A Tale of Two Conferences: SWAC supports Legacy Bowl; MEAC schools against it

[CSN Log]

06-09-2010 05:22 PM

On paper, it seemed brilliant and simple.

The Legacy Bowl would pit the champions of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and the Southwestern Athletic Conference – against each other. Airing on ESPN, it would guarantee a $3 million payout to be split by the conferences. It would also end the arguments, such as when South Carolina State edged out Prairie View A&M for the Sheridan Broadcasting Network’s Black National Championship – neither team played each other (in fact, the MEAC and SWAC rarely play each other).

Read more » (http://www.championshipsubdivisionnews.com/log/index.php/2010/06/09/a-tale-of-two-conferences-swac-supports?blog=2#more6597)

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[TexasTerror]

Does not know much, do they?


The game could be played after the FCS playoffs are over, putting it into ESPN’s Bowl Week. The NCAA would have to issue a special ruling, though, because it considers bowl games to be playoff games. Should the MEAC or SWAC champ go all the way to the championship, it might run over its maximum number of games.

1. During bowl week? Not with the new alignment of the championship date, because you can not factor that the MEAC AQ would lose early.

2. I thought post-season games do not count against the maximum number of games? The game max. is solely based off the regular season contests, correct? There's a separate rule for the post-season...??


Thirdlly, the Legacy Bowl could serve as the first-round game between the SWAC and MEAC champions during the FCS playoffs. The game would automatically carry more weight than bragging rights because the loser would be done for the season. ESPN could still show it, just at an earlier date.

Going to move the Bayou Classic? Or going to move the playoffs? I have a hard time seeing the Bayou Classic forcing the move of the playoffs. You would be forcing plenty of teams to pay per diem and keep their kids during Thanksgiving to practice, in case of a playoff appearance or if the regular season got pushed back an additional week - for that Thanksgiving week. Help two teams by negatively impacting most of the subdivision.


Some bloggers have even floated the Legacy Bowl as an annual event between the SWAC and the Ivy League. On paper, it works because the Ivy League does not offer scholarships. Its players are walk-ons, meaning that the SWAC schools might stand an even chance.

Why throw out this scenario? The Ivy League could care less about the financial ramifications of playing such a game and if they were playing after their 10-game slate, I can assure you it would be in the NCAA postseason like all their other sports...


If the SWAC could regularly beat a white school, though, it might lure the MEAC back into consideration. Then again, if the SWAC can regularly beat a powerhouse white school, it might be worth going into the FCS playoffs.

Why would beating a white school lure the MEAC "back into consideration"?

[SUjagTILLiDIE]

Poorly written article and a very misleading title. Who says the Meac is against it. If they were it would not be to the point it is at. Would have been better if you said some of the Meac fans are against it, or some schools are against it.

[TexasTerror]

Poorly written article and a very misleading title. Who says the Meac is against it. If they were it would not be to the point it is at. Would have been better if you said some of the Meac fans are against it, or some schools are against it.

I'm not really sure we know who is on the side against it at this time...

From an "outsider's perspective", it sure is interesting to watch the SWAC fans try to preach on the MEAC board why the game makes sense. xthumbsupx

[SUjagTILLiDIE]

From an "outsider's perspective", it sure is interesting to watch the SWAC fans try to preach on the MEAC board why the game makes sense. xthumbsupxJust having fun, because when its all said and done, what any MEAC/SWAC poster says doesnt matter. :)

[mikebigg]

How does moving the date of the playoffs for one week negatively affect the entire subdivision? The current playing during Thanksgiving weekend when Students are out of town (or at the Bayou Classic) hurts the attendance of some schools playoff games.

I would think the week off after a grueling season would benefit those playoff teams as it will give them rest AND it give the coaches more time to breakdown film, put in game plans.

[TexasTerror]

How does moving the date of the playoffs for one week negatively affect the entire subdivision? The current playing during Thanksgiving weekend when Students are out of town (or at the Bayou Classic) hurts the attendance of some schools playoff games.

1) Schools who have a chance at making the playoffs will make their students stay on campus for practice. With school out of session, they have more flexibility in terms of the amount of hours spent.

2) Those schools who have their students stay - whether for a game during Thanksgiving weekend or for playoff potential - will have to pay per diem (and perhaps some extra dorm room fees) for XX amount of student-athletes sticking around, since the dorms, cafeteria, etc. are closed.

We're talking about significant money to keep people around during Thanksgiving (for games and/or waiting), when in year's past - only the playoff teams would be sticking around for Thanksgiving week.


I would think the week off after a grueling season would benefit those playoff teams as it will give them rest AND it give the coaches more time to breakdown film, put in game plans.

Perhaps...but then again, if they are not sure who they will play (since they have to wait for the Bayou Classic to wrap up), how do you properly game plan? Take a gander at the geographic limitations of the playoffs?

Also - some teams would be off for TWO weeks with the expanded playoffs, if not three (depending on how the calendar/scheduling works). Probably not a good thing either...

[mikebigg]

So you are saying it doesn't impact attendance by playing the game when the student body has left for the Thanksgiving weekend? Okay...cool by me. I wonder how many of those students from La school are watching the game in the dome?

[TexasTerror]

So you are saying it doesn't impact attendance by playing the game when the student body has left for the Thanksgiving weekend? Okay...cool by me.

I was commenting on the economic impact of keeping teams on campus during the Thanksgiving holidays and bringing to light how "waiting for the SWAC" would negatively impact the bottom line of schools. The SWAC should know something about this, hence the SCG, their current efforts to put the Legacy Bowl on the schedule and the league's OOC basketball schedule.

We can debate the attendance at first round playoff games another time, another place...but for now, we're talking bottom line.

[mikebigg]

I was commenting on the economic impact of keeping teams on campus during the Thanksgiving holidays and bringing to light how "waiting for the SWAC" would negatively impact the bottom line of schools. The SWAC should know something about this, hence the SCG, their current efforts to put the Legacy Bowl on the schedule and the league's OOC basketball schedule.

We can debate the attendance at first round playoff games another time, another place...but for now, we're talking bottom line.

Not wanting you to wait on the SWAC... the SWAC isn't participating in the playoffs anyway. We've moved past that...and so have I. I was alluding to how delaying the playoffs one week would benefit those who have decided to be playoff participants. Yall can do as you please...