...interest if CUSA were to approach NIU to replace UAB?

Doesn't make great geographical sense, of course, but then again, the old MAC had its Central Florida, and the new Big XII has its West Virginia... sometimes everything else makes enough sense (evidently) to compensate for the geography.

Related... I know I've read it somewhere, but not from any source I could have faith in... is there in fact some reason to believe that NIU isn't completely satisfied with their current conference?

I would guess not. Years ago before CUSA got raided and it was a clear step up it would have been a tougher choice (but NIU wasn't good then). There's less difference now between MAC and CUSA and the geography would be a killer. NIU doesn't have the budget like a West Virginia to travel all its teams to a large part of the U.S. I don't have any insider knowledge though about the NIU administration, either about that or whether NIU is unhappy with the MAC.

As a fan I don't like how our late season games, particularly against our main competition, are on weeknights, but we do get a lot of exposure to recruits from being on TV with not much else on. Right now that's the choice the MAC has made.

(12-16-2014 04:52 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  I would guess not. Years ago before CUSA got raided and it was a clear step up it would have been a tougher choice (but NIU wasn't good then). There's less difference now between MAC and CUSA and the geography would be a killer. NIU doesn't have the budget like a West Virginia to travel all its teams to a large part of the U.S. I don't have any insider knowledge though about the NIU administration, either about that or whether NIU is unhappy with the MAC.

As a fan I don't like how our late season games, particularly against our main competition, are on weeknights, but we do get a lot of exposure to recruits from being on TV with not much else on. Right now that's the choice the MAC has made.

So would NIU accept an invite to the very spread out AAC, if offered?

Not sure NCAA allows you to have two teams with the same nickname in a conference, tho.

(sic)

(12-16-2014 04:55 PM)HuskyU Wrote:  

(12-16-2014 04:52 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  I would guess not. Years ago before CUSA got raided and it was a clear step up it would have been a tougher choice (but NIU wasn't good then). There's less difference now between MAC and CUSA and the geography would be a killer. NIU doesn't have the budget like a West Virginia to travel all its teams to a large part of the U.S. I don't have any insider knowledge though about the NIU administration, either about that or whether NIU is unhappy with the MAC.

As a fan I don't like how our late season games, particularly against our main competition, are on weeknights, but we do get a lot of exposure to recruits from being on TV with not much else on. Right now that's the choice the MAC has made.

So would NIU accept an invite to the very spread out AAC, if offered?

I'm sure they would consider it. I really don't know. Since they've been upgrading the facilities and seem to be set on more upgrades if they can get the money, I have a feeling they aren't wanting to stand pat where they are. The scheduling has been upgraded too. But they have to upgrade some just so they don't fall behind in the MAC, never mind other conferences. Our stadium is still out-of-date.

NIU left the MAC once before, to go independent in the 80s, it didn't work out and they went back in the mid-90s. It would be a risk to leave again, not knowing what might happen with the AAC, where the MAC has been very stable (good or bad).

I very much doubt it. NIU is a very good fit in the MAC geographically and institutionally. The Chicago market has a critical mass of MAC alums (sort of a "G5 Big Ten"), which provides network effects that wouldn't exist with the other G5 conferences. The AAC would seem to be the only G5 league that NIU would seriously consider.

(12-16-2014 05:08 PM)_sturt_ Wrote:  Not sure NCAA allows you to have two teams with the same nickname in a conference, tho.

(sic)

No but the SEC can have three.

I'm sure geography has nothing to do with anything in reality.

CUSA is just not a step up from the MAC unless your considering minor sports like baseball and soccer.

They would not really increase the amount of money they make my moving to CUSA nor would they increase their SOS.

(12-16-2014 06:03 PM)TrojanCampaign Wrote:  I'm sure geography has nothing to do with anything in reality.

CUSA is just not a step up from the MAC unless your considering minor sports like baseball and soccer.

They would not really increase the amount of money they make my moving to CUSA nor would they increase their SOS.

Well, actually... there is a difference between TV contracts, but then, there's a very real question of whether CUSA will be able to command anything close in the next go-round. Still... no disrespect, but MAC's TV last I looked competes with Sun Belt for the bottom of that barrel.

I think, too, there might be a palpable difference in philosophy and aspirations, too. MAC schools overall have seemed quite content over the decades to occupy the same perception as always. No real ambition to become something more tomorrow than they are today. I don't know if anyone else views it that way, but I know many Marshall fans did when they were part of that conference. NIU seems to have some ambition, and in CUSA, that's the culture as well.

(12-16-2014 05:08 PM)_sturt_ Wrote:  Not sure NCAA allows you to have two teams with the same nickname in a conference, tho.

(sic)

Auburn and LSU Tigers sound familar?

