Yeah, this is just the way a 14 team conference is. Some years will just be tougher cross games than others. Marshall is easier this year, but we’ve already played Troy and USA, both on the road, the last two years.

I like the way it’s being done so you cycle through everyone. We were in CUSA with UTEP from 2005 through 2021 and only played them 4 times with zero games after 2009.

(01-04-2024 11:06 AM)GreenBison Wrote:  Sun Belt Announces 2024 Football Cross-Divisional Opponents

NEW ORLEANS — The Sun Belt Conference announced the cross-divisional opponents for the 2024 football season on Thursday.

The Sun Belt is coming off a 2023 campaign in which it defeated a conference-record four autonomy five programs, hosted ESPN’s College GameDay for a second-straight season and produced a conference-record and FBS-leading 12 Bowl Season participants.

Each of the conference’s 14 programs plays one home game and one away game against a cross-divisional foe each season—and will play every team in the opposite division at least once every four years. In addition to the two cross-divisional matchups, Sun Belt members play six divisional games annually, fostering regional rivalries amongst divisional foes.

With 14 member institutions in 10 contiguous states, the Sun Belt is committed to its identity as a regional conference with a divisional model.

The complete 2024 Sun Belt football schedule, including play dates, will be released by no later than March 1, 2024.

https://sunbeltsports.org/news/2024/1/4/...nents.aspx

So next year for JMU will be ULL and TXST/ARKST.

Sent from my SM-G988U using Tapatalk

Good to see Marshall coming back to Hattiesburg. After we play GS next year and begin the cycle again, we will have played every SBC program in football within four seasons. Therefore within seven seasons we will have played every member of SBC both home and away. From a calendar perspective, that’s between 2022 and 2028, or in a little over six years’ time. Thats efficient rotation that helps keep a tight conference.

(01-04-2024 12:57 PM)SENOREIDA Wrote:  

(01-04-2024 12:48 PM)ragin4u Wrote:  

(01-04-2024 11:11 AM)chiefsfan Wrote:  Also, UL vs Coastal AND App this year? Mod Staff already dreading those weekends.

That is if ccu decides to play the game.
Figured I would give the mods a little early practice!!

What are your excuses going to be? Going to blame your 3rd String QB being out with COVID on why you lost again?

That’s funny, since you cancelled for COVID exposure to a position coach the day before the SBC Championship.

Wow, Georgia Southern fans must be happy. They've got a great schedule.

Wonder what the methodology is to this? One would think you would play the same two teams from the previous year but flip the home field.

Not sure yet, but I'm thinking I'll be hittin' up the Monarchs over the Purple Warriors for my road trip next year..

(01-05-2024 09:28 AM)AppManDG Wrote:  Wonder what the methodology is to this? One would think you would play the same two teams from the previous year but flip the home field.

To play every school in the SBC within a shorter time period. Roughly, every 4 years you should complete the cross divisional rotation. It was just surprising seeing USA back on our schedule when we hadn't played 2 other SBC West teams yet. But I get it, on 1 of those 4 years, there will be repeats bc of the odd number divisions. Instead of waiting 7 years or so to complete the crossover matchups with a H&H type schedule.

(01-05-2024 09:28 AM)AppManDG Wrote:  Wonder what the methodology is to this? One would think you would play the same two teams from the previous year but flip the home field.

CUSA did this and it took forever to rotate through everyone. I thought the SBC was going to rotate teams every year without rematches, but apparently that's not the case for everyone.

(01-04-2024 11:07 AM)slycat Wrote:  Excited to play ODU for the first time. See you Panthers in SM as well.

Sly you can't believe how happy ODU fans are to be in this exciting conference and playing real football teams like Tx. State.

(01-05-2024 04:00 PM)JTApps1 Wrote:  

(01-05-2024 09:28 AM)AppManDG Wrote:  Wonder what the methodology is to this? One would think you would play the same two teams from the previous year but flip the home field.

CUSA did this and it took forever to rotate through everyone. I thought the SBC was going to rotate teams every year without rematches, but apparently that's not the case for everyone.

Thought App was getting Arkansas State and Louisiana this year.

