Albany football plays Buffalo in '16, ODU in '17 and Pitt in '18.

http://pilotonline.com/sports/college/ol...745fe.html

Also Albany is the highest ranked lacrosse team in New York State. Higher than ACC powerhouse Syracuse. Higher than Duke lacrosse too

http://www.insidelacrosse.com/polls/DI

(04-04-2016 10:36 AM)Bull_In_Exile Wrote:  

(04-02-2016 09:33 AM)Michigan_Dane Wrote:  Albany and Stony Brook are quickly growing sports programs in one of the largest and wealthiest states in the country.

Albany the school is shedding students, no thank you.

Quote:The good news is that the decision makers are not on this board and two it's all about the numbers. The numbers add up

They add up to the MAC not needing another SUNY school...

If the MAC expands, and I really hope it does not, it will need to grow south and west not north and east.

If Albany and Stony Brook aren't big time enough then why did they allow Buffalo in? Objectively what accomplishments did Buffalo have to show in the 90's?

1) Did they have 6 NCAA MBB appearances in 15 years?
2) Did they have a WBB team that defeated Florida in the NCAAs? 5 years straight to the NCAAs?
3) Did they have a top 10 lax team ranked over 'Cuse and Duke?
4) Did they have a FBS head football coach and a 20 years of wins?
5) Did they have one of the best track teams in the country?

I don't begrudge Buffalo for their success so why piss on us?

Objectively Albany has had an amazing stretch since 2000. No SUNY can objectively say they have done better.

One more accolade Albany has won the America East Commissioner Cup 3 years in a row blowing out NH, Maine, Stony Brook Etc

(04-04-2016 08:38 PM)Michigan_Dane Wrote:  Albany football plays Buffalo in '16, ODU in '17 and Pitt in '18.

And UB played Duquense a couple of years ago? A lot of FCS teams take the pay check to play an fbs team..

Quote:Also Albany is the highest ranked lacrosse team in New York State. Higher than ACC powerhouse Syracuse. Higher than Duke lacrosse too

Did the MAC add lacrosse last night?

(04-04-2016 08:30 PM)Michigan_Dane Wrote:  Albany has beaten Siena 3 of the past 4 years. Been to the NCAAs 3 of the past 4 years.

In in all of those runs throught the ringer that was the AE you did not beat one team with an RPI better than 100...

Quote:The Albany game is by far the biggest draw for Siena at 12,000 attendees. That gets credited as a Siena game. Remove the Albany game attendance and what's Siena's average attendance?

Still higher than Albany's... You guys are better than Sienna now. But that would be like me saying UB has surpassed Kent state. You can't measure that by a few years of results. Those kind of things have to be proven over a decade.

(04-04-2016 08:50 PM)Michigan_Dane Wrote:  If Albany and Stony Brook aren't big time enough then why did they allow Buffalo in? Objectively what accomplishments did Buffalo have to show in the 90's?

Firstly we were the largest school in the New York State System. We were bigger then than smAlbany is now, and we were growing not shrinking (like Albany is now).

Secondly there was a *NEED* to expand to get to 12 teams for a championship game. Not only is the MAC now at 12, there is no need for 12 to have a championship game.

Thirdly UB is a *LEADER* in SUNY. Albany and Stony Brook should thank us without end for dragging the system into the D1 era.

(04-04-2016 08:56 PM)Michigan_Dane Wrote:  Objectively Albany has had an amazing stretch since 2000. No SUNY can objectively say they have done better.

One more accolade Albany has won the America East Commissioner Cup 3 years in a row blowing out NH, Maine, Stony Brook Etc

Wow New Hampshire *and* Stony Brook..... Awsome work down there in the featherweights...

(04-04-2016 08:50 PM)Michigan_Dane Wrote:  If Albany and Stony Brook aren't big time enough then why did they allow Buffalo in? Objectively what accomplishments did Buffalo have to show in the 90's?

It's a good question.

If the MAC ever had a reason to add two teams and if Albany and Stony Brook were serious about pursuing FBS, I think they would be very much worth considering. Great universities, and look how strong Buffalo has become in the MAC, given some time and TLC.

(04-05-2016 08:05 AM)Schadenfreude Wrote:  

(04-04-2016 08:50 PM)Michigan_Dane Wrote:  If Albany and Stony Brook aren't big time enough then why did they allow Buffalo in? Objectively what accomplishments did Buffalo have to show in the 90's?

