(06-13-2016 09:16 AM)Love and Honor Wrote:  I'd be open to Marshall if WKU came along, but it's not without its potential downsides. On one hand, we get two solid football programs (hence taking away two from C-USA), a historically good basketball team in the Hilltoppers, get to move BG to the West. On the other, there's iffy history to consider with the Herd, both teams would bolt if the AAC came calling, and it would split up our TV money two more ways without adding schools that would instantly boost the MAC's value. I'm willing to consider it, but we need to tread very lightly if we want to go down the Marshall path again.

I don't think they would go to the AAC but I feel like it would make more sense to pursue schools that are more like MAC schools. No offense but Marshall and WKU aren't exactly lighting it on fire academically.

The MAC could look at ODU and FIU....two highly populated states/markets. ODU is really fish out of water in CUSA. The distance between them and the Texas schools is gigantic. Stadium size in CUSA is 40k+ at many schools while they have a more MAC like 22,000 seats. FIU stadium is 23,500 seats also more of a MAC level capacity.

Total Students:

Florida International 54,099
Old Dominion 24,670
Western Kentucky 21,048
Marshall 16,782

I'm still skeptical if going above 12 makes sense at all because of the CFP distribution. Steinbrecher has said that if a group of schools became available that could help the MAC, the MAC might be tempted to expand.