I don't know if there's any truth to this, BUT....

[BlueRaiderPride]

From our MTSU Board. Keep in mind this is a RUMOR. I don't know if I really understand the logistics of it all. Are ya'll hearing something about this? But there's a possibility we may lose you guys for our September 17th home game and that you'll be substituted with 1-AA Western Kentucky. In turn to help Florida International obtain a fourth home game against a 1-A team to be in complaince with 1-A standards set up temorarily for the 2004 season (must schedule 4 1-A home games), your team would travel to Miami on September 17th to take on FIU.

From MT01:

A few on the inside here have mentioned "a rumor" about a possible change on our football schedule. Since no one is willing to post what this rumor is I have decided to break it down for you as best I can. Before I get started I will say there are some pros and cons, but you'll have to be the judge on what you think if this actually occurs.

First, I should state that I don't know the full details of the issue at FIU, but the important point is that FIU is losing a game against a Division I-A opponent. This leaves FIU with only three home games against I-A opponents. Now, if you recall the NCAA says you have to play FIVE I-A teams at home to continue your membership at the I-A level. The NCAA has put a bit of a disclaimer in rules saying you can count a I-AA as a I-A game every few years. (Perhaps Space can provide the exact details on that rule). The problem is that FIU already has a I-AA game scheduled. They have to get one more I-A team at home to get them back up to four and can count the other I-AA team as a I-A game this year.

Further complicating this issue is our jackass bretheren in the conference are all playing only four I-A teams at home this year with the exception of North Texas, and I think NT has already used their one I-AA as a I-A last year when they hosted FAU. So basically, North Texas can't help. The other teams in the conference cannot move their home game with FIU to Miami, because that would leave that team with only three I-A opponents at home.

This leaves Middle Tennessee as the only school that can help FIU out. If MT does not agree to help out, FIU is subject to losing their I-A status and thereby screwing the conference, because the NCAA says you are required to have eight teams to maintain a I-A conference. So, basically - and this is based on my own interpretation of what's going on (my disclaimer) without helping out in this situation the conference is a sinking ship.

Wright Waters and Mcphee have devised a plan to save FIU and subsequently the conference, which will really jack up our schedule this year. There appears to be only one option. The likely scenario would be for MT to give up it's home game with Akron. Akron would then travel to FIU giving the Panthers the I-A opponent they have to have and MT would be stuck with four games against a I-A team just like everyone else. To give us one more home game Western Kentucky is being asked to fill the vacancy left by Akron, but the game would likely have to be played at the end of the season and may affect the date of our game against Troy.

If someone has any additional info or if any this is off key please let us know, so we all don't go out making travel plans. -- With all that said, we obviously see some problems with this issue. Below are a few pros and cons:

Pros

-Game against WKU may actually draw better than a game against Akron

-The Sun Belt and FIU get to save face in what could be an embarrassing situation thus somewhat helping us too in an indirect way.

-Keep our home game against UNT

-One would hope this would give us some collateral and negotiating power in demanding things we need to see happen within the conference down the road.

Cons

-This would really screw up our schedule. Three straight games at home in November and five of the first six games on the road.

-WKU could draw better than Akron; however, before you jump on that idea too quickly there is a timing issue that plays into this. The weather is likely to be better when we play Akron early in the season (which would become the open date in this scenario) than it would to play WKU on Nov. 19

-What if we lose to WKU? We don't have a good history against I-AA's recently and losing to Western could all but destroy the program.

-This is yet another example of piss poor planning by conference members. FB programs in this conference are going to have to get their heads out of their rear ends and quit this policy of using exceptions to rules and waivers to save their asses

[Wally B]

HOMER SAYS!

MMMMMmmmmmm! ........ Florida AAAgggghhhhhh...............!

[Captain Kangaroo]

Coincidentally, I spoke to someone from the University today regarding the Zips 2005 schedule. That person mentioned Middle Tenessee as an opponent, so I would assume there's still a good chance the game is still "on."

However, the Zips schedule has not been finalized, so you never know.

[Sergeant Zip]

It is kind of rough to look at the FIU website and see the stadium they have at a school like that.

http://www.fiusports.com/football/stadium.htm

Luckily our time is coming.

[Zipsrifle]

If the Rubber Bowl was that size (7000), we'd sell out every game. Looks like a confrence championship at a high school. It is in much better shape than the RB though.