Enhancing the college inter-squad games; Intra-state rotation.

[Bartram]

Using the state of Alabama as an example, I don't think we will ever see, for example, a college football game between the University of Alabama and Alabama State or Auburn and Alabama A&M or Tuskegee/Miles and Troy State or UAB for whatever reasons.

A way that we could see the schools at least meet on the grid-iron and enhance fan interest in college football in the state even more, would be to alter the current "A-day"/"Blue & Orange"/"Crimson and Gold"/"Black and Gold"/etc (whatever the respective schools call their spring intra-squad scrimmages) formats.

Instead of the various colleges in the state winding up their seasons with an intra-squad game between their own team, they should play a rotating schedule against the other colleges in the state; kinda like a "spring jamberee" at the college level.

In such a scenario, Alabama, for example would play against an Alabama A&M, or a UAB against an Alabama State, perhaps a Tuskegee against an Auburn or a Miles against a UNA. Now, now,, let the jokes begin, but you could modify the format so that, perhaps four colleges would meet in Birmingham, another four in Montgomery and another four in Mobile and perhaps play only two quarters with whatever squads they want to put on the field; for example, maybe the Alabama second team could scrimmage against the Miles first team,, etc

A format like this to replace intra-squad scrimmages during the spring would be full of intrigue and be the center of much speculation for fans and even draw fans out to watch their teams go up against the other in-state colleges that you won't see them play during the regular season. I'd love to see, and perhaps pay $5-10 dollars to go see Tuskegee scrimmage against, say, Troy State, UA or Auburn in real game conditions. For that matter, I'd pay to see ASU, AAMU, Miles and Stillman against the other schools they don't normally play in a scrimmage. Any thoughts??

 

[Bartram]

Sorry, I meant, "Enhancing the college INTRA-SQUAD~"

Word-smithing is a mu-fu sometimes.

 

[MikeBigg]

You know that's not a bad idea. I think that if this is done in a situational tyoe scrimmage, it would be beneficial to the teams involved.

Using a situational scrimmage would reduce the impact of depth and give a measuring guage on personnel and coaching technique.

 

[Bartram]

Precisely, and I'd love to see it.

I was trying to get at that point; you could set it up so that depth and all that would not be a factor. Perhaps play your 1st team against their first team for one quarter or something, just enough to get your personnel out there in game situations against another team, BUT a team from within the state that you would not play under other conditions. I think it would really peak fan interest and even give more exposure to more colleges in the state. Nothing against, say, going across state lines if schools agree to it. For example, Troy State and FSU could meet which would not be a big money drain. Just a bus drive to Dothan(neutral sight) or even to Tallahassee or Troy.

We already see real games between schools that don't play each other normally in sports like Basketball. Alabama State played the Univ of Alabama last year,, many of the Div I-AA schools play the Div I-A schools during the first part of basketball season. This would be about the same thing only it would take the place of the spring game for the schools.

On the down side, maybe this is why the big schools would not want to see such because they don't have anything to gain other than scrimmaging while it would bring added exposure to the smaller schools. I think it would be great for general fand interest and create a whole new area of fan debate/excitement arguing, for example, how Grambling beat LSU in a scrimmage or AAMU's first team played Auburn's first team to a tie. I think it would also give PWCs/fans more exposure to HBCU football which we only rarely see now perhaps one game per HBCU/PWC during the regular season and maybe during the playoffs. I think the best thing, though, would be to see the in-state colleges going head-to-head across the board, in a rotating format.

 

[MikeBigg]

If the schools don't want it to become a "media" circus, then just make it a closed scrimmage. For instance, La Tech, ULM, & GSU never play each other. Tech decided it no longer wanted to play ULM, and neither has ever played GSU.

Man a good round robin format of GSU's Defense vs ULM's Offense, ULM's Defense vs Tech's Offense, and GSU's Offense against Tech's Defense would allow for some good intrasquad work in a competitive atmosphere. The first year have it at La Tech, then at ULM, then at GSU.

The good thing about the round robin format is that it's not head to head. You could charge admission and raise some money, to support the programs....I know, it's wishful thinking but it would be interesting!

 

[krueger]

Would this violate NCAA rules?

I believe that this would be a violation of NCAA rules. They forbid this type of preseason workouts in basketball.

 

[Fiyah]

Re: Would this violate NCAA rules?

Originally posted by krueger
I believe that this would be a violation of NCAA rules. They forbid this type of preseason workouts in basketball.

yes it is a violation....

 

[MikeBigg]

I didn't know that...I guess the 'informal' 7 on 7 drills between players with no coaches is permissible. After thinking about it, I guess the NCAA would consider that unfair to schools like Nebraska that doesn't have anyone in it's immediate area to scrimmage.

 

[Bartram]

If so, I would propose a change of the rules.

I think the formate could be set up with NCAA blessing to allow for such. I'd like to see the NCAA change the rules to allow for some version of this.