Opportunity Bowl

DannyHopesGhost
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Opportunity Bowl

Post by DannyHopesGhost »

EKUs game versus Western Carolina on November 21st has been dubbed the Opportunity Bowl and will become an annual event. Winning team gets trophy and rings. In honor of EKU professor who also graduated from Western Carolina. I don’t want this to turn into a political debate, but I think this is an excellent idea to help promote the program and grow local excitement. Pretty cool job by the AD and school to make this happen!
Colonel12
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Re: Opportunity Bowl

Post by Colonel12 »

How would us creating a bowl game become a political debate?
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EKU05
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Re: Opportunity Bowl

Post by EKU05 »

DannyHopesGhost wrote: Mon Oct 26, 2020 12:59 pm EKUs game versus Western Carolina on November 21st has been dubbed the Opportunity Bowl and will become an annual event. Winning team gets trophy and rings. In honor of EKU professor who also graduated from Western Carolina. I don’t want this to turn into a political debate, but I think this is an excellent idea to help promote the program and grow local excitement. Pretty cool job by the AD and school to make this happen!
I had no idea this was in the works, but I've been saying we should make this an annual rivalry for a long time. I mean, think about it...

-Both schools are longtime FCS members who take FCS football reasonably seriously.
-Both schools are largely known for serving the Appalachian Mountain region of their respective states.
-Both schools lost their longtime primary rivalry game to the FBS (App State in their case).

Therefore, we've both had kind of a rivalry vacuum that can be filled by each other. I think if you promote this well you can really make an event out of it that both schools need on their annual schedule. I realize rivalries are really only truly made by game history, but this is a nice jump start. I love it!
DannyHopesGhost
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Re: Opportunity Bowl

Post by DannyHopesGhost »

Colonel12 wrote: Mon Oct 26, 2020 1:30 pm How would us creating a bowl game become a political debate?
It is promoting diversity and inclusion, etc. It seems like on any other social media site just the mention of those words flares up both sides. I was hoping it doesn’t. I really think it’s a great thing to promote.
Maroon Forever
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Re: Opportunity Bowl

Post by Maroon Forever »

A super idea that honors a wonderful person who was EKU’s Faculty Athletics Rep for a number of years. We’ve long been known as a School of Opportunity, so this is a great name. Kudos for those who came up with this.
ekugrad1970
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Re: Opportunity Bowl

Post by ekugrad1970 »

Excellent idea.....could create a new rival
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Colonel Since '65
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Re: Opportunity Bowl

Post by Colonel Since '65 »

Western Carolina makes a nice trip for fans. I am remembering a game there when we had a big lead at half. I mentioned to Dr. JJ that this will be a fun win. He said he was worried about them coming back. Well, he was right—they whupped us bad the second half and we came home losers.
I am looking forward to this rivalry.
Eternal Colonel
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Re: Opportunity Bowl

Post by Eternal Colonel »

...count me as skeptical when it comes to manufactured as opposed to organic
rivalries.

We've got traditional rivalries within the conference that are more meaningful
in a regular season than this. But, it's a different locale, different conference,
etc.; I get the appeal.

Just let the "rivalry" get one-sided or we begin getting into hot conference
races again and the lustre may diminish.

Then there's the "diversity" and "inclusion" premise...
EKU05
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Re: Opportunity Bowl

Post by EKU05 »

Eternal Colonel wrote: Tue Oct 27, 2020 8:23 am ...count me as skeptical when it comes to manufactured as opposed to organic
rivalries.

We've got traditional rivalries within the conference that are more meaningful
in a regular season than this. But, it's a different locale, different conference,
etc.; I get the appeal.

Just let the "rivalry" get one-sided or we begin getting into hot conference
races again and the lustre may diminish.

Then there's the "diversity" and "inclusion" premise...
I've long said that the Murray game should be promoted as more of a traditional rivalry as well. Come up with some kind of a fun trophy* for it. We are the only two Kentucky schools playing OVC football, we're the only two charter members of the conference playing OVC football, and (again) we both lost a valued FCS, in-state rival in WKU when they moved up.

*perhaps the "trophy" could be some kind of horseshoe given their mascot and our proximity to thoroughbred country.

It's really shame Morehead doesn't play scholarship football anymore, but I think that ship has sailed. I think it's more likely that they drop the program than than bring back scholarships at this point. It was great to see Peay renew their commitment to it a number of years back.
dmr55
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Joined: Tue Sep 07, 2010 11:14 am

Re: Opportunity Bowl

Post by dmr55 »

The reason they are doing this is the fact that Dr Pressley graduated from both EKU and Western Carolina
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