(08-18-2022 12:00 PM)topper1296 Wrote:  

(08-18-2022 10:42 AM)BeatWestern! Wrote:  I expect WKU and one other school to join the MAC NLT 2025, the most likely candidates being MTSU, UMass or Missouri State.

This is my guess as well, however it will probably be between UMass or MoSt since MTSU may have burned the MAC bridge. Also, the WKU AD said in an interview that if a move to the MAC made since then, it would also make since in the future.

UNLESS----------- WKU gets an invite from the SBC first (or any other G5 -doubtful). They will take the first offer!


Regarding the OP---- The MAC has no interest in EKU.

(08-18-2022 09:58 AM)Yosef181 Wrote:  EKU is closer to the MAC in geography, but I've seen people who claim to be "in the know" say that the MAC doesn't want FCS schools. If that's the case, EKU isn't a candidate.

I do think WKU has options, even though they might seem "stuck" right now. The most obvious potential option is the MAC, but Brett McMurphy said WKU would've been added to the SBC last year if ODU, JMU, and Marshall declined (Southern Miss was coming no matter what). Keep an eye on WKU if the SBC ever needs another school.

I think we would have jumped at the opportunity during the last wave. Now that the SBC is already at 14, I don't know how to feel about being 15/16. That is a lot of teams to split a single NCAA tournament bid with. I am guessing we would still bite, but it wouldn't have the same appeal as being number 12. I am sure there will be more shakeup in the near future once all the power conference fallout finishes. No real need to do anything other than collect exit money until then.

(08-18-2022 03:06 PM)TOPSTRAIGHT Wrote:  

(08-18-2022 12:00 PM)topper1296 Wrote:  

(08-18-2022 10:42 AM)BeatWestern! Wrote:  I expect WKU and one other school to join the MAC NLT 2025, the most likely candidates being MTSU, UMass or Missouri State.

This is my guess as well, however it will probably be between UMass or MoSt since MTSU may have burned the MAC bridge. Also, the WKU AD said in an interview that if a move to the MAC made since then, it would also make since in the future.

UNLESS----------- WKU gets an invite from the SBC first (or any other G5 -doubtful). They will take the first offer!


Regarding the OP---- The MAC has no interest in EKU.

The MAC wouldn't be looking to expand before 2024 and as I'm sure you know, WKU and/or MTSU wouldn't be able to leave before then, regardless.

Those schools would have until May 1, 2023 to notify C-USA for an effective departure date of July 1, 2024.

(08-18-2022 12:55 PM)Erictelevision Wrote:  Is ETSU any more viable than EKU?

It seems to me like Johnson City would if anything be even more heavily dominated by the Vols than EKU's home ground is dominated by UK.

I already said MTSU & WKU would be ideal.

UMASS & UCONN as a pair as well. UCONN isn't happening as a full member, so would need to find partner for UMASS, not sure who.

Illinois St & Indiana St (I've been told both are nowhere near ready numerous times, just tossing them out)

Grand Valley St is everything you'd want (other than being another Michigan school) but they're too stubborn & live in their bubble

Wanted James Madison but that ship sailed

(08-18-2022 12:40 PM)PeteTheChop Wrote:  

(08-18-2022 12:23 PM)Bronco14 Wrote:  

(08-18-2022 09:05 AM)PeteTheChop Wrote:  EKU would just be filler for any Division I-A conference.

Is that necessarily a bad thing? 'Make the conference more competitive' is the way the fans look at it, but is that what the powers that be want, & is that always the best way to look at it? You already get a pretty good team in WKU. If you're looking to expand the footprint, EKU brings that side of the state in & gets that side of the state talking about WKU, EKU, & MAC sports. They'd be a good partner for WKU so WKU isn't isolated.

EKU is less than 30 miles from Lexington — very few people in that area are gonna talk about anything other than UK when it comes to college sports.

Again, it's like EMU being engulfed by the presence of Michigan 8 miles away as opposed to CMU and your Broncos being able to carve out a decent-sized niche of their own to a certain extent.

