This again?
Lord have mercy.
MAC - Bleeds explains it well. We were losing our a** and playing in a ginned up "bowl game" which we had to win the conference to play in. No body AT THE TIME knew that ESPN would create today's system of 6 wins = bowl. It was the right decision. The lowly MAC was pulling us down to their level.
I do disagree that there are any "rivalries" in any league. MU fans tend to latch on to whoever is good in whatever league and claim that is a rivalry. UTC, Furman, Miami, Toledo, UCF, WKU, on and on. That is not a rivalry. Ohio State and Michigan are rivals. Texas and Oklahoma are rivals.
AAC - What do you want to say? The Liar KO Marcum, though his total mismanagement, incompetence, and dishonesty and his idiot football and basketball coaches had the program at its lowest point since the climb began. Right at the wrong time. BUT, it remains to be seen if the AAC, in its arrogance and idiocy spewing hype, is a viable financial entity, or a long lasting one. The next realignment is coming, and all of the schools want to be in another conference. And UConn, named for a state, in fact one of the richest states, lost money by the tank car load at it, as do most AACers.
But, so what. MU is in CUSA. MU will be in CUSA for the foreseeable future. MU football is CUSA football. MU basketball is CUSA basketball, sad to say. If that does not suit, then this isn't for you. Move on.