What about a collegiate Collar City Cup?

Last night's Collar City Cup game between Troy High & LaSalle, while exciting, was a slog, crawling to the finish after more than three hours due to penalties and injuries. However, it got me thinking.

Troy has two colleges that are located in the same general areas as their high school counterparts. Despite the fact that Hudson Valley Community College, a 2 year school that plays in a junior college league, is virtually next door to LaSalle, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) practically encircles the Dudley Van Arnam Campus that is home to the Troy Middle & High Schools, their sports teams have never played each other.

I say, screw the disparity between HVCC & RPI. Never mind that RPI plays Union for the Dutchmen's shoes every year. There has to be some sort of incentive that would bring two of the city's three colleges (Russell Sage, now a co-ed school, is the other, and has been linked to RPI) together on the playing field. RPI's rarely, if ever, played UAlbany or Siena, either, but that's beside the point in this case, too. The Saints & Great Danes won't be playing basketball this year because of their own issues over home court, but what's stopping RPI from showing HVCC some respect? A fair number of HVCC graduates move on to RPI to finish their education.

Consider the football venues. East Campus Village Stadium is situated behind the Houston Field House. HVCC's home field is just a short distance in back of Bruno Stadium on the Vikings' campus. In basketball, HVCC has the Ed McDonough Field House, and probably can seat more than RPI can in their gym. The only way that changes is if RPI, which has hosted the Harlem Globetrotters in the past, can convert Houston Field House from hockey to basketball. Baseball? Don't ya think RPI players would jump at the chance to play at The Joe? Enough said.

It's up to the college presidents (i.e. Dr. Shirley Jackson) and the mayor's office to make it happen. If it happens, who wins? Everyone.