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The MAC should have the WKU issue on the docket at the next meeting.
Their football stadium construction plans are in place and the it has been recently noted that members of the Missouri Valley would like to have
WKU as a full member. WKU currently plays soccer and football with that league. (MVC members that play football play in the Gateway run by the MVC)

Current Top 40 RPI Basketball MAC vs MVC

6 Northern Illinois 5 2 0.7143 75 0.6635 6 0.6254 12
34 Ohio 5 1 0.8333 29 0.6130 34 0.5225 112


12 Northern Iowa 8 2 0.8000 38 0.6447 12 0.5738 34 34 31
18 Indiana State 7 1 0.8750 27 0.6343 18 0.5437 72 32 34
20 Missouri State 7 2 0.7778 46 0.6308 20 0.5648 44 38
24 Creighton 7 2 0.7778 46 0.6230 24 0.5618 51
37 Wichita State 9 2 0.8182 32 0.6096 37 0.5338 87
39 Bradley 7 2 0.7778 46 0.6038 39 0.5288 98

http://collegesportsinfo.com/blog/2005_1...chive.html


Western Kentucky / MAC / MVC Talks
Just when you thought the “Western Kentucky to the MAC” talks were over, they come back from the dead. The issue seemed to lose some steam last month, but it appears that the MAC might be ready to extend Western Kentucky a formal invitation. Specifics of the situation are not known, such as setting a timeline for an upgrade to I-A or an entrance date. WKU is currently a member of the geographically challenged Sunbelt, but does not sponsor I-A football. Joining the MAC would require less travel and would be a a more favorable situation than the Sunbelt should a I-A upgrade come to fruition.

One would think that the MAC scenario would prompt a quick acceptance response by WKU. But that might not be the case. WKU could have its eyes set on the Missouri Valley Conference, a Division 1 conference that does not sponsor I-A football. With members such as Southern Illinois, Northern Iowa and Creighton, the MVC has received multiple bids to the men’s NCAA basketball tournament, something that the Sunbelt has not been able to do on a regular basis.

WKU could play a pivotal role in the futures of both the MVC and the MAC. With the addition of Temple as the 13th football member of the MAC, the league could be looking for balance by adding WKU as the13th all-sports member, and inviting a non-football member to make 14 for non-football sports. Any MAC / WKU scenario seem to include a WKU upgrade to I-A. That wouldn’t be the case for WKU to join the Missouri Valley Conference. The MVC could add WKU as its 11th member. But in doing so, they would give the MVC a 6th I-AA football program, the mandatory number to sponsor the sport and qualify for an automatic I-AA playoff berth. The MVC previously sponsored football but abandoned it. The (5) football playing members of the MVC currently participate in the Gateway Football conference, a football only conglomerate of regional I-AA schools.

I'd like to see WKU come to the MAC, but does this mean that they may be more interested in staying 1-AA?

Roudebush Rocket Wrote:I'd like to see WKU come to the MAC, but does this mean that they may be more interested in staying 1-AA?

It means they are willing to sacrifice playing 1-A football to be in a better basketball conference.

I think that WKU has waited in the wings for years. We have been hearing
the MAC for several years. I know WKU wants out of the Sun Belt.
So I hope the MAC moves quickly. While WKU wants the MAC they will not turn down a MVC invite. Because if they do and the MAC does not come through WKU is left in the Sun Belt and they don't want to stay there.

From the Sporting News:

http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/vie...hp?t=31892

Western Kentucky wants a complete upgrade

A gentleman from Western Kentucky wanted to know about the derivation of the term "mid-major." He was part of the audience in a Q-and-A session Wednesday between WKU supporters and several sportswriters who closely cover college sports, and he made it clear he considers that particular designation distasteful.

I couldn't tell him where the word came from. I don't believe there's a dictionary anywhere that can provide its etymology. But I did try -- and failed -- to convince him it need not be a pejorative term.

On the tour that we writers were given of WKU's basketball facilities, it became obvious the Hilltoppers' digs are extraordinary for a program in the Sun Belt Conference and would shame even many who compete in the Big East. I've seen a lot of nice locker rooms, but looking at Western's, it was hard not to conclude that it was pretty amazing a mid-major program could be so high-class.

The university is planning a similar upgrade for its exceptional Division I-AA football program: new training, conditioning and office areas along with a stadium upgrade. The money is in place, and ground is to be broken next spring. But that might not be the only change for Western football. The school has been studying a move to Division I-A, and that could have a profound impact on basketball.

Few have successfully executed this transition, but Western will not charge blindly into oblivion. A plan has been formulated to endow the extra 20 scholarships that would be permitted in I-A. The idea is not to have to rob the basketball program's success to pay for the football program's upgrade.

That doesn't mean it won't be problematic. For Western to go in that direction, it would probably want to be a part of a league such as the Mid-American Conference.

