Why aren't we playing Valley next year?

[Todd4State]

We had JSU last year, and I think they are coming back in a couple of years, and of course Alcorn Sat. But why UT-Martin instead of Valley? Did something not work out?

 

[Predestined]

Just a guess.

 

[randystewart]

Valley had some scholarship issues that prohibited us from playing them earlier. Not sure what the exact reason is, but a Valley administrator told me "if we can keep our scholarship levels up, we will play in Starkville in 2012, it would more than double anything that we have made on a football game before"

 

[Todd4State]

I hope it works out. But I thought we were playing JSU in 2012?

While I am totally for Booneing our schedule, I am also vehemently against playing two I-AA schools in the same season because only one of those wins can go towards the six we need to go to a bowl.

 

[Maroon Eagle]

...needed to qualify for a bowl game, the 1-AA school in question has to average offering a certain number of scholarships over a 2-year period. Valley gives out less than the maximum allowable scholarships-- in fact they give out so few that they don't currently qualify as an eligible 1-AA school that 1-A teams can play.

 

[MedDawg]

USM.

 

[Todd4State]

...needed to qualify for a bowl game, the 1-AA school in question has to average offering a certain number of scholarships over a 2-year period. Valley gives out less than the maximum allowable scholarships-- in fact they give out so few that they don't currently qualify as an eligible 1-AA school that 1-A teams can play.

What doesn't make sense is why they don't offer more scholarships.

 

[vhdawg]

Per the 1/14/2010 edition of Ninja News.

 

[randystewart]

I thought he told me 2012, but maybe he said after 2012. It was definitely something about their scholarships though, and some kind of agreement is in place.

 

[patdog]

If they're not funding enough scholarships, I'm sure it's because they just can't afford them. As for why we're not playing an in-state I-AA team next year, while I am solidly in favor of playing them, I'm not in favor of playing them every year. I think every other year is plenty and fill in the off years with teams like Samford, SE Lousiana, Northwestern St., UT Martin and Jacksonville St.

 

[Todd4State]

And JSU should thank their lucky stars that we are playing them again after Comegy whined about the check being too small.

 

[Todd4State]

I just want to see all of Mississippi's I-A/I-AA schools in person.

I do think that a lot of the "keeping money in-state" and interest and crowd drawing is a little overblown, because I-AA schools vs I-A teams just aren't ever going to make a huge impact one way or the other. They need I-A schools, and schools like MSU need the win.

 

[patdog]

It's a much more important for them than just MSU fans wanting to see us play the in-state schools. And I think it's the right thing to do for us to help them out. I just don't want to see us get locked in to playing them every single year.