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Mississippi Football Coach Denounces Cowardly Rival For Abrupt Cancellation Days Before Kickoff

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A Division II college football coach is unhappy with an opponent his team was set to play in the final week of the regular season. That matchup will no longer happen.

Kentucky State has cancelled a previously scheduled contest with Delta State just days before kickoff. That decision could have major playoff implications for both schools.

Coach Todd Cooley called out the Thorobreds’ cowardice in a press conference this week. He believes Kentucky State is worried about suffering a season-ending loss.

“They’re supposed to be coming to Cleveland this weekend to play us, and they’re not,” Cooley said. “It’s baffling to me. It’s setting a precedent that should not be set.”

Kentucky State cancelled a college football game against Delta State.

This meeting had been on the books since July 14th. Kentucky State pulled out less than a week before kickoff. It will instead play the Shorter Hawks. The school provided reasoning, according to Cooley, but he isn’t buying the explanation.

“They’re telling us that they’ve got an agreement to play the third-place team in Conference Carolinas,” Cooley said. “Shorter is not the third-place team in Conference Carolinas. So, basically it’s just a deal for them to play an extra game.”

Cooley acknowledged one previously discussed exception that would’ve allowed the Thorobreds an out. Delta State agreed to nix the game if Kentucky State was playing in the SIAC Conference Championship Game. It is not.

Now, the Statesmen must either scramble to find a season-ending opponent or sit home for the final week of the year.

Why did the Thorobreds cancel the game?

Cooley insists the decision was made out of cowardice. Kentucky State couldn’t afford another loss. The team was not confident in its ability to beat Delta State.

“They’re playing a game, but they’re choosing not to play us,” Cooley continued. “I would think that if we beat ’em, they probably wouldn’t be in (the playoffs). Maybe that’s why they’re not playing us.”

SIAC Commissioner Dr. Anthony Holloman disagreed. He provided his reasoning for the cancellation, citing a deal signed with Conference Carolinas a few years back.

The SIAC struck a scheduling alliance with Conference Carolinas in 2023. That agreement “ensured non-championship-qualifying teams would face off in Week 11 to boost NCAA postseason resumes and avoid long, costly trips.”

The trip from Kentucky State to Delta State would’ve involved an eight-hour bus ride. The trip to Shorter is 5.5 hours.

“I am an unapologetic advocate for my member institutions,” SIAC Commissioner Dr. Anthony Holloman said. “We want to play for championships. And we want to get as many deserving teams in the NCAA playoffs as possible.

“This wasn’t about playing the worst team. We created this partnership to avoid what Kentucky State and Delta State had initially agreed to… This was a strategic decision, not a malicious one.”

Agreement aside, it seems counterintuitive to schedule a game with possible intentions of cancelling it days before competition.

Delta State knew about that possibility. Cooley noted the conference championship exception, as well as the scheduling agreement. He likely didn’t think it would be enforced, nor does he believe that Kentucky State is being honest about its opponent selection.

Both sides alluded to the potential playoff implications. Delta State needs help to get into the postseason field. At 7-3, it had hoped to bolster its resume with a big win over a strong opponent.

Kentucky State, meanwhile, is 8-2. A third loss could knock them out of the playoff hunt as an at-large bid. They’ve replaced the Statesmen with a two-win Shorter team.

Last season, 22 of the 28 Division II playoff teams had two losses or less. A 9-2 mark seems to be the baseline that keeps you safe for at-large selection.

The Thorobreds can fall back on the SIAC alliance with Conference Carolinas. It does not change the fact that it has now replaced a quality opponent with what should be an easy win at the last possible second.

Kentucky State has now increased its playoff chances. It had an out, and it used it.