RUMOR: MEAC/SWAC Challenge to be BCF Champ Game

[Deleted]

From our SWAC Cousins on MFZ:

Yesterday, at the TSUNAA Maroon & Gray Club's football kickoff luncheon, Texas Southern President John M. Rudley (who also serves as chair of the SWAC Council of Presidents), mentioned ESPN is working on a Black College Football National Championship game held in Atlanta. Both participating teams will receive $1M each.

Read more: meacfanszone.proboards.com/thread/25777/rumor-meac-swac-challenge-moving?page=6#scrollTo=397068#ixzz3BYkvEiw5

It has been confirmed by multiple sources in the know from multiple schools in both conferences. Nothing official came out yet from either Conference but I expect something to be announced this fall. The MEAC will most likely give up its Auto-Bid and the Conference champ will go to the game.

Personally, a chance to play in a Bowl game that can earn us $1 Million that we don't have to share seems to be a good idea this go around. I also expect ESPN to give the MEAC front office another $1 - $2 Million to split with the conferences and the teams will have their travel expenses covered.

[marchingband1969]

Well there's been lots of debate about this idea with the majority of it negative. There's a large number of folks out there that want us to continue pursuing the playoff championship. Personally if the $1 million is fact not a pipe dream I say "Hello Atlanta" goodbye South Dakota State!

[saabman]

We should have been pushing this a long time a go. It's about time. Amen to that Amen!

[saabman]

We should have been pushing this a long time a go. It's about time. Amen to that Amen!

[oleschoolaggie]

i’m 100% against this concept and i don’t believe the rumors that are coming out. first of all, why should we waste the funds that it takes to finance 63 scholarships if we have no intention of competing at the fcs level in the playoffs? if all we’re gonna do is compete against hbcu’s for championships, why even bother playing the ccu’s and elon’s of the world? why not save the money on the scholarships and drop down to d2 if all we’re gonna do is compete against hbcu’s.

i do not buy the rumor that espn is gonna pay the conferences an additional 1 to 2 million dollars and even if they did, i wouldn’t want to forfeit an opportunity to compete in the playoffs. if all you wanna do is make money (or save money), then its easier to save money if we forego this d1 bs and drop down to d2.

this is nothing more than a "glorified legacy bowl" which failed miserably when proposed. i wants no part of this unless they allow the conference to maintain its autobid to the playoffs and accept the best team in the conference that doesn't qualify for the playoffs to participate in this game...

[neighborhoodsuperstar]

In theory, I agree with you OSA --- I've always been about focusing on being the best in the FCS. I also have a hard time believing ESPN is gonna give the schools $1 million.

With that being said, if ESPN is willing to do it and respecting the financial climate that is out there as it pertains to college athletics, I honestly couldn't turn this game down.

I'm only speaking for myself ---- based on what I've seen from the SWAC over the past 10+ years, I wouldn't care to play a SWAC school in football for the rest of my life. I just don't think there is much any legitimate MEAC football gets out of playing any of their programs....

....but if ESPN wants to pay us $1 million to beat one of their tails in instead of us having to pay for an FCS playoff game, I just cannot argue with the financial logic. I'm not gonna waste more time on this subject - it pops up every few years, only to fade back into obscurity.

[Aggie77]

OSA I share your sentiments to some degree, I don't necessarily agree with all you say. Dropping down to D2 doesn't limit our playing field to HBCUs. The Legacy Bowl failed primarily because the top teams in each conference didn't participate and the lack of a marketing strategy around second place teams. Who was the sponsor of the Legacy Bowl? With ESPN backing this, their muscle could produce a different outcome in a different time.

The only way this works is that the top teams play each other in this game. ESPN probably doesn't care if the second place teams go to the play-offs. The NCAA probably doesn't care who we select for our auto bid, after all they sanctioned both games before, although with a reverse selection.

It's unlikely this is a rumor, but as long we don't have to give up our auto bid I'm all in.

[oleschoolaggie]

oh, i can roll with the proposed championship game if we don't have to forfeit our autobid. that's the only sticking point for me. i luv being a part of an all hbcu conference, but i don't like in effect eliminating ourselves from the rest of the fcs world. i fully accept the "disadvantages" that all hbcu's must overcome in order to be successful in the playoffs. i'm not afraid to accept challenges and i'm certainly not a "quitter". hbcu's have always had the odds stacked against us throughout our entire history, but we kept fighting, we never gave up and we have persevered as a result of that.

i don't want to be completely segregated from fcs pwc's. i like being in an hbcu conference and i like the fact that playing ccu and elon has some meaning. if we forfeit our autobid to the playoffs, then playing ccu and elon becomes meaningless. i've never ever advocated us moving down to d2, but if we're no longer gonna compete in the fcs playoffs, then to me we have no need to finance 63 scholarships just to "exclusively" play hbcu's. we'd save a lot more money than what that game can offer us if we move down to d2 where at least we could continue to compete in the playoffs...

[aggierattler]

Those of you who visit MFZ know that I am 100% against this JIM CROW BOWL and why I am against it.

We've been fighting since April of 1865 for INCLUSION. We've made major strides and we've made minor strides ON ALL FRONTS OF AMERICAN LIFE. Now is not the time to settle for EXCLUSION for a FEW PIECES OF SILVER.

This is a move BY THE SWAC to help save the SWAC...AT OUR EXPENSE.

[oleschoolaggie]

Aug 27, 2014 9:40:42 GMT -5 aggierattler said:

Those of you who visit MFZ know that I am 100% against this JIM CROW BOWL and why I am against it.

We've been fighting since April of 1865 for INCLUSION. We've made major strides and we've made minor strides ON ALL FRONTS OF AMERICAN LIFE. Now is not the time to settle for EXCLUSION for a FEW PIECES OF SILVER.

This is a move BY THE SWAC to help save the SWAC...AT OUR EXPENSE.

ar, i "wholeheartedly" agree!

[bigpeete1]

It's fool gold and could jeopardise us our FCS status

[Aggie One]

Ditto!

[aggiebred09]

Yeah we are on course right now to be national contenders and at this point we already have 3 or 4 games on ESPN. THE ESPN HBCU Championship wont break any viewer rating and by the 3rd or 4th year we will be shuffled off to Centric or TBS.

We are stepping our game up folks. By all accounts playing the SWAC for bragging rights (alone) will be a hard sell to recruits.

[@ProfBellamy]

Aug 27, 2014 9:43:32 GMT -5 oleschoolaggie said:

Aug 27, 2014 9:40:42 GMT -5 aggierattler said:

Those of you who visit MFZ know that I am 100% against this JIM CROW BOWL and why I am against it.

We've been fighting since April of 1865 for INCLUSION. We've made major strides and we've made minor strides ON ALL FRONTS OF AMERICAN LIFE. Now is not the time to settle for EXCLUSION for a FEW PIECES OF SILVER.

This is a move BY THE SWAC to help save the SWAC...AT OUR EXPENSE.

ar, i "wholeheartedly" agree!

THIS!!! A&T and some of our other MEAC schools aren't in the business of being competitive against just HBCUs....but everyone!

[aggierattler]

For the SWAC, my solution would be to let them play the SIAC Champs for the HBCU FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP..