<a href='http://mb3.theinsiders.com/fcentralmichiganfrm1.showMessage?topicID=1382.topic' target='_blank'>Discussion on a CMU board.</a>
The question is: could they average 15,000 fans? What say you, Huskies fans (and anyone else who's familiar with SIU)?
Ugh. NOOOOOO!
No more rural teams, on the outskirts of the MAC territory. They do NOT bring the St. Louis market with them. They do not bring a great tradition with them. They do not bring anything to the MAC!
Like WKU they would bring basketball. My own opinion is that if SIU competed in the MAC they would easily get 15K to the stands. BTW, they will have an exceptional FB team this year.
Sorry, only one Gateway school avgs over 15k ----- YSU.
And none have the real potential. YSU avg --16k (bad season) -- 20k ( good season ).
Most can not afford I-A.
Also YSU brings a media market of about 800,000 people to go along with their winning tradition, attendance, and history of kicking Marshall's butt(very important imo). Adding YSU could also be the spark that Northeast Ohio needs to get the Kent State and Akron programs going because it is the rivalries that make college football great not the media markets(but they are important when it comes to TV deals).
<a href='http://www.regionalchamber.com/demo-population.htm' target='_blank'>Youngstown media market</a>
And yes I realize I am beating a dead horse, but CMichFan is the one that brought up the topic of adding a Gateway school.
Given their great Basketball tradition, and If SIU were interested, and able to raise the millions that would be needed to go Division 1 football, they would make a nice addition to the MAC. However, just look at the poor facilities at NIU, and how in the face of their terrific football success, they are not able to even start to raise money for long overdue and badly needed indoor practice area & other neglected locker-room, offices, etc. etc. improvments. It just seems that the great state of Ill. is not able nor interested in helping to make NIU the real regular contender that they were on the verge of becoming. Imho Temple is in a much better position to join the MAC, and I look for them to join in 2006.
The MAC already has the prize in Illinois outside of Champaign/Urbana with NIU. With the continuing expansion of the western suburbs, DeKalb is now only about 30 minutes away from a sizeable population and the third largest media market in the country. When they win, the Huskies get great media coverage. ( Of course, when they lose, they get zip). Correct me if I'm wrong, Huskie fans, but it seems to me that NIU is the second largest state school, although UIC is probably pushing. I don't get the dig on their facilities. Seems to me the football stadium is in the realm of okay - doesn't stop fans from packing it. The basketball facility is new and first rate.
SIU brings a decent competition. It holds a great basketball heritage and now has a football program that may make the leap. Other than that, there's not much else. A relative is on the faculty at SIU, so I've visited several times. First, it's in the middle of nowhere- maybe two hours from nowhere. Money will not get the place closer to anything. Second, I haven't been to any athletic facilities, but the rest of the campus is not impressive. It appears in need of general updating. To my fellow poster above, with a democratic govenor and legislature, no large sums of money will be poured into Southern Illinois for anything soon. Finally, it's my impression that the Salukis fans make the Herd fans look like diplomats.
The MAC's best move in Illinois, and specifically Chicago, is to pull for NIU. It's already there in football and should be doing much, much better in hoops. I don't see any other attractive options in the Land of Lincoln.
I think Western Kentucky brings more to the table.
MAC really doesn't need more directional schools. Just having "south" is enough to bring the image down. dumb, but true.
In any case, once Marshall adn UCF are out..the MAC doesn't need to add more schools..it needs to replace schools. like say... EMU and OU?
I think Western Kentucky brings more to the table.
I agree, but I'm biased. I still think it might happen one day.
MAC really doesn't need more directional schools. Just having "south" is enough to bring the image down. dumb, but true.
Really hurt UCF didnt it?
It takes a heckuva lotta moola to make the move up from IAA to IA (mostly in facilities to a school like SIU). Unless they have some incredibly well-heeled donors lining up to support such an effort, I'd say that this rumor is not very likely to become a reality.
There was a lot of talk about Illinois State on this board some time ago.......like SIU they bring good hoops and a great arena, but even when their IAA football team is winning they only draw 7K fans. I don't think SIU does much better, and in fact Western Illinois probably as the best IAA football program in Illinois (just ask NIU!). Also, not to get snooty, but SIU is not well respected academically, and is way "off the beaten track".
I agree with the comment that we get much more out of having NIU in the conference (as correctly stated earlier in the thread they and the MAC normally get very little "ink" in the newspapers, but last year they were a big story all year in the Chicago Trib), plus as mentioned the Chicago burbs are growing out towards DeKalb, even though it's still out in the corn fields. A couple years ago NIU opened a beautiful regional building for classes right here in Naperville, and it's only 45 minutes from my house to NIU stadium.
