I have always like both of these universities and feel the would it nicely in the Mid-American Conference. Similar schools, facilities and budgets. Any feedback from WKU and MTSU fans?

(05-02-2012 08:35 PM)Gallia Cat Wrote:  I have always like both of these universities and feel the would it nicely in the Mid-American Conference. Similar schools, facilities and budgets. Any feedback from WKU and MTSU fans?

Have to ask them. MAC is a very solid league.

(05-02-2012 08:36 PM)Seminole Indian Wrote:  

(05-02-2012 08:35 PM)Gallia Cat Wrote:  I have always like both of these universities and feel the would it nicely in the Mid-American Conference. Similar schools, facilities and budgets. Any feedback from WKU and MTSU fans?

Have to ask them. MAC is a very solid league.

Only if the Sun Belt adds New Mexico State and Idaho.

(05-02-2012 08:37 PM)Kwisatz100 Wrote:  

(05-02-2012 08:36 PM)Seminole Indian Wrote:  

(05-02-2012 08:35 PM)Gallia Cat Wrote:  I have always like both of these universities and feel the would it nicely in the Mid-American Conference. Similar schools, facilities and budgets. Any feedback from WKU and MTSU fans?

Have to ask them. MAC is a very solid league.

Only if the Sun Belt adds New Mexico State and Idaho.

Quite right. I'd not rather be interested in MAC unless something like that happens...

You'll see one or two of them groan about it occasionally on here when we do something stupid as a league, but I could not imagine either school subjecting their football programs to the MAC.

(05-02-2012 08:38 PM)chiefsfan Wrote:  You'll see one or two of them groan about it occasionally on here when we do something stupid as a league, but I could not imagine either school subjecting their football programs to the MAC.

Didn't ark st lose a bowl game to a MAC school?

There is a very good chance the MAC is going to target at least one of us and probably both. We both had informal invites from the MAC in 03.

With what Benson is doing to the SBC it may be time to listen this time around. Word is Benson isn't a fan of the Blue Raiders. He may still hold a grudge against us for being one the ring leaders that told him no thanks to his 16-team WAC in 04. It may be in our best interest to go to the MAC just to get away from him.

We've already been spurned by one commissioner named Beebe who screwed our basketball program over so bad in 1989 it took us until ... well this year to recover.

(05-02-2012 08:46 PM)prairiedawg Wrote:  

(05-02-2012 08:38 PM)chiefsfan Wrote:  You'll see one or two of them groan about it occasionally on here when we do something stupid as a league, but I could not imagine either school subjecting their football programs to the MAC.

Didn't ark st lose a bowl game to a MAC school?

Sure did. With only 5 coaches on staff, 4 of which were upset because the school had just informed them their contracts wouldnt be renewed.

The difference is that the MAC's football attendance is pretty poor in a lot of places. In addition, the travel would be terrible. Do either MTSU or WKU fans really envision themselves playing november football games at Eastern Michigan, Buffalo, or UMASS?

(05-02-2012 08:49 PM)chiefsfan Wrote:  

(05-02-2012 08:46 PM)prairiedawg Wrote:  

(05-02-2012 08:38 PM)chiefsfan Wrote:  You'll see one or two of them groan about it occasionally on here when we do something stupid as a league, but I could not imagine either school subjecting their football programs to the MAC.

Didn't ark st lose a bowl game to a MAC school?

Sure did. With only 5 coaches on staff, 4 of which were upset because the school had just informed them their contracts wouldnt be renewed.

The difference is that the MAC's football attendance is pretty poor in a lot of places. In addition, the travel would be terrible. Do either MTSU or WKU fans really envision themselves playing november football games at Eastern Michigan, Buffalo, or UMASS?

No, but I also don't want to envision playing Idaho in november.

(05-02-2012 08:37 PM)Kwisatz100 Wrote:  

(05-02-2012 08:36 PM)Seminole Indian Wrote:  

(05-02-2012 08:35 PM)Gallia Cat Wrote:  I have always like both of these universities and feel the would it nicely in the Mid-American Conference. Similar schools, facilities and budgets. Any feedback from WKU and MTSU fans?

Have to ask them. MAC is a very solid league.

Only if the Sun Belt adds New Mexico State and Idaho.

+1

The MAC has generally lower attendence than the Sun Belt. Exactly one team has renovated or built a football facility in the last 20 years (and only 2 in the last 30). More rural schools with small enrollments. Most schools are in economically declining areas so economic growth is unlikely to be driving conference growth as time moves forward. Great rivalries for the most part. But....

I don't see the MAC being a threat to pick off Sun Belt teams. Unless the Belt announces its going to 16 teams and the next four are Idaho, NMSU, Liberty, and Jacksonville State.

(05-02-2012 08:35 PM)Gallia Cat Wrote:  I have always like both of these universities and feel the would it nicely in the Mid-American Conference. Similar schools, facilities and budgets. Any feedback from WKU and MTSU fans?

Welcome to the board Commissioner Steinbrecher.

(05-02-2012 08:49 PM)chiefsfan Wrote:  Sure did. With only 5 coaches on staff, 4 of which were upset because the school had just informed them their contracts wouldnt be renewed.

All of those (4) coaches were position coaches. We had high school coaches and former players filling in the gaps.
We didn't have a prayer.

I think both WKU and MT view themselves as "Southern" schools and I'm no so sure that the MAC would feel right for our fanbases. The MAC certainly has a nice tradition, but not exactly the right fit for either one.

