(02-13-2012 08:47 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  

(02-13-2012 08:32 PM)Steve1981 Wrote:  Have a wild a$$ idea and a few comments, since I doubt we are going anywhere unless a BCS conference comes calling. How about JMU for all sports and try to convince Ill St join the MAC as well and stay FCS with the understanding they can upgrade anytime. Save your shots because I still have two comments.

Don’t forget we paid 500k to join as well so that would be 3.5 million. The last comment is you can not be whores with that kind of money, perhaps call girl or something.

They can't join the MAC if they're still FCS. Pretty sure Ill St isn't ready to move up, and I don't think they've expressed any interest in it. And I don't think they've even been very good in FCS football. Plus, they wouldn't want to move their basketball to the MAC.

One idea I have, and let's say Temple is gone but UMass is staying is to look at adding Missouri Sate FB-Only in the West to counterbalance UMass FB-only in the East.

The MAC then would have the same divisions it does in basketball but with an additional school on the West (MSU) and East (UMass) for football.

(02-13-2012 08:32 PM)Steve1981 Wrote:  Don’t forget we paid 500k to join as well so that would be 3.5 million. The last comment is you can not be whores with that kind of money, perhaps call girl or something.

Steve, I just wanted to be clear on something. I didn't mean any disrespect to your school or Temple. I'm actually excited that your team is going to be in our conference (and I wasn't at first about Temple). I just wish we'd stop with the football-onlys and would have found some way to get you guys to join as a full member. I have a good feeling that UMASS will be like UCF and Temple were, simply a temporary program in the MAC until the Big East comes calling. Good for you, just bad for the rest of us.

I am kind of surprised that the MAC offices didn't take a more hardline approach to football only members after Temple. Temple was already FBS, but anyone else needs a FBS conference to invite them to move up at this point.

The MAC is a nice place to get your feet under you if you're moving up from FCS. We don't pay coaches 1.5 million or run huge football budgets. The Sun Belt is similar, though they're paying more for coaches than we are at this point. After 5-10 years if you get an offer, you can look at it objectively and have less to add to your budget as opposed to going straight from FCS to the Big East/CUSA/MWC whatever.

We're your gateway drug, but like pot, we're not fatal as opposed to jumping straight to crack.

If the MAC had added a full member instead of UMass as a football-only, it would have balanced the football numbers but imbalanced everything else. This is especially noticeable in a conference which has divisions in non-football sports. Once you have one football-only, you may as well have two, or you need a member who plays everything but football.

So, if Temple bolts the MAC for C-USA football only, what is their exit fee penalty? Is it really $2.5MM, or is that only if they don't give adequate notice? I ask because I dont' see how Temple feels moving to C-USA is a money maker unless they are really given up on a BE invite. Surely the Alliance will have exit penalties as well and no way Temple is going to get $1MM a year in enhanced TV revenues in the new Alliance.

(02-14-2012 10:03 AM)exCincy Kid Wrote:  So, if Temple bolts the MAC for C-USA football only, what is their exit fee penalty? Is it really $2.5MM, or is that only if they don't give adequate notice? I ask because I dont' see how Temple feels moving to C-USA is a money maker unless they are really given up on a BE invite. Surely the Alliance will have exit penalties as well and no way Temple is going to get $1MM a year in enhanced TV revenues in the new Alliance.

I believe it is 2.5 million with 2 seasons notice. I posted UMass' contract in another thread (here is the contract).

(i) the withdrawal fee shall be Two Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($2,500,000);(ii) UMass shall provide a minimum of two football seasons prior notice before withdrawal;

I am pretty sure the language was supposed to be the same for Temple. If it is and they try to leave without 2 seasons notice I would hope the MAC goes after them with penalty fees. Just like the early settlement for WVU leaving the BE early.

Thanks, CMUprof: I just don't see the financial gain for Temple in going to C-USA football only. Too many upfront costs with an uncertain TV revenue future. It gets even worse if they start extending more offers to lesser programs.

UTEP's ad mentioned a few new schools and Temple was not among them. Now they said, plainly, they had no clue how many would be added or who they are. But Temple's buyout and the waiting period to exit the MAC are working against them.

This is why adding UMass, FB Only, with the strings that came along was a great move.

Temple Leaves and we get two more years of them in the conference and 2.5 million dollars. Temple stays and we keep them in FB Only..

Not really seeing how the MAC loses here....

