UNA-Jacksonville State Is the Rivalry the ASUN Needs
They emerging conference has vast geography and youth but this Yellowhammer State clash may be a signature game
Many big clashes line the college football slate and that is as true at the FCS-level as it is for any other. In the CAA, Richmond and Villanova will play a game with playoff implications while James Madison goes to Weber State for a blockbuster clash.
One FCS game not garnering as much attention is North Alabama-Jacksonville State. While Jacksonville State gained significant exposure from their last-second upset of Florida State, North Alabama has struggled, starting 0-2.
The two programs are in opposite places with Jacksonville State being one of the more consistent programs in the FCS, making the playoffs in five of the past seven seasons. The Gamecocks look poised for another playoff bid after the aforementioned win against Florida State.
On the other hand, North Alabama is still finding their footing. Dating back to last Fall, the Lions have lost six in a row and missed out on exposure from the Spring season, as they opted out. The program has struggled to replicate their Division II success, going 11-16 since moving up to FCS in 2018, with four of those wins coming against sub-FCS competition.
On paper, the game looks to have little impact on the FCS playoff race or even the WAC-ASUN Challenge race as North Alabama is ineligible for the playoffs due to their transition. However, this game has implications for the future of the burgeoning ASUN conference.
Earlier this Summer, it was not Texas and Oklahoma that started the current realignment craze, but the WAC and ASUN, with both poaching members from various FCS conferences in the pursuit of becoming football conferences.
The ASun added Eastern Kentucky, Central Arkansas, and Jacksonville State, while Olympic sports members Kennesaw State and North Alabama moved their football programs from the Big South.
While all of these schools have strong football pedigrees, they do not share much history or a geographical footprint aside from being Southern schools. For instance, Eastern Kentucky is more than 300 miles away from their closest rivals in North Alabama and Jacksonville State.
Aside from saving in costs, geographic proximity increases fan interest. UConn’s defection from the American is an example as the lack of regional rivals in the American factored in their decision along with maintaining a strong profile in basketball.
The ASUN only has one rivalry with both geography and history in North Alabama and Jacksonville State. The schools have met 47 times since their first meeting in 1949. Many of those games were important in the Division II title race, with two meetings coming in the playoffs.
No other ASUN matchup comes close to the history of North Alabama-Jacksonville State, with the next most frequent league matchup being Eastern Kentucky-Jacksonville State with only 17 meetings.
In the future, the conference may want to schedule this game on the last weekend of the regular season alongside other flagship rivalries of the FCS like Lafayette-Lehigh and Harvard-Yale.
A New Legion Field Rivalry?
Jacksonville State and North Alabama can add spice to their rivalry with a move to one of college football’s most revered venues.
Legion Field is a much-maligned venue after UAB’s christening of Protective Stadium. As of now, the stadium is home of a pair of HBCU classics, but it’s future still remains in doubt.
A marriage between Jacksonville State-UNA would be an ideal match. The rivalry gets a big game feel and the ASUN gains a showcase game within their conference.
Legion Field gets to hold on to life just a little bit longer with the addition of another big game.
The schools have only one meeting at the Gray Old Lady, coming in 1971. Both schools are less than two hours from Birmingham so the trip is easy.
Although it may not seem like it at the surface, Jacksonville State-UNA is one of the more important games of the FCS weekend for its significance to the ASUN. A competitive game will help build momentum for a conference in need of relevant matchups.