CSNbbs

<a href='http://mac-sports.ocsn.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/100103aaa.html' target='_blank'>MAC extends invitation of full membership to UCF</a>

(Offered for competition beginning in 2004-05 academic year)

This tells me Marshall isnt going CUSA and that neither is UCF. You dont extend this invite without knowing it will be accepted. Short of a BE invite, Marshall and UCF are in the MAC and I think CUSA was just killed. The WAC will give them the death blow, but the MAC mortally wounded them and their expansion plans.

herdfannindy Wrote:This tells me Marshall isnt going CUSA and that neither is UCF. You dont extend this invite without knowing it will be accepted. Short of a BE invite, Marshall and UCF are in the MAC and I think CUSA was just killed. The WAC will give them the death blow, but the MAC mortally wounded them and their expansion plans.

I hope you are right.

It does appear to send the message that Central Florida isn't going to Conference USA.

I can't wait to hear the reaction out of West Virginia.

Once C-USA folds, the reaction out of West Virginia should be, "Whew, good thing we didn't join that conference a few years ago!"

Dodo Wrote:Once C-USA folds, the reaction out of West Virginia should be, "Whew, good thing we didn't join that conference a few years ago!"

I don't get it... Wasn't that a done deal?

Just remember, last week I said that UCF has accepted an invitation to join the MAC in all sports. :D

Dodo Wrote:Once C-USA folds, the reaction out of West Virginia should be, "Whew, good thing we didn't join that conference a few years ago!"

That's the reaction you get from me.

It's also the same reaction you will get from UCF fans about the Big East after it folds.

What should be the next move for the MAC?

I think we should try and offer East Carolina and USF next. CUSA will survive, but in a Southwestern format.

UCF is a great baseball school. Can we say the MAC will be at least a 2 bid baseball conference?

John52168 Wrote:Just remember, last week I said that UCF has accepted an invitation to join the MAC in all sports. :D

You da man John!

USF would be good for travel--you could make a Florida swing in most sports and help out with that end. But I don't think they would come and I don't know if they are much of a fit except for football anyway.
Then this raises the spector of dropping a team for this to happen and I'm not even going to start that up again.

I am sure the MAC has assurances from UCF and Marshall that they will not entertain CUSA offers, but could not get the same assurances concerning BE offers. I would bet my next paycheck that CUSA not only doesnt offer Marshall or UCF, but that they lose teams to the WAC. CUSA will die as a result of this MAC coup. Had Marshall and UCF gone to CUSA the MAC would have survived, CUSA could have held off the WAC place for Houston, Tulane, and TCU. What will happen now is that USF will take a BE football only offer and move every other sport to the A-Sun to take UCF's place, UL, UC, DePaul, Marquette, and Memphis will join the BE to replace departing Miami, BC, and VT. Southern Miss will be invited to the Sun Belt, UAB will die as a football team or go to the Sun Belt. Tulane, TCU and Houston go to the WAC. ECU is in a very very bad position. I think they may end up with a SunBelt invite or possibly off to the land of the Indy's. End result, CUSA is now dead.

:rolleyes: Yes! That means there are some bowl bids up for grabs!

<a href='http://www.indystar.com/print/articles/6/079544-5656-094.html' target='_blank'>Is this were the BE condition comes from?</a>

axeme Wrote:USF would be good for travel--you could make a Florida swing in most sports and help out with that end. But I don't think they would come and I don't know if they are much of a fit except for football anyway.

USF has always had a good basketball program. They've always been know as a hoop school.

USF might join the MAC because their members are in the Eastern Timezone just like the rest of the MAC (except for NIU). Playing all those Central Timezone schools might be a bit tough on the athletes.

ECU might perk up for the same reason. When you have Marshall, UCF, and USF in a divsion that would have to be more appealing than UAB, USM, and Tulane. ECU does have a rivalry with USM and might want to continue it though.

rocketfootball Wrote:

John52168 Wrote:Just remember, last week I said that UCF has accepted an invitation to join the MAC in all sports.&nbsp; :D

You da man John!

UCF hasn't accepted the invitation yet.

I wouldn't assume UCF is a lock for the MAC just because the MAC made this conditional invite public. In most cases, yes, a conference won't extend an invite publically unless it's a sure thing the invitee will accept. But this situation is different. The MAC knows there are dominos yet to fall.

"We greatly respect the process that President Hitt and the University of Central Florida must engage in related to future conference membership decisions as the events of this fall develop, and very much appreciate the full consideration that we know will be given our invitation."

That said, I'm very greatful for the invite.

Essency Wrote:That said, I'm very greatful for the invite.

A round for the Knight fan.

I'm interested in this renegade rowing team. Are they for us or against us?

MacLord Wrote:I'm interested in this renegade rowing team. Are they for us or against us?

For the sake of this board a little update/reading between the lines.

After comments made in a Sentinel article and comments made on the radio by our AD Orsini, it appears that C-USA is getting ready to make a bid. However, the speculation says that unless C-USA drops the entry fee, it would be financially prohibitive for UCF to leave the MAC. Orsini made a comment to the effect of "I look forward to what they (C-USA) propose". Here is my translation, "I look forward to seeing them kiss our a$$". UCF got what they needed, leverage. C-USA can hold nothing over our head.

In my mind, the BE holds all of the cards, unfortunately, they are becoming less and less attractive every day. If it weren't for the BCS name, this would be a terrible decision as the rest of UCF teams would stay in the hideous A-SU(ck)N.

This is all stressing me out. I just wantto know where we will be next year. I don't care what the answer is anymore but I hope its the MAC.