(12-16-2014 06:25 PM)msm96wolf Wrote:  

(12-16-2014 05:08 PM)_sturt_ Wrote:  Not sure NCAA allows you to have two teams with the same nickname in a conference, tho.

(sic)

Auburn and LSU Tigers sound familar?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sic

(12-16-2014 04:25 PM)_sturt_ Wrote:  ...interest if CUSA were to approach NIU to replace UAB?

Doesn't make great geographical sense, of course, but then again, the old MAC had its Central Florida, and the new Big XII has its West Virginia... sometimes everything else makes enough sense (evidently) to compensate for the geography.

Related... I know I've read it somewhere, but not from any source I could have faith in... is there in fact some reason to believe that NIU isn't completely satisfied with their current conference?

UCF was an independent in desperate need of a conference to call home when it joined the MAC in 2002 and left after 4 seasons because of the bad geography, I don't think that example works as a positive for NIU joining CUSA.

(12-16-2014 05:08 PM)_sturt_ Wrote:  Not sure NCAA allows you to have two teams with the same nickname in a conference, tho.

(sic)

Not true. Rice Owls and Fau Owls

(12-16-2014 09:24 PM)Cnelson203 Wrote:  

(12-16-2014 05:08 PM)_sturt_ Wrote:  Not sure NCAA allows you to have two teams with the same nickname in a conference, tho.

(sic)

Not true. Rice Owls and Fau Owls

(sic)?

(12-16-2014 06:25 PM)msm96wolf Wrote:  

(12-16-2014 05:08 PM)_sturt_ Wrote:  Not sure NCAA allows you to have two teams with the same nickname in a conference, tho.

(sic)

Auburn and LSU Tigers sound familar?

and mizzou

(12-16-2014 04:52 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  I would guess not. Years ago before CUSA got raided and it was a clear step up it would have been a tougher choice (but NIU wasn't good then). There's less difference now between MAC and CUSA and the geography would be a killer. NIU doesn't have the budget like a West Virginia to travel all its teams to a large part of the U.S. I don't have any insider knowledge though about the NIU administration, either about that or whether NIU is unhappy with the MAC.

As a fan I don't like how our late season games, particularly against our main competition, are on weeknights, but we do get a lot of exposure to recruits from being on TV with not much else on. Right now that's the choice the MAC has made.

C-USA's media deal pays better than the MAC's, and their fans wouldn't have to log on and watch half of their games on ESPN3. I found my North Texas team on Directv every week last season, and we were having a terrible season. I like the coverage of Fox Sports 1, CBS Sports, the Fox regional stations, and the American Sports Network. Plus, C-USA seems to have slightly better bowl options. Of course, if NIU joined, they would be placed in C-USA West, with Rice, LA Tech, North Texas, UTSA, Southern Miss, and UTEP. Not exactly a lineup of regional schools for NIU, but it is a lineup that includes a few programs with a good history of winning.

(12-16-2014 06:22 PM)_sturt_ Wrote:  

(12-16-2014 06:03 PM)TrojanCampaign Wrote:  I'm sure geography has nothing to do with anything in reality.

CUSA is just not a step up from the MAC unless your considering minor sports like baseball and soccer.

They would not really increase the amount of money they make my moving to CUSA nor would they increase their SOS.

Well, actually... there is a difference between TV contracts, but then, there's a very real question of whether CUSA will be able to command anything close in the next go-round. Still... no disrespect, but MAC's TV last I looked competes with Sun Belt for the bottom of that barrel.

I think, too, there might be a palpable difference in philosophy and aspirations, too. MAC schools overall have seemed quite content over the decades to occupy the same perception as always. No real ambition to become something more tomorrow than they are today. I don't know if anyone else views it that way, but I know many Marshall fans did when they were part of that conference. NIU seems to have some ambition, and in CUSA, that's the culture as well.

I think that you're overstating the difference between today's C-USA and MAC. If we were comparing C-USA from 3 years ago prior to the AAC raid, then sure, that version of C-USA was a legitimate step up in quality. There isn't the same type of gap today (and certainly not enough to overcome the optimal geography for NIU in the MAC). The AAC and MWC are the leagues that have some poaching power within the G5, so I'm sure that NIU would listen to them if they ever offered. Today's C-USA, though, has about the same power in conference realignment as the MAC (with the Sun Belt at the bottom).

Quote:C-USA's media deal pays better than the MAC's, and their fans wouldn't have to log on and watch half of their games on ESPN3.

CUSA's is going to be worse when their contract runs out, I'm sure. CUSA isn't as good as before the Big East/AAC raided them.

CUSA isn't a good enough poacher for the top-MAC. Sun Belt? OK. Sun Belt teams typically want to spend more money on their football programs anyway, too.

