(02-12-2013 10:13 PM)Louis Kitton Wrote:  If Ohio was the only in-state MAC school I wouldn't oppose adding a second in-state school at all just to provide a rivalry. A third might be a different story but I'm not talking about adding both ISU and SIU here.

Which sandwich is tastier...which would you prefer to eat? A pigschit sandwich w/ pickles or a dogschit sandwich w/ ketchup and mustard?

No thanks, I'll starve.

(02-12-2013 11:09 PM)Campbell4President Wrote:  The thought of adding Illinois State is garbage. If the MAC ever adds Illinois State, to be fair to NIU, we should add Youngstown State also.

You wouldn't be doing us any favors.....BTW, I like our Switzerland strategy, just keep out of the way, don't pi$$ed anyone off and don't get cocky and think you are someone you are not. We can survive with that strategy.

(02-12-2013 10:41 PM)NIUfilmmaker Wrote:  

(02-12-2013 10:23 PM)HuskieTap22 Wrote:  

(02-12-2013 10:13 PM)Louis Kitton Wrote:  

(02-12-2013 10:01 PM)NIUfilmmaker Wrote:  

(02-12-2013 09:52 PM)Louis Kitton Wrote:  

No thanks to ISU, its a terrible idea. The MAC needs to improve its footprint and national image, not bring in a mediocre FCS program from a state we already have a presence in.

I think your just afraid of losing your recruiting edge in football to ISU if they joined in the MAC......

If Ohio was the only in-state MAC school I wouldn't oppose adding a second in-state school at all just to provide a rivalry. A third might be a different story but I'm not talking about adding both ISU and SIU here.

Bloomington isn't even a top 100 market and it is just outside of Champaign / U of I territory.

NIU recruits just fine and we're surrounded by B10 schools, so we're certainly not going to sweat ISU... its about not adding a school thats mediocre on the FCS level, and that won't strengthen the conference. If you were the person in charge of marketing the MAC, or a future MAC network, adding ISU would not get you excited, at all. Some of the other schools that are being discussed are a little distant, but so are Rutgers and Maryland and the Big10 just gobbled them up, didn't they. Its about adding markets, if we're going to add anything at all.

I bet your athletic leadership and school president would welcome Illinois State.....

Imagine the Huskie's traveling to ISU every other year. Welcome to the new Normal!

(02-13-2013 12:11 AM)Louis Kitton Wrote:  

(02-12-2013 10:41 PM)NIUfilmmaker Wrote:  

(02-12-2013 10:23 PM)HuskieTap22 Wrote:  

(02-12-2013 10:13 PM)Louis Kitton Wrote:  

(02-12-2013 10:01 PM)NIUfilmmaker Wrote:  No thanks to ISU, its a terrible idea. The MAC needs to improve its footprint and national image, not bring in a mediocre FCS program from a state we already have a presence in.

I think your just afraid of losing your recruiting edge in football to ISU if they joined in the MAC......

If Ohio was the only in-state MAC school I wouldn't oppose adding a second in-state school at all just to provide a rivalry. A third might be a different story but I'm not talking about adding both ISU and SIU here.

Bloomington isn't even a top 100 market and it is just outside of Champaign / U of I territory.

NIU recruits just fine and we're surrounded by B10 schools, so we're certainly not going to sweat ISU... its about not adding a school thats mediocre on the FCS level, and that won't strengthen the conference. If you were the person in charge of marketing the MAC, or a future MAC network, adding ISU would not get you excited, at all. Some of the other schools that are being discussed are a little distant, but so are Rutgers and Maryland and the Big10 just gobbled them up, didn't they. Its about adding markets, if we're going to add anything at all.

I bet your athletic leadership and school president would welcome Illinois State.....

Imagine the Huskie's traveling to ISU every other year. Welcome to the new Normal!

I just threw up in my mouth a little bit, no big deal...

