Texas-Texas A&M To End Rivalry Game?

In an article published on theeagle.com, an anonymous editorial author comments on the future of the annual highly anticipated Texas-Texas A&M rivalry game. This game is the highlight of many loyal fan’s Thanksgiving holidays and one that has been going on for over 100 years. However, with A&M moving to the SEC, fans are worried about continuing the long-standing tradition.

 

It seems possible that the tradition will continue because both teams will have a number of out of conference games each season. However, the matchup will not be as significant, rankings wise, because the game will not be one to determine conference standings like it has been in the past. For the sake of UT and A&M fans, one should hope the rivalry continues because rivalries are the heart of American football.

 

With all the commotion surrounding conference realignment, the issue of continuing the Texas-Texas A&M game brought up an interesting subject, and one most people had probably not even thought of at this point. Everyone sees the problems with conference realignment in the money, television deals, or unbalanced divisions. However, people must stop and think about what truly matters in college football, our long-standing, hateful rivalries. What if UF or Auburn suddenly moved to the ACC? Although it would be likely that the games would still continue they wouldn’t have as much of an impact because they wouldn’t affect our standings within the SEC. Also, consider the unthinkable. What if Texas and Texas A&M are not able to maintain their rivalry game for whatever reason? As UGA fans, how would we feel if the highly anticipated UGA-UF game was suddenly removed from the schedule? Fans would be devastated. Conference realignment is inevitable and is currently re-shaping the realm of college football, however, I hope that rivalry games are not swept under the rug and are still considered a vital part of college football; whether within or out of conference.

The Future of College Football

According to Ken Tysiac of the Raleigh News & Observer, there is a wave of changes ahead in the realm of college football. As of Sunday, September 18, 2011, the ACC accepted bids from Pittsburgh and Syracuse.

The twelve-team conference has officially added the University of Pittsburgh and Syracuse University as their thirteenth and fourteenth teams. The Council of Presidents, a board with the President from each current ACC school represented, voted unanimously on this decision. Although Pittsburgh and Syracuse have been generously welcomed into the ACC, their departure from the Big East will be more difficult. Each team must pay the Big East a $5 million exiting fee as well as give the conference 27 months notice. Even though the ACC is ready for the two teams, they won’t see any playing time in the new “super conference” for over two years.

“Super Conferences” seem to be the future of college football. With the addition of Pittsburgh and Syracuse, the ACC becomes a fourteen-team division. Whereas, Texas A&M’s decision to move to the SEC has created a thirteen-team division. There is also speculation that the Big-12 is in danger of dissolving, leaving their current teams to be absorbed by other conferences. The future seems to be in the hands of four conferences, the ACC, Sec, Big Ten, and Pac-12. These new “super conferences” could potentially solve the problems long associated with the BCS bowl championships. The creation of a playoff between the four conferences for a spot in the national championship is not a far-fetched idea.

Plans for FSU’s Much-Needed Establishment

Thursday, Coley Harvey of the Orlando Sentinel posted an article discussing the plans for FSU to build an indoor practice facility for their nationally ranked football team. The proposed establishment will cost upwards of $15 million and the Seminole boosters have created a finance campaign to begin raising money for their much-needed establishment.

Harvey explains that anytime it rains or there is lightning within a 10-mile radius of campus the Seminoles have to postpone practice and retreat to the locker rooms and wait out the storm. Since the season started, three practices have already been postponed. FSU president Eric Barron, athletic director Andy Spetman, and other boosters use arguments such as this to justify the finance campaign for the long-awaited building.

Harvey denotes events that will take place this weekend to spread awareness and information about the new establishment, however, he fails to detail exactly when and what will take place at the events. The only information given on the subject is that one event will take place at the Turnbull Center in Tallahassee on Friday.

USC: Student Tickets To Away Games

Last week, Ryan Quinn of the Daily Gamecock wrote an article discussing the issues with student tickets at the University of South Carolina. USC students are allotted a significantly lower amount of student tickets to away games than students at other SEC schools are. For each away game, the visiting school is given a maximum number of tickets to purchase for their students, faculty, alumni, and fans.

The University of Georgia reserves ten percent of the tickets they purchase to each away game for their students. In contrast, the University of South Carolina reserved as little as 1.5 percent of tickets for their students to the UGA/USC game this year.  The University of Tennessee reserved nearly double the amount of tickets for their students when they visited USC than USC did when they visited Tennessee. This year, the student tickets to USC away games were sold out within hours. Only after season ticket holders have had their chance to purchase tickets to away games are the students who were turned away then allowed to buy tickets to the games.

Although USC bought all the tickets they could for the UGA game, they accepted less than possible for the ECU and Tennessee games. According to Quinn, schools pay face value for the tickets to away games and in turn, sell them for face value to their fans, alumni, etc. However, if the school cannot sell all of the away game tickets they purchase, they end up having to pay the difference to the university they are visiting.

Although Quinn thoroughly discusses the issues behind student tickets to away games at the University of South Carolina, he does not touch on how students themselves actually feel about this issue. Students are clearly affected most by the school’s decision to allot such a small amount of student tickets.  Quinn also fails to suggest any changes to the allotment of student away game tickets. Student participation at football games is a necessity so perhaps USC should look into changing the ways they distribute tickets.

Miami Football Players Declared Ineligible

In a wave of controversy surrounding the University of Miami athletics, Susan Degnan from the Miami Herald published an article highlighting the most recent developments. As of Friday, August 26, eight Miami football players were declared ineligible two of whom included star players quarterback Jacory Harris and linebacker Sean Spence.

The eight suspended athletes were involved in a scandal with former Miami booster Nevin Shapiro. Shapiro provided impermissible benefits to the young players. Such benefits included dinner at Benihana, trips to a strip club, and entertainment at his mansion as well as a bowling alley.

In addition to the eight declared ineligible, five other athletes were in question but none were declared ineligible because the benefits they received from Shapiro were less than $100 and can be paid back through charitable donations.

The Miami coaches have declined to comment on the issues at hand saying they have done all they can and that it is now in the hands of the NCAA to determine the fate of their players.

Such a scandal has an impact on everyone: the players, the coaches, the university, the conference, and the NCAA. Degnan however, leaves out just how negatively the players’ suspension will be for everyone involved. From fans to boosters, with the suspension of some of the teams star players there will be a significant impact during the actual season. Degnan does not touch base on this issue at all, instead highlighting the details of the players’ ineligibilities.

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