Why is it that a lot of the MAC home games fell on the weekdays, but the SBC gets all weekend home games? Does not not seem fair, especially seeing that crowds tend to be larger on Saturday's than on Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday.

(01-22-2024 08:00 PM)astr083 Wrote:  Why is it that a lot of the MAC home games fell on the weekdays, but the SBC gets all weekend home games? Does not not seem fair, especially seeing that crowds tend to be larger on Saturday's than on Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday.

Early November games had football MACtion to work around that aren't in play in February. The men played 1 game on Wednesday and 1 on Thursday;1 Friday night is a good night for games and then 9 Saturday games. For round 2 having 11 Saturday games and 1 Sunday game isn’t that far off and let’s not overlook the SBC women got 1 Wednesday, 2 Thursday, 1 Friday, 7 Saturday and 1 Sunday game at home yet are going to the MAC for 11 Saturday and 1 Sunday game.

(01-22-2024 08:21 PM)Polish Hammer Wrote:  

(01-22-2024 08:00 PM)astr083 Wrote:  Why is it that a lot of the MAC home games fell on the weekdays, but the SBC gets all weekend home games? Does not not seem fair, especially seeing that crowds tend to be larger on Saturday's than on Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday.

Early November games had football MACtion to work around that aren't in play in February. The men played 1 game on Wednesday and 1 on Thursday;1 Friday night is a good night for games and then 9 Saturday games. For round 2 having 11 Saturday games and 1 Sunday game isn’t that far off and let’s not overlook the SBC women got 1 Wednesday, 2 Thursday, 1 Friday, 7 Saturday and 1 Sunday game at home yet are going to the MAC for 11 Saturday and 1 Sunday game.

Yes, I also imagine this will rotate yearly. Where next year the Sun Belt men's team hosts in the fall and the MAC hosts in February.

Overall, I'm not all that excited about the tournament. Both conferences seem down this year. The tournaments purpose was to create quality matchups that would help come selection Sunday. The only <100 vs <100 matchup the tournament provided was Akron @ JMU. Obviously as an Akron fan I'm looking forward to the matchup, but as a whole I don't think this tournament will move the needle much for either conference this season.

(01-22-2024 08:00 PM)astr083 Wrote:  Why is it that a lot of the MAC home games fell on the weekdays, but the SBC gets all weekend home games? Does not not seem fair, especially seeing that crowds tend to be larger on Saturday's than on Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday.

It rotates next year, the SBC Men will host in November and travel in February.

Of note, ESPN has an agreement with both leagues that they will televise one of the games on at least ESPN2. I am assuming that game will be JMU/Akron.

(01-22-2024 11:22 PM)kreed5120 Wrote:  

(01-22-2024 08:21 PM)Polish Hammer Wrote:  

(01-22-2024 08:00 PM)astr083 Wrote:  Why is it that a lot of the MAC home games fell on the weekdays, but the SBC gets all weekend home games? Does not not seem fair, especially seeing that crowds tend to be larger on Saturday's than on Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday.

Early November games had football MACtion to work around that aren't in play in February. The men played 1 game on Wednesday and 1 on Thursday;1 Friday night is a good night for games and then 9 Saturday games. For round 2 having 11 Saturday games and 1 Sunday game isn’t that far off and let’s not overlook the SBC women got 1 Wednesday, 2 Thursday, 1 Friday, 7 Saturday and 1 Sunday game at home yet are going to the MAC for 11 Saturday and 1 Sunday game.

Yes, I also imagine this will rotate yearly. Where next year the Sun Belt men's team hosts in the fall and the MAC hosts in February.

Overall, I'm not all that excited about the tournament. Both conferences seem down this year. The tournaments purpose was to create quality matchups that would help come selection Sunday. The only <100 vs <100 matchup the tournament provided was Akron @ JMU. Obviously as an Akron fan I'm looking forward to the matchup, but as a whole I don't think this tournament will move the needle much for either conference this season.

No doubt, both leagues have had down years, but even at its worst, when both leagues are struggling and 1 bid leagues, it provides all 24 teams participating a guaranteed OOC home game in a time when its hard to get D1 teams to come to your place without writing a check.

the MAC has had an historically down year. really, it's come down to a handful of close games and a couple NCAA decisions that didn't go the MAC's way until end of Dec.

Kent St had JMU toast w seconds to go and lost. Had Charleston in trouble and lost. Toledo had tight neutral court games with top 50 teams Indiana St and New Mexico slip away late. Akron didn't have Ali Ali in down to the buzzer losses to top 25 Utah St and top 100 UNLV, then couldn't close on a tight one in Cleve w top 100 St Bona. Ohio struggled to win close games. BG scheduled light and ended up better than expected. WMU is a different team with Javonte Brown who should have been eligible in the first place. none of WMU's non Conf foes had to deal w him but all the MAC does now. The average Buffalo team of the last 15 years is a top 100 team against their 2023 schedule but they are in rebuild mode. Miami was missing their best player until mid December.

none of this is an excuse. the MAC was simply a player or play short of similar competition this year. the Sun Belt challenge is a good measure of how good or bad we really are. no easy travel here to Boone and Hattiesburg and Monroe, etc... 5-7 ties the series, any more than that we win, less we lose. Akron-JMU should be a fun game.

Big fan of this series/challenge. Smart move by those on both sides for putting it together. It feels like App State and Toledo are 'the Dark Knight' Batman and the Joker...locked in a battle, destined to do this forever.

