(07-24-2019 09:53 AM)BruceMcF Wrote:  

(07-24-2019 08:07 AM)Kit-Cat Wrote:  

(07-24-2019 07:06 AM)Motown Bronco Wrote:  Marshall's cultural connection to southern schools as an impetus for them to join/remain in CUSA cannot be overstated. It was mentioned as a reason by both their fans and athletic department alike, and I can't imagine it's changed much since then.

Indeed, CUSA lost its marquee programs from when Marshall joined. But I think it would take some serious financial woes and an almost desperate desire for cheaper travel costs for Marshall to rejoin the MAC.

From what I heard the lack of interest cuts both ways.

The commissioner of the MAC has said that Marshall's academic deficiencies doesn't buy them a lot of support from the presidents.

http://www.bobcatattack.com/messageboard...PID=284802

Yeah, that is part of why the MAC was willing to pull the trigger on a JMU invite if UMass had exercised the "all-in" option in the "all-in / all-out" ultimatum. JMU is better institutional fit than Marshall was.

that's a pretty low bar! lol

And while people are complaining about the midweek games, the PAC-12 commissioner today said they are exploring 9:00 a.m. starts.

(07-24-2019 05:31 PM)axeme Wrote:  And while people are complaining about the midweek games, the PAC-12 commissioner today said they are exploring 9:00 a.m. starts.

Ewwww. I thought getting up for marching band for a normal noon start was bad enough (granted what you may not know is that generally there is a lot of prep and rehearsal going on before the game starts so you need more time) but 9am just makes that even worse.

The he11 with Marshall.

(07-25-2019 07:20 AM)MajorHoople Wrote:  The he11 with Marshall.

Another intriguing option would be SUNY Albany. If Buffalo stays, then Albany becomes an instant rivalry for them. Such a move would also provide deeper inroads into a media rich state. Their new-ish stadium is expandable to 24,000, which seems to be the perfect size for a MAC program.

We are the MID-American Conference.

No more New York state or East Coast teams.

(07-25-2019 03:35 PM)MajorHoople Wrote:  We are the MID-American Conference.

And it's the Big TEN. But times change.

I'm definitely open to adding Albany or Stony Brook. Either would be among the best academically in the conference and they'd provide a rival for Buffalo. But I don't sense nearly as much interest in going FBS in those places as I do at James Madison.

(07-25-2019 05:48 PM)Schadenfreude Wrote:  

(07-25-2019 03:35 PM)MajorHoople Wrote:  We are the MID-American Conference.

And it's the Big TEN. But times change.

a) MAC is not a P5 conference. Having a "footprint" in NY-NJ, MD-DC, CN-MA would do nothing for MAC.

b) What has Maryland or Rutgers brought to Big Ten besides mediocre basketball and ill-conceived idea to hold Big Ten tournament at Madison Square Garden?

NDSU would be the most interesting add to me.

(07-25-2019 07:07 PM)MajorHoople Wrote:  

(07-25-2019 05:48 PM)Schadenfreude Wrote:  

(07-25-2019 03:35 PM)MajorHoople Wrote:  We are the MID-American Conference.

And it's the Big TEN. But times change.

a) MAC is not a P5 conference. Having a "footprint" in NY-NJ, MD-DC, CN-MA would do nothing for MAC.

I guess we will have to agree to disagree here. We already have a flagship school in New York. Adding the flagship schools in Massachusetts and Connecticut would elevate our product. No, UMass football isn't going to knock Boston College out of first place in the hearts and minds of Boston TV viewers any time soon, but over time they could build more of an audience and get closer to parity in a very large market.

I would compare that situation to Buffalo. It took more than 20 years, but Buffalo is starting to get closer to parity in upstate New York with Syracuse. It is no longer crazy to think of these schools playing each year and of Buffalo winning some of those games, much like Marshall finally started to do with West Virginia.

(07-26-2019 07:59 AM)Schadenfreude Wrote:  

(07-25-2019 07:07 PM)MajorHoople Wrote:  

(07-25-2019 05:48 PM)Schadenfreude Wrote:  

(07-25-2019 03:35 PM)MajorHoople Wrote:  We are the MID-American Conference.

And it's the Big TEN. But times change.

a) MAC is not a P5 conference. Having a "footprint" in NY-NJ, MD-DC, CN-MA would do nothing for MAC.

I guess we will have to agree to disagree here. We already have a flagship school in New York. Adding the flagship schools in Massachusetts and Connecticut would elevate our product. No, UMass football isn't going to knock Boston College out of first place in the hearts and minds of Boston TV viewers any time soon, but over time they could build more of an audience and get closer to parity in a very large market.