It's a good question.

If the MAC ever had a reason to add two teams and if Albany and Stony Brook were serious about pursuing FBS, I think they would be very much worth considering. Great universities, and look how strong Buffalo has become in the MAC, given some time and TLC.

The opportunity cost of not growing south or west would be great....

(04-04-2016 08:50 PM)Michigan_Dane Wrote:  1) Did they have 6 NCAA MBB appearances in 15 years?

This is the only one of these that would be an actual talking point, if Albany had been pushing to step up to FBS at that time that the MAC was looking for an Eastern expansion of its footprint.

Quote: 2) Did they have a WBB team that defeated Florida in the NCAAs? 5 years straight to the NCAAs?

Success in an non-revenue sport is nice and all, but it's not a conference realignment driver.

Quote: 3) Did they have a top 10 lax team ranked over 'Cuse and Duke?

CMU adding women's lacrosse this year and Kent State adding Lacrosse will bring MAC women lacrosse programs up to a total of two, and, of course, leave men's lacrosse at a total of Zero (sometimes known as Zilch or Nada). So this would carry even less weight than the other non-revenue sport points, if less than zero was a possibility.

Quote: 4) Did they have a FBS head football coach and a 20 years of wins?

Since they are not FBS, I am going to presume that this would have been a former FBS head football coach. Which is a moot point if your athletic department has no interest in stepping up to the FBS at the time that another school is interested in stepping up and gets an invite.

Quote: 5) Did they have one of the best track teams in the country

Non-revenue sport, again. Doesn't move the needle one iota.

This guy is almost as funny as LakeBi...... Shhhhhhhh

Between Albany and Stony Brook, I feel Stony Brook is the better choice. The problem is the MAC would have to deal with their bad years and if they were to ever become a quality program that attracted the local market, the AAC or some P5 conference would steal them. If they were to join, I'd want there to be a sizable buyout written into the deal.

(04-05-2016 10:51 AM)kreed5120 Wrote:  Between Albany and Stony Brook, I feel Stony Brook is the better choice. The problem is the MAC would have to deal with their bad years and if they were to ever become a quality program that attracted the local market, the AAC or some P5 conference would steal them. If they were to join, I'd want there to be a sizable buyout written into the deal.

I agree with this but I feel like either would be pretty far down the line for the optimum choices the MAC can make.

At 12 teams we don't need to be discussing handing any FCS programs the brass ring.

Get drunk and swap out EMU for Marshall or Army, why not

(04-05-2016 10:51 AM)kreed5120 Wrote:  Between Albany and Stony Brook, I feel Stony Brook is the better choice. The problem is the MAC would have to deal with their bad years and if they were to ever become a quality program that attracted the local market, the AAC or some P5 conference would steal them. If they were to join, I'd want there to be a sizable buyout written into the deal.

Stony Brook is really gathering strength in all their athletic programs, like the mbb just made the dance for the first time. Suspect Stony Brook would be gone from the MAC in short order, as the AAC or CUSA could really use their media footprint.

Didn't do much good to offer a home for Temple, UCF, and UMASS and see them skeedaddle.

(04-05-2016 08:37 AM)Bull_In_Exile Wrote:  

(04-05-2016 08:05 AM)Schadenfreude Wrote:  

(04-04-2016 08:50 PM)Michigan_Dane Wrote:  If Albany and Stony Brook aren't big time enough then why did they allow Buffalo in? Objectively what accomplishments did Buffalo have to show in the 90's?

It's a good question.

If the MAC ever had a reason to add two teams and if Albany and Stony Brook were serious about pursuing FBS, I think they would be very much worth considering. Great universities, and look how strong Buffalo has become in the MAC, given some time and TLC.

The opportunity cost of not growing south or west would be great....

What opportunity are you seeing?

Northern Iowa? Not an amazing school. Any SUNY university center would bring much more prestige. Plus, there are way more television sets in the Albany area or on Long Island than there are in Waterloo, Iowa.

North Dakota State? They've put together a heck of a football program and the place at least sounds like a flagship. I'm intrigued. But the SUNY university centers still have more prestige. Plus, the Albany area has four times the television sets of Fargo. Moreover, Fargo is actually a bit farther from DeKalb than Stony Brook is from Buffalo.

Wichita State? That's an 11 hour bus ride from Muncie, and they don't even have a football team.

