There are right now talks between the MWC and the Las Vegas bowl to move its champ to the LV bowl for future years. I've heard rumors that the MAC champ would then take the spot of the MW champ in the Liberty Bowl.
I saw you guys are lookin for a third bowl....could this be it? I was wonderin what you guys had heard, this would be a nice upgrade to the MAC.
I think the MWC wants their champ to play out West so MWC to 'Vegas makes sense.
That Liberty Bowl is a very desirable bowl - it'd think a number of conferences would be in the hunt.
I don't know if someone like ACC has designs on it.
Pulling the MAC champ out of the MCB would be a kick in the teeth of that bowl which is trying to upgrade its Big Ten opponent from #7 to say #5.
The Liberty Bowl is by far the best bowl game to feature a team outside the BCS. It's a great bowl. Obviously, we'd all love to be part of that fine tradition.
But the Motor City Bowl is probably next on the list of great non-BCS bowl games.
The Motor City has drawn 50,000-plus in each the last two years. In fact, over eight years, only one game has drawn less than 40,000.
And EMU Steve is right. There appears to be a very good chance that the Motor City Bowl may be able to move up to sixth or fifth in the Big Ten's pecking order. We could be looking at occasional -- perhaps even routine -- sellouts thereafter.
All this presents a bird-in-the-hand, birds-in-a-bush question.
We've got a great thing going at Ford Field. I, for one, do not want to mess it up.
I also tend to think the opportunity to whip a Big Ten team in the heart of our region does more to improve our league, long term, than would the opportunity to play the Conference USA champion.
Yes, the Conference USA champion, more often than not, might be better than Big Ten's fifth best team. But that nuance is lost around here.
So, I don't foresee the MAC and Conference USA champions meeting in Memphis.
I'm with you 100% here, Schadenfreude. While a visit to another bowl game some day would be great, so long as the MAC is sending it's champ to the MCB, that's where I want to be. Certainly I'd like to see the MCB crank up the payout so teams don't LOSE money to play there, and the halftime entertainment could be much better, but they're getting there. Baby steps, I guess...
I can't see the Big Ten wanting to play the 2nd place team from the MAC in the MCB, but maybe I am wrong. It would be nice to see the MAC playing this lineup:
Liberty Bowl
MAC #1 vs C-USA #1
MCB
MAC #2 vs Big Ten #6 or #7 (of course I wish it were higher than that)
GMAC
MAC #3 vs C-USA #3
And in 2006:
Toronto Bowl
MAC #3 vs Big East #4 or #5 (GMAC would switch to MAC #4 then)
OK I can dream, right?
rocketfootball Wrote:I can't see the Big Ten wanting to play the 2nd place team from the MAC in the MCB, but maybe I am wrong. It would be nice to see the MAC playing this lineup:
Liberty Bowl
MAC #1 vs C-USA #1
MCB
MAC #2 vs Big Ten #6 or #7 (of course I wish it were higher than that)
GMAC
MAC #3 vs C-USA #3
And in 2006:
Toronto Bowl
MAC #3 vs Big East #4 or #5 (GMAC would switch to MAC #4 then)
OK I can dream, right?
We all hope that comes out to reality.
I'd rather see:
MCB:MAC vs. Big Ten
Toronto:MAC vs Big East
Liberty Bowl:MAC vs CUSA
Let the MAC Champ meet the highest ranked opponent in whichever bowl they're tied to.MACC runner-up meets the next highest ranked opponent. #3 MAC in the last bowl.
I think its probably a load of bull but I've heard that the Liberty wants to cut a mini-BCS deal to take the best available non-BCS champion or just go to at-large. Going at-large might work just as well. The WAC bowls let Boise out of their contract even though they were short teams.
Look for the Toronto bowl to get certification this April - if not look for the Liberty bowl to get full blast MAC marketting pitch.
All I know is I am glad we can finally talk with this much optimism about another MAC Bowl tie. A few years ago we just wanted to see a 2nd bowl game and now we're talking a 3rd after a 5 bowl season. This is great!
Schadenfreude Wrote:The Liberty Bowl is by far the best bowl game to feature a team outside the BCS. It's a great bowl. Obviously, we'd all love to be part of that fine tradition.
But the Motor City Bowl is probably next on the list of great non-BCS bowl games.
I think that, of late, the GMAC has been a better game than the MCB has, but that's probably due to the competition. C-USA #1/2 is bigger than Big 10 #7 or Big East also-ran, even though the Rockets had some trouble with the Big East team this year. :mad:
Had such a great time in Mobile, I hate to think the MAC might opt out of that experience, though I look forward to a chance to visit our new "friends" in Memphis!
Motor City Bowl director, Ken Hoffman, is quoted as saying that he would like to move the b-10 slot from 7th to 5th, the current holder of the 5th place b-10 spot, the Sun Bowl is said to be looking to partner with the b-12 when their agreement with the b-10 ends. The Motor City bowl,which pays $750,000, agreement ends after the 2005 game. $1.5 million is the number that the Sun Bowl has been paying, but it will probably take more than that for the Motor City Bowl to move up to 5th.
That is the plan. The MCB, with the backing of the big three automakers, is going to move into that No. 5 Big Ten slot ahead of the Music City Bowl. This would most certainly guarantee a Big Ten opponent for the MAC in the MCB.
BeatWestern Wrote:That is the plan. The MCB, with the backing of the big three automakers, is going to move into that No. 5 Big Ten slot ahead of the Music City Bowl. This would most certainly guarantee a Big Ten opponent for the MAC in the MCB.
Sounds like the MAC champ against Wisconsin,Purdue, or Northwestern in the MCB in 2005
rteynor Wrote:Schadenfreude Wrote:The Liberty Bowl is by far the best bowl game to feature a team outside the BCS. It's a great bowl. Obviously, we'd all love to be part of that fine tradition.
But the Motor City Bowl is probably next on the list of great non-BCS bowl games.
I think that, of late, the GMAC has been a better game than the MCB has, but that's probably due to the competition. C-USA #1/2 is bigger than Big 10 #7 or Big East also-ran, even though the Rockets had some trouble with the Big East team this year. :mad:
I had a lot more fun in Mobile than I did in Detroit the year before.
Mobile is a fantastic trip. The whole town really seems to roll out the welcome mat. I really hope I get a chance to go back. It's a good bowl, a real gem.
All that said -- the Motor City Bowl is a stronger bowl. It draws bigger crowds to a better stadium. It's more secure.
If the Motor City can move up two spots in the Big Ten pecking order, these game will start selling out and I would expect the guarantee to increase well above the minimum.