Several "informed" fans have been mentioning the MAC lately as a possible move for Western Kentucky University. Was curious if anyone in MAC land has heard anything mentioned?
FYI- Western KY currently is in the Sun Belt confernece for everything but football. WKU currently is in the Gateway conference, 1-AA football and won the 1-AA National Championship last year. WKU is seriously considering the move to 1A, but would like to do so in more fitting conference than the Sun Belt.
are there really any good geographic fits for WKU in 1A? The SBC would be as good as any I would think, except I guess MTSU is the closest conference member and there are those far flung other members aren't there?
I don't know if the MAC is a great fit, WKU is a good ways from pretty much all of the members. But I guess we lose a bit on the geographic question when the Mid American includes Central Florida and Buffalo.
And how do you work a 15 member league is also tough to figure, remembering how the WAC 16 imploded from its size essentially (unless any of the 1,000+ scenarios of altered league membership happen)
DogTracks Wrote:are there really any good geographic fits for WKU in 1A? The SBC would be as good as any I would think, except I guess MTSU is the closest conference member and there are those far flung other members aren't there?
I don't know if the MAC is a great fit, WKU is a good ways from pretty much all of the members. But I guess we lose a bit on the geographic question when the Mid American includes Central Florida and Buffalo.
And how do you work a 15 member league is also tough to figure, remembering how the WAC 16 imploded from its size essentially (unless any of the 1,000+ scenarios of altered league membership happen)
Not sure about the legistics of it all... unless maybe MAC is expecting to lose a member? This is the first I've heard about the MAC and WKU, but from the people I am hearing it from, I have to halfway take it serious. I dunno... was hoping you guys had heard something.
I haven't heard anything like that WKU TJ.
Geographically, I don't think WKU would be a bad fit. They wouldn't be too far from NIU and MUg. Plus, they would be closer to UCF than any of the other school's.
I don't think WKU is bad geographic fit either. UK competes in the MAC in men's soccer and Louisville does in field hockey. I don't see UCF staying around long, so they might be a good fit to even out the divisions. I don't know much about WKU's football program, but I'd love to see the Hilltoppers and Flashes battle it out on the hardwood every year.
FunkmasterFlash Wrote:I don't know much about WKU's football program, but I'd love to see the Hilltoppers and Flashes battle it out on the hardwood every year.
That would definately draw the crowds and would be a nice fit for ESPN.
Kind of ironic, but the Hilltoppers are located in Bowling Green, Kentucky. :)
Herd Fan 4-Life Wrote:FunkmasterFlash Wrote:I don't know much about WKU's football program, but I'd love to see the Hilltoppers and Flashes battle it out on the hardwood every year.
That would definately draw the crowds and would be a nice fit for ESPN.
Kind of ironic, but the Hilltoppers are located in Bowling Green, Kentucky. :)
Yeah nothing like a match up with Bowling Green vs Western Kentucky @ Bowling Green, KY. I hope our fans don't think it's the local high school!! lol
I think WKU would fit in geographically.. definitely more so than we do with the Sun Belt. The Sun Belt stretches from Miami, FL to Moscow, Idaho!! When Idaho and Utah St become full members, can you imagine our travel?? THREE TIME ZONES.
Most WKU fans want to get out. And most WKU fans want 1A football. MAC might be the ticket, who knows.
DogTracks Wrote:I don't know if the MAC is a great fit, WKU is a good ways from pretty much all of the members. But I guess we lose a bit on the geographic question when the Mid American includes Central Florida and Buffalo.
Huh? Last I checked, Kentucky is adjacent to Ohio which contains about half of MAC schools, much closer than most Sun Belt schools. Would you like to re-think this?
Oh great... another lousy team to join the MAC... they need to send buffalo packing... since Buffalo has joined the MAC in the past 5 years, they have won 20 games if you add both football and basketball together... :mad: I remember when Akron joined the MAC... what a pathetic bunch of losers they turned out to be... :rofl: (just kidding zippy) Anyway, da heck with the rest of the MAC.. there is only one real team anyway... GO ROCKETS!!!
No reason to bust on WKU. They've got a very good athletic program.
They were outstanding in football and basketball last year, and they won the All-Sports trophy for the Sun Belt.
Pros for WKU: GREAT Basketball school
Cons: Can football step up to I-A Competitive nature?
The biggest additions to the MAC had three or for criteria...
1) TV - (UCF, Buffalo, Northern all added new tv markets)
2) Fan Base or potential for Fan Base
3) Be competitive (Kent and Akron have defied this critieria)
So it comes down to this... what does WKU bring in the form of fan support, facilities, and TV
picking up div 2a schools into the MAC may have advantages, but it also has disadvantages... having buffalo in our conf. basically drags us down... We are not going to be a serious contender as long as we add schools that will be between 80 - 117... also, if the NCAA ever changes the rules for schools to be in div 1a the majority of the MAC schools will be going down to div 2a I think bringing in UCF was a good move... Marshall can go play some place else in my opinion as an avid Rockets fan, but as a biz decision... that also was a good move... WKU will be another buffalo... they may have a good program, just like buffalo did in 2a but, playing with the big boys is something different...