The Hilltoppers benefit from a similar favorable geography in that Bowling Green has twice as many residents as Richmond (KY) and is more than 100 miles from both Louisville and Lexington.

That gives WKU a chance to be the "only game in town" to a degree

So? Eastern's in anyways. & they have Detroit & Ann Arbor, large metro areas, but doesn't matter.

(08-18-2022 06:31 PM)BruceMcF Wrote:  

(08-18-2022 12:55 PM)Erictelevision Wrote:  Is ETSU any more viable than EKU?

It seems to me like Johnson City would if anything be even more heavily dominated by the Vols than EKU's home ground is dominated by UK.

You're going to have P5 dominance anywhere in this footprint.

(08-18-2022 07:16 PM)Bronco14 Wrote:  UMASS & UCONN as a pair as well. UCONN isn't happening as a full member, so would need to find partner for UMASS, not sure who.

I may be missing something, but are you saying you'd want to share a conference with UMass?

(08-18-2022 09:05 AM)PeteTheChop Wrote:  

(08-18-2022 08:54 AM)andybible1995 Wrote:  If doubling down in the state of Kentucky would be bad for the MAC, then how to you explain the six Ohio schools and the three Michigan schools in the conference?

2022 estimated population:

Ohio: 11.7M

Michigan: 9.9M

Kentucky: 4.5M

In terms of interest, the MAC adding Eastern Kentucky would be like bringing in a Southern, more remote version of Eastern Michigan: a school in the shadow of the state's flagship institution with no real chance to grow into anything better.

EKU would just be filler for any Division I-A conference.

This is why I'm SO glad that, in 2016 (or 15, whenever the aannouncement was mademade, Coastal Carolina got the nod over EKU in the Sun Belt.

EDIT: 3,000th Post! What's my prize?

(08-18-2022 08:54 PM)Michael in Raleigh Wrote:  

(08-18-2022 09:05 AM)PeteTheChop Wrote:  

(08-18-2022 08:54 AM)andybible1995 Wrote:  If doubling down in the state of Kentucky would be bad for the MAC, then how to you explain the six Ohio schools and the three Michigan schools in the conference?

2022 estimated population:

Ohio: 11.7M

Michigan: 9.9M

Kentucky: 4.5M

In terms of interest, the MAC adding Eastern Kentucky would be like bringing in a Southern, more remote version of Eastern Michigan: a school in the shadow of the state's flagship institution with no real chance to grow into anything better.

EKU would just be filler for any Division I-A conference.

This is why I'm SO glad that, in 2016 (or 15, whenever the aannouncement was mademade, Coastal Carolina got the nod over EKU in the Sun Belt.

EDIT: 3,000th Post! What's my prize?

A cookie! You have to pay for it though.

I HATE what has happened to Western. I truly hope they land either in the MAC or in the SBC. I would HAPPILY welcome them back! We had a great rivalry with them and I think a healthy respect for each other's athletic programs and schools.

The problem is that it would mean having to find a 16th team. My choice would be LaTech but that ain't happening because of the old guard of the SBC. I wasn't around for the fireworks, so I will recuse myself (as if I have a say LMAO).

The next round of expansion is coming and I think the SBC is continuing to position itself by remaining in constant talks with ESPN and see what happens with the AAC and maybe send feelers out to ECU and UAB.

(08-18-2022 11:18 PM)THUNDERStruck73 Wrote:  I HATE what has happened to Western. I truly hope they land either in the MAC or in the SBC. I would HAPPILY welcome them back! We had a great rivalry with them and I think a healthy respect for each other's athletic programs and schools.

The problem is that it would mean having to find a 16th team. My choice would be LaTech but that ain't happening because of the old guard of the SBC. I wasn't around for the fireworks, so I will recuse myself (as if I have a say LMAO).