(02-14-2012 10:52 AM)CMUprof Wrote:  

(02-14-2012 10:03 AM)exCincy Kid Wrote:  So, if Temple bolts the MAC for C-USA football only, what is their exit fee penalty? Is it really $2.5MM, or is that only if they don't give adequate notice? I ask because I dont' see how Temple feels moving to C-USA is a money maker unless they are really given up on a BE invite. Surely the Alliance will have exit penalties as well and no way Temple is going to get $1MM a year in enhanced TV revenues in the new Alliance.

I believe it is 2.5 million with 2 seasons notice. I posted UMass' contract in another thread (here is the contract).

(i) the withdrawal fee shall be Two Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($2,500,000);(ii) UMass shall provide a minimum of two football seasons prior notice before withdrawal;

I am pretty sure the language was supposed to be the same for Temple. If it is and they try to leave without 2 seasons notice I would hope the MAC goes after them with penalty fees. Just like the early settlement for WVU leaving the BE early.

Don't forget that if they want to join for all sports they have to pay a buyout to the A-10 as well.

I am surprised Temple is seriously considering a football only offer (mostly due to not seeing how the dollars line up favorably), and I'd have a heart attack if Temple agreed to move all sports...that would cost them beaucoup traveling dollars (for non revenue sports) and again, provide little in the way of a tangible new rival. To me the key is the assumed $2.5MM exit fee from the MAC...if true that is poses a very high financial hurdle since Temple's "end game" is to get to the BE eventually and they have no long term real interest in C-USA (or the Alliance thingy) .....then they'll be another exit fee from the Alliance to deal with.

(02-14-2012 10:52 AM)CMUprof Wrote:  

(02-14-2012 10:03 AM)exCincy Kid Wrote:  So, if Temple bolts the MAC for C-USA football only, what is their exit fee penalty? Is it really $2.5MM, or is that only if they don't give adequate notice? I ask because I dont' see how Temple feels moving to C-USA is a money maker unless they are really given up on a BE invite. Surely the Alliance will have exit penalties as well and no way Temple is going to get $1MM a year in enhanced TV revenues in the new Alliance.

I believe it is 2.5 million with 2 seasons notice. I posted UMass' contract in another thread (here is the contract).

(i) the withdrawal fee shall be Two Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($2,500,000);(ii) UMass shall provide a minimum of two football seasons prior notice before withdrawal;

I am pretty sure the language was supposed to be the same for Temple. If it is and they try to leave without 2 seasons notice I would hope the MAC goes after them with penalty fees. Just like the early settlement for WVU leaving the BE early.

I'm not 100% positive on this but the statement of 2 season notice refers to not notifying the MAC office their intent to bolt prior to next school year like West Virginia is doing to the Big East trying to move over for 2012.

So if Temple announces by the end of this school year (June 30th) the intent to move in 2 football seasons down the road (2013) then the should be okay with regard to the standard 2.5 million dollar buyout. For counting purposes we are still considered to be in the 2011 football season, hence 2013 is in 2 years.

(02-14-2012 12:07 PM)exCincy Kid Wrote:  I am surprised Temple is seriously considering a football only offer (mostly due to not seeing how the dollars line up favorably), and I'd have a heart attack if Temple agreed to move all sports...that would cost them beaucoup traveling dollars (for non revenue sports) and again, provide little in the way of a tangible new rival. To me the key is the assumed $2.5MM exit fee from the MAC...if true that is poses a very high financial hurdle since Temple's "end game" is to get to the BE eventually and they have no long term real interest in C-USA (or the Alliance thingy) .....then they'll be another exit fee from the Alliance to deal with.

I see you on some of these concerns on the Temple side. Whatever they want to do is there is business I suppose and it won't hurt the MAC very much if they leave.

On a more interesting note, Brett McMurphy is saying that he Pitt and Syracuce plan to move up their departure date from the Big East that was going to be 2014 to 2013.

In 2013, the first year of the new Big East TV contract the BE will only have 11 teams unless they expand again.

West: SDSU, Boise, SMU, Houston, Memphis, Louisville
East: Cincinnati, Rutgers, UConn, USF, UCF, ???

This might open up room at the BE Inn for Temple, particularly as the alarm is sounding among BE leadership for a need to do something to improve BE basketball.

(02-14-2012 12:11 PM)Louis Kitton Wrote:  

(02-14-2012 10:52 AM)CMUprof Wrote:  

(02-14-2012 10:03 AM)exCincy Kid Wrote:  So, if Temple bolts the MAC for C-USA football only, what is their exit fee penalty? Is it really $2.5MM, or is that only if they don't give adequate notice? I ask because I dont' see how Temple feels moving to C-USA is a money maker unless they are really given up on a BE invite. Surely the Alliance will have exit penalties as well and no way Temple is going to get $1MM a year in enhanced TV revenues in the new Alliance.

I believe it is 2.5 million with 2 seasons notice. I posted UMass' contract in another thread (here is the contract).

(i) the withdrawal fee shall be Two Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($2,500,000);(ii) UMass shall provide a minimum of two football seasons prior notice before withdrawal;

I am pretty sure the language was supposed to be the same for Temple. If it is and they try to leave without 2 seasons notice I would hope the MAC goes after them with penalty fees. Just like the early settlement for WVU leaving the BE early.

I'm not 100% positive on this but the statement of 2 season notice refers to not notifying the MAC office their intent to bolt prior to next school year like West Virginia is doing to the Big East trying to move over for 2012.

So if Temple announces by the end of this school year (June 30th) the intent to move in 2 football seasons down the road (2013) then the should be okay with regard to the standard 2.5 million dollar buyout. For counting purposes we are still considered to be in the 2011 football season, hence 2013 is in 2 years.

A minimum of 2 seasons does not sound vague to me. 2011-12 is over. That leaves 2012-13 and 2013-14. In which case Temple could not play until 2014. That may or may not work with their timelines, I really don't know.

(02-14-2012 12:07 PM)exCincy Kid Wrote:  I am surprised Temple is seriously considering a football only offer (mostly due to not seeing how the dollars line up favorably), and I'd have a heart attack if Temple agreed to move all sports...that would cost them beaucoup traveling dollars (for non revenue sports) and again, provide little in the way of a tangible new rival. To me the key is the assumed $2.5MM exit fee from the MAC...if true that is poses a very high financial hurdle since Temple's "end game" is to get to the BE eventually and they have no long term real interest in C-USA (or the Alliance thingy) .....then they'll be another exit fee from the Alliance to deal with.

I wouldn't be surprised to see them move FB-only. I am sure that whatever projections they see will make it at least a wash financially. And really, CUSA needs Temple's market as a TV bargaining chip more than Temple needs them. Maybe with moving comes the possibility of improving their OOC Bball scheduling. Whatever their 5-year (10-year?) plan was when they joined the MAC I'm sure it didn't entail them still here several years in. Or at the very least, still here and never winning a division title. But for now they will explore the new CUSA, maybe hope to get a rise out of the BE, and then have the MAC to fall back to if nothing pans out.

If they had become a strong, championship winning program in the MAC they would be in a better position to not be overlooked by the BE.

(02-14-2012 04:38 PM)CMUprof Wrote:  A minimum of 2 seasons does not sound vague to me. 2011-12 is over. That leaves 2012-13 and 2013-14. In which case Temple could not play until 2014. That may or may not work with their timelines, I really don't know.

The 2011-2012 athletic season does not end until June 30th.

(02-14-2012 05:03 PM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  

(02-14-2012 04:38 PM)CMUprof Wrote:  A minimum of 2 seasons does not sound vague to me. 2011-12 is over. That leaves 2012-13 and 2013-14. In which case Temple could not play until 2014. That may or may not work with their timelines, I really don't know.

The 2011-2012 athletic season does not end until June 30th.

But this is a football season we are talking about, IMO.

(02-14-2012 05:05 PM)CMUprof Wrote:  

(02-14-2012 05:03 PM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  

(02-14-2012 04:38 PM)CMUprof Wrote:  A minimum of 2 seasons does not sound vague to me. 2011-12 is over. That leaves 2012-13 and 2013-14. In which case Temple could not play until 2014. That may or may not work with their timelines, I really don't know.

The 2011-2012 athletic season does not end until June 30th.

But this is a football season we are talking about, IMO.

Its all about the contract though. It doesn't matter when the season ends.

I still think you are right that IF the 2 yr notice is needed they cant join till the 2014 season. HOWEVER I doubt it is 2 years as the 27 month notice for the BE is seen as a very long time.

Temple is going to the big east. This year, next year, soon.......

(02-14-2012 04:52 PM)CMUprof Wrote:  I wouldn't be surprised to see them move FB-only. I am sure that whatever projections they see will make it at least a wash financially. And really, CUSA needs Temple's market as a TV bargaining chip more than Temple needs them.

Yes because getting the conference footprint into such a lucrative TV market is tremendous. The MAC has benefited from it by getting the....or the....and then there's the....uh I don't know, I sure we reaped some benefit by it all I just can't think of which one.

Hey guys... Yes, I'm a Herd fan, but I still regard the MAC as a good, stable conference. I miss the rivalries with UT, Miami, and Ohio. We had some really good games.

If you wind up losing X or Y, what are your thoughts on Youngstown State? I hear they're going to try to make the jump to FBS. It's a perfect geographic fit and the football isn't bad. Or would that infringe on the other Ohio schools too much???