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Imagine the following scenario: It's 2017 and Georgia Southern has just beaten Georgia State 49-0 at Paulson Stadium. Following the game, Georgia State is presented with a big trophy for beating its rival.
Confused? Well, the trophy is for the previous school year, when Southern also beat State.
Still confused? You should be.
The two schools, per press releases and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, have agreed to an all-sports trophy to help establish a rivalry. Not only does it involve a convoluted scoring system encompassing every single sport both schools play, it involves activities completely unrelated to athletics.
The athletics department with the most points at the end of the school year will receive the trophy at the following year's football game.
More details will be announced closer to this year's football game, which will be played Dec. 5 in Statesboro.
Here are the basics of the scoring system:
With the exception of this year's football game, which will be worth two points, all head-to-head matchups will be worth one point. For sports that play series, such as baseball and softball, each will be worth one point. Sweeping volleyball series will be worth one point, or ½ point for each split. Volleyball will also be the first ½ point up for grabs when the schools meet in Statesboro on Oct. 7.
The university whose athletics department has the highest GPA for the combined fall and spring semesters will receive one point.
A community service project will be chosen by each school's student-athlete advisory committee in which both will compete head to head. The winning school gets a point.
Simple right?
That article was the first thing I read about this, and I wondered if State unilaterally decided to do this and somehow got it in the paper before Southern could categorically deny being involved in such chicanery.
But no. Per a release from Georgia Southern:
"With the significant number of alumni that we have in the Atlanta area, and the pride that Eagle Nation displays toward Georgia Southern, a rivalry between Georgia State and Georgia Southern is a natural fit," Georgia Southern Director of Athletics Tom Kleinlein said. "It only makes sense to bring Atlanta and Statesboro together and for the two areas to get excited when the Eagles and Panthers play in any sport. This series will give both fan bases a chance for bragging rights and will enhance the rivalry between these two great institutions."
Kleinlein is one of the best athletic directors in the country. It's still not a good idea.
The trophy serves State's interests in two important ways. 1. It identifies them as Southern's top rival. 2. The emphasis is placed away from football, a sport which every other rivalry trophy you can name is based on, and a sport you may or may not have noticed State is terrible at playing.
It reads like something State would dream up, email to Southern as an idea, and receive in response an all caps HAIL NO with an attached computer virus disguised as a .pdf.
It is a huge deal? No. Most fans will likely pay little attention to a trophy involving non-revenue sports and community service. It's still not a good idea.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Eaglenation?src=hash">#Eaglenation</a> the rivalry series gives us a chance to bring a competitive spirit to all areas of our department and raise awareness in ATL.</p>— Tom Kleinlein (@TKleinleinAD) <a href="https://twitter.com/TKleinleinAD/status/649723528858746880">October 1, 2015</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/TKleinleinAD">@TKleinleinAD</a> don't spin this, not a good decision and one that the fans don't approve. Need to check the temp of acceptance today</p>— Jason Trusty (@JasonTrusty1) <a href="https://twitter.com/JasonTrusty1/status/649932714100006913">October 2, 2015</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/TKleinleinAD">@TKleinleinAD</a> TK, doing a great job! Gotta say, not crazy about the GA State rivalry trophy though.</p>— Carolina on my Mind (@savclt) <a href="https://twitter.com/savclt/status/649734471084847105">October 1, 2015</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/gatasportsguy">@gatasportsguy</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/TKleinleinAD">@TKleinleinAD</a> and nobody in ATL cares about ga st. Confused as to how this grows awareness.</p>— Sun Belt Bullies (@sunbeltbullies) <a href="https://twitter.com/sunbeltbullies/status/649761683347537920">October 2, 2015</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/TKleinleinAD">@TKleinleinAD</a> GA State shouldn't be viewed and given a status as a rival, waters us down</p>— C Grant (@CoJoGrant) <a href="https://twitter.com/CoJoGrant/status/649943162681749504">October 2, 2015</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/sunbeltbullies">@sunbeltbullies</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/TKleinleinAD">@TKleinleinAD</a> Despise is a good word. Will not care about this trophy. Rivals are earned over time, not a generated gimmick.</p>— Jeff Gutknecht (@gut8864) <a href="https://twitter.com/gut8864/status/649765407881064449">October 2, 2015</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/sunbeltbullies">@sunbeltbullies</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/TKleinleinAD">@TKleinleinAD</a> Just make it about football nobody is going to understand or care about this <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/lame?src=hash">#lame</a> <a href="http://t.co/UN6rITKAik">pic.twitter.com/UN6rITKAik</a></p>— Jason Chaney (@jchaney325) <a href="https://twitter.com/jchaney325/status/649777235046629376">October 2, 2015</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/GSAthletics">@GSAthletics</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/TKleinleinAD">@TKleinleinAD</a> Not a fan Trophy game sure, but I dont see anyone getting excited about this. Maybe with an actual rival instead?</p>— Nathan Schwan (@Shwambo1) <a href="https://twitter.com/Shwambo1/status/649722013708386304">October 1, 2015</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">First look at the GA Southern & GA State rivalry trophy. "Major Award" <a href="https://twitter.com/PresBartels">@PresBartels</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/GSAthletics">@GSAthletics</a> <a href="https://t.co/L7cAJ7dQuD">pic.twitter.com/L7cAJ7dQuD</a></p>— GSU Nation (@GSUnation) <a href="https://twitter.com/GSUnation/status/649660413035028480">October 1, 2015</a></blockquote>
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Sports fans have short memories. It's totally not too late to never mention this again and let it slowly slip away into the ether. Forever.