Appalachian - First time I ever heard of them was when we were matched up in the I-AA playoffs in 1987, my first year at Georgia Southern.
UALR - Late 80's. Used to play them in hoops when we both were in the TAAC. Mike Newell was their coach at the time and he was not beloved by our student body at the time. Great games back then.
Arkansas State - 1986 National Championship game. Larry Lacewell gave a famous attribution to our quarterback Tracy Ham, saying "You can't tackle smoke".
Georgia State - Again, crossed paths back in the day in the TAAC.
Idaho - Must have been around 1987 or so. The Vandals had a stud QB by the name of John Friesz who won the Walter Payton award in 1989. We then sqeaked by them in the 1990 playoffs by a point enroute to our fourth I-AA national championship.
Louisiana - First really heard about them around 1991 when they first joined the Sun Belt. We had had a Sun Belt team of folks visit our campus back in 1990 and after that visit I started keeping an ear and eye out on the composition of the league.
Louisiana-Monroe - First became aware of them in the 1987 season when we played them in Monroe, but didn't make that game. They returned the trip in 1988. One of the DB's from their national championship team works in my lab, so have kept up with them for some time from afar.
New Mexico State - Have pretty much always known about them, but not too much. Did a little more recon on them recently but looking forward to my second trip to the Land of Enchantment. First trip out there wasn't in that part of the state.
South Alabama - Been pretty familiar with the Mobile area, but not USA until they started up football. Ready to make that trip and hope it turns into a good rivalry.
UT-Arlington - Marginally aware they were in the Sun Belt.
Texas State - 2005
Hoping to even up that old score this year
Troy - 1992. Troy State (then) was Division II, and came into Paulson and pitched a shutout on the Eagles on Homecoming. Left a big bootprint on what to that point had been a pretty darn invincible home record. Was only the sixth home loss since the stadium had been built in 1984. Troy moved up and Eagle coach Tim Stowers evened up the record, beating #1 Troy at home in the 1995 playoffs. As it turns out, I think while Troy was good that year, we just saved them the embarrasment of flying out to Montana, as we got shellacked the following week 45-0 by a Griz team that scored 70 on Stephen F. Austin the next week, then beating Marshall to win the I-AA championship. That mini-series in the 1990's, plus some old history in the 1930's ... adds up to some
potential to turn this into a fun rivalry.