(PHOTO/ Troy Athletics)
Wesley Kirchharr
Sports Editor
Students from both Troy University and The University of South Alabama are well familiar with a shared rivalry. The Battle for the Belt, as it has become known, has grown immensely in recent years, sparking social media conversations and “hate weeks” on both campuses. But where did this rivalry come from?
Long-time fans likely aren’t in tune with the bitterness of their in-state counterpart, mainly because South Alabama first added football to its athletic program in December 2007. The Jags’ first team was assembled for the 2009 season with Head Coach Joey Jones at the helm, matching up against several military academies, as well as Huntington College en route to a 7-0 season.