In terms of equivalent competition on the field, this game should be fine. If we are talking about brand recognition and a bowl opponent to excite the alumni base, this is bottom of the barrel. The average college football fan has never heard of Jacksonville State. I just don't see our athletic programs in the same league as a program like Jacksonville State. I suppose I could say the same thing about UNCC though and look at the situation we are in.

I know right.

I thought it was just re-branded name of where Artis Gilmore played. I watched some of the championship game, which they hosted, and they kept on talking about how cold it could get in that part of Alabama. I thought they were nuts, til I looked it up.

I believe it was an article I read from The Post where they referred to them as Jackson State. At least that program has some recognition from Deion Sanders' time spent there.

The reality of the MAC bowl tie-ins is, unless you get the bowl in Detroit (changes names annually it seems) against normally a Big 10 team, or one of the bowls against the Mountain West, you end up with a team that was likely FCS/1-AA 5-10 years ago that has limited name recognition.

All that being said, while I'd love to see the Bobcats play in a higher tier bowl game, I was a student for Grobe's last year and then 3 of Knorr's years so going to any bowl game is not taken for granted by me-however watered down the experience is these days.

I thought it was a new community college in the northern Athens County village of Jacksonville!