Football Rivalries

Charlotte 49er Football 🏈
1

Why doesn’t Conference USA try to schedule regional rivalries this weekend of the season? I dont know who this falls on, but it doesn’t make sense not to try to make the scheduling work out this way. If you look at all of the major conferences, 90% of games are “rivalry” games. CUSA and the Sun Belt are the only two who do not do this. Even the MAC does a good job with scheduling these games this time of the year.

Really think we should be playing ODU this weekend. Even Marshall would make more sense than UTSA. App state or ecu would be great but I don’t know if that would happen any time soon.

2

clt says no one cares.

3

They should do this, it makes no sense that we play UTSA in the last game of the year. If they don’t want to do it in the conference, then CUSA and the SBC should have an open date for some of us so we could play some inter -conference regional games. Charlotte vs. App, Troy vs. UAB, etc.

4

It probably has something to do with the ratings juggernaut that these big-time rivalry handed present. You just can’t compete with them.

As nice as it sounds on paper, the only folks who are going to watch MT-WKU over Michigan-Ohio State are MT and WKU fans.

5

We as G5 schools have got to fix this ourselves.

All the big boys have rivalries preserved. We have reached a point in G5 where are conference games don’t move the needle for our fanbases. We have to regroup and get more regional. That’s what college football is all about anyway. At some point we all have to stop pretending to look down our nose at each other, and accept that we are all in the same giant pile of crap. The p5 schools must be laughing all the way to the bank. We have made our own product worse with the lack of rivalries.

6

[quote=“ZombieLew, post:4, topic:30652”]It probably has something to do with the ratings juggernaut that these big-time rivalry handed present. You just can’t compete with them.

As nice as it sounds on paper, the only folks who are going to watch MT-WKU over Michigan-Ohio State are MT and WKU fans.[/quote]

If it doesn’t matter either way then you might as well do it for your own conference. At least try to develop some kind of rivalry. That’s what college football used to be about. Now it’s about money and if we are getting such a small piece of that we might as well as go back to just trying to have fun and playing teams that our people actually care about.

7

[quote=“Ben H, post:6, topic:30652”][quote=“ZombieLew, post:4, topic:30652”]It probably has something to do with the ratings juggernaut that these big-time rivalry handed present. You just can’t compete with them.

As nice as it sounds on paper, the only folks who are going to watch MT-WKU over Michigan-Ohio State are MT and WKU fans.[/quote]

If it doesn’t matter either way then you might as well do it for your own conference. At least try to develop some kind of rivalry. That’s what college football used to be about. Now it’s about money and if we are getting such a small piece of that we might as well as go back to just trying to have fun and playing teams that our people actually care about.[/quote]

Well, the other factor to this is attendance.

The blue bloods and flagships have it easy… most have large, rabid fanbases that will plan holiday travel around the game. From what I hear, D-Block stayed home from the basketball game on Saturday, and that’s what I fear would happen with a lot of G5 rivalry games.

If we played App State on Thanksgiving Saturday every year, would it have the same atmosphere as it would in early November?

8

[quote=“ZombieLew, post:7, topic:30652”][quote=“Ben H, post:6, topic:30652”][quote=“ZombieLew, post:4, topic:30652”]It probably has something to do with the ratings juggernaut that these big-time rivalry handed present. You just can’t compete with them.

As nice as it sounds on paper, the only folks who are going to watch MT-WKU over Michigan-Ohio State are MT and WKU fans.[/quote]

If it doesn’t matter either way then you might as well do it for your own conference. At least try to develop some kind of rivalry. That’s what college football used to be about. Now it’s about money and if we are getting such a small piece of that we might as well as go back to just trying to have fun and playing teams that our people actually care about.[/quote]

Well, the other factor to this is attendance.

The blue bloods and flagships have it easy… most have large, rabid fanbases that will plan holiday travel around the game. From what I hear, D-Block stayed home from the basketball game on Saturday, and that’s what I fear would happen with a lot of G5 rivalry games.

