This may sound harsh toward the MAC but this has to be a factor for Marshall staying in C-USA.

If a league is not P5, it needs as many of the following elements to be in place for as many of its members as possible:

* nationally relevant football programs (or at least some with history)

* nationally relevant men's basketball programs (or at least some with history)

* elite academic institutions

* locations in big cities or cool college towns

To a lesser extent:

* nationally relevant programs in baseball (or at least some with history)

* nationally relevant programs in women's hoops (or at least some with history)

C-USA has some of the elements. Rice is elite academically and has great baseball. UAB, UTEP, Charlotte and Western Kentucky have had strong runs in men's hoops. LaTech has been a women's hoops power. The two Florida schools are emerging as academic players. USM has strong baseball. Marshall has enjoyed some great runs in football. Norfolk, Charlotte, Miami, El Paso, Houston, San Antonio and Birmingham are, collectively, well known U.S. cities.

Now compare this to the MAC. Buffalo is strong academically and in decent sized city. Toledo has enjoyed some strong football. Maybe there is a baseball power or another strong academic school. But I'm not sure the MAC offers what C-USA does overally. Now what the MAC DOES offer is history/tradition, stability and a relatively tight geographic footprint. Much to be said for all that.

Still, it simply seems to me (admittedly, I'm biased as an MTSU grad) that C-USA brings so much more to the table than the MAC. As such, Marshall will stay put.