CSNbbs

From WMU Bronco Published Reports...

WMU Football in Discussion with Michigan State

KALAMAZOO, Mich. - The Western Michigan athletic department is in discussion with Michigan State University about a possible football game between the two programs at Ford Field during the 2009 season.

Nothing has been finalized at this time and details will be available regarding the match up later this summer. WMU will host a game at Ford Field for the first time ever when the Broncos take on Illinois on Nov. 8.

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This would be a terrific game for both parties. Look for the MAC and Big Ten to continue to have more of these MAC/Big Ten games at NFL venues. Don't be surprised to see Ball State "host" Indiana or Purdue at the Indy Colts new stadium in the near future.

Briliant idea

So wait.....MSU could lose to both CMU and WMU in the same season? The Chips are scheduled to be at Sparty stadium in 09 also!! Hopefully Malek Redd will break the Spartan Stadium longest run mark currently held by a former CMU 5'6" RB..........

Nick in Cleveland Wrote:From WMU Bronco Published Reports...

This would be a terrific game for both parties. Look for the MAC and Big Ten to continue to have more of these MAC/Big Ten games at NFL venues. Don't be surprised to see Ball State "host" Indiana or Purdue at the Indy Colts new stadium in the near future.

Two points:

1). It makes 100% sense for BSU to try for a game at Indy's new stadium.

2). I'll still continue to believe that someday the Indy city fathers will get the itch for a bowl game at that new stadium. I believe in time we'll lose the GMAC bowl and will want our 3 bowls to be in DET, TOR and INDY. The new D.C. bowl would be a possible 4th.

new stadiums beg to be used. They are good for the city (to have high profile events) and each game can bring in say 200 - 250K in fees to pay the debt service on the new stadium.

emu steve Wrote:

Nick in Cleveland Wrote:From WMU Bronco Published Reports...

This would be a terrific game for both parties. Look for the MAC and Big Ten to continue to have more of these MAC/Big Ten games at NFL venues. Don't be surprised to see Ball State "host" Indiana or Purdue at the Indy Colts new stadium in the near future.

Two points:

1). It makes 100% sense for BSU to try for a game at Indy's new stadium.

2). I'll still continue to believe that someday the Indy city fathers will get the itch for a bowl game at that new stadium. I believe in time we'll lose the GMAC bowl and will want our 3 bowls to be in DET, TOR and INDY. The new D.C. bowl would be a possible 4th.

new stadiums beg to be used. They are good for the city (to have high profile events) and each game can bring in say 200 - 250K in fees to pay the debt service on the new stadium.

BSU has already hosted Indiana in Muncie, so there's no reason for us to downgrade future matchups to a neutral site, unless it's part of a 1-1-1 deal or the like. I can't really see to us agreeing to play Purdue there, either, unless it replaces a game in West Lafayette. (We're reportedly very close to getting them to agree to a game in Muncie, so I doubt we'd want to give up on that idea so easily...)

What you'd probably see is BSU playing a team that would be too expensive to get to Muncie (such as Ohio State, Wisconsin, Tennessee, etc.) at the new Colts stadium.

And I agree that a bowl game in Indy is only a matter of time. Now that they've landed their Super Bowl, the city can focus on other events to help pay down the cost of the stadium (which is costing a lot more than initially expected).

emu steve Wrote:

Nick in Cleveland Wrote:From WMU Bronco Published Reports...

This would be a terrific game for both parties. Look for the MAC and Big Ten to continue to have more of these MAC/Big Ten games at NFL venues. Don't be surprised to see Ball State "host" Indiana or Purdue at the Indy Colts new stadium in the near future.

Two points:

1). It makes 100% sense for BSU to try for a game at Indy's new stadium.

2). I'll still continue to believe that someday the Indy city fathers will get the itch for a bowl game at that new stadium. I believe in time we'll lose the GMAC bowl and will want our 3 bowls to be in DET, TOR and INDY. The new D.C. bowl would be a possible 4th.

new stadiums beg to be used. They are good for the city (to have high profile events) and each game can bring in say 200 - 250K in fees to pay the debt service on the new stadium.

Indy is a close location.

We already have a bowl in the Midwest with the MCB though. If the MAC wants to bill itself as a national conference playing all the games in one area won't do that.

Also the focus should be on market size and who we are playing.

There is talk about losing the GMAC to the ACC. The MAC however wants to maintain 3 bowls minimum.

