sign onto that, since it would mean it would take at least 6 years to go through the rest of the other division. The only one I could really see doing it would be Marshall and Southern Miss, seeing how they have so much history already. But if you go down the line that would put AState and Tx St & CCU and GSU against each other, and I don't know if there's really much history between those schools that would make a rivalry.

USM vs. Marshall
App vs. Georgia Southern
CCU vs. GSU
ODU vs. JMU
ULM vs. UL
Arkansas State vs. Texas State
USA vs. Troy

(10-27-2021 01:33 PM)SkullyMaroo Wrote:  

(10-27-2021 01:29 PM)hotrod2001 Wrote:  

(10-27-2021 01:25 PM)High Country Student Wrote:  Hypothetically speaking, if the SBC decided to do a rivalry week, thoughts on these being the annual matchups?

USM vs. USA
Georgia State vs. Georgia Southern
Marshall vs. App
Coastal vs. UL
Arkansas State vs. Troy
ODU vs. JMU
Texas State vs. ULM

I think you get more bang for your buck with an App/Georgia Southern rivalry game.

Also Troy/USA and their “Battle of the Belt” trophy

USA/USM is only 80 miles apart. I expect that rivalry to grow quickly. I’d be ok with this setup. We can still have the Battle for the Belt with Troy. However, I’d be ok with us playing Troy this week too.

Another idea: Rivalry Week or a Rivalry of the Week?

Not sure about you but I like not sharing that weekend with the Iron Bowl. Seems we get more coverage if we play on a night in mid October instead.

I’m fine with USA/USM being the final opponent for each other. That’s what I want out of Troy/A-State.

I’d also be okay with South-Troy at the end of the season though.

(10-27-2021 03:15 PM)Blue_Trombone Wrote:  The issue with a permanent last-game rival in a 14 team conference is that there would need to be one cross divisional rival. Not sure if any of the schools would sign onto that, since it would mean it would take at least 6 years to go through the rest of the other division. The only one I could really see doing it would be Marshall and Southern Miss, seeing how they have so much history already. But if you go down the line that would put AState and Tx St & CCU and GSU against each other, and I don't know if there's really much history between those schools that would make a rivalry.

USM vs. Marshall
App vs. Georgia Southern
CCU vs. GSU
ODU vs. JMU
ULM vs. UL
Arkansas State vs. Texas State
USA vs. Troy

That just becomes a permanent bye week for the two teams that don’t participate in a rivalry week.

I would personally like to see the Cajuns open SBC play against stAte. Then ULM to close the season.

We would get to play stAte before the SBC race is decided.

Then play ULM when they can play spoiler.

(10-27-2021 03:26 PM)geauxcajuns Wrote:  I would personally like to see the Cajuns open SBC play against stAte. Then ULM to close the season.

We would get to play stAte before the SBC race is decided.

Then play ULM when they can play spoiler.

I’d like to open SBC play against Southern Miss. Playing them in September just feels right.

That is a bit of an issue with seven team in a division- there won't be a way to play all division games in any given week if all teams play. If you don't do a permanent cross-division rival, then someone in each division's last opponent can't be set permanently.

(10-27-2021 03:20 PM)Troy_Fan_15 Wrote:  

(10-27-2021 03:15 PM)Blue_Trombone Wrote:  The issue with a permanent last-game rival in a 14 team conference is that there would need to be one cross divisional rival. Not sure if any of the schools would sign onto that, since it would mean it would take at least 6 years to go through the rest of the other division. The only one I could really see doing it would be Marshall and Southern Miss, seeing how they have so much history already. But if you go down the line that would put AState and Tx St & CCU and GSU against each other, and I don't know if there's really much history between those schools that would make a rivalry.

USM vs. Marshall
App vs. Georgia Southern
CCU vs. GSU
ODU vs. JMU
ULM vs. UL
Arkansas State vs. Texas State
USA vs. Troy

That just becomes a permanent bye week for the two teams that don’t participate in a rivalry week.

As long as it is not the last week of the year. That is a worthless bye week. I would hate to be left out. Would rather play the other odd team out.

