A new title belt will be on the line this week when South Alabama and Troy battle for a championship-style belt this Saturday. The trophy is fitting considering South Alabama and Troy each play in the Sun Belt Conference.
“In the hearts of students, Troy has always been our biggest rival. The ‘Battle for the Belt’ is the culmination of those passions,” said South Alabama Student Government Association President Ravi Rajendra. “The introduction of the trophy to the rivalry will offer a new way for Jag Nation to connect with our football program. The concept behind the Belt stemmed from our student body and was accompanied by insight from our football team; the football team really liked the concept of a wrestling belt, and the Belt also plays off of the Sun Belt Conference of which both Troy and USA are members.”
At l;east this rivalry trophy was mutually agreed to by both sides, unlike UConn’s made-up rivalry with UCF.
“The reason behind this upcoming week is not to tear two group’s leaders apart, but to solidify our separate yet unified University spirits and drive towards excellence,” added Heath Barton, President of the Troy Student Government Association. “We encourage everyone at these two schools who have launched some of Alabama’s greatest individuals to enjoy coming together, as one, to partake in one of the state’s greatest rivalries.”
Troy leads the all-time series 2-1, and South Alabama won last year’s meeting. Saturday will mark the Sun Belt opener for each school.
There is no word on whether UAB will crash the game with the Money in the Bank suitcase, but it sure would be fun to see.