A MAC school would not want itself in a splashy headline that they were looking for a new conference. Our house is not on fire, so we don't need to look. BUT, if an offer came around with the Alliance that had 3 million dollar+ TV money with a some better know school in the mix, a MAC school would listen. Ohio, Toledo, Akron, and Northern Illinois would be the most likely targets. I think no individual school would go, but I do think a group of 2-4 would if the offer is right.

My hope is the MAC is being progressive in looking at new members(Old Domininion, James Madison) and is talking with ESPN about a new TV contract. ESPN has an interest in keeping the MAC strong and intact. They view the alliance as the enemy. An enhanced contract would accomplish both.

adding more FCS teams does not improve the MAC.

(03-14-2012 09:02 PM)perimeterpost Wrote:  adding more FCS teams does not improve the MAC.

For sure.

Is Umass a good add? I say yes.

Who you adding if that plays D-1 football?

Western Kentucky? Maybe...

Who?

FCS teams improving the conference or not in general is more an issue for fans like us than reality. Schools like UConn, Marshal, Boise State, and others did very well fairly quickly and have sustained acceptable productivity (yea Marshal isn't as good as they were but they are not a drain on a conference). Other teams obviously have not been as acceptable. The reality is it is more about how much support a school has internally, who they hire as a coach (which is NOT necessarily related to my first point), and how serious they are about moving up. Schools will tend to gravitate to a level relative to who they are playing against.

If we were to take JMU for example they would likely do "well" in the MAC fairly quickly due to their support and their desire to succeed. Would they dominate? Not at first but I could see them doing well for the conference. So could other schools. Being FBS currently is way overrated on fan sites. It is a matter of pride to be able to say "we are too good for FCS teams" even if it is not a real issue in the long run.

I think the MAC schools are staying put. Not really impressed with joining a buch of western schools. MAC will have a shot at adding some emerging programs in the mid atlantic. Delaware, JMU, ODU plus UMass all-sports would get the MAC to 16 and offer ESPN a pretty nice slice of the midwest, northeast, and midatlantic.

(03-14-2012 07:46 PM)Rocketdamus Wrote:  A MAC school would not want itself in a splashy headline that they were looking for a new conference. Our house is not on fire, so we don't need to look. BUT, if an offer came around with the Alliance that had 3 million dollar+ TV money with a some better know school in the mix, a MAC school would listen. Ohio, Toledo, Akron, and Northern Illinois would be the most likely targets. I think no individual school would go, but I do think a group of 2-4 would if the offer is right.

My hope is the MAC is being progressive in looking at new members(Old Domininion, James Madison) and is talking with ESPN about a new TV contract. ESPN has an interest in keeping the MAC strong and intact. They view the alliance as the enemy. An enhanced contract would accomplish both.

That is actually a good point that I haven't heard anyone bring up.

(03-15-2012 09:18 AM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  

(03-14-2012 07:46 PM)Rocketdamus Wrote:  A MAC school would not want itself in a splashy headline that they were looking for a new conference. Our house is not on fire, so we don't need to look. BUT, if an offer came around with the Alliance that had 3 million dollar+ TV money with a some better know school in the mix, a MAC school would listen. Ohio, Toledo, Akron, and Northern Illinois would be the most likely targets. I think no individual school would go, but I do think a group of 2-4 would if the offer is right.

My hope is the MAC is being progressive in looking at new members(Old Domininion, James Madison) and is talking with ESPN about a new TV contract. ESPN has an interest in keeping the MAC strong and intact. They view the alliance as the enemy. An enhanced contract would accomplish both.

That is actually a good point that I haven't heard anyone bring up.

If they viewed the alliance as a real threat then they would offer one of the non-AQ leagues they own enough money to lure some of us to join. However, I doubt they view it as any real threat. They view all non-AQ schools as just cheap mid-week program filler. They aren't going to overpay for any of us because they don't think (and in some ways they probably are correct) that the average fan cares if it's a MAC team or a C-USA team on. Obviously the die hard fans of the schools care, but the casual fan probably can't tell the difference and will just tune in if they are bored or it appears to be an interesting game.

