Dear Fthechips,
Your last post is laughable, because most of those people have no idea of what goes on with the majority of MAC schools when it comes to athletic funding. Your institution is no different than Eastern when it comes to how sports are funded. I know you have argued that Eastern should not be a MAC school because of our past records in football, our attendance, whatever, but you then present as support for your argument, an article about the cost of athletics, when Western is in the same boat.

After further thought I think Fthechips is correct and we should kick out a few schools. I believe it is time to let go of NIU, CMU, WMU, EMU. The directional names of the schools brings down the value of the MAC. I mean, how can anyone take the conference seriously when we have directional schools. We can remove those schools and replace them with schools that have actual names.

(04-21-2018 04:29 PM)Ken Barna Wrote:  Dear Fthechips,
Your last post is laughable, because most of those people have no idea of what goes on with the majority of MAC schools when it comes to athletic funding. Your institution is no different than Eastern when it comes to how sports are funded. I know you have argued that Eastern should not be a MAC school because of our past records in football, our attendance, whatever, but you then present as support for your argument, an article about the cost of athletics, when Western is in the same boat.

Your school is literally protesting to cut your football program. Lol. You guys are an FCS level schools, sorry that you disagree.

(04-21-2018 05:07 PM)ilovegymnast Wrote:  After further thought I think Fthechips is correct and we should kick out a few schools. I believe it is time to let go of NIU, CMU, WMU, EMU. The directional names of the schools brings down the value of the MAC. I mean, how can anyone take the conference seriously when we have directional schools. We can remove those schools and replace them with schools that have actual names.

Kent State... lol

Regarded as the worst college football program in CFB history.

Dear Fthechips,
There are maybe 100 people protesting the cut of four sports, and who think football is the enemy. If that is the school protesting, you need to get your eyes checked.

Ok, so we kick out EMU, Kent, whoever you want. We convince Marshall, JMU, and such to replace them. Then what? Do we start to draw a minimum of 20K every game, earn every NY6 bid, win all our bowl games, and become a two-bid basketball conference? Does it change the fact that the remaining members of our conference are non-flagships in Big Ten states? It's pretty preposterous to think we have enough leverage to even pull off those changes, let alone become some dream G5 conference in reality.

(04-21-2018 08:50 PM)Ken Barna Wrote:  Dear Fthechips,
There are maybe 100 people protesting the cut of four sports, and who think football is the enemy. If that is the school protesting, you need to get your eyes checked.

Football costs you guys an insane amount of money to operate every year, sure a lot MAC schools subsidize their football programs but not anywhere close to EMU, you guys have had what, two winning seasons in the last 30 years? And that’s playing in the MAC. You guys have awful attendance, you have to tarp off seating for God’s sake, plus you’re 6 miles from the big house, so you will forever be in UMs shadow. You guys are a commuter school so I’m not really sure why you even have a football team. Look at Oakland and Detroit mercy, they don’t have football teams, you guys should be modeling after them.

Dear Fthechips,
You cannot make the argument about costs, when Central spends the same amount from their general funds. You can criticize all you want, but let's see were the "chips fall" this season.

(04-21-2018 09:09 PM)Love and Honor Wrote:  Ok, so we kick out EMU, Kent, whoever you want. We convince Marshall, JMU, and such to replace them. Then what? Do we start to draw a minimum of 20K every game, earn every NY6 bid, win all our bowl games, and become a two-bid basketball conference? Does it change the fact that the remaining members of our conference are non-flagships in Big Ten states? It's pretty preposterous to think we have enough leverage to even pull off those changes, let alone become some dream G5 conference in reality.

No but it would be a big step in the right direction. And yes I do believe the MAC should reinstate and actually enforce attendance requirements.

(04-21-2018 09:09 PM)Love and Honor Wrote:  Ok, so we kick out EMU, Kent, whoever you want. We convince Marshall, JMU, and such to replace them. Then what? Do we start to draw a minimum of 20K every game, earn every NY6 bid, win all our bowl games, and become a two-bid basketball conference? Does it change the fact that the remaining members of our conference are non-flagships in Big Ten states? It's pretty preposterous to think we have enough leverage to even pull off those changes, let alone become some dream G5 conference in reality.

The cold reality is no combination within the MAC or between the MAC and say CUSA or SBC is going to fetch more in TV money than what the MAC is currently picking up.

