(03-06-2020 01:11 PM)BeatWestern! Wrote:  

(01-12-2020 06:35 PM)ColinApocalypse Wrote:  Harrisonburg, VA (where JMU is) is MUCH closer to the MAC "footprint" than UConn or UMass.

Harrisonburg to Athens is a 5 hour drive. 5.5 or 6 hours to Akron/Kent. You know, the typical Eastern edge of MAC territory.

Mansfield, CT is 11 hours to Athens and 9 hours to Akron/Kent. The mileage from Amherst is about the same.

Hell, Buffalo is way out of our footprint and they're still 6+ hours away from UConn/UMass.

This is what I've been saying, too, provided Marshall also returns to the MAC. This would provide a MAC East footprint where 5 of 7 schools are within easy driving distance, the outliers being Miami and Buffalo.

The MAC has long preferred having two 7-team divisions. This would provide an 8-game conference football slate that includes just two cross divisional games and an 18-game conference basketball schedule that would include 12 division games home-and-home and six crossover games, three each home and away.

The divisions would look like this:

MAC East
1) Buffalo
2) James Madison
3) Marshall
4) Ohio
5) Akron
6) Kent State
7) Miami

MAC West
1) BGSU
2) Toledo
3) CMU
4) EMU
5) WMU
6) Ball State
7) NIU

FIRE UP CHIPS! :)

I highlighted 2 separate bullet points here.

"The MAC has long preferred having two 7-team divisions"
The MAC may have preferred that 10 years ago when they were trying to chase a TV deal, but the college landscape has changed. It's not more beneficial to shrink to 10 schools than to expand to 14.

"six crossover games, three each home and away"
You have 7 team divisions, but 6 crossover games. Are you proposing that teams skip playing 1 team from the other division?

(03-06-2020 01:50 PM)kreed5120 Wrote:  

(03-06-2020 01:11 PM)BeatWestern! Wrote:  

(01-12-2020 06:35 PM)ColinApocalypse Wrote:  Harrisonburg, VA (where JMU is) is MUCH closer to the MAC "footprint" than UConn or UMass.

Harrisonburg to Athens is a 5 hour drive. 5.5 or 6 hours to Akron/Kent. You know, the typical Eastern edge of MAC territory.

Mansfield, CT is 11 hours to Athens and 9 hours to Akron/Kent. The mileage from Amherst is about the same.

Hell, Buffalo is way out of our footprint and they're still 6+ hours away from UConn/UMass.

This is what I've been saying, too, provided Marshall also returns to the MAC. This would provide a MAC East footprint where 5 of 7 schools are within easy driving distance, the outliers being Miami and Buffalo.

The MAC has long preferred having two 7-team divisions. This would provide an 8-game conference football slate that includes just two cross divisional games and an 18-game conference basketball schedule that would include 12 division games (six each home and away) and six crossover games, three each home and away.

The divisions would look like this:

MAC East
1) Buffalo
2) James Madison
3) Marshall
4) Ohio
5) Akron
6) Kent State
7) Miami

MAC West
1) BGSU
2) Toledo
3) CMU
4) EMU
5) WMU
6) Ball State
7) NIU

FIRE UP CHIPS! :)

I highlighted 2 separate bullet points here.

"The MAC has long preferred having two 7-team divisions"
The MAC may have preferred that 10 years ago when they were trying to chase a TV deal, but the college landscape has changed. It's not more beneficial to shrink to 10 schools than to expand to 14.

"six crossover games, three each home and away"
You have 7 team divisions, but 6 crossover games. Are you proposing that teams skip playing 1 team from the other division?

Yes, to your question.

As to the first part of your reply. No question, media deals are indeed important, so, the question becomes, what impact would Marshall and James Madison bring to that table for a new/renegotiated TV deal? Is JMU able to deliver the DC market?

FIRE UP CHIPS! :)

(03-06-2020 03:48 PM)BeatWestern! Wrote:  

(03-06-2020 01:50 PM)kreed5120 Wrote:  

(03-06-2020 01:11 PM)BeatWestern! Wrote:  

(01-12-2020 06:35 PM)ColinApocalypse Wrote:  Harrisonburg, VA (where JMU is) is MUCH closer to the MAC "footprint" than UConn or UMass.

Harrisonburg to Athens is a 5 hour drive. 5.5 or 6 hours to Akron/Kent. You know, the typical Eastern edge of MAC territory.

Mansfield, CT is 11 hours to Athens and 9 hours to Akron/Kent. The mileage from Amherst is about the same.

Hell, Buffalo is way out of our footprint and they're still 6+ hours away from UConn/UMass.

This is what I've been saying, too, provided Marshall also returns to the MAC. This would provide a MAC East footprint where 5 of 7 schools are within easy driving distance, the outliers being Miami and Buffalo.

