Maryland Delegate Jay "Sky" Walker has introduced legislation that would require the University of Maryland to play the Tigers (Towson) and Bears (Morgan State) once every four years in a "money" football game. Terps, Tigers and Bears! Oh, my! Bill would mandate Towson, Morgan State football match-ups
The University of Maryland Terrapin football team is scheduled to play Morgan State this fall (Sept. 11, 2010) and Towson in 2011. But if a state legislator has his way, there might be rematches — a lot of them. Del. Jay "Sky" Walker (D-Prince George’s) has introduced a bill requiring the Terps to play either Morgan State or Towson once every four years, arguing it would help fund the two smaller schools’ football programs. But university officials are opposing the bill, saying it would strip the Athletics Department of flexibility in scheduling and force it to subsidize the smaller programs.
“The university should be making its decisions on scheduling football, not the legislature,” university lobbyist Ross Stern said. “This really is stepping on the university’s autonomy.” The Terps are generally regarded as the most prestigious football program in the state, but Walker said the state’s two Football Championship Series (formerly called Division 1-AA) teams would benefit financially and otherwise from playing their in-state ACC counterpart. Instead of playing out-of-state FCS schools, he said, the Terps should play the Tigers or the Bears.
“It’s definitely about keeping money in the state of Maryland,” said Walker, a former NFL quarterback who also works as a college football commentator for ESPN. “In the past two years, Maryland has played James Madison and Delaware, which are both FCS schools. We have two FCS schools right here in Maryland. “Now we can have these schools play all the time, not just once in a lifetime,” added Walker, who starred for Howard University before playing for the New England Patriots, Barcelona Dragons and Minnesota Vikings as a professional in the 1990s.
House bill would require more in-state matchups
State Del. Jay Walker, an ESPN college football commentator and former NFL player, has introduced House Bill 482, the Maryland Football Act, which would require the University of Maryland, a Football Bowl Subdivision school, to play at least one game every four years against Morgan State or Towson, two Football Championship Subdivision schools. Walker said he was inspired to create the bill when he saw Maryland schedule FCS team James Madison instead of one of the state schools.
"The football commentator in me understands football," Walker said. "The legislator in me sees a way to help fund the football programs at our FCS schools properly. We've got one flagship program, Maryland, and two FCS teams, Towson and Morgan State. When you see Maryland play James Madison, you say: 'Wait - we have Towson and Morgan State. They could do so much for their programs with the proceeds from that game.' "And Morgan and Towson should have the ability to play Maryland more than once in a lifetime. We want to see it happen on a more frequent basis."
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Jay Walker, Maryland State Delegate
Note to Fans: In the past, Maryland has scheduled games with Football Championship Subdivision (formerly 1-AA) Colonial Athletic Conference (CAA) members James Madison, William and Mary and Villanova. Towson is also a member of the CAA and is scheduled to open the 2010 season at Indiana (money game). The Tigers recently have played money games at Northwestern (2009) and Navy (2008). Morgan State (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) has played money games at Akron (2009), Rutgers (2008) and San Jose State (2004). Both are experienced at taking a butt kicking and picking up a $100,000 to $350,000 check from the home team. If Maryland does not want to play Tigers and Bears --the 1-AA Howard Bison (MEAC) are less than 15 miles away from Byrd Stadium and does not recruit the same type student/athletes as Maryland. Howard standards are higher on the academics.
No excuse for the Terps not playing two local teams twice in a decade which are located within a 50 mile radius of College Park. "Sky" Walker is right--keep some of the money in Maryland and give the local teams an opportunity to knock off the Terrapins. We expect House Bill 482 to get some traction with the push from state delegates from Towson and Morgan. All three are state-supported and funded schools. Terps, Tigers and Bears! Oh my!
-beepbeep
