He will be on 92.3 FM in Cleveland in a few minutes.

http://cleveland.cbslocal.com/station/92-3-the-fan/

Some interesting stuff.

Talked about "right-sized scheduling" for the MAC resulting in the improved RPI of the conference.

MAC is hosting NCAA regional next year at the Q.

MAC brings in $14.5 million to Cleveland for the tournament.

(03-07-2014 01:53 PM)uakronkid Wrote:  MAC is hosting NCAA regional next year at the Q.

I saw the Regional was here but wasn't sure who was sponsoring. Next years MAC Champ will have an easy travel schedule to the final four playing in Columbus then Cleveland haha.

MAC will continue to he very stable. Conference is full of like minded institutions. Geography is a strength.

You add to make us stronger, or to survive. "If there were a group of teams that were interested that made us stronger, we would look at that, but we're in a pretty good place right now."

(03-07-2014 01:54 PM)uakronkid Wrote:  MAC brings in $14.5 million to Cleveland for the tournament.

How?

What does Cleveland bring to the MAC?...same thing goes for Detroit.

"you add to get stronger, or you add to survive"

"if there was an institution of a group of institutions who helped us get stronger, yea, we'd look at that".

Nothing much on expansion, same line as prior statements.

Interview is over.

With any luck, the station will cut it into a podcast to listen to later.

Interesting that he said "group". You'd think the default thing to say in that situation would be an individual school.

(03-07-2014 01:58 PM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  

(03-07-2014 01:54 PM)uakronkid Wrote:  MAC brings in $14.5 million to Cleveland for the tournament.

How?

What does Cleveland bring to the MAC?...same thing goes for Detroit.

If NIU ever made it to Cleveland maybe you could find out.

(03-07-2014 02:06 PM)uakronkid Wrote:  

(03-07-2014 01:58 PM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  

(03-07-2014 01:54 PM)uakronkid Wrote:  MAC brings in $14.5 million to Cleveland for the tournament.

How?

What does Cleveland bring to the MAC?...same thing goes for Detroit.

If NIU ever made it to Cleveland maybe you could find out.

ouch! (but funny!) ;-)

(03-07-2014 02:20 PM)bobcat_backer Wrote:  

(03-07-2014 02:06 PM)uakronkid Wrote:  

(03-07-2014 01:58 PM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  

(03-07-2014 01:54 PM)uakronkid Wrote:  MAC brings in $14.5 million to Cleveland for the tournament.

How?

What does Cleveland bring to the MAC?...same thing goes for Detroit.

If NIU ever made it to Cleveland maybe you could find out.

We were there a couple years ago....but not for long.
ouch! (but funny!) ;-)

(03-07-2014 02:45 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  

(03-07-2014 02:20 PM)bobcat_backer Wrote:  

(03-07-2014 02:06 PM)uakronkid Wrote:  

(03-07-2014 01:58 PM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  

(03-07-2014 01:54 PM)uakronkid Wrote:  MAC brings in $14.5 million to Cleveland for the tournament.

How?

What does Cleveland bring to the MAC?...same thing goes for Detroit.

If NIU ever made it to Cleveland maybe you could find out.

We were there a couple years ago....but not for long.
ouch! (but funny!) ;-)

Being serious, though, Cleveland brings great local support from both basketball fans and businesses. It's the biggest city in the state where literally half the conference plays in, the arena is first-class and the area around the Q lots of things for fans to do.

The MAC would not get half the attention and support they get in Cleveland, if the tournament were held anywhere else.

(03-07-2014 02:20 PM)bobcat_backer Wrote:  

(03-07-2014 02:06 PM)uakronkid Wrote:  

(03-07-2014 01:58 PM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  

(03-07-2014 01:54 PM)uakronkid Wrote:  MAC brings in $14.5 million to Cleveland for the tournament.

How?

What does Cleveland bring to the MAC?...same thing goes for Detroit.

If NIU ever made it to Cleveland maybe you could find out.

ouch! (but funny!) ;-)

Um, ya...they played in Cleveland last year.

(03-07-2014 02:59 PM)uakronkid Wrote:  

(03-07-2014 02:45 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  

(03-07-2014 02:20 PM)bobcat_backer Wrote:  

(03-07-2014 02:06 PM)uakronkid Wrote:  

(03-07-2014 01:58 PM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  How?

What does Cleveland bring to the MAC?...same thing goes for Detroit.

If NIU ever made it to Cleveland maybe you could find out.

We were there a couple years ago....but not for long.
ouch! (but funny!) ;-)

Being serious, though, Cleveland brings great local support from both basketball fans and businesses. It's the biggest city in the state where literally half the conference plays in, the arena is first-class and the area around the Q lots of things for fans to do.

The MAC would not get half the attention and support they get in Cleveland, if the tournament were held anywhere else.

Do the other non-major conferences hold their tournaments NBA arenas?

(03-07-2014 02:59 PM)uakronkid Wrote:  

(03-07-2014 02:45 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  

(03-07-2014 02:20 PM)bobcat_backer Wrote:  

(03-07-2014 02:06 PM)uakronkid Wrote:  

(03-07-2014 01:58 PM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  How?

What does Cleveland bring to the MAC?...same thing goes for Detroit.

If NIU ever made it to Cleveland maybe you could find out.

We were there a couple years ago....but not for long.
ouch! (but funny!) ;-)

Being serious, though, Cleveland brings great local support from both basketball fans and businesses. It's the biggest city in the state where literally half the conference plays in, the arena is first-class and the area around the Q lots of things for fans to do.

The MAC would not get half the attention and support they get in Cleveland, if the tournament were held anywhere else.

Kinda like bribery.

Disappointing, but at least Cleveland lives up to their end of the deal.

Would like the MAC to strategize about doing this w/ other sports in other cities. Try to generate a large mesh of conference interest.

You cannot compare Cleveland and the MAC tourney with Detroit and the MACC. The city of Detroit does not support the MACC in any way or form. Cleveland supports the MAC tourney with newspaper, TV and Radio coverage, and good fan support. Semifinals and Championship games are a bigtime atmosphere. Bars and restaurants are packed and MAC fans are everywhere. There is plenty of parking, lots of interstates nearby. There are a ton of MAC graduates living in the greater metro area. This tournament is the single best thing that the MAC does. Unfortuanately, NIU is stuck a long, long way from Cleveland. This is a big disadvantage for NIU becoming a conference basketball power.