Interesting idea by Wright Waters to gain another "Post Season Game"

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A team from the Sun Belt Conference could play an extra game each season as part of an “invitational” game against a team from another conference near the end of the regular season if a proposal in front of the NCAA is approved.

The Sun Belt Conference is sponsoring an NCAA proposal that would allow teams from conferences that don’t have a championship game to play a game at the end of the season in lieu of a championship game.

“What it’s about is leveling the playing field when it comes to the number of games played,” Sun Belt Commissioner Wright Waters told OwlAccess.com.

The proposed game would provide conferences with fewer than 12 members – currently the minimum to play host to a championship game – to have an extra game to generate revenue, interest and add visibility.

The game would pit a team from one conference against a team from another conference, but Waters stopped short of saying it would the champions of leagues going against each other.

“We’re not ready to go down that road yet,” Waters said.

Currently the conferences which don’t have a championship game are the Big East, Big 12, the Mountain West and the WAC.....

could this potentially hurt a team in regards to getting in a bowl game, even though they mention it may not even be the #1 team?

Or could it help a 6-6 team win this game and get into a bowl game?

It also setups the possiblity of a 'Belt school possibly playing LA Tech. Although Im sure that whoever it is would rather face off against one of the AQ folks.

(08-29-2011 10:41 AM)OwlFamily Wrote:  Interesting idea by Wright Waters to gain another "Post Season Game"
FAUOwll access full story
A team from the Sun Belt Conference could play an extra game each season as part of an “invitational” game against a team from another conference near the end of the regular season if a proposal in front of the NCAA is approved.
The Sun Belt Conference is sponsoring an NCAA proposal that would allow teams from conferences that don’t have a championship game to play a game at the end of the season in lieu of a championship game.
“What it’s about is leveling the playing field when it comes to the number of games played,” Sun Belt Commissioner Wright Waters told OwlAccess.com.
The proposed game would provide conferences with fewer than 12 members – currently the minimum to play host to a championship game – to have an extra game to generate revenue, interest and add visibility.
The game would pit a team from one conference against a team from another conference, but Waters stopped short of saying it would the champions of leagues going against each other.
“We’re not ready to go down that road yet,” Waters said.
Currently the conferences which don’t have a championship game are the Big East, Big 12, the Mountain West and the WAC.....

Might be a good idea, but clearly needs further explanation. I doubt any of the first three conferences listed (BEast, BXII or MWC) would be interested in playing a Sun Belt team....so you'd have to assume he's referring to a WAC team.

Further, as we leap-frog the WAC in coming years, why would we want to play them in a meaningless additional game? Sounds like a psuedo Bowl and/or Champ game w/o the added expense.

Weird! Unless there is some sort of genius behind this idea, I think we need not be cheap with our football programs (i.e. some kind of half-ass Champ. game). Get to 12 programs and do it right.

WW, please explain the reasoning behind this additional game more completely. Instead of moving this conference forward I'm afraid he's trying to offer a 'helping hand' to a dying conference who won't have a Bowl game after this year.....very strange.

I guess my question is what broadcast partner is behind this idea. If there is no broadcast partner behind this idea then it needs to be trashed.

(08-29-2011 11:13 AM)OwlFamily Wrote:  It also setups the possiblity of a 'Belt school possibly playing LA Tech. Although Im sure that whoever it is would rather face off against one of the AQ folks.

Either they won't be eligible or they'll find some excuse to back out. I wouldn't worry about that too much.

(08-29-2011 02:06 PM)AstroCajun Wrote:  

(08-29-2011 11:13 AM)OwlFamily Wrote:  It also setups the possiblity of a 'Belt school possibly playing LA Tech. Although Im sure that whoever it is would rather face off against one of the AQ folks.

Either they won't be eligible or they'll find some excuse to back out. I wouldn't worry about that too much.

I thought WW and La Tech didn't get along. I think he has to know that La Tech would be the odds-on-favorite to play in this hypothetical 'end of season' game every year.

So to continue on this hypothetical track, our two bowl teams probably wouldn't play in the game (no real benefit). So if we have only two bowl games, would a western SBC school (like ASU, ULX or UNT, provided, obviously they aren't going to one of the bowls) who happen to finish around 6-6 want to play an 8-4 or 7-5 La Tech?

I think this must be what he's getting at. I mean a 6-6 FIU probably wouldn't mind playing a Home game against them but there wouldn't be much incentive for us to play them on the road. Then again it is a quasi bowl game, but still, there's nothing to play for....just a glorified exhibition . I don't think you'd get much interest from us, home or away.

(08-29-2011 02:22 PM)FIUFan Wrote:  So if we have only two bowl games, would a western SBC school (like ASU, ULX or UNT, provided, obviously they aren't going to one of the bowls) who happen to finish around 6-6 want to play an 8-4 or 7-5 La Tech?

Uh oh......looks like this thread may derail when Zee wakes up.

(08-29-2011 02:30 PM)Fanof49ASU Wrote:  

(08-29-2011 02:22 PM)FIUFan Wrote:  So if we have only two bowl games, would a western SBC school (like ASU, ULX or UNT, provided, obviously they aren't going to one of the bowls) who happen to finish around 6-6 want to play an 8-4 or 7-5 La Tech?

Uh oh......looks like this thread may derail when Zee wakes up.

If he does, I'll apologize for the short-hand then.

Trust me, ASU fans would love a game with LA Tech.