(01-04-2024 11:51 PM)hburg Wrote:  

(01-04-2024 11:06 AM)GreenBison Wrote:  Sun Belt Announces 2024 Football Cross-Divisional Opponents

NEW ORLEANS — The Sun Belt Conference announced the cross-divisional opponents for the 2024 football season on Thursday.

The Sun Belt is coming off a 2023 campaign in which it defeated a conference-record four autonomy five programs, hosted ESPN’s College GameDay for a second-straight season and produced a conference-record and FBS-leading 12 Bowl Season participants.

Each of the conference’s 14 programs plays one home game and one away game against a cross-divisional foe each season—and will play every team in the opposite division at least once every four years. In addition to the two cross-divisional matchups, Sun Belt members play six divisional games annually, fostering regional rivalries amongst divisional foes.

With 14 member institutions in 10 contiguous states, the Sun Belt is committed to its identity as a regional conference with a divisional model.

The complete 2024 Sun Belt football schedule, including play dates, will be released by no later than March 1, 2024.

https://sunbeltsports.org/news/2024/1/4/...nents.aspx

So next year for JMU will be ULL and TXST/ARKST.

Sent from my SM-G988U using Tapatalk

stAte more than likely since stAte isn't allowed to play App St.

(01-04-2024 11:07 AM)slycat Wrote:  Excited to play ODU for the first time. See you Panthers in SM as well.

That last game in San Marcos was...interesting. I believe it was triple OT, and in one of them, somehow neither team scored...?

(01-04-2024 02:39 PM)WARDAWG93 Wrote:  Looking forward to hosting JMU. They are losing a lot and we a gaining a lot (on paper anyway) so I hope that translates into a good game. We'll see. Going to Marshall where they finally get a shot at redemption for the '87 I-AA National Championship.

Too soon, man. Have a heart!

lol

(01-05-2024 07:15 PM)EdM Wrote:  

(01-04-2024 02:39 PM)WARDAWG93 Wrote:  Looking forward to hosting JMU. They are losing a lot and we a gaining a lot (on paper anyway) so I hope that translates into a good game. We'll see. Going to Marshall where they finally get a shot at redemption for the '87 I-AA National Championship.

Too soon, man. Have a heart!

lol

I find it a little strange that's the only time we've ever met on the football field. Should have met again in 92 in the Semi's but went to Delaware knowing we already won that game and they blew our doors off.

(01-04-2024 11:36 PM)banker Wrote:  We were in CUSA with UTEP from 2005 through 2021 and only played them 4 times with zero games after 2009.

That was mostly due to CUSA putting Marshall and USM together a lot of years after the 2013 alignment. Think we played them like 4 years in a row after they moved to the West division. I also think we told CUSA we weren't traveling all the way out to UTEP in the new iteration with so many eastern/mid west teams available.

(01-05-2024 07:28 PM)WARDAWG93 Wrote:  

(01-05-2024 07:15 PM)EdM Wrote:  

(01-04-2024 02:39 PM)WARDAWG93 Wrote:  Looking forward to hosting JMU. They are losing a lot and we a gaining a lot (on paper anyway) so I hope that translates into a good game. We'll see. Going to Marshall where they finally get a shot at redemption for the '87 I-AA National Championship.

Too soon, man. Have a heart!

lol

I find it a little strange that's the only time we've ever met on the football field. Should have met again in 92 in the Semi's but went to Delaware knowing we already won that game and they blew our doors off.

That was my first year at Marshall, that '92 season. Happened to meet the Marshall QB at the time in the basement of Old Main while getting my student ID or something (the memory is a bit faded at this point), and young naive little me was all star-struck, lol. It's wild how your perception changes as you get older.

But yeah...in the end, it seems like both of our schools did alright for themselves in the grand scheme of things. We get caught up in how well the program is doing at any moment, giving into our emotions and all, but sometimes it's nice to reflect on how far most of us have come. Marshall was in the Southern Conference with App State in those days, and in that '87 season they were the only school ahead of Marshall in the conference standings. In my opinion, that season was crucial in Marshall becoming the program that they've grown into. Without that season, I'm not sure that the program ever would have gained enough momentum to do the things it has. It's been a hell of a journey. Glad it's led us here. :)

Nice to play Marshall. JMU away is rough. Though they lost a lot so maybe it won't be.