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I've already pointed out to them that they butchered the name of our league, our commissioner and the NCAA division in which Florida Atlantic now fields sports. The writer, clearly, is a raw rookie. If he says that quote about Chryst is a "hint," he might be completely full of it.
Also, I thought the whole point of Central Florida affiliating with the MAC was so the Knights didn't have to join the Sun Belt, which didn't impress them.
On the other hand:
1. The Sun Belt *would* represent a step up for Knight basketball without completely overwhelming the program.
2. Everything being equal, an all-sports affiliation would seem to top relationships with two different leagues.
3. In basketball, the Sun Belt offers Florida International, which may be moving its football program up to Division I-A.
4. In football, casual Central Florida fans seem wholly incapable of distinguishing MAC heavyweights (e.g., Toledo), from MAC pretenders (e.g., Buffalo). Further, they seem unmoved at the prospect of hosting any league school except Marshall. That's not a knock on fans here, but this was my clear impression reading some of the media coverage over this past year. In contrast, the Sun Belt can offer a slew of rivalries closer to home.
I wouldn't have even shared this until I stopped to consider that last point. Could Central Florida administrators be thinking that Middle Tennessee and Louisiana-Lafayette would put more butts in seats? It makes some sense.
I still think the Sun Belt will go after Idaho and Troy State. I've never heard Central Florida fans express dissatisfaction with the MAC. But I figured I'd throw this out there.
I read last year that Troy St was set to pay up for SBC membership; imagine my surprise that a journalist got something wrong.
Still I think the SBC and TSU are good for each other (at least in football). Idaho is already a SBC member, it's Utah St that's the independent out west. Utah St would be good for the SBC too, but I'd bet they are football only. (aha, I guess I should have read the article before writing a bunch of musings)
UCF would be a boon for the SBC.
Imagine if the SBC got UCF and the Tangerine bowl to replace the NO bowl.
<!--EDIT|DrTorch|Jan 9 2003, 08:08 AM-->
Quote:imagine my surprise that a journalist got something wrong.
Hey now. I resemble that remark.
(And so do you: Utah State accepted an invitation to the Sun Belt a month or two ago.)
UCF is on a 4 year contract with the MAC where they can only leave for a BCS conference. I am not sure if the Sun Belt will even still be around 3 or 4 years from now.
The Sun Belt seems determined to add enough schools where it can afford to lose a couple to attendance regulations, should it come to that.
I think the Sun Belt will be with us for a while.
RF that explains it, a journalist huh, now all of your views make sense.
I know you're just throwing UCF out there as a possible SBC candidate, but I seriously doubt you have anything to worry about (assuming you'd worry).
MTSU and Louisiana certainly would not draw more than any MAC team. I'd imagine no SBC would draw more, except perhaps UNT because of their recent exposure. We play the Louisiana schools regularly and we get NO draw at all.
Yes, it would be nice to get all our sports into one conference, and the SBC would be a step up in basketball, but I seriously doubt our AD and football coaching staff would be willing to leave the competitveness and stability of MAC Football to get it. We're in no position financially to pay a stiff penalty to the MAC anyway.
Plus, if we wanted a slew of rivalries close to home, we'd stay in the A-Sun. There we have Stetson, FAU, Jacksonville, Jacksonville State, Troy State, Georgia State, etc.... SBC gives us FIU.
I agree that Troy State is the most logical choice for an eastern expansion team for the SBC. I'd hate to have them leave the A-Sun though.
<!--EDIT|Essency|Jan 9 2003, 03:27 PM-->
The article is entitled SBC to add two teams by Mid-January. I think they are already counting UtahSt as a team, so they are adding actually just one more to get to 9. Also look at the new divisional format they are purposing in this article; its a 4-6-4 3 divisional alignment. Thats a total of 14 teams after the expansion for all-sport SBC membership. So the reality is that they are really adding 1 all-sport member.
The Rick Chryst clue has to do with fostering competition between the SBC and MAC. I expect an announcement to include a scheduling agrement between the SBC and MAC to fullfill the 5 home game requirment. Possibly Chryst will line up a MAC slot in the N.O.Bowl against the SBC; we could even give them a MAC champ now that the SBC will have upgraded with Utah St.
The SBC is probably adding TroySt all sports. What if the MAC traded UCF to the Sun Belt for MTSU, a closer geographic rival that could fit in the MAC all sports? I would highly doubt that Chryst would do something like that since MTSU only averaged 11k fans last season. That would be the only way I see UCF going to the SBC at this point via trade. In fact the announcement might include mention of UCF joining the MAC for all-sports now that the Atlantic Sun is dilluted without TroySt.
KC
I also wondered if that Waters quote on Chryst somehow referred to discussions about a bowl game.
MAC No. 3 vs. a Sun Belt makes a lot of sense.
This is how the divisional allignment should look after SBC expansion:
SBC West:
1.Idaho-New Add for allsports.
2.Denver
3.New MexicoSt.
4.North Texas
SBC Central:
1.MTSU
2.ArkansasST
3.Arkansas-Little Rock
4.Western Ky
5.UL-Lafayette
6.UL-Monroe-New Add for all sports
SBC East:
1.Florida Int.
2.New Orleans
3.South Alabama
4.Troy St.-New Add for all sports
I really like the idea of the MAC getting involved with a SunBelt controlled bowl. Since the SBC is automatically entitled to a Bowl Game the N.O. Bowl won't fold. None of the BCS conferences would want to play in it, so it would be likely the MAC could keep it for a long time.