I would compare that situation to Buffalo. It took more than 20 years, but Buffalo is starting to get closer to parity in upstate New York with Syracuse. It is no longer crazy to think of these schools playing each year and of Buffalo winning some of those games, much like Marshall finally started to do with West Virginia.

People who didn't go to BC typically aren't really BC fans around here. When there have been challenged (like the 6 Div I schools in MA having a basketball triple header) UMass fans outnumbered all of the other 5 combined, despite being based furthest away from Boston. The problem is the quality of the product - if we can get something real going then it can happen.

Another thing of note for this: no one is going to confuse BCs Hockey history (or BUs either) for UMass any time soon. But one season of a legitimately good product (and one that people only really started noticing midway through the season) and UMass averaged 5050 at home games while BC only had 4470 (and BU 3835).

MA isn't much of a college sports crazed state...except when UMass has shown some life, simply because of how many more alums there are around.

(07-25-2019 07:07 PM)MajorHoople Wrote:  

(07-25-2019 05:48 PM)Schadenfreude Wrote:  [quote='MajorHoople' pid='16210508' dateline='1564086949']
We are the MID-American Conference.

b) What has Maryland or Rutgers brought to Big Ten besides mediocre basketball and ill-conceived idea to hold Big Ten tournament at Madison Square Garden?

money

If it were me, I would start grooming Wisconsin-Whitewater to move up to Division I. They'd expand our footprint into Wisconsin, but not add much to travel. They aren't quite MAC sized at 12,000 students. They have had success in Division III, winning the Football, Baseball, and Basketball national championships. Wisconsin is under-represented in Division I football, with only 1 current program.

If Toledo is the approximate center location of the conference, Whitewater is a 361 mile road trip and Harrisonburg is 474 miles; Albany is 588 miles, and Stoney Brook is 616

(07-26-2019 01:58 PM)Slinkin Street Flash Wrote:  If it were me, I would start grooming Wisconsin-Whitewater to move up to Division I. They'd expand our footprint into Wisconsin, but not add much to travel. They aren't quite MAC sized at 12,000 students. They have had success in Division III, winning the Football, Baseball, and Basketball national championships. Wisconsin is under-represented in Division I football, with only 1 current program.

If Toledo is the approximate center location of the conference, Whitewater is a 361 mile road trip and Harrisonburg is 474 miles; Albany is 588 miles, and Stoney Brook is 616

UW-Milwaukee, with 26,000 students, is the only viable option for another FBS team in Wisconsin, unless Marquette decided to pick up the sport. Additionally, UW-Milwaukee is a much better institutional fit with existing MAC universities as it is a doctoral research institution, whereas the other UW system schools (excluding Madison) are regional universities.

(07-26-2019 07:59 AM)Schadenfreude Wrote:  

(07-25-2019 07:07 PM)MajorHoople Wrote:  

(07-25-2019 05:48 PM)Schadenfreude Wrote:  

(07-25-2019 03:35 PM)MajorHoople Wrote:  We are the MID-American Conference.

And it's the Big TEN. But times change.

a) MAC is not a P5 conference. Having a "footprint" in NY-NJ, MD-DC, CN-MA would do nothing for MAC.

I guess we will have to agree to disagree here. We already have a flagship school in New York. Adding the flagship schools in Massachusetts and Connecticut would elevate our product. No, UMass football isn't going to knock Boston College out of first place in the hearts and minds of Boston TV viewers any time soon, but over time they could build more of an audience and get closer to parity in a very large market.

I would compare that situation to Buffalo. It took more than 20 years, but Buffalo is starting to get closer to parity in upstate New York with Syracuse. It is no longer crazy to think of these schools playing each year and of Buffalo winning some of those games, much like Marshall finally started to do with West Virginia.

Marshall actually has never won—partly because they rarely play

(07-26-2019 05:08 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  Marshall actually has never won—partly because they rarely play

I stand corrected. I thought Marshall won a couple of those Friends of Coal games about 10 or 12 years back, but you are right.

Oops.

(07-25-2019 08:27 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  NDSU would be the most interesting add to me.

What a great road trip that would be. You could leave on Sunday before the game and make it there on Saturday just in time for kickoff. And be back home by the following weekend.

(07-26-2019 07:26 PM)Ohio Poly Wrote:  

(07-25-2019 08:27 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  NDSU would be the most interesting add to me.

What a great road trip that would be. You could leave on Sunday before the game and make it there on Saturday just in time for kickoff. And be back home by the following weekend.

Every other year they'd be playing in DeKalb. I'm not driving to Buffalo any time soon either.

Buffalo is not bad, once for Frozen Four and once for a UMass game. Jan 2000 did an Olean trip, in a day. Left early for the 4PM game and then back home. Now would stay over like the two Buffalo trips. But Northern Illinois, only if combining to see Chicago, but it's that the murder capital?