Nonconference play can be a drag sometimes, especially when your school is playing an FCS or Group of Five game against a random team that’s hyphenated or directional.

But nonleague play has long been part of the sport’s ecosystem: The big schools bank wins that move them closer to bowl eligibility (important when competing in a Big Ten where it’s easy to go 3-6) while the small schools score appearance fees (no small thing as these checks fund the rest of their athletic department).

Sometimes it’s nice to keep those funds in-state, or inside the commonwealth. On Saturday, there are three such showdowns in the area: Maryland meets Towson (48 miles separate the schools), Virginia hosts William & Mary (126 miles), and even Virginia Tech plays Old Dominion (293 miles — OK, that’s a huge str

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