(02-16-2012 12:17 AM)banker Wrote:  Athens OH isn't part of any market. It's a good size school in the middle of nowhere.

For the MAC (and I'm not going to talk about other conferences here) Ohio pulls in the following markets:

-Central Ohio (the middle 50% of the state)
-Southern Ohio
-Upper Ohio Valley (Cambridge-St Clairesville-Wheeling)
-Mid Ohio Valley (Parkersburg-Marietta-Athens)
-Lower Ohio Valley (Ironton-Huntington-Charleston)

Take a look at Ohio Radio Network:

Columbus (Central Ohio)
Athens (Mid Ohio Valley)
Cambridge (Upper Ohio Valley)
Chillicothe (Southern Ohio)
Georgetown (Southern Ohio)
Ironton (Lower Ohio Valley)
Logan (Central Ohio)
Marietta (Mid Ohio Valley)
McConnelesville (Central Ohio)
Middleport (Southern Ohio)
Parkersburg (Mid Ohio Valley)
St. Mary's (Mid Ohio Valley)
Zanesville (Central Ohio)

http://www.ohiobobcats.com/multimedia/oh...twork.html

Now Ohio and Marshall do have SOME market overlap and where that overlap exists Marshall is usually a stronger brand. Marshall is a stronger brand in Huntington-Charleston of course but also in parts of Southern Ohio.

I would say the market overlap is maybe 30% at most but to say the schools are in an identical market is a fallacy. However I like the idea of remaining in a different conference than Marshall just to extend into Huntington's backyard for our own right.

Anyways, I'm of my soapbox but I hope the above helps.