Football scheduling mix-up costs Alabama State Hornets

Photo: Alabama State University Hornets Interim Athletic Director Ron Dickerson.

Alabama State interim athletic director Ron Dickerson likes to map his days out weeks in advance and hates surprises. Unfortunately, his school's 2008 football schedule -- which Dickerson finalized months ago -- is in shambles now with the discovery of two games both scheduled for Sept. 6, 2008. It will now cost the university several thousand dollars to resolve the problem.

Part of the problem stems from the Southwestern Athletic Conference's decision in spring of 2006 to go from a nine-game mandate within conference -- meaning every SWAC team was forced to play each other -- to a seven-game mandate.

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It is great to see that FAMU is moving away from the classic games. The Rattlers are already committed to two of the largest--the Florida Classic with Bethune Cookman and the Atlanta Football Classic with Tennessee State. We would prefer to see FAMU play the Florida FBC teams like Miami, Central Florida, South Florida and Florida that can pay the $350,000-$400,000 market rate guarantee for an FCS game.

South Carolina State is playing at Central Florida and Clemson this season. Norfolk State is playing at Kentucky and Delaware State is playing for the second consecutive season at Kent State. It's all about the money for MEAC programs and a few are moving in the right direction in scheduling games with the FBC teams for the big payouts and the higher grade competition.