I think the MAC needs to think about Western Kentucky, Eastern Kentucky and Murray State. Three solid basketball programs. By adding these three it would give the MAC the blue grass state and keep it out of CUSA and the Big East's hands. If UMass leaves then it would perhaps make the MAC more attractive to Marshall to come back with a new southern strategy for the MAC.

All this talk about So Il and Il State remind me of the old IIAC (Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) which included SO Il, Eastern Il, No Il, Western Il, Il State and EMU and CMU. Ah, the good old days.

For those who bash Illinois State Basketball for not making the NCAA since 1998 I would offer this. ISU has been to the NIT 4 of the last 5 years. ISU has made the MVC tournament championship game 3 of the last 5 years. ISU started this season on a high note then went flat. At this moment they are hot winning 6 of their last 7 including beating then ranked #16 Creighton this past weekend on Creighton's home floor.

I might make some mad with this statement but if one looks at the various RPI polls the last many years, the MVC is a higher ranked conference than the MAC for bball. Is it beyond belief that some of those NIT appearances would have been NCAA appearances if ISU had been in the MAC? I see the biggest opposers to ISU in the MAC are NIU folks and I understand that. In their shoes I would feel the same way. However, while not Duke like to say that ISU bball is worthless isn't true either.

Now then I am not campaigning for ISU to the MAC. The MAC is a much stronger football conference than anything ISU is ready for. Right now the football program at ISU is growing after decades of neglect by previous administrations. ISU needs to build a winning tradition to keep that momentum going forward and joining the MAC would lead to years of mediocrity in fooball which would kill the growth and interest experienced over the last 5 years.

All of this to say that ISU would compete favorably in the MAC in basketball and might even bring some value to the conference's bball reputation. However, ISU is not in the position to move up with the current state of the football program. ISU's best interests are exactly where they are now in terms of conference affiliation. Maybe some day that will change but that day isn't here yet in my opinion.

Finally, I sure hope I didn't come across like Jons99.

(02-13-2013 10:51 AM)Waterford Rider Wrote:  For those who bash Illinois State Basketball for not making the NCAA since 1998 I would offer this. ISU has been to the NIT 4 of the last 5 years. ISU has made the MVC tournament championship game 3 of the last 5 years. ISU started this season on a high note then went flat. At this moment they are hot winning 6 of their last 7 including beating then ranked #16 Creighton this past weekend on Creighton's home floor.

I might make some mad with this statement but if one looks at the various RPI polls the last many years, the MVC is a higher ranked conference than the MAC for bball. Is it beyond belief that some of those NIT appearances would have been NCAA appearances if ISU had been in the MAC? I see the biggest opposers to ISU in the MAC are NIU folks and I understand that. In their shoes I would feel the same way. However, while not Duke like to say that ISU bball is worthless isn't true either.

Now then I am not campaigning for ISU to the MAC. The MAC is a much stronger football conference than anything ISU is ready for. Right now the football program at ISU is growing after decades of neglect by previous administrations. ISU needs to build a winning tradition to keep that momentum going forward and joining the MAC would lead to years of mediocrity in fooball which would kill the growth and interest experienced over the last 5 years.

All of this to say that ISU would compete favorably in the MAC in basketball and might even bring some value to the conference's bball reputation. However, ISU is not in the position to move up with the current state of the football program. ISU's best interests are exactly where they are now in terms of conference affiliation. Maybe some day that will change but that day isn't here yet in my opinion.

Finally, I sure hope I didn't come across like Jons99.

My God no, you're not in the same league as him. You make logical, well-stated arguments about ISU. Even if I don't think ISU should join the MAC, I like hearing your opinions, along with fans of JMU, App. State, etc.

ISU! ISU! ISU!

If the MAC needs to add a school, I for one would heartily welcome the Redbirds as MAC-mates.

Others seemingly disagree out of some strange fear of NIU vs ISU dickk-measuring on athletics and academics, and a bizarre illusion that NIU and MAC are just. this. close. to big time college Athletics if we continue to go east.

Save yourself, I know the arguments. I think they are incorrect.

