Thread Topic:Could UMass drop back down to FCS?

Answer: Yes

Caveat: They will not.

Fin

(12-19-2013 10:57 AM)panama Wrote:  Thread Topic:Could UMass drop back down to FCS?

Answer: Yes

Caveat: They will not.

Fin

Any talk around Georgia State of using Turner Field instead of the new Falcons Stadium?

(12-19-2013 03:07 AM)Sultan of Euphonistan Wrote:  Wasn't the 80s the time when the MAC had troubles finding a bowl game to go to and even when they did they were not winning often?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Bowl

(12-19-2013 11:33 AM)bullet Wrote:  Any talk around Georgia State of using Turner Field instead of the new Falcons Stadium?

At least publicly, the word is that Turner Field will be demolished as soon as the Braves are done with it.

Supposed to be replaced with mixed-use housing/retail/etc.

But we shall see. That is still 3 or 4 years away and a lot can change between now and then, especially in a part of town that is "transitional" as the real-estate people like to say...

(12-19-2013 03:07 AM)Sultan of Euphonistan Wrote:  

(12-19-2013 01:27 AM)Kittonhead Wrote:  

(12-18-2013 09:16 PM)Sultan of Euphonistan Wrote:  As for how the MAC schools survive it is all about cost containment. Also for all the doom and gloom about the MAC the MAC is doing better now than it has in a long time. The MAC's best years are in the 70s (prior to that could have been good as well though I have a hard time seeing for sure), late90s/early2000s, and the past few years. The mid 2000s were not so good though they were not completely terrible (we did get teams into the top 25 in that time). The 80s and early 90s were the dark years for the MAC. So despite rising costs and the P5 getting farther ahead the MAC is doing better now than it was then. It is also getting more exposure which is probably the single biggest reason that the schools keep doing it. They probably see it as an investment at getting their names out there and becoming more well known nationally.

I don't know if the 80's were the dark years for the MAC but they were not part of the CFA Television agreement like the WAC and Southern Independents. The MAC, B1G, PAC and Big West were all not part of it.

The reason why ultimately that CUSA jumped out to about a 1 million per school TV deal upon formation was that was the going rate paid under the CFA contract to all schools whether SEC, ACC, WAC, SWC, Big 8. What CUSA had was salary history going for itself.

Where things are heading is that any FBS conference be it even a G5 is going to be regarded as a valuable property. The MAC is perceived as no different than the MWC these days with things to offer in its own right. 15 years ago the MAC was perceived as a tweener FBS/FCS conference that was different in a negative way from the other FBS conferences.

Well if the 80s weren't the dark days what were? Wasn't the 80s the time when the MAC had troubles finding a bowl game to go to and even when they did they were not winning often? As I also recall we had top 20 teams in the 70s often enough but then we had something close to a 20 year lull of being ranked in the top 25 until the late 90s (even during the short down turn for the MAC in the mid 2000s CMU managed top 25 rankings). After that we get top 25 rankings often (not every year but there have been many times and oddly many different teams). If I am not mistaken that would mark a clear lull for the conference and considering the lack of attention and respect (that you allude to) during that time period I think my classification of "dark times" is most accurate.

I'm not disagreeing with you. All I'm saying is I'm not sure.

Miami opened Yager Stadium in 1983 and Ohio added 5,000 seats to Peden Stadium in 1986. Kent State and BG built IPF's during this time period. It was a pretty good time for BG and CMU football. The 90's were better for Toledo and Miami when their modern programs got rolling.

The MAC has developed into a quality football conference but it has taken decades to get the type of facilities to be a player at the FBS level.