If this is the trade to be made

GMAC (ACC vs. CUSA)
Emerald (PAC-10 vs. MAC)

That would be a good deal for the MAC to play a BCS school in a major market like San Fransico. PAC-10 may not fill in some years so an occassional upper level WAC team would be in there as backup.

Then also looking at the Academy situation

Congressional (Navy 2008)
Texas (Navy 2008 or 2009)
Poinsettia (Navy 2009)

Navy would like the flexibility of playing at more than 1 location every year but they cannot by themselves hold down 3 bowls. That is where I think the MAC should step in as it is doing in the Congressional and has done before in the Poinsettia back Army/Navy up in those bowls.

1.BCS vs. ACC Champ (Miami, FL)^
2.Motor City vs. Big Ten (Detroit, MI)
3.International vs. Big East/Notre Dame (Toronto, ONT)
4.Emerald vs. PAC-10 (San Francisco, CA)
5.Congressional vs. Army/Navy/Air Force (Washington, DC)*
6.Texas vs. CUSA (Houston, TX)*
7.Poinsettia vs. Mountain West (San Diego, CA)*

^Played if MAC Champ ranked #16 or higher in BCS standings
*Backup agreements in the Service Academy bowl rotation

Detroit, MI
Toronto, ONT
Washington, DC
Miami, Fl
Houston, TX
San Diego, CA
San Fancisco, CA

That would be a nice distribution across the country. Good for recruiting outside the midwest. In a normal year the MAC would only have 4-5 of those games but options are nice.

C-DOA has more tie-ins but everything is in their backyard. Very boring setup I do say.

what are you nuts, you rather go to Emerald Bowl & play WAC in empty stadium instead full stadiumvs B-10 team in Indy. KC the Emerald not calling, the Orange bowl not calling, Tex is not calling, Poinsetta not calling.

templefootballfan Wrote:what are you nuts, you rather go to Emerald Bowl & play WAC in empty stadium instead full stadiumvs B-10 team in Indy. KC the Emerald not calling, the Orange bowl not calling, Tex is not calling, Poinsetta not calling.

Yes I would rather play the PAC-10 #5 or #6 in a full stadium then play Big Ten #8 (Middle Tenn fill in) in Indy.

Orange Bowl reps were at the Ohio-KSU game 2 years ago. That is where the MAC is going to playing if it makes the BCS.

NIU made Poinsettia as a backup for Navy in 2006.

Texas bowl is CUSA vs. Big XII #8 w/ Navy as back up. The question I'm asking is who is going to back Navy up? Army can't win enough games to make a bowl.

The MAC is better off leveraging Army/Navy for some more options than fartting around with Indy.

The Poinsettia is PAC-10 #7 this year and with #6 in 2008 and 2009 they look to be moving up the pecking order there.

That leaves the Hawaii with PAC-10 #7 that might not be filled. Who is then going to fill it? The WAC won't fill it as the host team. The MWC and CUSA are bowled out. How about a Navy backup? An academy is logical with the bases around there.

MAC Bowl Games
1.BCS vs. ACC Champ (Miami, FL)^
2.Motor City vs. Big Ten (Detroit, MI)
3.International vs. Big East/Notre Dame (Toronto, ONT)
4.Emerald vs. PAC-10 (San Francisco, CA)
5.Congressional vs. Army/Navy/Air Force (Washington, DC)*
6.Texas vs. CUSA West (Houston, TX)*
7.Hawaii vs. Western Athletic (Honolulu, HI)*

^Played if MAC Champ ranked #16 or higher in BCS standings
*Backup agreements in the Service Academy bowl rotation

The MAC front office has long wanted to get a bowl started up in Indy but unfortunately they haven't had the right people in place to get if done there. Perhaps the new stadium will get that bowl going for the MAC, especially if we lose the GMAC Bowl.

Airport KC Wrote:NIU made Poinsettia as a backup for Navy in 2006.

They were not a backup, they played there because they had seven wins and had not been selected for a MAC-contracted bowl game. The MAC had no deal with the game to select a team. NIU and Middle Tennessee were the only teams that were at-large with seven plus wins and had to be selected for the empty slots in the Poinsettia (open at-large slot) and Motor City (open Big Eleven slot). There was some brief talk about the MCB being a pair of MAC teams, which would have looked really odd.

Navy was not contracted to go to the Poinsettia Bowl in '06, Army was. Navy was contracted for the Meineke Car Care Bowl.

