The unofficial online home for fans of the Western Michigan University Broncos. Part of Collegiate Sports Nation (CSN).

AGAIN!!!! IT INSULATES US FROM SCRAMBLING TO REPLACE MEMBERS IF AND WHEN EXISTING MEMBERS LEAVE FOR ANOTHER CONFERENCE.


If we get south of 12 we can't have a title game. The schedules are unbalanced and the rotation is screwed up into future years. The downside is the league is "too big" but we've done well as a 14 team league in the past. I'd rather stay at 14 than 12 so long as the members make sense geographically and culturally sense we have seen our conference and other non AQ conferences lose members.

(10-11-2014 01:53 PM)ghost bronco Wrote:  AGAIN!!!! IT INSULATES US FROM SCRAMBLING TO REPLACE MEMBERS IF AND WHEN EXISTING MEMBERS LEAVE FOR ANOTHER CONFERENCE.


If we get south of 12 we can't have a title game. The schedules are unbalanced and the rotation is screwed up into future years. The downside is the league is "too big" but we've done well as a 14 team league in the past. I'd rather stay at 14 than 12 so long as the members make sense geographically and culturally sense we have seen our conference and other non AQ conferences lose members.

Why do we have to replace members? And, remember, this is not just about what you'd rather do, but what is good for the MAC as a whole. Don't take it so personal.

I'd actually like to see it go to a ten member conference if we're going to have deflections, be a niche market and work the core.

I really don't see anyone leaving the MAC FWIW. The lines in the sand have been drawn and set, I think that was decided a long time ago.

I've said this a little while back, and I'll say it here: I am NOT a fan of conferences expanding beyond 12 teams at all. I'd rather see the talent spread out. 7 v 7 within one conference? No. Talk of conferences expanding to 16 (8 v 8)? That's 7 in-division games and 1, maybe 2 other-division games. Not worth it.

If 20 team conferences (10 v 10) is too much, why isn't 16 or 14?

I would say setting 12 as the MAX. But if B1G, SEC, and ACC dropped 2 each, that's 6 P5 teams that would have to "go somehwere" (B12?) -- and then we'd have 2 from CUSA dropping (they're adding a 14th next year) -- and UMass in 2016 leaving the MAC will be waiting and ready. That's not going to happen.

I just wonder what the "max" will be, if at all.

(10-11-2014 01:15 PM)toddjnsn Wrote:  The only conference a MAC team would Want to transfer to would be the AAC. If the B12 and/or ACC picks up teams on this side of the Mississippi, the AAC is where they'll be plucked from, and the AAC will get the best of the rest on this side of the river.

But if the PAC12 turns to the PAC14 (+2), and the B12 gets 14 teams (+4), and the ACC expands to 16 (+2) -- the AAC is going to be looking into the MAC, as a few of their teams will be Gone. The AAC is only going to pick up someone from the MAC if they have a Need.

But our conference is in no trouble. MW is most unstable, IMO. The PAC12 & B12, especially B12 -- are going to expand -- and take from MW. The ACC is probably in no hurry to go from 14->16 to take from AAC, so at most in the next 5 years, IMO, would be 1 MAC team leaving to go to AAC -- which I would guess would be Toledo (good in fball & bball) or Ohio (strong fan attendance + good in bball) or Miami-OH (academics; historically great MAC team).

You're delusional, Todd. You seem to think that the AAC is some giant pot of $$ sitting out there. Any MAC team would need piles of money to change conference membership to what is a mostly southern conference. Also, what makes you think that a southern conference would want to add a member that is a long trip away?

This is why I laughed at some teams choosing to join conferences that were spread out all over the country. Rivalries? Not really. Geographically close footprints help conferences nourish rivalries, as does a history.

The AAC is marginally better than the MAC right now. Not worth it for a school to take a flyer in an unstable environment. But continue on with your dreaming. The MAC isn't going anywhere, and UT fans and NIU fans have been talking for years about moving to a better conference. I doubt that either of them would be willing to pull the trigger unless the B12 came calling, which won't be happening.

Chances are better that the AAC will collapse before a MAC team jumps and joins another mid-major conference.

Ghost, it does no such thing. You're dreaming. Wake up, man. MAC members aren't going to jeopardize their program by making a jump to another conference. The big boys don't want us and none of the MAC schools have the resources to join a southern league. Open your eyes and lose the fantasies.

Ghost is emotionally invested in more teams, I think this conversation should end before he starts flaming even more. No reason for that posture.

You're entitled to your opinions ghost, as I am mine and MHB and Todd are too. Be well my man!

(10-11-2014 01:55 PM)DesertBronco Wrote:  

(10-11-2014 01:53 PM)ghost bronco Wrote:  AGAIN!!!! IT INSULATES US FROM SCRAMBLING TO REPLACE MEMBERS IF AND WHEN EXISTING MEMBERS LEAVE FOR ANOTHER CONFERENCE.


If we get south of 12 we can't have a title game. The schedules are unbalanced and the rotation is screwed up into future years. The downside is the league is "too big" but we've done well as a 14 team league in the past. I'd rather stay at 14 than 12 so long as the members make sense geographically and culturally sense we have seen our conference and other non AQ conferences lose members.

Why do we have to replace members? And, remember, this is not just about what you'd rather do, but what is good for the MAC as a whole. Don't take it so personal.

I'd actually like to see it go to a ten member conference if we're going to have deflections, be a niche market and work the core.

I really don't see anyone leaving the MAC FWIW. The lines in the sand have been drawn and set, I think that was decided a long time ago.

Oh please, I'm not taking it personally I'm just trying to make sure you see it so I don't have to keep repeating myself. We need to replace member because we need 12 for a title game anything less than 12 and more than 10 and we can't play a full round robin, moreover what's to say if we lose schools and don't replace them that we get to stick at 10.

(10-11-2014 01:59 PM)DesertBronco Wrote:  Ghost is emotionally invested in more teams, I think this conversation should end before he starts flaming even more. No reason for that posture.

You're entitled to your opinions ghost, as I am mine and MHB and Todd are too. Be well my man!

Desertbronco, you don't need to turn a reasonable discussion of a sports issue into message board drama. All those people you mentioned have proven themselves able to have a discussion about this issue. You could learn from that example and stop these petty games.

Just put him on ignore ghost, believe me you won't regret it.