(12-20-2011 05:25 PM)Redbird Ray Wrote:  Illinois State would have finished 3rd or 4th in the MAC west this year,

(12-20-2011 05:25 PM)Redbird Ray Wrote:  I would take North Dakota State and maybe Northern Iowa over Northern Illinois and Toledo this year.

(12-20-2011 05:25 PM)Redbird Ray Wrote:  If NIU ever left the MAC west, it would hurt the conference, but I don't think just adding Illinois State would water down the conference, as some of you here think it would.

Illinois State would have finished 3rd or 4th in the MAC west this year, and frankly, I would take North Dakota State and maybe Northern Iowa over Northern Illinois and Toledo this year. The fifth best team in our league beat the second best team in the Sun Belt by 4 TDs this season. From a strictly competitive standpoint, a number of MVFC teams could compete in the MAC. Don't be naive and think otherwise.

Really NDSU and No Iowa over Toledo and NIU? You honestly believe that?

There must be some kind bud down in Normal.

(12-20-2011 05:25 PM)Redbird Ray Wrote:  If NIU ever left the MAC west, it would hurt the conference, but I don't think just adding Illinois State would water down the conference, as some of you here think it would.

Illinois State would have finished 3rd or 4th in the MAC west this year, and frankly, I would take North Dakota State and maybe Northern Iowa over Northern Illinois and Toledo this year. The fifth best team in our league beat the second best team in the Sun Belt by 4 TDs this season. From a strictly competitive standpoint, a number of MVFC teams could compete in the MAC. Don't be naive and think otherwise.

This guy sounds like some of the UNH fans before the Rockets 58-22 smackdown of the Wildcats!!!

After all of the chest thumping by the NIU boys and how superior their athletic program is, seemed like now would be a good time to point out that ISU is currently 8-3 in basketball while NIU is currently ranked #342 (out of #345) by Sagarin and would probably be about the 5th best team in the CPL..

(12-20-2011 08:42 PM)prairiedawg Wrote:  

(12-20-2011 05:25 PM)Redbird Ray Wrote:  If NIU ever left the MAC west, it would hurt the conference, but I don't think just adding Illinois State would water down the conference, as some of you here think it would.

Illinois State would have finished 3rd or 4th in the MAC west this year, and frankly, I would take North Dakota State and maybe Northern Iowa over Northern Illinois and Toledo this year. The fifth best team in our league beat the second best team in the Sun Belt by 4 TDs this season. From a strictly competitive standpoint, a number of MVFC teams could compete in the MAC. Don't be naive and think otherwise.

Really NDSU and No Iowa over Toledo and NIU? You honestly believe that?

There must be some kind bud down in Normal.

Unlike teams in the MAC, teams in the MVFC play defense. North Dakota State this past weekend held a Georgia Southern team that scored 21 points at Alabama this year (the most the Tide defense has given up all season), to a meager 7 points.

I'm not trying to say the MVFC is a better or even equal conference to the MAC in terms of the product on the field. That debate can't honestly be settled. What I am trying to say is that from a competitive standpoint, Illinois State is more than ready to move to the MAC. Finances and facilities are a completely different story.

No one here was touting NIU basketball. As for ISU basketball, they're 7-3 and amazingly ranked 217th in the RPI because they have the 324th best SOS. Looks like it's "win the conference tournament or bust" again for ISU, and with Creighton and Nothern Iowa in your way good luck LOL. And speaking as a Bradley alum, I'm actually glad we lost Maniscalco after watching him bury the Redbirds. That was a nice little consolation.

How did your I-AA playoff run go?

ISU is not even close to being an NCAA team, if they continue to play this well they might make the NIT once again, if that happens both Bradley and NIU can watch them from home..

ISU football got screwed on their playoff bid, but not the end of the world, football program continues to improve, exciting times all around the athletic program!

http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/college...3ce6c.html

ISU gets $25 million stadium renovation plan approved. Will be finished by 2013. Capacity increased to 15k.

I think that's the first time I've seen it in print that ISU is interested in moving up to DIA. But then he concludes by saying they want to stay in the MVC. Go figure.