(01-23-2024 05:25 AM)pono Wrote:  the MAC has had an historically down year. really, it's come down to a handful of close games and a couple NCAA decisions that didn't go the MAC's way until end of Dec.

Kent St had JMU toast w seconds to go and lost. Had Charleston in trouble and lost. Toledo had tight neutral court games with top 50 teams Indiana St and New Mexico slip away late. Akron didn't have Ali Ali in down to the buzzer losses to top 25 Utah St and top 100 UNLV, then couldn't close on a tight one in Cleve w top 100 St Bona. Ohio struggled to win close games. BG scheduled light and ended up better than expected. WMU is a different team with Javonte Brown who should have been eligible in the first place. none of WMU's non Conf foes had to deal w him but all the MAC does now. The average Buffalo team of the last 15 years is a top 100 team against their 2023 schedule but they are in rebuild mode. Miami was missing their best player until mid December.

none of this is an excuse. the MAC was simply a player or play short of similar competition this year. the Sun Belt challenge is a good measure of how good or bad we really are. no easy travel here to Boone and Hattiesburg and Monroe, etc... 5-7 ties the series, any more than that we win, less we lose. Akron-JMU should be a fun game.

So many of these teams, especially on the MAC side, are so much different -- and most cases better -- than they were in early December, particularly WMU, CMU, BG, Akron and Miami to the good ... Kent, NIU to the negative.

MAC will be able to get their share of road wins.

The JMU-Akron MBB game will be on ESPN2 at 6PM.

(01-25-2024 02:09 PM)Polish Hammer Wrote:  The JMU-Akron MBB game will be on ESPN2 at 6PM.

Yes, outstanding!

(01-23-2024 05:25 AM)pono Wrote:  the MAC has had an historically down year. really, it's come down to a handful of close games and a couple NCAA decisions that didn't go the MAC's way until end of Dec.

Kent St had JMU toast w seconds to go and lost. Had Charleston in trouble and lost. Toledo had tight neutral court games with top 50 teams Indiana St and New Mexico slip away late. Akron didn't have Ali Ali in down to the buzzer losses to top 25 Utah St and top 100 UNLV, then couldn't close on a tight one in Cleve w top 100 St Bona. Ohio struggled to win close games. BG scheduled light and ended up better than expected. WMU is a different team with Javonte Brown who should have been eligible in the first place. none of WMU's non Conf foes had to deal w him but all the MAC does now. The average Buffalo team of the last 15 years is a top 100 team against their 2023 schedule but they are in rebuild mode. Miami was missing their best player until mid December.

none of this is an excuse. the MAC was simply a player or play short of similar competition this year. the Sun Belt challenge is a good measure of how good or bad we really are. no easy travel here to Boone and Hattiesburg and Monroe, etc... 5-7 ties the series, any more than that we win, less we lose. Akron-JMU should be a fun game.

Yeah, travel in the Sun Belt is very different. Overwhelming majority of schools are based in more rural areas, and lack airports you can fly a team into without flying charter. For most MAC schools, its going to involve flying into a major city and taking a bus for an hour or so to the school. It can be worse with places like App and ULM who are very much in the middle of nowhere.

We're used to it more in the SBC, games are scheduled with the knowledge of the amount of travel involved for the visiting team, and divisional schools are with a few exceptions largely can bus to each other, but for someone whose not used to this, the travel can be frustrating.

(01-25-2024 02:37 PM)chiefsfan Wrote:  

(01-23-2024 05:25 AM)pono Wrote:  the MAC has had an historically down year. really, it's come down to a handful of close games and a couple NCAA decisions that didn't go the MAC's way until end of Dec.

Kent St had JMU toast w seconds to go and lost. Had Charleston in trouble and lost. Toledo had tight neutral court games with top 50 teams Indiana St and New Mexico slip away late. Akron didn't have Ali Ali in down to the buzzer losses to top 25 Utah St and top 100 UNLV, then couldn't close on a tight one in Cleve w top 100 St Bona. Ohio struggled to win close games. BG scheduled light and ended up better than expected. WMU is a different team with Javonte Brown who should have been eligible in the first place. none of WMU's non Conf foes had to deal w him but all the MAC does now. The average Buffalo team of the last 15 years is a top 100 team against their 2023 schedule but they are in rebuild mode. Miami was missing their best player until mid December.

none of this is an excuse. the MAC was simply a player or play short of similar competition this year. the Sun Belt challenge is a good measure of how good or bad we really are. no easy travel here to Boone and Hattiesburg and Monroe, etc... 5-7 ties the series, any more than that we win, less we lose. Akron-JMU should be a fun game.

Yeah, travel in the Sun Belt is very different. Overwhelming majority of schools are based in more rural areas, and lack airports you can fly a team into without flying charter. For most MAC schools, its going to involve flying into a major city and taking a bus for an hour or so to the school. It can be worse with places like App and ULM who are very much in the middle of nowhere.

We're used to it more in the SBC, games are scheduled with the knowledge of the amount of travel involved for the visiting team, and divisional schools are with a few exceptions largely can bus to each other, but for someone whose not used to this, the travel can be frustrating.

Very true, Chiefs, something we in the MAC take for granted is the close proximity of a major airport to all MAC schools.

Akron is chartering to it's game vs JMU.