I'm curious. Would you want them back if the Big East ever takes Memphis? They will want out of C-USA, with the one thing that gives the conference legitimacy gone.

I am afraid there will be an overwhelmingly negative reaction, based on some people's feelings stemming from past differences, but try to consider it objectively.

We need a 14th member. There are rivalries that can be resurrected. They can help shift the conferene a bit more eastward, like the guys in the front office want. I think their football fans have been served a nice little slice of humble pie since the move to C-USA. You don't have to wait for some school to be eligible to move up to D-I. I know they don't exactly give us a large media market, nor are they an improvement to the league's quality, but Temple was considered to be a step backwards in quality when we invited them, and now they will soon be ready to compete as well as anybody else in the league.

Tell us: What would your reasons be for wanting them to re-join or be kept out?

uakronkid Wrote:I'm curious. Would you want them back if the Big East ever takes Memphis? They will want out of C-USA, with the one thing that gives the conference legitimacy gone.

I am afraid there will be an overwhelmingly negative reaction, based on some people's feelings stemming from past differences, but try to consider it objectively.

We need a 14th member. There are rivalries that can be resurrected. They can help shift the conferene a bit more eastward, like the guys in the front office want. I think their football fans have been served a nice little slice of humble pie since the move to C-USA. You don't have to wait for some school to be eligible to move up to D-I. I know they don't exactly give us a large media market, nor are they an improvement to the league's quality, but Temple was considered to be a step backwards in quality when we invited them, and now they will soon be ready to compete as well as anybody else in the league.

Tell us: What would your reasons be for wanting them to re-join or be kept out?

No. They've been a member twice and left twice: Once forced out because they couldn't follow rules set forth by the NCAA, once because they felt the MAC was beneath them. If they can't compete in C-USA, let them join the Sun Belt. Their program tanked the minute Pruitt left as head coach. Screw 'em.

well there is a extremely slight chance that Temple could end up in the new all sports conference after the football schools split from the B.E.. if that does happen then the mac would have 12 schools again hense no reason to add another.

They will never want to come back. Even if they did, they have burnt this particular bridge and I doubt the conference would take them again.

In the spirit of the question though, I say no way. They bring nothing of value to the conference. There is no national buzz about their football any more, they've never been very good in basketball, their market is small, their academics are not impressive, they have a history of violating NCAA rules and they have done nothing but trash talk us since they had a chance to bolt.

Besides filling an odd spot on the schedule, Marshall does nothing positive for us as a whole.

-Dan

well i did say extremely slight chance... i doubt temple would join myself...but who knows... we all must wait n see... temple has until 2010 to bring in all their sports or get out... so i don't know.

Yes. I would take Marshall back since it would help the MAC with schedules and re-new rivarly matchups in both divisions.
The positives outweight the negatives with Marshall. MAC would be able to balance division. Marshall would help boost attendance in the MAC. 6 division games in football plus 3 cross over games for a 9 game conference schedule. This would help the MAC get more bowl eligible teams each year. The basketball schedule would have 12 division games plus 8 cross over games for a 20 game MAC schedule. This would give each MAC team 10 conference home games vs the current 8 game setup. The benefit of having BGSU/Toledo in same division makes that game more attractive to national TV. The same with Marshall vs Ohio or Marahall vs Miami-OH. Who doesn't want to see coaches hauled off in handcuffs on national TV again or Marshall's punter blowing a sure win at Akron in the final minute.

MAC East
Temple
Buffalo
Kent State
Akron
Marshall
Miami-OH
Ohio

MAC West
Bowling Green State
Toledo
Ball State
Eastern Michigan
Central Michigan
Western Michigan
Northern Illinois

I would rather get an ass rash:, then see Marshal back in the MAC!

westernwilly Wrote:I would rather get an ass rash:, then see Marshal back in the MAC!

Why is the order important?

Photodan Wrote:They will never want to come back. Even if they did, they have burnt this particular bridge and I doubt the conference would take them again.

In the spirit of the question though, I say no way. They bring nothing of value to the conference. There is no national buzz about their football any more, they've never been very good in basketball, their market is small, their academics are not impressive, they have a history of violating NCAA rules and they have done nothing but trash talk us since they had a chance to bolt.

Besides filling an odd spot on the schedule, Marshall does nothing positive for us as a whole.

-Dan

:iagree: :clap2: well said, Dan!

westernwilly Wrote:I would rather get an ass rash:, then see Marshal back in the MAC!

