Just wondering what the general MAC fan thinks of the Sun Belt Conference.

The SBC within 5 years will be pretty much on the same level as CUSA competitively.

There are lot trying to compare the SBC and the MAC but aside from home gate there isn't very much to compare. The two conferences do not share geography, do not compete for the most part in recruiting, and MAC football has a tradition unlike any non-BCS conference.

With the current climate of 12 game schedules though I think it is good that we play each other.

Honestly, i think of it as Troy and everyone else. There doesn't seem to be any other consistently good program(s) in that conference. I'm sure the conference will continue to get better. There is certainly enough football talent down south (more than up here in basketball country) for the Sun Belt to do as well as CUSA. I'd say any schools in Florida, California, and Texas always have potential because of the sheer number of quality players in those states. So there is potential for North Texas, FAU, and FIU.

There isn't much deviation between the SBC, MAC, CUSA, and the WAC anyway on the field. Only the MWC can claim to be better than the others.

The SBC should always have good attendances because of the obsessive nature of football down south and the weather. It seems like people down south will watch football regardless of who is playing. Look at the attendance for the GMAC. CUSA nor the MAC bring many fans there but the game always does well in attendance. Up here, the Big Ten has a strong hold on football and getting casual fans to attend MAC games is hard. I'm glad NIU is in Illinois and not Ohio or Michigan, where most of the MAC teams are, because Ohio State and Michigan/Michigan State own those states. In Illinois, no one really cares about Northwestern or Illinois except for their alums. They aren't powers and probably never will be. So NIU can continue to get better and gain more fans and media attention. We certainly haven't reached our potential yet.

(08-18-2009 11:01 PM)epasnoopy Wrote:  Up here, the Big Ten has a strong hold on football and getting casual fans to attend MAC games is hard. I'm glad NIU is in Illinois and not Ohio or Michigan, where most of the MAC teams are, because Ohio State and Michigan/Michigan State own those states. In Illinois, no one really cares about Northwestern or Illinois except for their alums. They aren't powers and probably never will be. So NIU can continue to get better and gain more fans and media attention. We certainly haven't reached our potential yet.

You can still build a fanbase in Ohio and Michigan. UC for example averaged 30,000 last year and has plans to expand to 45,000 seats.

Central Michigan is now approaching the 25,000 mark after several seasons in a row. The problem has been more that can you keep it up.

If I recall, NIU pushed it up to 27,000 one season before falling back as losing kicked in.

I also think the MAC is hurt by so many weekday games, its a big turn off to season ticket holders.

Akron's new facility should be a boost to the MAC on the attendance front at home and the excitment it will create when the Zips go on the road (ala Marshall).

(08-18-2009 11:16 PM)Airport KC Wrote:  

(08-18-2009 11:01 PM)epasnoopy Wrote:  Up here, the Big Ten has a strong hold on football and getting casual fans to attend MAC games is hard. I'm glad NIU is in Illinois and not Ohio or Michigan, where most of the MAC teams are, because Ohio State and Michigan/Michigan State own those states. In Illinois, no one really cares about Northwestern or Illinois except for their alums. They aren't powers and probably never will be. So NIU can continue to get better and gain more fans and media attention. We certainly haven't reached our potential yet.

You can still build a fanbase in Ohio and Michigan. UC for example averaged 30,000 last year and has plans to expand to 45,000 seats.

Central Michigan is now approaching the 25,000 mark after several seasons in a row. The problem has been more that can you keep it up.

If I recall, NIU pushed it up to 27,000 one season before falling back as losing kicked in.

I also think the MAC is hurt by so many weekday games, its a big turn off to season ticket holders.

Akron's new facility should be a boost to the MAC on the attendance front at home and the excitment it will create when the Zips go on the road (ala Marshall).

UC is in a BCS conference now. Did they ever average 30k while in CUSA?

I agree weekday games hurt attendance. I wish NIU would opt out of weekday home games unless ESPN guarantees us ESPN or ESPN2 television. I just don't see the point of us playing on ESPNU or ESPN360 (which isn't even TV) on a weekday when we could play on Comcast SportsNet Chicago on a Saturday with better attendance.

Indifference.

I have complimented the SBC for reforming themselves into a healthy provincal conference. This is the kind of approach that builds, with continuity and competitiveness.

I think the conference is in a good position, the demographics of the country are still headed south, and you've set the table to take advantage of that, once again w/ a sensible financial approach and a product that is appealing.

You've won games on the field, and that matters too. In general, I think the MAC is tougher, but I'm biased. Regardless, that can change.

I like the SBC's trajectory.

I thought it would be cool to have a home and home agreement every year with a Sun Belt team. That was before Florida International clocked us last year at the Glass Bowl.

Still would like to see home and homes with the likes of Troy, FAU, MTSU. Good Up and Coming programs to say the least.

Ideally, schools would play 8 league games, a buy home game, a sell road game, and two home and homes. MAC and Sun Belt could help each other with those home/home deals.

I think the Sun Belt has done a lot of good moves. They are in Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana, Alabama and Florida. They have New Orleans bowl which is right in their backyard and perhaps will overtake the MAC in the GMAC soon. Troy has become a solid football program in a few short years.