In the Sun Belt, the Hilltoppers are at a competitive advantage and, in their best years, they should be competitive for the league's NCAA Tournament bid. In the MAC, there are probably five or six programs that consistently compete at Western's level, and those that are just below are more competitive than the Sun Belt's also-rans. The high degree of competitive balance in the MAC has prevented the league from getting more than one NCAA Tournament bid in any season since 2000. So the road to mid-major affirmation -- that NCAA bid -- would be much more treacherous.

Western had best be sure that's what it wants. Life at the lower end of Division I-A football is probably less glamorous than at the high end of I-AA. While many in the first grouping spend time trying to get attendance levels up to minimum standards with gimmicks and downright begging, in the latter group they're playing for a genuine championship. Western won the I-AA national title in 2002. The trophy looks nice on display in the program's aging offices. It probably will have a heck of a nice home in the new complex.


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Comments
Hilltoppers in CUSA
Posted by Marktheapostle

Why not put WKU in C-USA? With Tulane's unfortunate demise and their apparent plan to down-size the athletics program, it would be wise for C-USA to take a hard look at WKU. The BB program would immediately be better than half of the programs in C-USA and would have the opportunity to play Memphis, a significant program, every year on TV. The MAC does not offer that oppportunity. As for the benefits to C-USA, WKU would upgrade the BB side of the conference and provide the conference with a 12th member for football who has had success. As a Memphis fan, WKU is probably the most attractive possibility outside of South Bend.

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Posted by RegHead

I applaud WKU for trying to improve their facilities and improving their place in the college athletics "food chain". As an ISU Redbird fan, I have to keep hoping that someday our administration will get serious about athletics and actually get aggressive with some plans/fundraising. The lack of development in that athletic dept has been an embarassment to every Illinoisan. Best of luck WKU........ you guys deserve success!

and the MAC.

Why else would they be planning to spend big $ on the FB stadium.

BTW, MAC needs more soccer teams I understand. I believe that sport has been hit by losses 'cause of budget cuts.

BTW2:

I heard the MAC presidents were afraid of adding another team which might be weak on the FB field.

Now that the bottom teams are improving I see less fear there.

First of all, the first link is from October, it is now January. Old news. Second, David Krumudgen, you said it was "recently noted that members of the Missouri Valley would like to have WKU as a full member." But from what you've shared that has NOT been noted at all. All that is said is WKU *could* have its eyes on MVC. But that looks to be nothing more than the opinion of the writer and fails to site any MVC schools that have said they would like WKU. Everything I've heard is the MVC is NOT expanding and being a basketball conference, they shouldn't. They don't need to. They have a good thing going right now.

Is WKU interested in I-A? Absolutely. Is WKU interested in the MAC? Absolutely, the WKU administration has made that quite clear over the past year. I personally don't see how WKU could have both contrasting pathes on the table (I-AA and MVC or I-A and MAC). WKU wants to go I-A, it is now a matter of WKU doing so in a conference the administration wants to be in and is invited to. WKU has no other I-A options right now but SBC. The MAC doesn't have to rush and offer an invite to get the Toppers from going elsewhere, they have no where else to go. This is clearly in the MAC's hands right now, but don't excpect a quick invite anytime soon. I believe the MAC schools still want to see how the Temple situtation pans out before they add another school, which is a good idea. The MAC doesn't need to delute their product anymore. WKU will be a great add in basketball, no doubt about that, but a conference is defined by their football. That's where the Major/Mid-Major came from (those schools not playing BCS top 6 conf football). Look at MVC which is a TOP NOTCH better than some BCS conferences basketball conference... they are still mid-majors. The MAC has made some quick decisions that haven't always been good for them (Central Florida, Temple, and Buffalo in my book) and they need to stop and really think there membership through. That is the one thing I like about the MAC, they have loyal members and a lot of history. Don't ruin that. Again, I am a Hilltopper fan and have no problem with WKU in the MAC (I really don't mind the SBC honestly) but I can't fault a conference for trying to do the right thing for their members.

As for WKU to the C-USA, not going to happen at this point. Look at the markets the C-USA. Most every school in the C-USA (maybe everyone of them) are urban schools or at the least in large metropolitan areas. WKU and Bowling Green, KY do not fit that standard. I love the Hilltoppers, but honestly, if North Texas, who had proven football success at the I-A level, couldn't get in, I don't see where WKU would at this point. *IF* WKU's goal is to be in C-USA they are going to first have to go I-A in SBC or MAC and prove themselves at the I-A level. Of course, this could all change if C-USA is given another blow in reallignment when Big East inplodes. But then we won't be talking about the same desireable? (is it that disirable now anyway?) C-USA. At that point C-USA may be less appealing.

Right now WKU is sitting patiently and working on upgrades. They are moving forward with stadium expansion and they are moving forward towards a 10million dollar scholarship endowment to cover the costs of football scholarships (they are 1/3 there now I believe).