Competitiveness and TV money drove the WAC/MWC split. Could there be a competitive argument for putting together an 8-10 team conference out of MAC/SBC/CUSA?

North: Toledo, NIU, WMU, Ohio, WKU
South: MTSU, LaTech, SoMiss, AppSt, FAU

It doesn't seem workable to include MAC schools in it. Something like this would probably be better.

North: Marshall, WKU, MTSU, Ark St, App St
South: LaTech, Louisiana, SoMiss, Georgia St, FAU

In the south there is enough G5 schools to work with on a recombination. In the Midwest its only the 12 MAC schools.....unless UC, UConn, Temple were willing to leave the AAC to get in a conference with 4-5 MAC schools.

East: UConn, Buffalo, Temple, Navy, Ohio
West: Toledo, Cincinnati, WMU, CMU, NIU

That would be another AAC but UConn & Cincinnati prefer a conference with Texas and Florida recruiting so it will never happen.

(04-21-2018 06:07 PM)Fthechips Wrote:  

(04-21-2018 05:07 PM)ilovegymnast Wrote:  After further thought I think Fthechips is correct and we should kick out a few schools. I believe it is time to let go of NIU, CMU, WMU, EMU. The directional names of the schools brings down the value of the MAC. I mean, how can anyone take the conference seriously when we have directional schools. We can remove those schools and replace them with schools that have actual names.

Kent State... lol

Regarded as the worst college football program in CFB history.

Kent State has the biggest enrollment in the MAC with campuses all over NE Ohio.

Eastern is the only MAC team directly in the Detroit market.

Both would be more appreciated in the MAC if say Toledo was to move onto another conference. They add regional depth to the MAC.

(04-22-2018 02:34 PM)Kittonhead Wrote:  

(04-21-2018 06:07 PM)Fthechips Wrote:  

(04-21-2018 05:07 PM)ilovegymnast Wrote:  After further thought I think Fthechips is correct and we should kick out a few schools. I believe it is time to let go of NIU, CMU, WMU, EMU. The directional names of the schools brings down the value of the MAC. I mean, how can anyone take the conference seriously when we have directional schools. We can remove those schools and replace them with schools that have actual names.

Kent State... lol

Regarded as the worst college football program in CFB history.

Kent State has the biggest enrollment in the MAC with campuses all over NE Ohio.

Eastern is the only MAC team directly in the Detroit market.

Both would be more appreciated in the MAC if say Toledo was to move onto another conference. They add regional depth to the MAC.

They do not add regional depth to the MAC. They are just deadweight that are located on top of other universities. EMU doesn’t draw from the Detroit market, everybody just watches Michigan, they are 6 miles from UofM and they also compete with Oakland and Detroit Mercy, not sure why they even chose to open a university there, terrible location.

Dear Fthechips,
Yes, I'm sure athletics, and the MAC affiliation was at the top of the list when Eastern was founded in 1849, in Ypsilanti. Know what you talk about.

(04-22-2018 02:26 PM)Kittonhead Wrote:  [quote='Love and Honor' pid='15261985' dateline='1524362999']
Ok, so we kick out EMU, Kent, whoever you want. We convince Marshall, JMU, and such to replace them. Then what? Do we start to draw a minimum of 20K every game, earn every NY6 bid, win all our bowl games, and become a two-bid basketball conference? Does it change the fact that the remaining members of our conference are non-flagships in Big Ten states? It's pretty preposterous to think we have enough leverage to even pull off those changes, let alone become some dream G5 conference in reality.
[/quote

East: UConn, Buffalo, Temple, Navy, Ohio
West: Toledo, Cincinnati, WMU, CMU, NIU

Pipe dream, but that would be sweet

(04-22-2018 03:03 PM)Ken Barna Wrote:  Dear Fthechips,
Yes, I'm sure athletics, and the MAC affiliation was at the top of the list when Eastern was founded in 1849, in Ypsilanti. Know what you talk about.

Your point?

Dear Fthechips,
You are the one who brought up the location for Eastern. Do I really have to draw you a picture?

(04-22-2018 09:14 AM)Fthechips Wrote:  

(04-21-2018 09:09 PM)Love and Honor Wrote:  Ok, so we kick out EMU, Kent, whoever you want. We convince Marshall, JMU, and such to replace them. Then what? Do we start to draw a minimum of 20K every game, earn every NY6 bid, win all our bowl games, and become a two-bid basketball conference? Does it change the fact that the remaining members of our conference are non-flagships in Big Ten states? It's pretty preposterous to think we have enough leverage to even pull off those changes, let alone become some dream G5 conference in reality.

