I find it surprising - and interesting - that every MAC school is experiencing a drought in one (or, in a handful of cases, both) of the MAC's two major revenue sports: football and men's basketball. In this case, drought refers to the length of time between either a MAC championship in football or an NCAA tournament appearance in men's basketball.

Listed below are the current longest-running droughts:

15. Miami basketball (last NCAA appearance: 2007)
14. Akron football (last MAC championship: 2005)
13. Toledo football (last MAC championship: 2004)
12. CMU basketball (last NCAA appearance: 2003)
11. Ball State basketball (last NCAA appearance: 2000)
10. Buffalo basketball (no NCAA appearances; joined MAC in 1999)
9. EMU basketball (last NCAA appearance: 1998)
8. Ball State football (last MAC championship: 1996)
7. NIU basketball (last NCAA appearance: 1996, before rejoining MAC)
6. WMU football (last MAC championship: 1988)
5. EMU football (last MAC championship: 1987)
4. Toledo basketball (last NCAA appearance: 1980)
3. Kent State football (last MAC championship: 1972)
2. Ohio football (last MAC championship: 1968)
1. Bowling Green basketball (last NCAA appearance: 1968)

Toledo, BG, and CMU appear to have good shots at ending their basketball droughts in March. Buffalo and EMU may have a shot at ending theirs as well.

since buffalo's drought is never going to ncaas i'd have to put them #1

(02-17-2015 03:57 AM)pono Wrote:  since buffalo's drought is never going to ncaas i'd have to put them #1

Everyone hoping if their school doesn't make it UB will?

I remember the year UB almost made it. Great championship game.

(02-17-2015 07:23 AM)emu steve Wrote:  

(02-17-2015 03:57 AM)pono Wrote:  since buffalo's drought is never going to ncaas i'd have to put them #1

Everyone hoping if their school doesn't make it UB will?

I remember the year UB almost made it. Great championship game.

you mean the year they choked away a double-digit lead (around 19 points if I remember correctly) and lost by a point on a tip-in? I just wish I could remember who beat them that year! hmmm...!

(02-17-2015 12:19 AM)The Colonel Wrote:  2. Ohio football (last MAC championship: 1968)

.

NIU's last appearance in 1996 was pretty awesome. Was thiiiiiiis close to getting into the second round.

(02-17-2015 09:22 AM)Miami (Oh) Yeah ! Wrote:  

(02-17-2015 12:19 AM)The Colonel Wrote:  2. Ohio football (last MAC championship: 1968)

.

Does Nate Thurmond approve of this thread?

(02-17-2015 03:57 AM)pono Wrote:  since buffalo's drought is never going to ncaas i'd have to put them #1

Considering UB has only played D1 basketball for 25 years, how is their drought worse then a BGSU or Toledo?

(02-17-2015 03:44 PM)NickleCity Wrote:  Considering UB has only played D1 basketball for 25 years, how is their drought worse then a BGSU or Toledo?

This is the main reason I decided to list Buffalo staring with their first season in the MAC (the 1998-99 season).

Considering how consistently good they've been in football (and to a lesser extent, more recently in basketball), it amazes me that Toledo has gone over a decade without reaching the summit in either sport.

(02-17-2015 04:46 PM)The Colonel Wrote:  Considering how consistently good they've been in football (and to a lesser extent, more recently in basketball), it amazes me that Toledo has gone over a decade without reaching the summit in either sport.

I think a number of Toledo fans are also amazed (among other reactions) by that fact as well.

Could someone with the data calculate a two-sport Misery Index of MAC teams by adding the number of years since championships were won in football and hoops?

(02-17-2015 07:58 PM)Okie Chippewa Wrote:  Could someone with the data calculate a two-sport Misery Index of MAC teams by adding the number of years since championships were won in football and hoops?