The ODU - JMU game will be rivalry week whether we play it the first game of the season, the last game of the season, or anywhere in-between. I'm predicting that this Sun Belt rivalry will soon rank right up there with the old SWC Aggie-Longhorn thanksgiving day games. Ahh, the good old days.

Oh, and by the way, the Monarchs are up 2-0 in this ancient and revered series. Looking forward to it Dukes fans -- as I know you are also. Cheers!

(10-27-2021 03:29 PM)Troy_Fan_15 Wrote:  

(10-27-2021 03:26 PM)geauxcajuns Wrote:  I would personally like to see the Cajuns open SBC play against stAte. Then ULM to close the season.

We would get to play stAte before the SBC race is decided.

Then play ULM when they can play spoiler.

I’d like to open SBC play against Southern Miss. Playing them in September just feels right.

I like the idea of playing division rivals at about the same time every year very much.

(10-27-2021 03:39 PM)slycat Wrote:  

(10-27-2021 03:20 PM)Troy_Fan_15 Wrote:  

(10-27-2021 03:15 PM)Blue_Trombone Wrote:  The issue with a permanent last-game rival in a 14 team conference is that there would need to be one cross divisional rival. Not sure if any of the schools would sign onto that, since it would mean it would take at least 6 years to go through the rest of the other division. The only one I could really see doing it would be Marshall and Southern Miss, seeing how they have so much history already. But if you go down the line that would put AState and Tx St & CCU and GSU against each other, and I don't know if there's really much history between those schools that would make a rivalry.

USM vs. Marshall
App vs. Georgia Southern
CCU vs. GSU
ODU vs. JMU
ULM vs. UL
Arkansas State vs. Texas State
USA vs. Troy

That just becomes a permanent bye week for the two teams that don’t participate in a rivalry week.

As long as it is not the last week of the year. That is a worthless bye week. I would hate to be left out. Would rather play the other odd team out.

In the end I just don’t see an “official” rivalry week happening but the beauty that every divisional game should be a game of interest therefore it doesn’t really matter who you play where on the schedule.

Schools can have multiple rivalries...

GS v App St
GS v GSU

App St v GS
App St v Marshall

JMU v ODU
JMU v Marshall

Troy v USA
Troy v USM

USA v Troy
USA v USM

ULL v ASU
ULL v ULM

(10-27-2021 03:26 PM)geauxcajuns Wrote:  I would personally like to see the Cajuns open SBC play against stAte. Then ULM to close the season.

We would get to play stAte before the SBC race is decided.

Then play ULM when they can play spoiler.

How could they play spoiler when we would have already beaten both of you?

(10-27-2021 03:47 PM)trueblue21 Wrote:  Schools can have multiple rivalries...

GS v App St
GS v GSU

App St v GS
App St v Marshall

JMU v ODU
JMU v Marshall

Troy v USA
Troy v USM

USA v Troy
USA v USM

ULL v ASU
ULL v ULM

Schools definitely have multiple rivalries and I'd argue there are more rivalries out there than what you included involving the schools you mentioned. I was just trying to make hypothetical rivalry week where there were as many rivalry games as possible.

(10-27-2021 01:36 PM)eaglewraith Wrote:  I want to do like the SEC does.

Have your "traditional" rival midseason and in state rival at the end of the season.

For us that would be App in October and Gast on Thanksgiving weekend.

Thanksgiving is a big rivalry weekend overall in college football and is typically in state matchups.

That’s how we’ve always done it up until this year. Our schedule was perfect. App and GAST home games on alternating years and we would play App (our Florida) on a weeknight the week UGA was playing Florida so we weren’t competing for attention on that Saturday and then we would play GAST (our Ga Tech) on a rotation that had us playing in Atlanta on the years UGA/GT was in Athens and vice versa. We also didn’t have to deal with the freezing weather of late-November Boone. Now we have to.

Coastal and ODU can be The Battle of the Beaches

App traditionally has a weekend called Black Saturday. That could become just the Georgia Southern/Marshall game. Whenever they are scheduled for that, there's a lot more intensity to it.

I think Coastal will develop multiple rivalries in the East. Maybe not particularly one over the other. We'll take whoever is free for rivalry week lol.