But as it is, it wouldn't benefit NIU to join CUSA the way it stands and the way CUSA is going (being a re-vamped Sun Belt). Travel costs would nix some extra money... and in the end, it'd come right back around to "Wait, WHY did we leave here?"

I could only see NIU joining if for some they saw a chain-of-events to occur to join CUSA for a few years as a definite pick-up by AAC thereafter. But if joining CUSA isn't really going to up their odds for the AAC to pick them up much-if-at-all -- why join? It's no leap forward by any stretch when all the dust settles.

As far as TV is concerned -- CUSA will be on the level of the MAC -- ESPN3. I think the MAC's big contract with ESPN(3) which p!ssed off a lot of MAC fans because they won't disclose info about it, etc. is because unlike other G5s, the MAC is.... well, the MAC. It's stable. It will ride out anything. What I mean by this is...

... they probably got a contract that for the time being SUCKS. However, ESPN3 and other Inet broadcast setups are not going to be an "extra side piece" in 5 years. It will be the NORM with how cable's changing. ESPN3 is already built into Smart TVs. Cable companies are going to change in the coming years to mesh that stuff in their more "sophistomocated" cable-box, where there'll be no difference than watching a game on B10 channel 1 vs B10 channel 2, etc. Much more ads running on those will be filling in -- so in 3-5 years, it will be Great.

So point being, the MAC isn't going to be in any worse position than CUSA for TV-time in some years to come anyway -- possibly reaping extra cash with their deal (that's bad now, good later), who knows. So combine that with more travel expenses, etc? Why jump ship when you're at the top of the MAC?

The AAC is arguably (ARGUABLY) better than the MW. Why would a top MW team jump to join the AAC and add on tons o travel, even if AAC would give out a few extra bucks? Not worth it to shift gears when you're a top MW team.

(12-16-2014 04:52 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  As a fan I don't like how our late season games, particularly against our main competition, are on weeknights, but we do get a lot of exposure to recruits from being on TV with not much else on. Right now that's the choice the MAC has made.

One issue I see in the MAC is they are moving more and more to having the traditiona rivalry games mid week. Miami vs. Ohio was on a Tuesday in November this year with horrible attendance. Last year on a Saturday @Ohio the game drew 22,000.

What the MAC should be doing is setting up the last week in October as rivalry week to insure a nice 20k+ late season crowd at those schools.

NIU vs. Ball St (Cornstalk)
CMU vs. WMU (Victory Cannon)
Toledo vs. Bowling Green (Peace Pipe)
Miami vs. Ohio (Battle of the Bricks)
Akron vs. Kent St (Wagon Wheel)
Buffalo vs. EMU (Ontario Sandwich)

Then during the mid week games have all the top schools play each other, within their division and outside of it. Games that normally wouldn't be difference makers if played earlier in the season.

Ohio vs. Bowling Green
Toledo vs. NIU
WMU vs. Ohio
Buffalo vs. CMU

Have the games with bigger divisional implications toward the end of the season to keep the conference race interesting for fans and to hopefully get 18,000 in the stands for these games.

(12-17-2014 01:13 AM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  

(12-16-2014 06:22 PM)_sturt_ Wrote:  

(12-16-2014 06:03 PM)TrojanCampaign Wrote:  I'm sure geography has nothing to do with anything in reality.

CUSA is just not a step up from the MAC unless your considering minor sports like baseball and soccer.

They would not really increase the amount of money they make my moving to CUSA nor would they increase their SOS.

Well, actually... there is a difference between TV contracts, but then, there's a very real question of whether CUSA will be able to command anything close in the next go-round. Still... no disrespect, but MAC's TV last I looked competes with Sun Belt for the bottom of that barrel.

I think, too, there might be a palpable difference in philosophy and aspirations, too. MAC schools overall have seemed quite content over the decades to occupy the same perception as always. No real ambition to become something more tomorrow than they are today. I don't know if anyone else views it that way, but I know many Marshall fans did when they were part of that conference. NIU seems to have some ambition, and in CUSA, that's the culture as well.

I think that you're overstating the difference between today's C-USA and MAC. If we were comparing C-USA from 3 years ago prior to the AAC raid, then sure, that version of C-USA was a legitimate step up in quality. There isn't the same type of gap today (and certainly not enough to overcome the optimal geography for NIU in the MAC). The AAC and MWC are the leagues that have some poaching power within the G5, so I'm sure that NIU would listen to them if they ever offered. Today's C-USA, though, has about the same power in conference realignment as the MAC (with the Sun Belt at the bottom).

I don't dispute anything you just said, Frank, and in fact, have avidly advocated those same perceptions... with the one exception... please go back and review and see where I "overstated" anything (?). To the contrary, I accurately portrayed two facets that could conceivably be motivating factors. Neither of those are affected by your assertion.