The MAC has a $124 million dollar partnership with ESPN and CBS sports.

Western Michigan's recruiting class ranks 27th according to Scout.

The MAC is regarded to be at the same level as the MWC/AAC albeit with less depth.

What?

(06-27-2015 01:35 PM)canewton Wrote:  What?

BYU has gone out for the first time to sign the top MAC schools to home and home FB series.

That would have been unheard of in the past. Shows the newfound respect the MAC has. TV is playing a matchmaker for these top MAC schools.

A MAC school anywhere near the Top 50 in the football recruiting rankings would have been unheard of too. In the AAC of course its not that uncommon but the ceiling for MAC schools in recruiting is higher than it was before.

Kitton...BYU needs games...simple as that

(06-27-2015 02:16 PM)TexanMark Wrote:  Kitton...BYU needs games...simple as that

Then if all they need is games answer 2 questions.

1) Why are they singling out Toledo and NIU for home-home series? Those have been 2 of the top MAC programs over the last 10-15 seasons. They could have just as easily signed EMU and Akron.

2) Why isn't BYU signing Appalachian State and Georgia Southern to 1 and 1 deals? They do not have SBC or CUSA on their future schedules.

I wonder if the NIU home game is one of those Soldier Field deals that NIU has signed with Iowa and Wisconsin in the past.

Does Chicago have a lot of BYU fans?

BYU has scheduled a 4-game football series with UMass.

So, according to your theory, BYU has deemed independent UMass to be at the same level as the best of the Mountain West and American.

(06-27-2015 02:31 PM)Wedge Wrote:  BYU has scheduled a 4-game football series with UMass.

So, according to your theory, BYU has deemed independent UMass to be at the same level as the best of the Mountain West and American.

Sure.

UMass is a MAC football school.

(06-27-2015 02:29 PM)goofus Wrote:  I wonder if the NIU home game is one of those Soldier Field deals that NIU has signed with Iowa and Wisconsin in the past.

No.

(06-27-2015 02:32 PM)Kittonhead Wrote:  

(06-27-2015 02:31 PM)Wedge Wrote:  BYU has scheduled a 4-game football series with UMass.

So, according to your theory, BYU has deemed independent UMass to be at the same level as the best of the Mountain West and American.

Sure.

UMass is a MAC football school.

"The Cougars and Minutemen will play each year from 2016 through 2019. The first two games — on Oct. 8, 2016, and Nov. 18, 2017 — will take place at LaVell Edwards Stadium. The final two will happen at the New England Patriots' Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on Nov. 10, 2018, and Nov. 23, 2019."

Oh really? Did the MAC have a change of heart? Is UMass a football member of the MAC in 2016-2019?

(06-27-2015 02:38 PM)Wedge Wrote:  

(06-27-2015 02:32 PM)Kittonhead Wrote:  

(06-27-2015 02:31 PM)Wedge Wrote:  BYU has scheduled a 4-game football series with UMass.

So, according to your theory, BYU has deemed independent UMass to be at the same level as the best of the Mountain West and American.

Sure.

UMass is a MAC football school.

"The Cougars and Minutemen will play each year from 2016 through 2019. The first two games — on Oct. 8, 2016, and Nov. 18, 2017 — will take place at LaVell Edwards Stadium. The final two will happen at the New England Patriots' Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on Nov. 10, 2018, and Nov. 23, 2019."

Oh really? Did the MAC have a change of heart? Is UMass a football member of the MAC in 2016-2019?

At the time of signing.

If I were UMASS I would read the contract carefully.

In NIU's case they gave BYU slots in October which are hard to find for an Indy. Toledo's was more impressive IMHO.

(06-27-2015 01:17 PM)Kittonhead Wrote:  The MAC has a $124 million dollar partnership with ESPN and CBS sports.

To play the majority of their games on ESPN3 or on Tuesday nights. No thanks.

Western Michigan's recruiting class ranks 27th according to Scout.