HOW and WHY is the alliance a threat to ESPN???

there gotta be 3 or 4 presidents in MAC, that think thier university could grow in alliance.
espeaclly in Ohio, something like MSU is to Mich

(03-15-2012 09:30 AM)b0ndsj0ns Wrote:  

(03-15-2012 09:18 AM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  

(03-14-2012 07:46 PM)Rocketdamus Wrote:  A MAC school would not want itself in a splashy headline that they were looking for a new conference. Our house is not on fire, so we don't need to look. BUT, if an offer came around with the Alliance that had 3 million dollar+ TV money with a some better know school in the mix, a MAC school would listen. Ohio, Toledo, Akron, and Northern Illinois would be the most likely targets. I think no individual school would go, but I do think a group of 2-4 would if the offer is right.

My hope is the MAC is being progressive in looking at new members(Old Domininion, James Madison) and is talking with ESPN about a new TV contract. ESPN has an interest in keeping the MAC strong and intact. They view the alliance as the enemy. An enhanced contract would accomplish both.

That is actually a good point that I haven't heard anyone bring up.

If they viewed the alliance as a real threat then they would offer one of the non-AQ leagues they own enough money to lure some of us to join. However, I doubt they view it as any real threat. They view all non-AQ schools as just cheap mid-week program filler. They aren't going to overpay for any of us because they don't think (and in some ways they probably are correct) that the average fan cares if it's a MAC team or a C-USA team on. Obviously the die hard fans of the schools care, but the casual fan probably can't tell the difference and will just tune in if they are bored or it appears to be an interesting game.

The reality is that NIU football is exciting as Illinois or Michigan football, that's a fact, both games are loaded with the country's best athletes, all well coached, all wanting to move forward to the NFL, etc....

Our die-hard fans care of course, as well as anyone who went to a MAC school or knows someone who attended; The rest of the country does also care, but that national level of interest is greatly affected by the media on a day-to-day basis. If SI.com and ESPN increased MAC coverage for the next few years, we would quickly be a more important global product in a short time...

Fact is is that the MAC is putting the exact same product on the field as say the Big Ten. Our fans are 50% responsible for our national popularity and following, and the media holds the key to the other 50%. The media won't turn said key any further until it suits their interests. Lets find a way to become more important to the big picture, or atleast make enough noise on our own where putting us on the occasional back-burner is no longer an option...

ESPN doesn't want the MAC to grow. They want the MAC right where it is today, so they can continue to have weeknight-filler games for dirt cheap. For what they're paying us, it is not in their interest at all for the MAC to improve. They gain nothing from giving us coverage beyond the actual games (Sportscenter, etc.).

(03-15-2012 02:37 PM)uakronkid Wrote:  ESPN doesn't want the MAC to grow. They want the MAC right where it is today, so they can continue to have weeknight-filler games for dirt cheap. For what they're paying us, it is not in their interest at all for the MAC to improve. They gain nothing from giving us coverage beyond the actual games (Sportscenter, etc.).

I'd have to think if the MAC improving led to ratings improvement ESPN would like it, even if some of the extra profit had to go to the MAC for providing the weeknight filler.

if we ad another school the obvious choice is Northern Michigan University.

(03-15-2012 01:31 PM)templefootballfan Wrote:  there gotta be 3 or 4 presidents in MAC, that think thier university could grow in alliance.
espeaclly in Ohio, something like MSU is to Mich

Do you think any MAC school could realistically become a magnet for 5 star athletes like Ohio State or Notre Dame?

Cincinnati can't even do it after playing multiple BCS games. All they've been able to accomplish is taking 3 star guys that would have gone to Indiana or Michigan State.

If a MAC school realistically maxes out at the top 20 level (on a modestly challenging schedule) in both football and basketball they may as well stay in a 4 bowl/2 NCAA level conference where they can be dominant. The MAC isn't 2 NCAAs yet but could be soon with programs improving.

I had a friend that went to Georgetown tell me that Ohio should go to the Big East because they need basketball help. I said to her that Ohio cannot handle playing basketball in the Big East. Ohio is not going to get top 25 recruiting classes in basketball and would be lucky to make the tournament out of the Big East one time like South Florida.

The lower competitive level of the MAC makes Ohio basketball and football look good.