Basketball has Western Kentucky as its premier program. The rest of the Sun Belt is average at best but South Alabama has had some good teams recently.

Sun Belt adding South Alabama for the 10th football member. Sun Belt likely goes after Georgia State down the road and perhaps Charlotte. Just like the MAC sits in the Big Ten's shadow, the Sun Belt is in the SEC's shadow. If Sun Belt could get UAB and UCF to jump from CUSA instead of Adding Georgia State and Charlotte they could grab more bowls.

(08-19-2009 11:50 PM)OUBOBCATJOHN Wrote:  I think the Sun Belt has done a lot of good moves. They are in Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana, Alabama and Florida. They have New Orleans bowl which is right in their backyard and perhaps will overtake the MAC in the GMAC soon. Troy has become a solid football program in a few short years.

Basketball has Western Kentucky as its premier program. The rest of the Sun Belt is average at best but South Alabama has had some good teams recently.

Sun Belt adding South Alabama for the 10th football member. Sun Belt likely goes after Georgia State down the road and perhaps Charlotte. Just like the MAC sits in the Big Ten's shadow, the Sun Belt is in the SEC's shadow. If Sun Belt could get UAB and UCF to jump from CUSA instead of Adding Georgia State and Charlotte they could grab more bowls.

Except all the C-USA schools have this elitist attitude that they are better than any SBC school, and don't belong in the SBC. UAB is a former member of the SBC. While some folks wouldn't mind having them back to ease scheduling issues, I say let C-DOA keep them and their poor program. Even their mainstay, which was Basketball, has taken a turn for the worse in recent years.

I could really get behind UCF joining the SBC, as I'm sure any FAU/FIU fans could. It would give them one more game in the state. And they're the type of program that would add some more credibility to the conference in football. I don't really follow them enough to know about other sports, but they seem to be on the right track in football.

Yeah apparently in a few more minutes it will be announced C-USA didn't even participate in the NCAA Tournament one year.

That's a lot of NCAA money that CUSA will now not be getting with the Memphis final game appearance and 38 wins now voided. The NCAA credits for that are huge.

Memphis almost certainly will be the only school losing money. NCAA generally provides that conference mates get to profit from the piracy while the offender pays back what they have actually received and forego what they would receive in the future.

(08-20-2009 10:34 AM)arkstfan Wrote:  Memphis almost certainly will be the only school losing money. NCAA generally provides that conference mates get to profit from the piracy while the offender pays back what they have actually received and forego what they would receive in the future.

If not, I fully support the other 11 CUSA schools suing Memphis.

(08-20-2009 12:45 PM)CitrusUCF Wrote:  

(08-20-2009 10:34 AM)arkstfan Wrote:  Memphis almost certainly will be the only school losing money. NCAA generally provides that conference mates get to profit from the piracy while the offender pays back what they have actually received and forego what they would receive in the future.

If not, I fully support the other 11 CUSA schools suing Memphis.

On what grounds?

(08-20-2009 01:51 PM)DrTorch Wrote:  

(08-20-2009 12:45 PM)CitrusUCF Wrote:  

(08-20-2009 10:34 AM)arkstfan Wrote:  Memphis almost certainly will be the only school losing money. NCAA generally provides that conference mates get to profit from the piracy while the offender pays back what they have actually received and forego what they would receive in the future.

If not, I fully support the other 11 CUSA schools suing Memphis.

On what grounds?

Sort of wondering the same thing.

What basis would C-USA members have for suing Memphis due to the NCAA telling them they weren't entitled to money earned by breaking the rules. I don't recall any C-USA member earning an at-large berth. If anyone has a beef with Memphis its the five opponents they beat in the NCAA Tournament who were denied a chance to advance due to the Tiger disregard of the rules.

(08-20-2009 03:01 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  

(08-20-2009 01:51 PM)DrTorch Wrote:  

(08-20-2009 12:45 PM)CitrusUCF Wrote:  

(08-20-2009 10:34 AM)arkstfan Wrote:  Memphis almost certainly will be the only school losing money. NCAA generally provides that conference mates get to profit from the piracy while the offender pays back what they have actually received and forego what they would receive in the future.

If not, I fully support the other 11 CUSA schools suing Memphis.

On what grounds?

Sort of wondering the same thing.

What basis would C-USA members have for suing Memphis due to the NCAA telling them they weren't entitled to money earned by breaking the rules. I don't recall any C-USA member earning an at-large berth. If anyone has a beef with Memphis its the five opponents they beat in the NCAA Tournament who were denied a chance to advance due to the Tiger disregard of the rules.

Agree completely.

Memphis' malfeasance resulted in a monetary loss to the other CUSA schools and to the schools they beat. It's not very hard to find a cause of action here if CUSA did not even get the money for the auto-bid 1st entry to which any conference is entitled. If that were the case, then Memphis would definitely be liable, in my view, to their CUSA brethren because of their actions. It appears, though, that Memphis loses their share but the rest of the conference gets to keep it.

Watched Urban Meyer on CSS last night.Urban said Troy had better
personel and schemes than a number of teams that were on Florida's schedule after the Troy game.