CSNbbs

I think that for some conferences, including the MAC, "the more bowls the better" is a bad proposition. Let's look at C-USA. Their fans brag about having 5 bowls while the MAC only has 2 and this shows how C-USA is stronger. I don't buy it.

Two of C-USA's bowls, the New Orleans Bowl and the Hawaii Bowl, are scarcely beneficial. Last year, C-USA sent a 6-6 Cincinnati team to the New Orleans Bowl. This bowl "highlights" the Sun Belt Champion and a middle of the pack C-USA team. Very few fans made the trip and the Bearcats were humbled by North Texas State. As for the Hawaii Bowl, few fans are likely to go and more often than not you end up playing Hawaii. Frankly, I don't think C-USA benefits by having contracts for more than 3 bowls, especially with their new membership.

I think the optimum number of bowls for the MAC at this stage is 4--the Motor City, the GMAC, a new bowl (all contracted bowls), and improved access for an at large berth to a BCS bowl. And, it's beginning to look like this might happen. In some years, such as this one, the MAC might have an at large birth in another bowl.

I believe that the MAC can pretty much expect to provide 4 bowl worthy teams that would show the quality of play in the MAC. Also, I think we might provide good fan support for this number of bowls.

So, at this stage, I say go for 4, but that's enough until the MAC shows it's worthy of more. This would allow the MAC to enhance it's reputation as "The conference with it's head on straight".

You know, there is an interesting thing.... what happens if you get a bowl going in Cleveland with an automatic MAC team vs an at large or a big ten/big east team... hmmmm... bet there would be a good showing as well as a benefit to the mid west..

Cold weather, open air bowls=bad idea.

axeme Wrote:Cold weather, open air bowls=bad idea.

There has to be a domed stadium in Cleveland that can be converted to a football field for a bowl game.

Actually, w/ Marshall and UCF leaving, I don't know if the MAC has 4 quality teams every year.

I'd say 3 would be fine, if there was a BCS slot available for exceptional teams.

And, if 6-6 was disallowed, then those years when the MAC is strong, they would have eliminated pretenders from other conferences (ACC, *cough cough*) and opened up slots for deserving teams.

To me the key variable in a successful mid-tier bowl is either: 1) Location that provides great fan support from the participating or at least the host school (e..g MCB); or 2) great local support (e.g. Mobile Bowl).

Usually only 2 or 3 MAC programs has a really good fan following year-to-year (obviously it's the teams that are winning), so to be with a 12 team MAC 3 bowls is probably about as many as we could reasonably support with success. Mobile is a good bowl to stay with despite the lousy timing (midweek before Xmas) since the locals support it.....if S-Miss is in the bowl this year, it'll be a sell-out again. The MCB is a "no brainer" for the MAC, and I would endorse a 3rd bowl that the MAC would be the host for in Indianapolis. The problem for that bowl would be finding a suitable opponent.

1. RF wimp... this is football... let's play in the snow

2. Anyone notice that CFN had 3 of its top ten game picks were MAC games?

DrTorch Wrote:Actually, w/ Marshall and UCF leaving, I don't know if the MAC has 4 quality teams every year.

I'd say 3 would be fine, if there was a BCS slot available for exceptional teams.

And, if 6-6 was disallowed, then those years when the MAC is strong, they would have eliminated pretenders from other conferences (ACC, *cough cough*) and opened up slots for deserving teams.

I tend to agree. Three might be appropriate. We have at least four worthy teams this year, but I'm not sure we can expect this every year.

The issue, really, is that other conferences have too many bowl games.

I am not sure the MAC can support four bowls a year with quality teams. This year is of course the exception. It would be nice if the bowls would pick up a NIU and BG on their own, becasue they have earned it, by playing and beating good BCS competition on the road.

Here is a scenario. UT loses to WMU, beats BG, and loses to Miami. Are they bowl worthy at 8-5 with losses to UNLV, SU, BSU, and WMU. Or are BG and NIU with big OCC wins more worthy?

I am commiting blasphemy, but if UT doesn't win out, I wouldn't be happy getting a bowl over BG and NIU.