College football is often a cutthroat enterprise but, this week, word broke that one program is doing a very noble thing in order to help another. The Associated Press brings word that Austin Peay, who is 1-2 on the young season, is now sacrificing its only bye week of the 2017 season in order to add a game against UCF on Oct. 28.
Videos by FanBuzz
The gist of the decision on Austin Peay's part is that UCF needs a replacement game after having two contests postponed by Hurricane Irma and, while this appears to be driven by UCF's bowl potential, it didn't stop Austin Peay head coach Will Healy from doing the right thing.
"We have certainly been praying for them, and we are glad to be able to help Central Florida out. This game will be a great opportunity for us to be able to continue to build our brand. We will be lining up against one of the probable favorites to win the American Athletic Conference, so it will be tough, but it will also be a great experience for our kids."
In the grand scheme, Austin Peay's calculation is probably a good one. The program will make some money by playing a 12th game (after picking up a waiver from the NCAA) and there is no real downside from a future perspective.
Plus, this provides public goodwill for the program and UCF gets another desperately needed game on the schedule. It's the classic definition of a win-win.
