By Woodrow Carroll
The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) football team Saturday defeated Louisiana-Monroe, 31-6. Only those close to the UTEP Miners football program paid attention, however, the UTEP program merits a close look.
We are aware of college football’s shaky and uncertain future with a nasty virus present. UTEP, in the Conference USA, and Texas State in the Sun Belt, already have played four games each.
UTEP, 3-1, has been a mix-and-match schedule: Victories at home over Stephen F. Austin and Abilene Christian, and a 59-3 loss at Texas.
The game with Louisiana-Monroe was on the road. The postgame stat included “limited in-person attendance”. One year ago such a remark would have brought a quizzical look, not today!
There are 130 FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) programs and 127 have opted back into the Fall football. The three outsiders at the moment: Connecticut, Old Dominion, and New Mexico State.
Conferences such as the Big Ten, Mid-American, and Pac-12, have reversed course lately and elected to play a fall schedule, after all. There are still doubts as to the efficacy of such an action.
The Big Ten will play an eight-game regularseason schedule plus a Champions Week crossover ninth game December 19. All games will be against conference foes.
Illinois and Northwestern are in the Big Ten’s West Division. In addition to playing each other December 12, Illinois and Northwestern will face each of the six other divisional foes and two teams from the Big Ten East Division. Illinois will play at Rutgers November 14 and will play host to Ohio State November 28 of the Big Ten East. Northwestern will be host to East teams Maryland October 24 and at Michigan State November 28.
All Big Ten games will be played Saturdays. Hopes are COVID-19 and the weather will cooperate. Last season Illinois opened at home with Akron August 31. By the time the 2020 Fighting Illinois go to Wisconsin October 24, last season’s Illini had played seven games.
In the Big Ten Champions Week, December 19, teams from each division will play corresponding teams in the other division. The Big Ten championship game will be in Indianapolis December 19. A bit of flexibility may come into the other crossover games so as to avoid rematches.
The Mid-American Conference (MAC) will kick off its Fall schedule November 4, which fits the MAC image as a midweek conference. November 4 is Wednesday.
The MAC will play a six-game schedule with the MAC Championship game December 18 or 19. The Conference is composed of 12 teams. Northern Illinois in the MAC West. The Huskies will play divisional opponents Ball State, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Western Michigan, and Toledo, play one East Division foe.
Northern Illinois had been scheduled to play Brigham Young University October 24 at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, former home of Major League Soccer’s Chicago Fire. The Fire has moved out and the Huskies will not be moving in for a meeting with Brigham Young, or any team, any time soon.
Connecticut is in the American Athletic Conference East Division. Old Dominion calls the East Division of Conference USA home, and New Mexico State is an independent.
If a team pulls out because of health concerns, it is understandable. Lives have been lost. There is, however, a strong desire for collegiate football. Major League Baseball has navigated the 2020 season better than many observers expected, and the NFL (National Football League) moves along. Perhaps, college football will find better days.