‘Rivalry’ with WSU basketball needs to end

By Alex Conover
Sports Editor

This is one battle that makes me want to be a pacifist.
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“The Battle for the Rock” is what the newspapers have dubbed the cross-town matchup between Winona State University and Saint Mary’s University men’s basketball. It’s not much of a fair fight though; the Warriors have won 22 straight.

That means that the last time SMU beat WSU we were called Saint Mary’s College. Our mascot was still the Redmen, and there were no Gilmore Creek, Hillside or Pines residence halls. It also means that I wasn’t born yet, and neither were most of my fellow undergrads. How’s that for a “rivalry?”

That’s right, the newspapers call it a rivalry. When was the last time you heard of a great rivalry where one school was playing a division higher than the other? Winona State is a Division II school, meaning they get to offer scholarships to their players. Us? We offer... um... nice dorms?

Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing bad about Division III. SMU plays in one of the most competitive DIII conferences in the nation, and there is certainly a very high level of play. But how are we supposed to beat a team that can offer their recruits partially discounted tuition for doing nothing but being good at their sport? Answer: we can’t. Not to mention the team that we are trying to defeat is the defending DII basketball national champion.

When I interviewed men’s head coach Todd Landrum a few weeks ago, he told me that he didn’t want to start off his season against WSU. The more I thought about it, the more I agreed. Why should we play David versus Goliath, especially after a tough 2-23 season the year before? We’re trying to win games, not lose them. A demoralizing victory to a juggernaut opponent is not the best way to turn over a new leaf.

This is why I believe we should discontinue the SMU/WSU cross-town matchup. There’s no rivalry, and it benefits no one. Maybe in a few years, when we build up our program, we can bring back “The Battle for the Rock”; for now, however, I’d like to give peace a chance.