(01-14-2019 12:20 PM)WKUYG Wrote: When is TTT going to understand.....
rivalry week is the week CUSA has two games on national TV so the most important thing for CUSA to do is hope you have the top 2 teams from the east and west playing on that day.....for a divisional championship
Marshall and FIU will be preseason top 2 in the east
UAB and UNT will be the preseason top 2 in the west
I guess TTT will get it about the same time he figures out CUSA doesn't have a contract with espn to air games on anything but streaming. So never?
I completely understand you can't force a rivalry to exist if the fans simply don't care. HOWEVER, the conferences/schools can do some little things to bring excitement and attention to some of the games. Like create some "battle for the (insert ridiculous gimmick) trophy". And I'm dead serious about this. Each trophy could have something to do w/ the school/state history. It could make people from all over the country stop and be like "wow, that's pretty interesting/unique!" And then they might pay closer attention. It doesn't hurt one bit to do something like this. We need a little out-the-box marketing. For example:
USM vs. La Tech....Battle for the Silver Possum. Create a ridiculously large Silver Possum Trophy because we all know there's tons of Possums in both Ruston and Hattiesburg. It'd be fun and I'm sure the players would like it too seeing as most are usually from the South. And if you're from the South then you've probably got some type of fondness for possums lol.
UTSA vs. UTEP...Battle for the Orange Sombrero. Both schools have orange in their colors. Both schools have communities rich in Mexican culture/history. It's a no-brainer. If not Sombrero, you could use some type of tex-mex food or have a poncho. Battle of the Orange Poncho Sounds cool.
North Texas vs. Rice...Battle for the T-Bone Steak Trophy...because we all know Houston and Denton/Dallas are cities know for having good steakhouses. What better to show it then having a giant t-bone steak trophy.
UAB vs. MTSU...Battle for the Golden Guitar. Both Birmingham and Murfreesboro have lots of history w/ the blues and music in general. Another no-brainer if you ask me. The only thing would be that UAB/MTSU are crossover teams and this rivalry would be the only one that isn't played every year.
WKU vs. Marshall....Battle for the Rusted Railroad Spike. Bowling Green and Huntington both have a rich history in the railroad industry. Have some type of railroad trophy/hammer or some type of railroad spike or something.
ODU vs. Charlotte...Battle for the Golden Water Canteen. Both cities have a rich history in the Civil War. Pretty much every soldier had their own water canteen. This could be a unique homage to their history.
FIU vs. FAU...Battle for Shula's Whistle. Have some type of giant whistle trophy symbolizing Don Shula's whistle. Another no-brainer.
Yes, these seem a little ridiculous but the sheer ridiculousness of it could surely shine some type of light on the games/schools/conference. Just my two cents.