It does sound like the MAC still has "feelers" out there on expansion, likely due to the impending attendance regs, but I'd guess that the primary focus has been Temple and WKU at this point.
I don't know anything about the other schools' sizes, but I do know that SIU is in the middle of freakin' nowhere.
NIU has struggled raising funds because we don't have any fundraisers. Brilliant point, I know, but it's true. Our previous A.D. had moved up from tennis coach and was really into her Title IX committees, but couldn't get anyone to give a dime. Plus, the university folks here have no clue about how to run a successful program or raise money. We're about a week away from naming a new A.D., and with that announcement comes the hope and promise of someone that can lead a charge for better facilities, which are on the drawing board.
SIU - nah.
Quote:and history of kicking Marshall's butt(very important imo).
Funny, Marshall leads that series 5-4-1. With YSU earning two wins in the national title game, and Marshall beating them thrice in the playoffs as well, including one national title game.
YSU beat Marshall 17-5 and 25-17, while Marshall beat them 31-28, 38-15, 38-13.
YSU's other two wins came in the early 50s.
HuskieDan: It wasn't for athletics, but how much $$ did NIU get from the dot.com businessman from Naperville a couple years........wasn't it something like $40 million? I think NIU built a new business school building with it, didn't they?
P.S. At the risk of drawing the ire of many a poster here, I still think YSU may be a future option for the MAC, but only in the scenario that we lose one or both or our NE Ohio Football-playing conference mates (due to the attendance rules).
I don't have any problem bringing more dogs to the MAC. The more we can get, the more likely that it will split in 2 seperate conferences with an upper and lower echelon. That bodes well for my team.
Tomznj Wrote:Imho Temple is in a much better position to join the MAC, and I look for them to join in 2006.
As I've said before, and will probably say again...
Temple's welcome to join the MAC,
basketball ONLY of course.
elpalito Wrote:MAC really doesn't need more directional schools. Just having "south" is enough to bring the image down. dumb, but true.
In any case, once Marshall adn UCF are out..the MAC doesn't need to add more schools..it needs to replace schools. like say... EMU and OU?
Damn, and just before Southern Cal was about to sign on, too.
As usual, you guys have big ideas and no knowledge.
SIU -- Good BB. FB has been a constant door mat in the GFC. Only last year did they finally have a break-out year. The comparasion of SIU to Marshall fans is unfounded. Salukis fans are O.K.
Marshall fans want to ignore that the series between YSU and them are ???? We were beating Marshall when they were cheating big time ( and the NCAA caught them too ) . last game was at Marshall (I-A) when we had them on the ropes and only a late interception pulled the game out for the Herd ( then rated in the top 25 ) vs. a lowly I-AA.
Finally , we don't have a good economy and govt isn't ready to shell out big bucks for facilities upgrades. Many schools simply can't afford the cost increase to I-A , let alone bringing their attendance up to support a I-A program.
As for WKU, as the boys down there would say --"That dog won't hunt " !!
Good luck on your endless search !!
Quote:Marshall fans want to ignore that the series between YSU and them are ???? We were beating Marshall when they were cheating big time ( and the NCAA caught them too ) . last game was at Marshall (I-A) when we had them on the ropes and only a late interception pulled the game out for the Herd ( then rated in the top 25 ) vs. a lowly I-AA.
What is to ignore? We lead the series 5-4-1. Two of your wins came in the 1950s. The tie came in the 1950s.
Notice that 5 is wins, 4 is losses, and 1 is ties. There isn't a historical column for moral victories.
Youngstown fans want to ignore the three touchdown whippings they got in the 1987 and 1988 playoffs as well. You beat us, twice. Neither one were dominant beatings. We beat you three times in the playoffs, once since we left 1-aa.
We don't need to forget anything. We had much respect for Jim Tressel.
FYI, he's gone. You haven't been dick since.
Buffalo floater-- Come again ?? You beat us" in the play-offs, once since we left I-AA". Are you refering to the last game in Huntington, WHEN YOU WERE BIG BAD I-A, RATED IN THE TOP 25,playing lowly I-AA YSU and getting a physical thrashing. Saved by a late interception. Is that the "play-off " game you are talking about ??
The "Thundering Buffalo Turds" don't strike fear with us. 5-4-1 means you now have the edge by virture of your I-A win over us I-AAs.
I notice you have no come back for your cheating ways that you still couldn't beat YSU with. Keep that same outlook with your "MAC" brothers.
I notice they all love their MAC "Thundering Buffalo Turd" brothers !! :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: