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

http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2016/04/20/t...9Y.twitter

Kind of sad.

Wow. I knew it was bad, but not this bad.

Hey about some facts while you're digging out the shovels:

Statement from Board Chair Mike Morris

by Eastern Michigan University Regent Mike Morris, Published April 20, 2016

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While a review of budgets in all operating areas of the University is underway, there is no active plan among the Board of Regents to specifically evaluate football. On an overall level, the Board has high regard for our current football program, its outstanding coach and its success going forward. The opinions expressed by an individual Regent do not represent the position of the full Board. We expect to have a great season in 2016.

Mike Morris
Chairman, Eastern Michigan University Board of Regents

but since you're interested in news about EMU athletics here's some:

http://www.emueagles.com/news/2016/4/19/...eport.aspx

EMU DYK - in the 43 years since joining @MACSports, no school has won more team titles EMU's 134 #ChampionsBultHere

That's all well and good 79 but the specific issue here is EMU Football, the program averaging two wins a year and 4800 fans a home game.

With the amount of money being lost and obvious disinterest, is it sustainable at D-I/MAC?

From the original post article

Quote:MLive covers Eastern Michigan athletics closer than anyone but many of the recent stories on its website are university generated.

That sounds very familiar to WMU fans.

(04-20-2016 06:17 PM)Hiller4Hyz09 Wrote:  http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2016/04/20/t...9Y.twitter

Kind of sad.

With the way the P5 conferences are actively and aggressively working to beat-down the G5 schools, and pool all revenue for themselves, EMU may be the canary in the coal mine.

There will come a point in the near future when all G5 schools will need to make a decision on where they want to be. The P5 conferences clearly do not want them at their level and make no apologies for it. Why kiss their azzez?

Seriously, would it be better for the MAC and other G5 conferences initiate a separation from D-I and either go D-II, or break from the NCAA altogether and form a new governing body similar to the NAIA?

I am not necessarily advocating the above, but it is worthy of discussion as an alternative. We all know status quo isn't going to leave any MAC program in much better shape in 10 years. EMU has always had problems, and while not to the same degree, so have other G5 programs, WMU & CMU included.

There is FCS (formerly D-IAA) between where we are now and D-II.

MAC will never go D-II for Football because then hoops teams couldn't play in Big Dance.

(04-21-2016 08:03 AM)MajorHoople Wrote:  There is FCS (formerly D-IAA) between where we are now and D-II.

MAC will never go D-II for Football because then hoops teams couldn't play in Big Dance.

Major -

What are your thoughts on G5 conferences abandoning the NCAA altogether and forming a new governing body similar to the NAIA?

There are a lot of G5 schools. It would keep them out of the Big Dance, but the P5s are already doing all they can to further restrict G5 teams from the Dance anyway. The MSU's of the world would rather lose to a low-level G5 team with name recognition, than a superior, but unfamiliar, Middle Tennessee State.

Thanks!

It feels like there is eventually going to be 5 straight-forward divisions, at least for football.

Div I - P5
Div II - G5
Div III - FCS
Div IV - former Div II
Div V - former Div III

Essentially there are two more separate divisions - P5 and G5 - already in Football.

Paradoxically in Basketball there is no D-IAA or FCS parallel, just D-I, D-II, and D-III.

I don't think G5 schools can separate from where they are despite Football because of all the money they get from men's Basketball tournament and the post-season opportunities teams-athletes get in the Olympic sports.

This appears to be gaining some steam within EMU...

http://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/inde...ort_d.html

Bold statement:

"Each and every one of you needs to reassess why you are here. If you have any sense of what is right for EMU, you will drop EMU from Division I football as soon as possible. How can you sit there and justify throwing millions of dollars away?"

(04-21-2016 07:15 AM)emu79 Wrote:  EMU DYK - in the 43 years since joining @MACSports, no school has won more team titles EMU's 134 #ChampionsBultHere

Congrats on the underwater basket weaving championships. But no one really gives a **** about them. But hey if EMU wants to continually be the FBS doormat of College Football every year, that's fine. Thanks for the easy W and an extra home game.

(04-25-2016 01:29 PM)utpotts Wrote:  

(04-21-2016 07:15 AM)emu79 Wrote:  EMU DYK - in the 43 years since joining @MACSports, no school has won more team titles EMU's 134 #ChampionsBultHere

Congrats on the underwater basket weaving championships. But no one really gives a **** about them. But hey if EMU wants to continually be the FBS doormat of College Football every year, that's fine. Thanks for the easy W and an extra home game.

Exactly. Cool, you can say you won all these titles. But what does it matter if your school can't afford to keep its athletics dept above water?

Dear Broncos,
That professor at Eastern has been hammering athletics at Eastern for years. It's easy to pick someone who wants to see athletics dropped as a spokesperson. Also, as a percentage of what is spent out of the general budget on athletics, Western and Central are doing slightly better than Eastern.

(04-25-2016 04:32 PM)Ken Barna Wrote:  Dear Broncos,
That professor at Eastern has been hammering athletics at Eastern for years. It's easy to pick someone who wants to see athletics dropped as a spokesperson. Also, as a percentage of what is spent out of the general budget on athletics, Western and Central are doing slightly better than Eastern.

I believe he is the same guy who approached other faculty unions around the MAC trying to stir up this same sentiment. He's a crusader.