The next round of expansion is coming and I think the SBC is continuing to position itself by remaining in constant talks with ESPN and see what happens with the AAC and maybe send feelers out to ECU and UAB.

I wouldn't be surprised if ECU and UAB joined the SBC in a few years, especially if Memphis and USF/SMU are picked up by the Big 12.

(08-18-2022 07:16 PM)Bronco14 Wrote:  I already said MTSU & WKU would be ideal.

UMASS & UCONN as a pair as well. UCONN isn't happening as a full member, so would need to find partner for UMASS, not sure who.

Illinois St & Indiana St (I've been told both are nowhere near ready numerous times, just tossing them out)

Grand Valley St is everything you'd want (other than being another Michigan school) but they're too stubborn & live in their bubble

Wanted James Madison but that ship sailed

(08-18-2022 12:40 PM)PeteTheChop Wrote:  

(08-18-2022 12:23 PM)Bronco14 Wrote:  

(08-18-2022 09:05 AM)PeteTheChop Wrote:  EKU would just be filler for any Division I-A conference.

Is that necessarily a bad thing? 'Make the conference more competitive' is the way the fans look at it, but is that what the powers that be want, & is that always the best way to look at it? You already get a pretty good team in WKU. If you're looking to expand the footprint, EKU brings that side of the state in & gets that side of the state talking about WKU, EKU, & MAC sports. They'd be a good partner for WKU so WKU isn't isolated.

EKU is less than 30 miles from Lexington — very few people in that area are gonna talk about anything other than UK when it comes to college sports.

Again, it's like EMU being engulfed by the presence of Michigan 8 miles away as opposed to CMU and your Broncos being able to carve out a decent-sized niche of their own to a certain extent.

The Hilltoppers benefit from a similar favorable geography in that Bowling Green has twice as many residents as Richmond (KY) and is more than 100 miles from both Louisville and Lexington.

That gives WKU a chance to be the "only game in town" to a degree

So? Eastern's in anyways. & they have Detroit & Ann Arbor, large metro areas, but doesn't matter.

(08-18-2022 06:31 PM)BruceMcF Wrote:  

(08-18-2022 12:55 PM)Erictelevision Wrote:  Is ETSU any more viable than EKU?

It seems to me like Johnson City would if anything be even more heavily dominated by the Vols than EKU's home ground is dominated by UK.

You're going to have P5 dominance anywhere in this footprint.

Chattanooga would have the same problem if they jumped to the FBS, and they would be more likely to move up than ETSU. They thought about moving up about a decade ago, but they passed on the opportunity.

(08-18-2022 07:16 PM)Bronco14 Wrote:  

(08-18-2022 06:31 PM)BruceMcF Wrote:  

(08-18-2022 12:55 PM)Erictelevision Wrote:  Is ETSU any more viable than EKU?

It seems to me like Johnson City would if anything be even more heavily dominated by the Vols than EKU's home ground is dominated by UK.

You're going to have P5 dominance anywhere in this footprint.

It's a matter of degree. Ohio State is the "dominant" college football team in both central Ohio and Northeast Ohio, but the market dominance in the Columbus metro area is substantially more than in the greater Cleveland area. There is much more space for Kent State or Akron to be heard above the din where they are located than if they were located in Central Ohio.

Tennessee is a state of "three parts", Eastern, Central and Western, and the Vols are substantially more dominant in East Tennessee than in the other two parts of the state.

Nashville is both an interesting media market in its own right, but also my impression Vandy doesn't dominate the metro area media the same way the Vols dominate in East Tennessee, where I was recently living.

(08-20-2022 08:36 AM)BruceMcF Wrote:  

(08-18-2022 07:16 PM)Bronco14 Wrote:  

(08-18-2022 06:31 PM)BruceMcF Wrote:  

(08-18-2022 12:55 PM)Erictelevision Wrote:  Is ETSU any more viable than EKU?

It seems to me like Johnson City would if anything be even more heavily dominated by the Vols than EKU's home ground is dominated by UK.