If we played App State on Thanksgiving Saturday every year, would it have the same atmosphere as it would in early November?[/quote]

People will create plans around a football game, most programs don’t have that pull for basketball (Charlotte and Davidson included).

That is something we need to do with football is get a regional rival. Having App State as the last game on the schedule every season would be beneficial for both programs IMO. Over time, It would turn into something people plan around.

9

I’d rather the rivalry game with App be towards the beginning of the season. I was in the mountains this weekend and it was 35 degrees with the wind blowing hard. Going to Boone in late November and sitting outside isn’t very appealing to me.

10

App and GA Southern are rivals. Not sure how they feel about starting one with us, but anything vs an in state opponent is a move in the right direction. That being said, I still think CUSA should still try to schedule a closer opponent on the last weekend than UTSA.

11

I don’t see what the conference would lose by making the following regional pairings the final week of the regular season. Almost all the games being within driving distance for the opposing fans.

East
Charlotte v ODU
FIU v FAU
Marshall v WKU

Cross Divisional
MTSU v UAB

West
S. Miss v LA Tech
UNT v Rice
UTSA v UTEP

12

[quote=“JaMiNNiNeR, post:11, topic:30652”]I don’t see what the conference would lose by making the following regional pairings the final week of the regular season. Almost all the games being within driving distance for the opposing fans.

East
Charlotte v ODU
FIU v FAU
Marshall v WKU

Cross Divisional
MTSU v UAB

West
S. Miss v LA Tech
UNT v Rice
UTSA v UTEP[/quote]

If we’re going to do this (and I agree that we should) I don’t get why we wouldn’t put MT and WKU together for hate week. Maybe work something out with the MAC to let Marshall and Ohio go at it… they’re only a few miles apart, IIRC.

13

Why not start a Carolinas League-App, Charlotte, Wake, Carolina, State, ECU, Duke, Coastal Carolina, S Carolina, Clemson?
Niners should schedule someone in state for a rivalry.

14

[quote=“FridayNiner, post:13, topic:30652”]Why not start a Carolinas League-App, Charlotte, Wake, Carolina, State, ECU, Duke, Coastal Carolina, S Carolina, Clemson?
Niners should schedule someone in state for a rivalry.[/quote]

I’m sure Clemson is just chomping at the bit to get in on that action.

15

[quote=“ZombieLew, post:14, topic:30652”][quote=“FridayNiner, post:13, topic:30652”]Why not start a Carolinas League-App, Charlotte, Wake, Carolina, State, ECU, Duke, Coastal Carolina, S Carolina, Clemson?
Niners should schedule someone in state for a rivalry.[/quote]

I’m sure Clemson is just chomping at the bit to get in on that action.[/quote]

So is USC.

16

[quote=“ZombieLew, post:14, topic:30652”][quote=“FridayNiner, post:13, topic:30652”]Why not start a Carolinas League-App, Charlotte, Wake, Carolina, State, ECU, Duke, Coastal Carolina, S Carolina, Clemson?
Niners should schedule someone in state for a rivalry.[/quote]

I’m sure Clemson is just chomping at the bit to get in on that action.[/quote]
I’m not sure its too far off to see something like this happen in 20ish years. I don’t think the way college athletics is heading is sustainable. Considering it was built on this model, it doesn’t seem crazy to see it revert back.

17

[quote=“Ninerfan2012, post:16, topic:30652”][quote=“ZombieLew, post:14, topic:30652”][quote=“FridayNiner, post:13, topic:30652”]Why not start a Carolinas League-App, Charlotte, Wake, Carolina, State, ECU, Duke, Coastal Carolina, S Carolina, Clemson?
Niners should schedule someone in state for a rivalry.[/quote]

I’m sure Clemson is just chomping at the bit to get in on that action.[/quote]
I’m not sure its too far off to see something like this happen in 20ish years. I don’t think the way college athletics is heading is sustainable. Considering it was built on this model, it doesn’t seem crazy to see it revert back.[/quote]

Possibly, but more than likely we see something approaching more minor league status. E.g. we drop all academic requirements and you just play for your school.