(12-21-2011 09:48 AM)Redbird Ray Wrote:  

(12-20-2011 08:42 PM)prairiedawg Wrote:  

(12-20-2011 05:25 PM)Redbird Ray Wrote:  If NIU ever left the MAC west, it would hurt the conference, but I don't think just adding Illinois State would water down the conference, as some of you here think it would.

Illinois State would have finished 3rd or 4th in the MAC west this year, and frankly, I would take North Dakota State and maybe Northern Iowa over Northern Illinois and Toledo this year. The fifth best team in our league beat the second best team in the Sun Belt by 4 TDs this season. From a strictly competitive standpoint, a number of MVFC teams could compete in the MAC. Don't be naive and think otherwise.

Really NDSU and No Iowa over Toledo and NIU? You honestly believe that?

There must be some kind bud down in Normal.

Unlike teams in the MAC, teams in the MVFC play defense. North Dakota State this past weekend held a Georgia Southern team that scored 21 points at Alabama this year (the most the Tide defense has given up all season), to a meager 7 points.

I'm not trying to say the MVFC is a better or even equal conference to the MAC in terms of the product on the field. That debate can't honestly be settled. What I am trying to say is that from a competitive standpoint, Illinois State is more than ready to move to the MAC. Finances and facilities are a completely different story.

Well, the Toledo team that gave up 60 points to both NIU and WMU gave up 27 vs. Ohio State and 33 vs. Syracuse. A stingy Arkansas State team that gave up 33 to Illinois and 26 points to Virginia Tech gave up 38 to NIU. So apparently those conferences don't play defense either.

In the MAC we play offense.

No thanks to ISU in the MAC.

(02-23-2012 02:30 PM)uakronkid Wrote:  http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/college...3ce6c.html

ISU gets $25 million stadium renovation plan approved. Will be finished by 2013. Capacity increased to 15k.

The MAC would probably require ISU to implement a stadium plan like UMass has to require getting the stadium capacity up above 20,000 before the MAC plays their regularly.

The stadium upgrade is a step in the right direction for ISU and puts them a step ahead of schools that don't have the majority of a MAC level stadium put together.

The 25 million main tower renovation is the hard part....finding a few million for an extra 5,000 bleacher seats relatively speaking is not that big of a deal. It sounds like they could do it in concert with a new IPF serving as the foundation.

(02-23-2012 06:25 PM)NIUfilmmaker Wrote:  No thanks to ISU in the MAC.

Correct, ISU can do better over the long term.

Alright, let's blow this thread up NOW.

(02-23-2012 09:20 PM)jons99 Wrote:  

(02-23-2012 06:25 PM)NIUfilmmaker Wrote:  No thanks to ISU in the MAC.

Correct, ISU can do better over the long term.

Mac is bad basketball, not great academics and very regionalized.. really only positive is football and who wants a bunch of Tuesday games?

(02-23-2012 10:26 PM)jons99 Wrote:  Mac is bad basketball, not great academics and very regionalized.. really only positive is football and who wants a bunch of Tuesday games?

Please leave.

Everyone Else: Ignore this pudwack.

(02-23-2012 10:26 PM)jons99 Wrote:  Mac is bad basketball, not great academics and very regionalized.. really only positive is football and who wants a bunch of Tuesday games?

The academics are a lot more distinguished than the MVC with a bunch of dinky private schools along with glorified JUCO's like Wichita State.

(02-23-2012 10:26 PM)jons99 Wrote:  Mac is bad basketball, not great academics and very regionalized.. really only positive is football and who wants a bunch of Tuesday games?

No thanks again to ISU in the MAC, no thanks to jons99 on our board...

It would make much more sense to have as many of the MVC schools as possible make the jump, add a few and create their own FBS conference, that way our basketball and baseball isn't drug down by the MAC.. Seen NIU basketball lately? Yeah, lets stop playing UNI so we can play NIU..

It might take 10 years to accomplish it, but long term would be better for ISU.. we are better than NIU at everything else, why settle for being in their conference?