Ask and you shall receive. The two-sport "MAC Misery Index:"

Akron: 10 (9 full seasons since MAC FB title + 1 full season since NCAA BB bid)
Miami: 11 (4 full FB seasons + 7 full BB seasons)
CMU: 16 (5 full FB seasons + 11 full BB seasons)
NIU: 18 (0 as defending FB champion + 18 full BB seasons)
BUF: 21 (6 full FB seasons + 15 full BB seasons since joining MAC)
WMU: 26 (26 full FB seasons + 0 as defending BB champion)
BSU: 32 (18 full FB seasons + 14 full BB seasons)
EMU: 43 (27 full FB seasons + 16 full BB seasons)
Toledo: 44 (10 full FB seasons + 34 full BB seasons)
BG: 47 (1 full FB seasons + 46 full BB seasons)
KSU: 48 (42 full FB seasons + 6 full BB seasons)
Ohio: 48 (46 full FB seasons + 2 full BB seasons)

If you go strictly out of the MAC, the Huskies haven't won the bid in hoops for 33 years.
If you count any non-MAC play, then Buffalo's BB number should be the symbol for infinity.

What's the Reese and Jacoby Trophy drought number?

(02-19-2015 04:16 PM)Lord Stanley Wrote:  What's the Reese and Jacoby Trophy drought number?

This was a challenge to research! Most of the information below comes from:

http://www.muredhawks.com/fls/26100/old_...M_ID=26100

Information from more recent years came from random Google searches.

Reese Trophies:
Miami: 23 (1958, 66-67, 73-80, 82-87, 92, 97, 99, 2003-05)
Ohio: 9 (1960-61, 63-71)
KSU: 8 (2000, 02, 06, 09-13)
EMU: 4 (1988, 91, 96, 2008)
BSU: 4 (1989, 90, 93, 98)
BG: 4 (1959, 72, 94-95)
WMU: 3 (1962, 81, 98)
CMU: 2 (2001, 07)
Akron: 1 (2014)

- BSU and WMU tied for the 1998 Reese Trophy.
- Buffalo, Toledo, and NIU have never won a Reese Trophy.

Jacoby Trophies:
KSU: 8 (1989, 96-97, 99, 2004-05, 10, 14)
WMU: 7 (1984-87, 96, 2006, 11)
Miami: 5 (1983, 97, 2008-09, 13)
BSU: 5 (1998, 2000-03)
BG: 4 (1988, 92-94)
Ohio: 2 (1995, 2007)
CMU: 2 (1990-91)
Toledo: 1 (2012)

- KSU and Miami tied for the 1997 Jacoby Trophy.
- Akron, Buffalo, EMU, and NIU have never won a Jacoby Trophy.

Applying OkieChip's "Misery Index" to the Reese and Jacoby Trophies:
KSU: 1 (1 seasons since Reese Trophy + defending Jacoby Trophy)
Miami: 10 (9 seasons since Reese + 1 season since Jacoby)
WMU: 19 (16 seasons since Reese + 3 seasons since Jacoby)
Akron: 22 (defending Reese + 22 seasons, never won Jacoby)
BSU: 27 (16 seasons since Reese + 11 seasons since Jacoby)
CMU: 30 (7 seasons since Reese + 23 seasons since Jacoby)
Buffalo: 32 (16 seasons, never won Reese + 16 seasons, never won Jacoby)
BG: 39 (19 seasons since Reese + 20 seasons since Jacoby)
EMU: 49 (6 seasons since Reese + 43 seasons, never won Jacoby)
Ohio: 50 (43 seasons since Reese + 7 seasons since Jacoby)
NIU: 60 (30 seasons, never won Reese + 30 seasons, never won Jacoby)
Toledo: 66 (64 seasons, never won Reese + 2 seasons since Jacoby)

- EMU joined the MAC beginning in the 1971-72 season.
- NIU joined the MAC beginning in the 1972-73 season, left the MAC after the 1985-86 season, and rejoined the MAC beginning with the 1997-98 season.
- Akron joined the MAC beginning in the 1992-93 season.
- Buffalo joined the MAC beginning in the 1998-99 season.

The numbers of the "Misery Index" may be off slightly if any of the above information is inaccurate, which is possible.

Very nice, Herr Colonel. I took your information and broke it out a little further showing success (and lack of) from 2000 to present

Reese 2000 to 2014

• KSU 8
• Miami 3
• CMU 2
• Akron 1
• EMU 1
• BG, BSU, UB, NIU, Ohio, UT, WMU 0
  

Jacoby 2000 to 2014

• BSU 4
• KSU 4
• Miami 3
• WMU 2
• Ohio 1
• UT 1
• Akron, BG, UB, CMU, EMU, NIU 0
  

Some oberservations 2000 to present:

*KSU and Miami are the top block MAC Athletics programs.

*I am surprised that EMU does not have more Trophies, considering the team and individual success their programs have achieved over the years.