(05-02-2012 08:55 PM)Tom in Lazybrook Wrote:  The MAC has generally lower attendence than the Sun Belt. Exactly one team has renovated or built a football facility in the last 20 years (and only 2 in the last 30). More rural schools with small enrollments. Most schools are in economically declining areas so economic growth is unlikely to be driving conference growth as time moves forward. Great rivalries for the most part. But....

I don't see the MAC being a threat to pick off Sun Belt teams. Unless the Belt announces its going to 16 teams and the next four are Idaho, NMSU, Liberty, and Jacksonville State.

You need to get some better sources for your information. If you check those enrollment numbers you will find an average enrollment in the 25,000 area. Ohio and Kent are both well over 35,000 in total enrollment and neither are commuter schools. Exactly one team building or renovating a football facility in last 20 years? I can think of several. You need to get better information. In term of declining, Ohio University has received over 17,000 applications already this year. Yes Ohio is considered a rust belt state, however it has the 7th largest population in the country.

(05-02-2012 09:09 PM)Gallia Cat Wrote:  

(05-02-2012 08:55 PM)Tom in Lazybrook Wrote:  The MAC has generally lower attendence than the Sun Belt. Exactly one team has renovated or built a football facility in the last 20 years (and only 2 in the last 30). More rural schools with small enrollments. Most schools are in economically declining areas so economic growth is unlikely to be driving conference growth as time moves forward. Great rivalries for the most part. But....

I don't see the MAC being a threat to pick off Sun Belt teams. Unless the Belt announces its going to 16 teams and the next four are Idaho, NMSU, Liberty, and Jacksonville State.

You need to check those enrollment numbers. When you do you will find an average enrollment in the 25,000 area. Ohio and Kent are both well over 35,000 in total enrollment. Exactly one team building or renovating a football facility in last 20 years? You need to get better information.

Please don't tell me Kent State had 3000 people attend their football games if they are a rural residential university with 25000 students. I apologize for my comments on MAC stadia. I see that Kent reduced their 40 year old stadium's capacity to 20,000 (!) a few years back. I can see Rice or UAB reducing capacity from 85 and 70 thousand to 50 or so, but reducing it to 20k? Really?

Peden Stadium at Ohio was built in 1929 and seats a whopping 24,000 (!).

I wonder what EMU's football attendance records look like? When did Toledo build its Glass Bowl? How about Ball State? And UMass....plays 2 hours (in normal traffic) from its campus.

I don't see it happening.

MTSU was never keen on the MAC and rightly so. They would really be an outlier and not very close to other MAC schools other than WKU.

WKU was ready to go in 2005 but didn't get the invite. Travel south is certainly easier in the winter than travel north.

Sunbelt still has a lot of upside, lots of potential. The MAC is more what you see is what you get.

(05-02-2012 09:19 PM)Tom in Lazybrook Wrote:  

(05-02-2012 09:09 PM)Gallia Cat Wrote:  

(05-02-2012 08:55 PM)Tom in Lazybrook Wrote:  The MAC has generally lower attendence than the Sun Belt. Exactly one team has renovated or built a football facility in the last 20 years (and only 2 in the last 30). More rural schools with small enrollments. Most schools are in economically declining areas so economic growth is unlikely to be driving conference growth as time moves forward. Great rivalries for the most part. But....

I don't see the MAC being a threat to pick off Sun Belt teams. Unless the Belt announces its going to 16 teams and the next four are Idaho, NMSU, Liberty, and Jacksonville State.

You need to check those enrollment numbers. When you do you will find an average enrollment in the 25,000 area. Ohio and Kent are both well over 35,000 in total enrollment. Exactly one team building or renovating a football facility in last 20 years? You need to get better information.

Please don't tell me Kent State had 3000 people attend their football games if they are a rural residential university with 25000 students. I apologize for my comments on MAC stadia. I see that Kent reduced their 40 year old stadium's capacity to 20,000 (!) a few years back. I can see Rice or UAB reducing capacity from 85 and 70 thousand to 50 or so, but reducing it to 20k? Really?

Peden Stadium at Ohio was built in 1929 and seats a whopping 24,000 (!).

I wonder what EMU's football attendance records look like? When did Toledo build its Glass Bowl? How about Ball State? And UMass....plays 2 hours (in normal traffic) from its campus.

Did not mean to make anyone angry I simply posed a quesiton. Miami, Ball State, Central Michigan, Western Michigan, Kent State and Ohio have recently renovated their stadiums in the time frame you mentioned. Akron built a brand new stadium. Ohio will be breaking ground on its new indoor practice facility next year. Yes Peden Stadium is old but VERY well maintained and could easily be expanded. The nice thing about Peden, is its pretty much full on a weekley basis. Ohio University also has the 13,000 Convcation Center in basketball. OU also has a main campus of over 23,000 students and a $333,000,000 endowment.

Last but not least, Miami, Buffalo, Ohio, Bowling Green, Kent and Ball State are always ranked by US New World Report as top national universities.

Once again, simply ask a question because I like WKU and MTSU. I believe they have a nice upside and tradition.

I don't consider this pimping, its defending.

If the Sun Belt does not get more bowl tie ins that are little father north than I wouldn't mind going to the MAC...We pretty much have to win the Sun Belt to have a chance at a bowl most seasons......But I am one of the few who wouldnt mind going to the MAC..Most WKU fans want to stay another 25 years in the Sun Belt......

What is the distance between WKU and MTSU and the closest MAC school? The average distance? Its gotta be a hike from MTSU one would think. 6 hours or so one would think. They'd be outliers for sure.

How is average attendance? What about football stadia?

Does MTSU or WKU have much in common with any school in the MAC?

Wouldn't JMU and Delaware be better adds for the MAC given their move towards the northeast?

The facilities are small in general by FBS standards.