Sun Belt should fix its football rivalry week

[Big Z 1990]

This year Arkansas State-Texas State, Louisiana-ULM, and Georgia Southern-Georgia State are right where they should be: Thanksgiving weekend. And I hope they stay are as long as they are all in the Sun Belt.

However, the other two games they put on Thanksgiving week were Appalachian State-Troy and Coastal Carolina-South Alabama. If they really wanted to go all-rivalries, they should have had Appalachian State-Coastal Carolina and South Alabama-Troy. They kept the latter's October date again this year, and the former was played in early November.

In future years, App State should play Coastal and Troy should play USA at the end of the season. Then it will truly be rivalry week in the Sun Belt. Especially because South Alabama won't always have the Carolina schools on its schedule.

[AppStateMtneer]

Wrong.
Stink or Troy is the right.

[bigdaddyg]

Coastal is not a rival

[ASU85Grad]

Georgia Southern, but they would never agree because of the cold in Boone in November

[WASU 93]

Rivalry week is just another ESPN creation. Oklahoma/West Virginia may be for first place, but it's not a rivalry.

How about App vs. Wake Forest for the last game of the year each season?

[CheckYosef94]

Rivalry week is just another ESPN creation. Oklahoma/West Virginia may be for first place, but it's not a rivalry.

How about App vs. Wake Forest for the last game of the year each season?

I'd prefer App vs. ECU for the last game. I know it's not technically a rivalry (yet) but being the two "football schools" in the state I feel like it would heat up pretty quickly

[AppNation85]

Geographically yes but I would rather have Troy as a rival than Coastal Carolina.

[EastHallApp]

We’re playing in a de facto division championship game on the last week of the season, and we have someone complaining that we aren’t instead playing a “rivalry week” game against a team that isn’t a rival.

This is peak Cabin.

[AppDawg]

We’re playing in a de facto division championship game on the last week of the season, and we have someone complaining that we aren’t instead playing a “rivalry week” game against a team that isn’t a rival.

This is peak Cabin.

Troll Job? Z joined on 21st and is an Ohio State fan....

[AppinVA]

We’re playing in a de facto division championship game on the last week of the season, and we have someone complaining that we aren’t instead playing a “rivalry week” game against a team that isn’t a rival.

This is peak Cabin.

Troll Job? Z joined on 21st and is an Ohio State fan....

So, it’s a yankee who takes time out of his busy day to come by and tell us how we should be doing something.

Story check out.

[huskie3]

I think he is trying to keep his mind off of what Meshegan is going to do to his Buckeyes.

[Stonewall]

I see his point,we are why CCU is in the league,they recruit the same primary territory and are our travel “partners” in the other sports.So as geography goes yeah , ok. I would not however be as excited about that game unless of course the stakes were the same. Perhaps we just aren’t there yet.

[bigdaddyg]

This is one aspect of the Sunbelt that sucks- the far reaching geography that hampers “rivalries”. We rarely have games with Stink played at 3:30 on a Saturday so no matter what the road team simply won’t bring 10,000 fans. A more suitable geographically based conference would generate natural rivalries which would pack stadiums no matter what week of the season it is. App V ECU, JMU or even UNCC packs any stadium for an October or early November game.

[Appalachman]

The divisions also mean Troy and USA don’t play every year. Had to draw a line somewhere and splitting AL was it.

[Big Z 1990]

Troy and USA actually do play every year, it's the only protected crossover game

[ViewCrew87]

We’re playing in a de facto division championship game on the last week of the season, and we have someone complaining that we aren’t instead playing a “rivalry week” game against a team that isn’t a rival.

This is peak Cabin.

Troll Job? Z joined on 21st and is an Ohio State fan....

So, it’s a yankee who takes time out of his busy day to come by and tell us how we should be doing something.

Story check out.

Ah yes, the All-Knowing ones from the northern aggression sent down to enlighten us all.
I-77 is open 24/7 or will be once the northern way of tolls are imposed.

[AppDawg]

I like the suggestion of Wake or ECU. I have always viewed “rivalry week” to be non-conference games that are played every season as the last regular season game.

[hotrod2001]

I’d rather play Stink on rivalry week. But apparently Georgia State is theirntival in every other sport or something so that seems a wash. ECU would be good if we move up to a different conference. The only other team on the conference is de as a rival would be stAte. Troy is good but I only care about them because they are good this year. They’re not a team that when I see that they lose, I go “Ha-ha!” about in my best Nelson voice.