18

[quote=“Ben H, post:17, topic:30652”][quote=“Ninerfan2012, post:16, topic:30652”][quote=“ZombieLew, post:14, topic:30652”][quote=“FridayNiner, post:13, topic:30652”]Why not start a Carolinas League-App, Charlotte, Wake, Carolina, State, ECU, Duke, Coastal Carolina, S Carolina, Clemson?
Niners should schedule someone in state for a rivalry.[/quote]

I’m sure Clemson is just chomping at the bit to get in on that action.[/quote]
I’m not sure its too far off to see something like this happen in 20ish years. I don’t think the way college athletics is heading is sustainable. Considering it was built on this model, it doesn’t seem crazy to see it revert back.[/quote]

Possibly, but more than likely we see something approaching more minor league status. E.g. we drop all academic requirements and you just play for your school.[/quote]

Why would schools like Charlotte or even mid level p5 schools do that?

It is already hard enough to afford college athletics as it is. You can’t continue to drive up the costs and kick it on the students.

19

[quote=“ZombieLew, post:12, topic:30652”][quote=“JaMiNNiNeR, post:11, topic:30652”]I don’t see what the conference would lose by making the following regional pairings the final week of the regular season. Almost all the games being within driving distance for the opposing fans.

East
Charlotte v ODU
FIU v FAU
Marshall v WKU

Cross Divisional
MTSU v UAB

West
S. Miss v LA Tech
UNT v Rice
UTSA v UTEP[/quote]

If we’re going to do this (and I agree that we should) I don’t get why we wouldn’t put MT and WKU together for hate week. Maybe work something out with the MAC to let Marshall and Ohio go at it… they’re only a few miles apart, IIRC.[/quote]

You can switch around some of the match ups but with a 14 team conference one of the games would have to be cross divisional. Maybe Charlotte ends the season against UAB.

20

[quote=“Ninerfan2012, post:18, topic:30652”][quote=“Ben H, post:17, topic:30652”][quote=“Ninerfan2012, post:16, topic:30652”][quote=“ZombieLew, post:14, topic:30652”][quote=“FridayNiner, post:13, topic:30652”]Why not start a Carolinas League-App, Charlotte, Wake, Carolina, State, ECU, Duke, Coastal Carolina, S Carolina, Clemson?
Niners should schedule someone in state for a rivalry.[/quote]

I’m sure Clemson is just chomping at the bit to get in on that action.[/quote]
I’m not sure its too far off to see something like this happen in 20ish years. I don’t think the way college athletics is heading is sustainable. Considering it was built on this model, it doesn’t seem crazy to see it revert back.[/quote]

Possibly, but more than likely we see something approaching more minor league status. E.g. we drop all academic requirements and you just play for your school.[/quote]

Why would schools like Charlotte or even mid level p5 schools do that?

It is already hard enough to afford college athletics as it is. You can’t continue to drive up the costs and kick it on the students.[/quote]

Teams like Charlotte aren’t driving the arms race. The P5 conferences are and they seem perfectly content to keep increasing the costs. At that point, maybe a sizeable amount of the other schools go back to being FCS.

The current trend is towards more spending and this includes on the players themselves. You could pay the players, or you could just drop academic requirements and give them 6 years or so to finish their degrees simply for playing football for the school. It is difficult to do football and academics at the same time and they keep squeezing even more out of the players. Cheating happens at way more schools than just the ones that are caught. Dropping the GPA and class attendance requirements could alleviate cheating issues and help P5 schools land atheletes who are typically athletically ineligible.

Not saying this will happen, only it is one example of how things could go even further towards a minor league style of operations.