Thanks Dodo... and actually WKU has won the all-sports trophy for the last two years.
WKU brings great facilities. Diddle Arena, the basketball arena, is just finishing up a 32 million dollar renovation, to make it one of the nicest on-campus arenas in the nation, complete with two aux. gyms, state of the art locker rooms, 16 luxury suites, brand new floor and chairback seats throughout the arena. It is really nice.
WKU's football stadium just got new turph added and the University is also in the planning stages of building and academic/athletic training facility.
Obviously, we are not 1A now, so that is a concern, how will we step up. But we have been very competitive in 1AA, toping off with the National Championship last season. The committment would be there from the fans and the administration, for sure.
TV market, I won't pretend to say we live in a large market, but then I'd say many of the MAC schools don't. Bowling Green, KY is 1.5 hours south of Louisville and 1 hour north of Nashville, and does get coverage from both those markets.
Fans... WKU does have the largest traveling fan base of the Sun Belt. We travel well for basketball. Football we haven't had much reason to travel. I won't deny that Western is a basketball school, in the middle of the basketball state of Kentucky. Football is second, and will always be second.
Western does bring a great Women's Basketball program as well... with three Final Four trips. Our women's program has a very strong fan base.
I think finally Western does bring some much needed tradition to the MAC basketball. WKU is one of the top 10-15 winningest programs ever, EVER. We have the legend of Ed Diddle, a top ten winningest coach ever. We have had a lot of success including a trip to the final four and sweet 16.
[quote="ZippyRulz"] [quote="DogTracks"]
I don't know if the MAC is a great fit, WKU is a good ways from pretty much all of the members.
I have not heard anything of this either.
WKU's bball (M and W) brings alot to the table no doubt about that. As far as fball, I'm sure they are as good as Buffalo.
Still, it's tough to see a great benefit to the MAC, given the current state.
I'd guess WKU would stay in the SBC if they move up. Not a bad situation. I believe Idaho will leave for the WAC sometime reasonably soon. (The WAC could lose Fresno St or La Tech, or simply give a long overdue invite to Idaho). That would help the SBC, IMO.
To be honest, I'd love to see BG start a series w/ WKU in fball and bball. To give 2-for-1's in fball and resume the bball series would be great. This one would be easy to market. And WKU has to be better than Tenn Tech or Liberty.
Your 2004 Mid-American Conference
Directional division:
Western Kentucky
Western Michigan
Eastern Michigan
Central Michigan
Central Florida
Northern Illinois
Non-directional division:
Marshall
Miami
Toledo
Akron
Ohio
Buffalo
Kent State
Ball State
Bowling Green
Uneven divisions. This means sending Buffalo to I-AA and changing Ball State to Eastern Indiana State.
Well, while we are at it.... Maybe the Mac can find some decent high school teams and add them as well... let's face it, they would probably beat buffalo... Eastern Michigan too...
If I had a vote, I would whole-heartedly vote WKU in the MAC. That puts the confererence at an even 14 schools for basketball. Even if UCF stays in football, it still should be manageable.
Think about this. What major sport is the MAC best known, gets the most notoriety, and is most likely to continue to succeed? I believe, hands-down, it's men's basketball. And WKU brings to the table a top-notch program steeped in tradition. Hell, they've even been to the Final Four! Their inclusion would further enhance the sport.
As far as football goes, in my opinion WKU would NOT degrade football. They aren't "building from the ground up" like Buffalo (which I still think is a sleeping giant, especially with Syracuse perhaps losing prestiege in a decimated Big East).
Personally, Illinois State or Indiana State would be the BEST fit, but neither one seems to have any aspirations to go D-1A in football. I can see why the Sycamores are staying put, with their state already with four major level teams. But the Redbirds' stance perplexes me, as there are only three D-1A programs in one of the most populous states in the nation. But I digress.
I say the MAC should go heavy after WKU, before "Con" USA woos them.
Assuming we need to replace a football school, I'd love to see WKU in the MAC for all-sports. That's a great basketball program, it makes some geographical sense and it improves our television footprint.
Realistically, I don't think the MAC could make a move until the 2006 season, when we have a much better sense of whether we'll have 14 football schools. But if WKU is eyeing a move to I-A, it's timetable is probably at least as long as that.
I'm surprised WKU would look beyond the Sun Belt.
Chris from WV Wrote:Uneven divisions. This means sending Buffalo to I-AA and changing Ball State to Eastern Indiana State.
Or we could just change Marshall to Western West Virginia University :rolleyes: