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.