"The Golden Eagles are so formidable, nobody in their state will play them. Southern Miss is viewed nationally as the third football wheel in its own state behind Ole Miss and Mississippi State. Southern Miss knows better. Ole Miss stopped playing Southern Miss in 1984 after getting whipped six times in eight games. Mississippi State ended the series in 1990 after losing 10 times in 14 contests. Southern Miss, clearly, is the big wheel in the Magnolia State."
Dave Newhouse, 8/27/03, Oakland Tribune

It seems that alot of people not in Mississippi get it. Why can't Ole Miss and State fans understand. We kicked you a$$e$, you ran! Enough said!

Think. Think. Think. Because they are not in Mississippi, all they see is what's on the field. They are not in touch with all the intimate details and politics off the field. This article only repeats what USM fans say. It discusses nothing but the on-field aspect. The Oakland Tribune? Find another article. All I see is that you have to go all the way to California to get someone to agree with you that MSU and Ole Miss are "scared." Get a bigger stadium and put fans in it.

P.S. In spite of what've said, I think it's a travesty Ole Miss and State don't play USM anymore. I repeat what I've said in earlier posts: this just goes to show what great rivalries these would be.

from an earlier post I quote myself: "It seems to me that some USM fans have a Napoleon complex and can't understand that MSU/OM reluctance to play goes far beyond the field. As I said, it is a Mexican standoff. And you see with posts such as this what a great rivarly it would be if we could get it renewed."

I agree that the Pitt-PSU game needs to return.

However, for as long as Paterno coaches, and probably as long as he lives, PSU will not schedule a game with Pittsburgh.

PSU thought they pulled off a great move by going into the Big Ten. They make more money - for now - but their men's BB is in horrible shape and the FB is going downhill fast.

Paterno runs PSU and what he says goes. Neither the AD nor the President have the guts to challenge him and tell him to retire.

Paterno has one year remaining on his contract. The previous two years, Pitt was played again. They are scheduled in the future, but the yearly rivalry does not continue.

Ihope they realize that it being in the Big 10 that is causing them to decline after Paterno leaves and decide to come back east. Many people say that Notre Dame belongs in the Big 10 because of their geography, well the same holds true for Penn State and the Big East.

Agree, with above posts that the Miss. State and Ole Miss rivalries with Southern Miss are missed. I do agree also that politics and recruiting factors are elements in the breakage of on-going series. MSU and UM have to contend with SEC competition, with neighbors (some just as/near as close as USM) such as Alabama, Auburn, and LSU. In C-USA, the one which USM belongs, both MSU and UM play Memphis which borders the State of Mississippi and is close to both SEC schools. Memphis is a media hub for the region, and offers some good recruiting opportunities for Mississippi institutions. Mississippi is not a huge state, and SEC recruiting there is tough, while trying to hold-off outside incursions from foes.
Granted, in-state 1-A rivalries are nice to see, but reasons some don't play is not due to fear by the larger or more powerful schools. East Carolina had to get legislative pressure for NC State and UNC to regularly play them. Alabama and Auburn are not rushing to play UAB or Troy State every year. Tennessee sometimes plays Memphis and did play a game with Middle Tennessee. The same scenario of in-state 1-A schools not playing each other, on a permanent or most every year basis, can be pointed out in Claifornia, Texas, Florida, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and Arkansas among perhaps a couple of others. If Texas does not schedule North Texas, fear is not the driving reason. Now if Texas does play N. Texas and loses, they lose more than a game. It could get a coach fired.

Ole Miss: played Texas Tech, lost. Played Memphis. Lost. Could have kept all the money in-state by losing to USM (which would have happened--THAT'S WHY THEY WON'T PLAY THEM)

MSU: played Oregon, lost. Played Tulane, lost. Played Houston, lost. Could have kept all the money in-state by losing to USM (which would have happened--THAT'S WHY THEY WON'T PLAY THEM)

Ole Miss and MSU have been riding the coattails of SEC schools for years and they think they matter--it's adorable.

I thought the thread is RIVALRIES killed off by EXPANSION not:

teams that are near each other and don't play or
teams that voluntarily decided not to play or
teams that used to play because they were in the same conference at one time (a conference mate is not necessarily a rival).
or teams we would like to see play each other

there are very few rivals killed by expansion. Some schools just don't what to play other schools for various reasons.
ie: TX, A&M and TT left the others because they don't
want to play the other SWC teams anymore and really didn't want to take Baylor but was forced to.

Fl and Miami play whenever FL wants to do so.

The same scenario of in-state 1-A schools not playing each other, on a permanent or most every year basis, can be pointed out in Claifornia, Texas, Florida, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and Arkansas among perhaps a couple of others.

******

DogsNthingys, the case is really different in Michigan than what you describe. U-M and MSU almost always have either EMU, CMU, or WMU on their schedules.

In California, I believe Cal-San Jose St is a frequent match-up.

Ohio St. and LSU have started (interestingly enough, since the BCS started) scheduling one state school each year for a patsie instead of scheduling the San Jose St.'s of the world. Now they aren't playing one particular school each year, but they only have 3 ooc games. Many of the Texas schools play each other. Texas used to play UNT periodically. Texas does play UH or Rice nearly every year. SMU played TCU, Baylor and Tech this year, in addition to conference mate Rice. Baylor played UNT. With 10 schools in 4 conferences, obviously they can't play everyone outside their conference. Florida and Mississippi are the exceptions. Miami schedules Florida A&M, but not UCF or USF. Florida schedules San Jose St., but not UCF, USF or Miami (very often).

You can add California to the exception list. Only Cal and Stanford regularly schedule San Jose St. Thats about it.

Definitely Idaho-Montana for me... I pray for the day UM jumps up to D1 and hopefully this gets kickstarted again.

Well, since this got touched on, here's my Devil List (note: normally Marshall would be on here, but the Redhawks won the mac this year, so I'll let 'em be for now):

5. tie: Western Illinois/McNeese State
4. Northern Iowa (2001 playoff game cheap-shots have tarneshed UNI's image for years to come)
3. Youngstown State (Never have liked 'em, never will)
2. Georgia Southern (beat us in 2000, then couldn't even hang around long enough for us to get revenge the next year!)
1. Montana State (need I say more???)

I smell a Griz!!! ;D

I'm from California... and some of our best rivalries weren't kill by expansion, but by feminism.

Cal St. Fullerton vs. Long Beach St. was probably the most notable. Pacific vs. San Jose St. was good, too.

My enemies are/were:

4. Sacramento State
3. Montana
2. Cal Poly
1. the c*** who discontinued our team.

perspixx, maybe the Terminator can use his clearly masculine ways to unterminate the end of these football programs. Hasta la vista feminism, Baby!