Does anyone remember why Fla played in Starkville in 1985 and 1986?

[Dawgzilla]

Looking at all these articles about the winning streak over Florida in Starkville, it jumped out at me that Fla's last victory was in 1985, while the start of the losing streak was in 1986. Sure enough, we played Florida in Starkville in '85 and '86, and then in Gainesville in '87 and '88. I know the 1988 change in sequence was due to the SEC switching to a 7 game schedule from the old 6 game schedule, but I don't recall what happened in 85-86 (and I was in school back then, so I should have known). I do remember that MSU had gotten into a wierd sequence back in the early 80s where we either had 4 home SEC games and 2 away, or the opposite. But the change in '86 didn't change this...in fact if MSU had played in Gainesville in 1986, then we would have had 3 SEC home games and 3 away games (counting the UMiss game as an away game).

Anyone remember what was going on with the SEC schedule back then?

 

[therightway]

nm</p>

 

[MadDawg.sixpack]

selling us out?

 

[615dawg]

I dont know what to say.

 

[Dawgzilla]

[No message]

 

[windcrysmary]

I think some SEC scheduling changes were going on then...created a few hicups

 

[jwbigcreek]

about 87?

 

[Dawgzilla]

This has nothing to do with selling anything out. I know the reason we played two straight away games with both Florida and Auburn in 87 and 88 was because the SEC went to a 7 game schedule in '88 and some sequences had to be changed.

I am not sure what happened between '85 and '86 to give MSU 2 straight home games with Florida. It is possible the SEC was changing from 5 permanent opponents to just 4, to allow for more rotation of the teams, but it seems odd that just 2 years later they would scrap that and go to a 7 game schedule. Just curious, cuz I really don't remember.

 

[Dawgzilla]

Looking a little closer, MSU played at Auburn in 87, 88 and 89....I think I vaguely remember outright selling the 88 home game to Auburn. Thanks, LT and Rockey....

 

[therightway]

We played that game in Orlando. Not putting any blame on anyone, but that was the game where Rodney Stowers broke his leg.

 

[vhdawg]

...was something to the effect of Pat Dye (or whoever was the Auburn AD at the time) sold LT on the idea of flipping the series around at the 1987 game, with the idea being that we'd play at Auburn in 1987 and 1988, then in Starkville in 1989. But the next year after playing the 1988 game at Auburn, Dye welshed on the deal, and LT, being the sackless chode that he is, did nothing about it, and we played there in 1989 also.

 

[Dawgzilla]

I am pretty sure even LT would have gotten monetary consideration if Auburn had welshed on a deal. But one thing I was considering about Auburn was maybe we had agreed to try to flip flop the home and home arrangement so that MSU would not be playing @Auburn, @Alabama and @LSU every other year.....and then the SEC screwed up our plans by expanding the schedule to 7 games and taking over the home-and-home arrangements. That would make some sense......but really I'm just pissed off that I don't remember.

 

[squintdawg]

but not totally..LT had a "handshake" agreement with the AD at the time (not Dye) to swap the games.....then before the 89' season, they got a new AD or something and he said "screw the handshake, I didn't make that deal....." Yep....LT's lack of knowing what the heck he was doing started early....

-SD</p>