Future state MAC is still a bus league, so let's invite really the only school in the current MAC footprint that makes bus sense, is in the Midwest, and would commit long term to MAC success. People saying ISU and NIU are not rivals are right, we're not rivals not as long as ISU is in the Mississippi Canyon Conference or wherever they play sprots now, but the day they are admitted to the MAC, NIU gets that all-sports rival we so desperately need.

And FYI, ISU Athletics as a whole would probably be instantly competitive in the MAC. I wouldn't be surprised in the least that the first year of ISU in the MAC has them solidly in the middle of Reese and Jacoby standing.

ISU is MAC level academic and athletic school and would viable member of the MAC.

ISU! ISU! ISU!

(02-13-2013 11:11 AM)Lord Stanley Wrote:  ISU! ISU! ISU!

If the MAC needs to add a school, I for one would heartily welcome the Redbirds as MAC-mates.

Others seemingly disagree out of some strange fear of NIU vs ISU dickk-measuring on athletics and academics, and a bizarre illusion that NIU and MAC are just. this. close. to big time college Athletics if we continue to go east.

Save yourself, I know the arguments. I think they are incorrect.

Future state MAC is still a bus league, so let's invite really the only school in the current MAC footprint that makes bus sense, is in the Midwest, and would commit long term to MAC success. People saying ISU and NIU are not rivals are right, we're not rivals not as long as ISU is in the Mississippi Canyon Conference or wherever they play sprots now, but the day they are admitted to the MAC, NIU gets that all-sports rival we so desperately need.

And FYI, ISU Athletics as a whole would probably be instantly competitive in the MAC. I wouldn't be surprised in the least that the first year of ISU in the MAC has them solidly in the middle of Reese and Jacoby standing.

ISU is MAC level academic and athletic school and would viable member of the MAC.

ISU! ISU! ISU!

Dumb. Football is king, the whole planet knows that, and Illinois State is fairly irrelevant in football, even at their own lowly FCS level of play, but yeah, lets get excited about bringing them into the MAC at a time when all of the FBS conferences are repositioning themselves for the new landscape of college sports. Sweet move.

(02-13-2013 11:11 AM)Lord Stanley Wrote:  ISU! ISU! ISU!

If the MAC needs to add a school, I for one would heartily welcome the Redbirds as MAC-mates.

I guess the question is, why would the MAC need to add a school?

Otherwise, I think you make some good points. As for doing the same thing in IL as in OH and MI, two teams in a big state is not quite the same as 6 teams in a smaller state.

If you think 2 teams in the same state dooms a conference, look at the Pac 10 and Big 10.

(02-13-2013 12:39 PM)DrTorch Wrote:  

(02-13-2013 11:11 AM)Lord Stanley Wrote:  ISU! ISU! ISU!

If the MAC needs to add a school, I for one would heartily welcome the Redbirds as MAC-mates.

I guess the question is, why would the MAC need to add a school?

Otherwise, I think you make some good points. As for doing the same thing in IL as in OH and MI, two teams in a big state is not quite the same as 6 teams in a smaller state.

If you think 2 teams in the same state dooms a conference, look at the Pac 10 and Big 10.

No school is going to DOOM the MAC, its just that another Illinois school doesn't BENEFIT the MAC as much as some other schools would in this new era of college sports and media. if we're going to add another, lets do it right. ESPN and CBS Sports for instance won't view the MAC any differently if we add Illinois State, whereas Marshall, Army, Delaware, JMU, UMASS etc. bring in new market areas and a new look to the conference. Plus the JMU's out there are playing good football, and packing their stadiums. Do it right or don't do it at all.

(02-13-2013 01:10 PM)NIUfilmmaker Wrote:  Marshall, Army, Delaware, JMU, UMASS etc. bring in new market areas and a new look to the conference. Plus the JMU's out there are playing good football, and packing their stadiums. Do it right or don't do it at all.

Marshall has a distinctly old look.

Delaware has good fans but limited upside.

JMU- lots of money headed there from NoVA.

I dunno, I'm actually hoping to see the MAC split up w/ the nBE. And it might not matter much in another 15 years.