*Overall success wise, I think UB and NIU's Athletics programs have been the biggest disappointments.

*It would be interesting to find a metric that supports the Athletic departments academic success, and combine academic success with Athletics prowess to truly say X program is the best MAC Athletics Department.

(02-20-2015 10:45 AM)Lord Stanley Wrote:  Very nice, Herr Colonel. I took your information and broke it out a little further showing success (and lack of) from 2000 to present

Reese 2000 to 2014

• KSU 8
• Miami 3
• CMU 2
• Akron 1
• EMU 1
• BG, BSU, UB, NIU, Ohio, UT, WMU 0
  

Jacoby 2000 to 2014

• BSU 4
• KSU 4
• Miami 3
• WMU 2
• Ohio 1
• UT 1
• Akron, BG, UB, CMU, EMU, NIU 0
  

Some oberservations 2000 to present:

*KSU and Miami are the top block MAC Athletics programs.

*I am surprised that EMU does not have more Trophies, considering the team and individual success their programs have achieved over the years.

*Overall success wise, I think UB and NIU's Athletics programs have been the biggest disappointments.

*It would be interesting to find a metric that supports the Athletic departments academic success, and combine academic success with Athletics prowess to truly say X program is the best MAC Athletics Department.

There is some data for the last point. But I am not sure the best way to synthesize it, so I am just going to list it.
The MAC has two academic awards and one combined athletics-academics-citizenship award.
First the MAC FAR award computes the average student athlete GPA from MAC-sponsored sports. The award is split between Men and Women.

Men's FAR
2013-14 Miami University
2012-13 Western Michigan University
2011-12 Western Michigan University
2010-11 University of Toledo
2009-10 University of Toledo
2008-09 Western Michigan University
2007-08 Western Michigan University

Women's Far
2013-14 Bowling Green State University
2012-13 Central Michigan University
2011-12 Bowling Green State University
2010-11 Central Michigan University
2009-10 Bowling Green State University
2008-09 Bowling Green State University
2007-08 Central Michigan University

Second is the Institutional Academic Achievement Award. This award computes the average student-athlete GPA for all student athletes. Combining students that are not part of MAC-sponsored teams (i.e. hockey) and genders.

MAC IAA Award
2013-14 Miami University
2012-13 University of Toledo
2011-12 University of Toledo
2010-11 University of Akron
2009-10 Bowling Green State University
2008-09 Ball State University
2007-08 Northern Illinois University
2006-07 Central Michigan University
2005-06 Central Michigan University
2004-05 Central Michigan University
2003-04 Central Michigan University
2002-03 Central Michigan University
2001-02 Central Michigan University
2000-01 Bowling Green State University
1999-00 Central Michigan University
1998-99 Central Michigan University
1997-98 Central Michigan University
1996-97 Ball State University and Central Michigan University (tie)
1995-96 Bowling Green State University
1994-95 Bowling Green State University

Last is the Cartwright Award. This award attempts to recognize the athletic department with the most 'well-rounded' students by factoring in grades, athletic achievements and 'citizenship'. Citizenship seems to mainly be volunteer work. Like the MAC IAA it combines genders, but it is unclear if it factors in the work from non-MAC sports.

Cartwright Award
2013 EMU
2012 KSU
2011 UT
2010 WMU
2009 KSU
2008 CMU

I do know there was a group that put out an award that tried to show what school gets the most out of their money and Kent State has won the award many times. Akron received it once as well ( I think Kent was 2nd place that year).

Also in a similar vein you could look at the old Sears Cup rankings and the like Kent has been number one forever but it is interesting to see what schools come in 2nd+. Central Michigan seems to do pretty well most years from what I can see though Akron was number 2 last year as I recall.

Maybe this is the WMU fan-experience side of me coming out -- but I would say breaking a true drought for Fans would be:

Football: Double-digit wins, Winning your division going to MACC, or winning a bowl (not counting Sun-Belt teams who didn't win their conference or didn't have 9+ wins)
Basketball: Winning your division + making it to final game of MAC Tourney, going to the NCAA Tourney, winning 2 games in the NIT, winning one of the other low-end tourneys

Would be much harder to compile a list of longest droughts on that one.

WMU Football: 2000 (playing Marshall in MACC)
WMU Basketball: 2014 (playing in NCAA Tourney)