No you wouldn't. Trust me

rickk Wrote:

uakronkid Wrote:I'm curious. Would you want them back if the Big East ever takes Memphis? They will want out of C-USA, with the one thing that gives the conference legitimacy gone.

I am afraid there will be an overwhelmingly negative reaction, based on some people's feelings stemming from past differences, but try to consider it objectively.

We need a 14th member. There are rivalries that can be resurrected. They can help shift the conferene a bit more eastward, like the guys in the front office want. I think their football fans have been served a nice little slice of humble pie since the move to C-USA. You don't have to wait for some school to be eligible to move up to D-I. I know they don't exactly give us a large media market, nor are they an improvement to the league's quality, but Temple was considered to be a step backwards in quality when we invited them, and now they will soon be ready to compete as well as anybody else in the league.

Tell us: What would your reasons be for wanting them to re-join or be kept out?

No. They've been a member twice and left twice: Once forced out because they couldn't follow rules set forth by the NCAA, once because they felt the MAC was beneath them. If they can't compete in C-USA, let them join the Sun Belt. Their program tanked the minute Pruitt left as head coach. Screw 'em.

I doubt they would fare much better in the SBC so let's keep them in CUSA . . .

Not much difference between CUSA, SBC, MAC per the final Sagarin ratings:

# 11 CONFERENCE USA (A) = 59.54
# 13 SUN BELT (A) = 59.19
# 14 MID-AMERICAN (A) = 58.37

Jeff Sagarin NCAA football ratings
Updated: 2/29/2008 4:01:36 PM

Wasn't there a similar thread to this just a little while ago.

I'd rather have Army.

epasnoopy Wrote:Wasn't there a similar thread to this just a little while ago.

I'd rather have Army.

Here, here....I agree totally.

I would take them back in a heartbeat. Good teams, terrific fan support, nice facilities, proximity to our league. Not quite an institutional fit but I would still take them ASAP.

Nick in Cleveland Wrote:I would take them back in a heartbeat. Good teams, terrific fan support, nice facilities, proximity to our league. Not quite an institutional fit but I would still take them ASAP.

it will not happen but i agree with nick. marshall would be better off in the mac, the mac east would be more intense, bg could move west, toledo/ohio/miami would add a rival to their schedule, and fan interest would increase. however, marshall is stuck in cusa until that league breaks up. it's slightly higher profile than the mac so boosters and fans would see the mac as a step backwards. if memphis leaves, cusa will probably add a sun belt school (troy, mtsu, n texas, or fiu/fau) and stay at 12. losing memphis would hurt bad in bball, their football would be missed but is replaceable. it would make sense for the big east to add memphis. an dhey, they're shooting for a 20 team bball league anyway.

Nick in Cleveland Wrote:I would take them back in a heartbeat. Good teams, terrific fan support, nice facilities, proximity to our league. Not quite an institutional fit but I would still take them ASAP.

Good teams? Marshall was only good in football and sucked in nearly every other sport (and still does). Now they don't even have football anymore.

No.

Teams I'd rather have than Marshall

Army
Navy
ND ST
UNI
IL ST

All bring more to the conference than Marshall. IL ST has an almost new hoops arena, hosts the IHSA women's hoops tourney. UNI hosts the Iowa HS football championships, has a domed stadium and a hoops program that has made the dance a number of times in the last 15 years. ND ST has a domed football stadium, Fargo is a nice sized market and they get crossover fans from MN, their baseball stadium would be the best in the conference(seats 5500), their football program has continued winning moving up to FCS from D2(beat MN last year and Ball St the year before). Army and Navy speak for themselves.

As an Ohio fan the vote is easy.

No.

Marshall's football program casted a long shadow over our own during the time that it was in the MAC. They had the same school colors, they had some of the same media markets. One of Ohio's branch campuses is directly across the Ohio river from Huntington.

With Marshall out Ohio can carry Southern Ohio and West Virginia for the MAC. Yes Marshall is still in the neighborhood but for those fans who want to watch midwestern football in that region as most do, Ohio is the alternative to yawn fest games against UAB and UTEP.

Recruiting is up significantly at Ohio since Marshall's move. Many recruits in the last few years have picked Ohio and the MAC over Marshall and the C-DOA journey.

Its a different perspective too for us as we are going to play Marshall every year starting in 2010. For Herd fans its going to be the Super Bowl because it will be the only game on the schedule they can actually drive to.

I don't think MU fans come close to ever considering a game with OU the super bowl. Don't flatter yourself.

NO!!

Marshall was only good in football, women's tennis, and women's basketball.