Division II Heritage Bowl Should Invite the Gulf South Champion

West Florida's departure from Division II to the FCS has left the Gulf South Conference even deeper in an existential crisis. The Argonauts' voyage to the FCS leaves the Gulf South with three teams. More importantly, without an automatic bid to the Division II playoffs, as Chuck Bitner of D2football.com reported in April. It seems likely that the remaining three members, Delta State, Valdosta State, and West Alabama, will join other regional conferences in the near future. However, it is too late for such a move in this offseason.

Luckily, a temporary silver lining can come from an unexpected source. The Heritage Bowl in Corsicana, Texas, is one of three bowl games at the Division II level. Usually, it pits two schools from a pool consisting of the Lone Star Conference (LSC) against one from either the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) or Great American Conference (GAC).

While all three leagues are solid fits for the Heritage Bowl, the stigma of the bowl being a "consolation prize" to the Division II playoffs remains. Hosting a conference champion, no matter how small the conference, gives the bowl increased credibility among locals. Since its inception in 2017, the Heritage Bowl has never filled even half of Community National Bank & Trust Stadium, peaking at 4,685 fans last year and bottoming out at 2,000 fans on two occasions. The bowl should be willing to try anything within reason.

Until the Gulf South Conference stops sponsoring football, the Heritage Bowl should invite the Gulf South Conference champion. One may look at the three Gulf South Conference schools and think they are too far from Corsicana. Yet, the bowl has invited other distant schools, as the table below shows.

Delta State (425 miles) and West Alabama (522 miles) are both within the radius of the Heritage Bowl's past participants. Valdosta State is the outlier, farther than most past Heritage Bowl participants, at 895 miles. Nonetheless, what the Blazers lack in proximity, they make up for in brand recognition.

An automatic tie-in to the Heritage Bowl gives the game access to two of the most storied Division II programs. Valdosta State has 4 national championships and 21 playoff appearances in 44 seasons of play. Delta State is not far behind the Blazers with 11 playoff appearances and a national championship in 2000. Even West Alabama has a proud tradition, with seven Division II playoff appearances and an NAIA national championship appearance to its name. The prestige of a conference champion with these credentials is too enticing for the Heritage Bowl to pass up.

Finally, a partnership with the Gulf South Conference allows the bowl to create a branding initiative to boost its profile. The bowl can brand the three-game Gulf South season as "The Road to Corsicana" to build excitement among the three fan bases. They can host a ceremony after the deciding game of the Gulf South season. The possibilities are endless.

The Gulf South's plight is an unfortunate sign of the current collegiate sports landscape. Many conferences have uncertain futures due to constant domino effects. It may not be much, but the Heritage Bowl can help make the best of the conference's unenviable situation.