It would.
I'd like to somehow stayed aligned with Louisiana Tech, though. We share a similar profile with them and I feel like they try in football and basketball.
Back to the MAC
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I'd like to somehow stayed aligned with Louisiana Tech, though. We share a similar profile with them and I feel like they try in football and basketball.
exHerdSID you have given the best explanation of the current situation and offer valid points.
Good info here...I think college sports is changing(again) and my guess is fans don't understand these changes.
Life was so much better when fans didnt try to understand them, they just went out each fall, winter, or spring and rooted for the name on the front of the jersey, win, lose or draw.
There is going to be no revamped league. Most places are in survivial mode. In addition, Appalachian State is in much better position than Marshall is. Growing state with money and their money is even going to be tight right now and for some time to come.
No way, right now, these schools are going to make revamped leagues. There is no money to do so. It is the least of the worries.
Certaintly agree. It was more of a long term hope than definitive statement. We are basically screwed in a poorly run league that has a poor reputation nationally.
You can thank social media for this issue. So easy to express ones displeasure.
Well hell, since we're changing up conferences, might as well just start up a brand new one.
Ohio University
Middle Tennessee
Marshall University
Appalachian State
Georgia Southern
Louisiana Tech
Western Kentucky
Louisiana Lafayette
Southern Mississippi
Alabama Birmingham
10 Teams, not a bad schedule every year.
Ohio University
Middle Tennessee
Marshall University
Appalachian State
Georgia Southern
Louisiana Tech
Western Kentucky
Louisiana Lafayette
Southern Mississippi
Alabama Birmingham
10 Teams, not a bad schedule every year.
That's probably the best we could hope for as long as we are dreaming... I would go to 12 teams though and add Miami Oh (For nostalgia sake, and because they are fun to hate) and I'd keep Florida Atlantic.
Looks good but we all know that Ohio isn't going anywhere. The MAC schools for the most part are very content to accept the state subsidies and not worry about alumni contributions and tickets sold
Gave UM-O some thought, but in the end, attempted to provide rivals for all the teams from a natural, geographical perspective. Plus, I like 10 team conferences, and wish there could one day be a return to that (or 20 team Mega Conferences with two 10 team divisions). I just like the thought of playing a nine game round robin schedule in football, as well as a home/home in hoops against all teams.
You are absolutely correct, the MACers are the 20-somethings living in Mom's basement of college sports. They have always been content to play what is really I-Aa football. Which is why we, with a totally different world view, were able to dominate it so easily. And why we need to stay far away from in today.
The problem with living in Mom's basement is eventually the free ride runs out. As the Rust Belt continues to bleed population and wealth, and as the "everybody" pays era where ESPN, et al, could pay without worry is replaced by the streaming era where the MAJORITY of people who do not care about ANY sports no longer have to pay for it, the free ride may be coming to an end in MAC land.
Even when MU scheduled MAC teams while in CUSA, everyone either complained that MH was padding the schedule or simply refused to show up.
Do you honestly think people are going to give more of a shit for Eastern Michigan and the like vs. ODU or UTEP?
The same amount of people are going to show up for both. The Joan will never sell out for a MAC game as it hasn't for a CUSA game either.
Face facts, people with their nose up CUSA’s ass have no good excuse about staying in this sorry league. I sure as hell would rather play OU and Miami than UTEP or UTSA. The only teams that I get excited about in CUSA are USM and WKU. Other than that, the rest suck and aren’t draws for the Joan.
ideally a more regional league would be great.
Honestly, it’s more about reducing costs, mostly travel costs. CUSA is a clusterfukk and everyone knows it. It’s the worst D1 league in the land. Enjoy!
There is 33 D1 conferences, we arent even in the bottom half of the conferences sport by sport.
Not disagreeing with you, but I will say, you're not likely to get anyone to show up more for most of the MAC either.
With possibly the exception of OU, you are likely correct. I was just thinking of the regional and cost perspective. We’d save money on travel costs for sure but that alone probably isn’t enough to seriously consider going back - if they would even take us. lol!
ideally a new conference that adds regional schools from C-USA and the SunBelt would be best. Not sure how that would happen though. The MAC is what it is and I would be okay with being in it again I just think hell would freeze over before they took us back. The only advantage for us would be the proximity of the schools.
The only state in the MAC's footprint that's losing population is Illinois. And I'm not sure where the superiority complex is coming from. Since we've left, they've put two different teams into the BCS/NY6 bowls, while CUSA has not. Even when we were in the conference, there were always other teams that challenged us, be it Toledo, WMU, or Miami.
The MAC is probably the most efficient FBS conference. Their facilities are not outsized to their demand, all of the members are approximately the same size and type of institution, and they've maintained an incredibly tight footprint. No current member of the MAC would save any money by moving to a different conference (FBS or FCS), which is why they're so stable. That efficiency and stability is why the administration is at least interested in trying to reunite with them. Quite frankly, if the financial situation at CUSA is as bad as it sounds, we need them a hell of a lot more than they need us.
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