No but it would be a big step in the right direction. And yes I do believe the MAC should reinstate and actually enforce attendance requirements.

Let's be honest here, if we were to enforce 15K butts in the seats average then close to half the MAC would be gone. The recent C-USA deal shows how much the major networks think of the G5 in this day and age, we may have it about as good as we'll ever relative to the rest of the FBS world get unless something earth-shattering happens over the next decade. Our improvement with your changes would be marginal at best and would probably backfire given that most of the schools that fit our footprint really don't have much interest in us.

(04-22-2018 03:58 PM)Ken Barna Wrote:  Dear Fthechips,
You are the one who brought up the location for Eastern. Do I really have to draw you a picture?

So you argue that it draws from the Detroit market? And then you turn around and try to argue that it’s far away from Ann Arbor and that it doesn’t compete with Michigan? That’s some EMU logic right there .

(04-22-2018 07:37 PM)Love and Honor Wrote:  

(04-22-2018 09:14 AM)Fthechips Wrote:  

(04-21-2018 09:09 PM)Love and Honor Wrote:  Ok, so we kick out EMU, Kent, whoever you want. We convince Marshall, JMU, and such to replace them. Then what? Do we start to draw a minimum of 20K every game, earn every NY6 bid, win all our bowl games, and become a two-bid basketball conference? Does it change the fact that the remaining members of our conference are non-flagships in Big Ten states? It's pretty preposterous to think we have enough leverage to even pull off those changes, let alone become some dream G5 conference in reality.

No but it would be a big step in the right direction. And yes I do believe the MAC should reinstate and actually enforce attendance requirements.

Let's be honest here, if we were to enforce 15K butts in the seats average then close to half the MAC would be gone. The recent C-USA deal shows how much the major networks think of the G5 in this day and age, we may have it about as good as we'll ever relative to the rest of the FBS world get unless something earth-shattering happens over the next decade. Our improvement with your changes would be marginal at best and would probably backfire given that most of the schools that fit our footprint really don't have much interest in us.

This is the problem with the MAC, people like you are content with accepting mediocrity. Why shouldn’t we be trying to mirror what the American is doing?

(04-22-2018 10:17 PM)Fthechips Wrote:  

(04-22-2018 07:37 PM)Love and Honor Wrote:  

(04-22-2018 09:14 AM)Fthechips Wrote:  

(04-21-2018 09:09 PM)Love and Honor Wrote:  Ok, so we kick out EMU, Kent, whoever you want. We convince Marshall, JMU, and such to replace them. Then what? Do we start to draw a minimum of 20K every game, earn every NY6 bid, win all our bowl games, and become a two-bid basketball conference? Does it change the fact that the remaining members of our conference are non-flagships in Big Ten states? It's pretty preposterous to think we have enough leverage to even pull off those changes, let alone become some dream G5 conference in reality.

No but it would be a big step in the right direction. And yes I do believe the MAC should reinstate and actually enforce attendance requirements.

Let's be honest here, if we were to enforce 15K butts in the seats average then close to half the MAC would be gone. The recent C-USA deal shows how much the major networks think of the G5 in this day and age, we may have it about as good as we'll ever relative to the rest of the FBS world get unless something earth-shattering happens over the next decade. Our improvement with your changes would be marginal at best and would probably backfire given that most of the schools that fit our footprint really don't have much interest in us.

This is the problem with the MAC, people like you are content with accepting mediocrity. Why shouldn’t we be trying to mirror what the American is doing?

We don't have schools in the top 20 metropolitan areas in the nation nor do we have some of the largest schools in the country in our conference. It isn't possible to catch up because their footprint is so vastly different.

They created a G5 conference from the death of a Power conference with a ton of football and basketball tradition. We are a great lakes conference with little enrollment compared to the rest of college football in a geographically sucky area for November football. Get over it.

Nothing is changing but the slightest possibility UB or Toledo or Ohio gets taken to an American- like conference 10 years down the line when a few of their schools move up to the power level and the G5 has been bumped down to D2 because revenue doesn't match cost to exist.

Live for an undefeated season, access bowl game, P5 upsets and NFL player success. That's our life in the G5. Be like Toledo and embrace it or be like Ball State and not care. Your choice.