I see much more untapped potential in New York State and the Northeast than I do out west. As for the south: There are two FBS conferences already down there that are more or less our equal. Given geography, what makes us think most of those schools want to change conferences?

If Stony Brook or Albany ever sought admission to the MAC, that would be a heck of an opportunity for us.

(04-05-2016 05:07 PM)Schadenfreude Wrote:  

(04-05-2016 08:37 AM)Bull_In_Exile Wrote:  

(04-05-2016 08:05 AM)Schadenfreude Wrote:  

(04-04-2016 08:50 PM)Michigan_Dane Wrote:  If Albany and Stony Brook aren't big time enough then why did they allow Buffalo in? Objectively what accomplishments did Buffalo have to show in the 90's?

It's a good question.

If the MAC ever had a reason to add two teams and if Albany and Stony Brook were serious about pursuing FBS, I think they would be very much worth considering. Great universities, and look how strong Buffalo has become in the MAC, given some time and TLC.

The opportunity cost of not growing south or west would be great....

What opportunity are you seeing?

Northern Iowa? Not an amazing school. Any SUNY university center would bring much more prestige. Plus, there are way more television sets in the Albany area or on Long Island than there are in Waterloo, Iowa.

North Dakota State? They've put together a heck of a football program and the place at least sounds like a flagship. I'm intrigued. But the SUNY university centers still have more prestige. Plus, the Albany area has four times the television sets of Fargo. Moreover, Fargo is actually a bit farther from DeKalb than Stony Brook is from Buffalo.

Wichita State? That's an 11 hour bus ride from Muncie, and they don't even have a football team.

I see much more untapped potential in New York State and the Northeast than I do out west. As for the south: There are two FBS conferences already down there that are more or less our equal. Given geography, what makes us think most of those schools want to change conferences?

If Stony Brook or Albany ever sought admission to the MAC, that would be a heck of an opportunity for us.

I have been a big proponent of seriously looking at Stony Brook.

As I posted many times, UMass and Stony Brook are two excellent, flagship universities in areas where there are a lot of people (eyeballs for television).

I wish we could have made an accommodation for UMass while we tried to get SB on board in the future (as soon as they could get up to FBS).

As far as basketball, anyone watching the NCAAs this year really appreciates how strong high school basketball is on the east coast. I'd take kids from Philly, DMV (D.C./Md/Va), N.C., etc. any day. they blow the midwest away.

(04-05-2016 08:37 AM)Bull_In_Exile Wrote:  

(04-05-2016 08:05 AM)Schadenfreude Wrote:  

(04-04-2016 08:50 PM)Michigan_Dane Wrote:  If Albany and Stony Brook aren't big time enough then why did they allow Buffalo in? Objectively what accomplishments did Buffalo have to show in the 90's?

It's a good question.

If the MAC ever had a reason to add two teams and if Albany and Stony Brook were serious about pursuing FBS, I think they would be very much worth considering. Great universities, and look how strong Buffalo has become in the MAC, given some time and TLC.

The opportunity cost of not growing south or west would be great....

Bingo!

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The best argument for adding teams in the East has been the large population centers in those states.

At the G5 level all that you have is UConn, UMass, Temple, Buffalo in the NE states.

In the Great Plains, a region consisting of Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Dakotas and Kansas the only school at the G5 level is NIU.

The South of course is full of G5 schools these days. Twenty years ago it was just a handful at the non power conference level.

I'd be fine with bringing in Wichita St, Missouri St, Illinois St into the MAC with an option to join for football if/when the MAC loses any schools. Think not only the value of Wichita basketball here but they also have great baseball. They aren't directional schools and they punch the MVC hard in the gut. In the event of an FBS split I see some value in having a few schools that could step in quickly for the MAC like WKU did for the SBC at one point.

As to Wichita being far, that is a problem for them even in the MVC or any prospective conference they join outside of possibly the AAC. They do not seem to have a realistic chance at the AAC without any football team. The AAC is looking at Southern Miss with its impressive stadium and is the only G5 program in talent rich Mississippi.

Wichita State for basketball is like having a shot at adding Boise State for football. They are worth the distance, IMO.

TV sets is one thing. Whether people will actually watch is another.

Also, any team added from the East will have an option to dump the MAC when it's convenient for them. Adding from the south or west, not so much. Plus that would add to the MAC footprint.