The MAC has long preferred having two 7-team divisions. This would provide an 8-game conference football slate that includes just two cross divisional games and an 18-game conference basketball schedule that would include 12 division games (six each home and away) and six crossover games, three each home and away.

The divisions would look like this:

MAC East
1) Buffalo
2) James Madison
3) Marshall
4) Ohio
5) Akron
6) Kent State
7) Miami

MAC West
1) BGSU
2) Toledo
3) CMU
4) EMU
5) WMU
6) Ball State
7) NIU

FIRE UP CHIPS! :)

I highlighted 2 separate bullet points here.

"The MAC has long preferred having two 7-team divisions"
The MAC may have preferred that 10 years ago when they were trying to chase a TV deal, but the college landscape has changed. It's not more beneficial to shrink to 10 schools than to expand to 14.

"six crossover games, three each home and away"
You have 7 team divisions, but 6 crossover games. Are you proposing that teams skip playing 1 team from the other division?

Yes, to your question.

As to the first part of your reply. No question, media deals are indeed important, so, the question becomes, what impact would Marshall and James Madison bring to that table for a new/renegotiated TV deal? Is JMU able to deliver the DC market?

FIRE UP CHIPS! :)

You didn't answer his first question, with any source of facts or quotes....

and number two..... hell no. DC is just like every major city, pro sports first.

(03-02-2020 08:40 PM)utpotts Wrote:  

(03-02-2020 08:03 PM)lakesbison Wrote:  NDSU would destroy the MAC, I'm guessing that's why MAC never even offers.
NDSU gets you into Minneapolis/Minnesota market

you call a MODERATOR a TROLL??? thats rich... I am factual, NDSU would destroy this conference and that's why they wont invite NDSU

(04-13-2020 05:19 PM)lakesbison Wrote:  

(03-02-2020 08:40 PM)utpotts Wrote:  

(03-02-2020 08:03 PM)lakesbison Wrote:  NDSU would destroy the MAC, I'm guessing that's why MAC never even offers.
NDSU gets you into Minneapolis/Minnesota market

you call a MODERATOR a TROLL??? thats rich... I am factual, NDSU would destroy this conference and that's why they wont invite NDSU

NDSU is 600 miles away from the closest MAC school. Also, expanding would force the MAC to split its already incredibly small pie even more ways. All adding NDSU would do is increase travel costs and shrink the amount of revenue each MAC school receives. For athletic programs that are already financially struggling that's a non-starter.

Perhaps if one of the MAC schools decides to drop down and NDSU decides to relocate their campus to Milwaukee, they could become a serious candidate. The facts are it doesn't make any financial sense to add them and that's what drives realignment decisions. Nobody is questioning whether or not NDSU could compete.

I have a hard time getting a firm grasp on the MAC when it comes to expansion topics.

I understand after going through football only memberships with UCF, then Temple, then UMass, the appetite for football only membership is gone. My counterpoint would be that a school like NDSU, for football only (non football sports would remain in the Summit), would come in far more ready to win than any of the prior three football only members. I think they would be as ready as Marshall was in 1997, and they were the best 1-AA to 1-A transition ever.

UCF in the early 2000's was not anywhere near what they are today. They were subpar. Temple was in TERRIBLE shape entering the MAC, having been expelled from the Big East. UMass was completely unprepared for FBS. NDSU would be more than ready. So I do wonder if MAC presidents would consider football only membership for them to provide a jolt of energy to the conference.

It isn't clear to me if football only membership is a no exceptions, absolute no chance thing in the MAC. Fans seem divided.

Second, how committed are the school presidents to the 12 school model? Would a JMU as a 13th member, along with a Marshall or a football only NDSU be intriguing to them? Or is the 12 school model the plan for the long haul?

One thing is for sure: there is a large portion of fans of Sun Belt and MAC schools who want the kind of regionalization (is that a word?) that the MAC has. I would like that myself, specifically an eastern based southern G5 league for my alma mater. I wouldn't want a full month of weeknight games that the MAC employs because I think that suppresses the opportunity to build up a ticket buying fanbase, but I do think the MAC is getting a lot of things right.

(04-13-2020 11:29 PM)Michael in Raleigh Wrote:  I have a hard time getting a firm grasp on the MAC when it comes to expansion topics.

I understand after going through football only memberships with UCF, then Temple, then UMass, the appetite for football only membership is gone.

At the time, the MAC had a TV package for broadcast television stations. The MAC saw value with being on TV in Philadelphia, Springfield and Boston. That package doesn't exist anymore. Now all of our games are on ESPN.

(04-13-2020 05:19 PM)lakesbison Wrote:  

(03-02-2020 08:40 PM)utpotts Wrote:  

(03-02-2020 08:03 PM)lakesbison Wrote:  NDSU would destroy the MAC, I'm guessing that's why MAC never even offers.
NDSU gets you into Minneapolis/Minnesota market

you call a MODERATOR a TROLL??? thats rich... I am factual, NDSU would destroy this conference and that's why they wont invite NDSU

I'm sorry..... you're a ******* Troll. Who comes over here to pimp out NDSU, and never adds anything factual to the conversation. When facts are presented to you, you just ignore them.