KC
I agree that getting the MAC involved in the New Orleans Bowl would be nice, but I'd say it's a long-shot because even though C-USA kinda shafted the NO Bowl this year (by sending UC), So. Miss and Tulane are still near-by and in a better position to bring fans than any MAC school.
If I were the Sunbelt Commish Waters, I'd be pressuring the New Orleans Bowl to have a more flexible arrangement for an opponent, much like the GMAC did (at least on paper) the last year with the MAC and WAC. They should tell C-USA that they'll consider C-USA first (if they get the "right" team), but should insist on an option to go to a second alternative (the MAC #3 perhaps?) if they are unsatisfied.
It may have been KC that correctly stated that the NO Bowl will likely survive (since the Sunbelt needs it), even though it's arguably the bowl with the weakest attendance in the country. Remember, the bowl rules are changing, (to a requirement of a 25K average or 70% of capacity over 3 years), and the Superdome's size makes it vital that the NO Bowl gets it average attendance up to 25K. (they sold 19K tix this year and had 14K "in the house" according to the Cincy Enquirer). I think that'll be difficult 'cause the good folks of NO don't seem to be supporting this bowl like the locals do in Detroit for the MCB and Mobile for the GMAC. I do recall seeing a post from the ESPN Regional guy (The Herd grad DShoe) that the NO Bowl was still in good financial shape, or something to that effect.
UCF already plays FIU in baseball anyway. The A-Sun/MAC thing will work for now.
RochesterFalcon Wrote:I also wondered if that Waters quote on Chryst somehow referred to discussions about a bowl game.
MAC No. 3 vs. a Sun Belt makes a lot of sense.
I agree only I'd consider that Troy St is pretty close to Mobile...The NO Bowl most certainly can fold regardless of the SBC's "right" to a bowl game. I'm not sure the MAC is going to get alot out of this except:
better committment from the GMAC
a better opponent in the GMAC and
better ability to meet the 5 home game requirements
Frankly the SBC is doing ok for the time being. If CUSA ever splits due to the bball vs fball factions, the SBC could easily pick up S Miss and ECU.
Talk of trades w/ the WAC aren't so stupid...it's pretty logical to trade Utah St and/or Idaho for La Tech. (Although the Techsters may not like it.)
They can always move the bowl game to a smaller stadium. The Sun Belt has plenty of them. :D
I'm not sure of the MAC's chances of putting a team in New Orleans (or whatever that bowl becomes), but, on its face, MAC No. 3 vs. Sun Belt 1/2 makes sense to me.
The SBC is flung all over the country. I don't like the idea of playing baseball in Denver, New Mexico, and Idaho. I would rather just play in the MAC all-sports.
What the MAC should do is try realign the league with a few southern schools. Tulsa, MTSU, and Troy State would be good additions. Tulsa would help with Basketball exposure too. UCF could still play FIU, USF, Stetson, JU, and FAU in OOC games to keep expenses down.
Why what? adding southern schools? Well UCF is going to need an all-sports invite at some point. Adding La. Tech, Troy State, and Tulsa would at least make the league seem to have a southern presense. It should help with getting more of the southern bowls too. If the NCAA starts axing teams, then the MAC could go this direction.
<!--EDIT|KNIGHTTIME|Jan 9 2003, 05:47 PM-->
Oddball Wrote:Why?
I agree why add TroySt, FIU, and Tulsa to the MAC? Whats in it for the rest of the MAC members except UCF. What I think will happen is a continuation of the UCF football only arrangement with the MAC through the next 4 years. Then if SBC makes enough progress as a conference with regards to competitiveness, TV deal, ect....UCF will join the SBC for all-sports. If the SBC is still floundering, and UCF hasn't moved on to the ACC, UCF will probably consider joining the MAC all-sports with its growing budget and new basketball arena.
What do you guys think about Navy joining the MAC if we end up dropping a few schools in Football? They add a nice TV market and have solid Mid-Major attendance. Dr.Torch can watch MAC football in Annapolis all MAC Football season long. I've tailgated at Navy and it was a lot of fun. Their tailgate must be bigger than any MAC school including Marshall.
Right now they wouldn't join the MAC because they are holding out for the Big East. The notion of Navy in the Big East may seem stupid to us because we know Navy can't compete in the Big East but they do deliver the Washington-Baltimore TV market of 8 million. Lack of TV market is why Army settled for CUSA even though they have better attendance then Navy.
One other reason Navy has remained an independent is because they have a mini conference with Army and Air Force for the Commander and Chiefs cup, plus a game against Notre Dame every year. If Notre Dame joins the Big East, stabilizing the league and stops playing Navy then the Naval Academy will probably be ready to settle for a Mid-Major league.
KC
<!--EDIT|Kit-Cat|Jan 9 2003, 12:52 PM-->
I guess, after that response, it would be "why would we rearrange the league for UCF?"
Tulsa would give the league a boost in basketball. La. Tech would give the league a boost in football and womens hoops. Troy State is building a 30K stadium and they usually average around 15K-17K with a bad schedule. They are around #100 in the basketball sagarin too. Adding a couple southern schools would give the MAC exposure in the north and the south. Adding 3 southern teams isn't that much extra $$$ for travel either.
I wouldn't want to add FIU. They will have to compete with FAU and Miami(Fla) for fans. Towards the end of FIU season they were only bringing in 6K fans. Considering this is their big splash into football, I'm not very impressed.