You're going to have P5 dominance anywhere in this footprint.

It's a matter of degree. Ohio State is the "dominant" college football team in both central Ohio and Northeast Ohio, but the market dominance in the Columbus metro area is substantially more than in the greater Cleveland area. There is much more space for Kent State or Akron to be heard above the din where they are located than if they were located in Central Ohio.

Tennessee is a state of "three parts", Eastern, Central and Western, and the Vols are substantially more dominant in East Tennessee than in the other two parts of the state.

Nashville is both an interesting media market in its own right, but also my impression Vandy doesn't dominate the metro area media the same way the Vols dominate in East Tennessee, where I was recently living.

You make some good points about Tennessee, with socio-political factors at play with each of our state's three grand divisions. East Tennessee, which is very white and conservative, is extremely pro-Vols. Memphis/Shelby County offers a massive black population and tends to be more Memphis Tigers/NFL/NBA. Whites in West Tennessee (outside of Memphis) are strongly Vol fans, while blacks in that part of the state are likely split (UT and UM).

UT has lots of fans living in Middle Tennessee (including black fans). But Nashville is an oddity. There used to be lots of Vol fans here (I live in Nashville) but their percentage of the overall college sports fan population has dropped significantly, particularly since about 2000.

Vanderbilt fans are small in number. And this VU fan of 50-plus years knows it well.

Middle Tennessee State offers a decent fan base in the overall Nashville area. But lots of Blue Raider fans/students also cheer for the Vols.

(08-20-2022 09:39 AM)bill dazzle Wrote:  

(08-20-2022 08:36 AM)BruceMcF Wrote:  

(08-18-2022 07:16 PM)Bronco14 Wrote:  

(08-18-2022 06:31 PM)BruceMcF Wrote:  

(08-18-2022 12:55 PM)Erictelevision Wrote:  Is ETSU any more viable than EKU?

It seems to me like Johnson City would if anything be even more heavily dominated by the Vols than EKU's home ground is dominated by UK.

You're going to have P5 dominance anywhere in this footprint.

It's a matter of degree. Ohio State is the "dominant" college football team in both central Ohio and Northeast Ohio, but the market dominance in the Columbus metro area is substantially more than in the greater Cleveland area. There is much more space for Kent State or Akron to be heard above the din where they are located than if they were located in Central Ohio.

Tennessee is a state of "three parts", Eastern, Central and Western, and the Vols are substantially more dominant in East Tennessee than in the other two parts of the state.

Nashville is both an interesting media market in its own right, but also my impression Vandy doesn't dominate the metro area media the same way the Vols dominate in East Tennessee, where I was recently living.

You make some good points about Tennessee, with socio-political factors at play with each of our state's three grand divisions. East Tennessee, which is very white and conservative, is extremely pro-Vols. Memphis/Shelby County offers a massive black population and tends to be more Memphis Tigers/NFL/NBA. Whites in West Tennessee (outside of Memphis) are strongly Vol fans, while blacks in that part of the state are likely split (UT and UM).

UT has lots of fans living in Middle Tennessee (including black fans). But Nashville is an oddity. There used to be lots of Vol fans here (I live in Nashville) but their percentage of the overall college sports fan population has dropped significantly, particularly since about 2000.

Vanderbilt fans are small in number. And this VU fan of 50-plus years knows it well.

Middle Tennessee State offers a decent fan base in the overall Nashville area. But lots of Blue Raider fans/students also cheer for the Vols.

Much like other major fast growing metros, hundreds of thousands, if not millions of the residents are transplants and bring their allegiances with them. Nashville, Atlanta, etc aren't as predominantly UTenn or UGa fans as they once were.

In most states, regardless of ethnicity, most rural residents (especially if they didn't attend college) tend to be fans of the state big name school.

I don't see UAB moving back to the SBC.

I could live with UMASS as a full member but definitely not as football-only. And I wouldn't want to change the rule to allow non-FB. That hybrid crap is for FCS. Hawaii and Navy are special cases.

So in reading this thread, it's clear that everyone seems to agree that WKU should get a MAC invite.

But instead of adding 2 for 14, let's consider 4 for 16.

Would MTSU be more inclined to join if Missouri state was added as well?

And if so, who should the 4th be?

Some said Illinois state, others said they aren't ready.

What do you all think?

(08-18-2022 07:43 AM)andybible1995 Wrote:  It's widely known at this point that WKU is wanting out of the C-USA, and is wanting to go to the more geographically sane, and over more stabilized MAC. However, in order to do that, they need a travel partner to bring the MAC up to an even number. Their ideal partner, and long time rival, MTSU, had a chance to move with them last November when the C-USA was collapsing, but they decided to stay in the C-USA, which irked a lot of the WKU fan base. As an MTSU alum, this isn't the first time MTSU has made the wrong decision. It seemed ideal at the time, but they're hoping for and holding out for a spot in the AAC should Memphis be added to the Big 12, which may or may not happen.

With all that in mind, would WKU allow themselves to swallow their pride and let their forgotten rival EKU join the C-USA for a few years, before jumping ship to the MAC when the next media deal for the MAC is up for renegotiation?

Would EKU be a better pairing to join the MAC than MTSU? I don't think so. If the MAC is the end goal, I don't think WKU will find a better partner than MTSU.

That being said, EKU should absolutely be in CUSA. They have ambition, are willing to invest, and they draw decent crowds. Any teams that can flesh out rivalries in the conference and build an identity after CUSA just got gutted by realignment should be welcome, IMO.

(08-20-2022 10:40 AM)Skyhawk Wrote:  So in reading this thread, it's clear that everyone seems to agree that WKU should get a MAC invite.

But instead of adding 2 for 14, let's consider 4 for 16.

Would MTSU be more inclined to join if Missouri state was added as well?

And if so, who should the 4th be?

Some said Illinois state, others said they aren't ready.

What do you all think?

Missouri State would add to the geographic makeup of the conference, and would be fairly competitive. Illinois State would not since there is already a presence in that state with NIU. The only other option then would be North Dakota State, but I doubt they would want to play in the MAC. They seem comfortable where they are at in the MVFC and being an FCS national championship contender every year.

(08-20-2022 10:25 AM)AssKickingChicken Wrote:  I don't see UAB moving back to the SBC.

I could live with UMASS as a full member but definitely not as football-only. And I wouldn't want to change the rule to allow non-FB. That hybrid crap is for FCS. Hawaii and Navy are special cases.

Army as well

(08-20-2022 11:36 AM)Mister Consistency Wrote:  

(08-18-2022 07:43 AM)andybible1995 Wrote:  It's widely known at this point that WKU is wanting out of the C-USA, and is wanting to go to the more geographically sane, and over more stabilized MAC. However, in order to do that, they need a travel partner to bring the MAC up to an even number. Their ideal partner, and long time rival, MTSU, had a chance to move with them last November when the C-USA was collapsing, but they decided to stay in the C-USA, which irked a lot of the WKU fan base. As an MTSU alum, this isn't the first time MTSU has made the wrong decision. It seemed ideal at the time, but they're hoping for and holding out for a spot in the AAC should Memphis be added to the Big 12, which may or may not happen.

With all that in mind, would WKU allow themselves to swallow their pride and let their forgotten rival EKU join the C-USA for a few years, before jumping ship to the MAC when the next media deal for the MAC is up for renegotiation?

Would EKU be a better pairing to join the MAC than MTSU? I don't think so. If the MAC is the end goal, I don't think WKU will find a better partner than MTSU.

That being said, EKU should absolutely be in CUSA. They have ambition, are willing to invest, and they draw decent crowds. Any teams that can flesh out rivalries in the conference and build an identity after CUSA just got gutted by realignment should be welcome, IMO.

I wouldn't be surprised if the C-USA reached out to EKU this season about joining the conference.