(04-13-2020 05:19 PM)lakesbison Wrote:  

(03-02-2020 08:40 PM)utpotts Wrote:  

(03-02-2020 08:03 PM)lakesbison Wrote:  NDSU would destroy the MAC, I'm guessing that's why MAC never even offers.
NDSU gets you into Minneapolis/Minnesota market

you call a MODERATOR a TROLL??? thats rich... I am factual, NDSU would destroy this conference and that's why they wont invite NDSU

A mayor of a ghost town is still a mayor, but it doesn't make him any less crazy if he ran for president.

Somebody needs learn the difference between a fact and a personal opinion.

(04-13-2020 05:19 PM)lakesbison Wrote:  

(03-02-2020 08:40 PM)utpotts Wrote:  

(03-02-2020 08:03 PM)lakesbison Wrote:  NDSU would destroy the MAC, I'm guessing that's why MAC never even offers.
NDSU gets you into Minneapolis/Minnesota market

you call a MODERATOR a TROLL??? thats rich... I am factual, NDSU would destroy this conference and that's why they wont invite NDSU

Why on Earth are you wasting time with the MAC?!? You clearly should join the BIG. You already own the Minneapolis market right?

(04-14-2020 07:36 AM)zibby Wrote:  

(04-13-2020 11:29 PM)Michael in Raleigh Wrote:  I have a hard time getting a firm grasp on the MAC when it comes to expansion topics.

I understand after going through football only memberships with UCF, then Temple, then UMass, the appetite for football only membership is gone.

At the time, the MAC had a TV package for broadcast television stations. The MAC saw value with being on TV in Philadelphia, Springfield and Boston. That package doesn't exist anymore. Now all of our games are on ESPN.

That regional package was a leftover from the B1G once they moved 2nd tier rights over to ESPN. It was a nice deal for the MAC at the time.

UMass may have left in 2015 but the last round was started by Temple on the heels of the Marshall departure. The MAC has since then forged its own brand of midweek FB and can stand on its own two feet.

(04-13-2020 11:29 PM)Michael in Raleigh Wrote:  It isn't clear to me if football only membership is a no exceptions, absolute no chance thing in the MAC. Fans seem divided.

Second, how committed are the school presidents to the 12 school model? Would a JMU as a 13th member, along with a Marshall or a football only NDSU be intriguing to them? Or is the 12 school model the plan for the long haul?

The fans aren't the MAC front office who are making the decisions.

The MAC commissioner has said the FB only period is over. The only crack in that opinion that made him think twice was when UConn became available and he was only for a financial deal they couldn't refuse.

Its not about who would be fun to have on the schedule. Its all about the money which is under great strain at the moment.

ESPN in the future I see more willing to increase money for a playoff than a conference TV deal which makes being paid to expand the MAC very unlikely.

(04-13-2020 11:29 PM)Michael in Raleigh Wrote:  I have a hard time getting a firm grasp on the MAC when it comes to expansion topics.

I understand after going through football only memberships with UCF, then Temple, then UMass, the appetite for football only membership is gone. My counterpoint would be that a school like NDSU, for football only (non football sports would remain in the Summit), would come in far more ready to win than any of the prior three football only members. I think they would be as ready as Marshall was in 1997, and they were the best 1-AA to 1-A transition ever.

UCF in the early 2000's was not anywhere near what they are today. They were subpar. Temple was in TERRIBLE shape entering the MAC, having been expelled from the Big East. UMass was completely unprepared for FBS. NDSU would be more than ready. So I do wonder if MAC presidents would consider football only membership for them to provide a jolt of energy to the conference.

It isn't clear to me if football only membership is a no exceptions, absolute no chance thing in the MAC. Fans seem divided.

Second, how committed are the school presidents to the 12 school model? Would a JMU as a 13th member, along with a Marshall or a football only NDSU be intriguing to them? Or is the 12 school model the plan for the long haul?

One thing is for sure: there is a large portion of fans of Sun Belt and MAC schools who want the kind of regionalization (is that a word?) that the MAC has. I would like that myself, specifically an eastern based southern G5 league for my alma mater. I wouldn't want a full month of weeknight games that the MAC employs because I think that suppresses the opportunity to build up a ticket buying fanbase, but I do think the MAC is getting a lot of things right.

If I was Marshall I would want nothing to do with a football schedule that includes 4 night games on Tuesdays. But maybe it's just me.

(04-17-2020 08:40 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  If I was Marshall I would want nothing to do with a football schedule that includes 4 night games on Tuesdays. But maybe it's just me.

You’re right, many want nothing to do with the Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday night conference games that are played in front of empty stadiums. It really is a deal breaker.