It is a long way from signing day. Not saying Western Michigan won't hold on to some of those players, just saying I will be surprised if they are still ranked that high when the ink actually drys.

The MAC is regarded to be at the same level as the MWC/AAC albeit with less depth.

No. they are not.

The MAC finished behind the MWC, C-USA, and AAC in the final conference ranking last season. Overall the MAC has smaller athletic budgets, and worse attendance then the AAC, MWC, and C-USA. The MAC even has a worse bowl line-up then the AAC, MWC, and C-USA. In those regards they are not on the same level.

The MAC is on the same level with the MWC and AAC, if you are referring to being on the G5 level. But, arguing that the MAC is equal in the pecking order, is warped, and I don't think anyone outside of a few fringe posters will agree with you.

P5 level schools do not schedule home and away series with MAC schools.

therefore BYU is not a P5 level school.

(06-27-2015 03:25 PM)goofus Wrote:  P5 level schools do not schedule home and away series with MAC schools.

therefore BYU is not a P5 level school.

Quote:Maryland and Northern Illinois have scheduled a home-and-home series in 2020 and 2021, a source told ESPN's Brett McMurphy.

The 2020 game will be at Maryland, the 2021 game at NIU. The 2021 contest will mark the first time the Huskies have hosted a Big Ten opponent in DeKalb, Illinois.

http://espn.go.com/college-football/stor...ome-series

Just more evidence that independence isn't working out the way BYU planned or hoped. It expected to make these kinds of deals with P5 schools but isn't landing nearly enough of them.

I wouldn't necessarily say that, mongoose, although I'm sure there are other aspects of independence that are frustrating them.

BYU is taking their football to big cities nationwide; Orlando, Foxboro, NIU is near Chicago, Toledo is near Detroit ... And of course, Greenville NC. 😀

That was one of the things they wanted to do.

(06-27-2015 03:40 PM)Wedge Wrote:  

(06-27-2015 03:25 PM)goofus Wrote:  P5 level schools do not schedule home and away series with MAC schools.

therefore BYU is not a P5 level school.

Quote:Maryland and Northern Illinois have scheduled a home-and-home series in 2020 and 2021, a source told ESPN's Brett McMurphy.

The 2020 game will be at Maryland, the 2021 game at NIU. The 2021 contest will mark the first time the Huskies have hosted a Big Ten opponent in DeKalb, Illinois.

http://espn.go.com/college-football/stor...ome-series

Maybe Northern Illinois and Toledo be counted as a worthy opponents in strength?

(06-27-2015 03:25 PM)goofus Wrote:  P5 level schools do not schedule home and away series with MAC schools.

therefore BYU is not a P5 level school.

Um, P5s do with Toledo. In the past few years, Toledo has had home and home with Iowa St, Arizona, Miami (FL), Missouri.

Just to put things in perspective, here's what BYU's schedule looks like for the next five years:

2015: 6 home games (0 P5, 5 G5, 1 FCS), 6 away/neutral site games (4 P5, 2 G5)
2016: 5 home games (2 P5, 3 G5), 6 away/neutral site games (4 P5, 2 G5)*
2017: 4 home games (1 P5, 3 G5), 6 away/neutral site games (2 P5, 4 G5)*
2018: 4 home games (1 P5, 3 G5), 6 away/neutral site games (4 P5, 2 G5)
2019: 4 home games (3 P5, 1 G5), 5 away/neutral site games (2 P5, 3 G5)

*Road game against UNLV will be played in 2016 or 2017

Totals: 23 home games (7 P5, 15 G5, 1 FCS), 30 away/neutral site games (16 P5, 14 G5)
Averages: 4.6 home games (1.4 P5, 3.0 G5, 0.2 FCS), 6 away/neutral site games (3.2 P5, 2.8 G5)

No wonder Mendenhall is saying BYU needs to find its way into a P5 conference in the next three years.