If the rule wasn't in place, I have no doubt that one of the two 6-6 PAC-10 teams that didn't go to a bowl (Arizona & Washington St.) would have went to the Poinsettia and either Kansas or Pittsburgh would have went to the MCB.

If there was a bowl game in Indy in 2006 and we had the choice to go there or go to the Poinsettia i would have rather gone to Indy. I know we would have brought more there than the 6-7k we brought to Cali. We brought a good amount of fans to Cali, more than probably any other team in the MAC would have brought but that's because our fanbase is more built up than most in the MAC. I just don't see it beneficial for any MAC team to go all the way to Cali. It's way out of our region and its too far for our fans. I want more MAC bowl games in the midwest where our fans can attend. There's nothing wrong with a bowl game in the midwest. Look how successful the MCB has been and that's even with the B10 only sending a team twice.

epasnoopy Wrote:If there was a bowl game in Indy in 2006 and we had the choice to go there or go to the Poinsettia i would have rather gone to Indy. I know we would have brought more there than the 6-7k we brought to Cali. We brought a good amount of fans to Cali, more than probably any other team in the MAC would have brought but that's because our fanbase is more built up than most in the MAC. I just don't see it beneficial for any MAC team to go all the way to Cali. It's way out of our region and its too far for our fans. I want more MAC bowl games in the midwest where our fans can attend. There's nothing wrong with a bowl game in the midwest. Look how successful the MCB has been and that's even with the B10 only sending a team twice.

I'm thinking more in consideration of recruiting. Most recruits would perfer bowls in Hawaii and California over Indiana and Michigan. Even if a MAC school does sell less out West they add to the economy with hotels and plane tickets and that attracts bowl organizers.

Indy is not going to happen as no more new bowls will be authorized for a few years. The best the MAC can hope for is a few more backup agreements in the near term.

MAC Bowl Games (2008)
1.BCS vs. ACC Champ (Miami, FL)^
2.Motor City vs. Big Ten (Detroit, MI)
3.GMAC vs. CUSA (Mobile, AL)
4.International vs. Big East/Notre Dame (Toronto, ONT)
5.Congressional vs. Army/Navy/Air Force (Washington, DC)*

^Played if MAC Champ ranked #16 or higher in BCS standings
*Backup agreements in the Service Academy bowl rotation

I just see trying to work out an arrangement with Army/Navy for backup in a couple more bowl games is the logical way to go about it. Army/Navy do not want to play in the Congressional every year. They have the fans but they are only 2 schools. That is where the MAC comes in to bond the arrangement.

The MAC is the oldest, most established non-BCS conference. The MWC/WAC and SBC/CUSA compete with each other within their region but the MAC is the only non-BCS in the Midwest region.

There is no competition for bowls at the non-BCS within the MAC's region and outside of it everyone likes to play the MAC because its an interregional matchup. Its a unique position to be in and if smart about it the MAC can really take advantage.

Dumb and you are stuck with Indy, Papa John's, and Boise Bowls in small markets. That is the Krocker Krapp plan for the Mid American conference.



I don't want to see the Mid-American dream go down the tubes.

By your logic, the former bowl game in Fresno would have been an unqualified success and the Las Vegas Bowl was stupid to let the MAC go. And by several accounts, the game in Vegas was not drawing well (not that it was any better until the recent showings by BYU).

Though it was already teetering on the verge of being decertified, the last Silicon Valley Classic had a MAC team too and locals didn't care about it. Neither team being from the west coast and the disastrous weather absolutely hurt as well.

What makes you think that locals on the west coast will care about a bowl from a conference they likely won't be able to identify with? Bowls don't exist at the whim of teams, they exist for the local economy. Mobile has been good to the MAC for that reason and it shouldn't leave without a fight. I can't see San Francisco being the same in terms of actively supporting the MAC.

2003 = 25996 (VT vs. AFA)
2004 = 25261 (BC vs. CSU)
2005 = 30334 (Navy vs. NM)
2006 = 25742 (GT vs. Utah)
2007 = 40331 (FSU vs. UCLA)
2008 = 32517 (MD vs. Or. St.)

With the economy being as bad as it is, how many MAC fans do you see wanting to get on a plane to the west coast? Driving isn't usually an option at that time of year. At least Indy is within driving distance for most of the MAC. Has the NCAA HQ and other college related activities that could be part of a bowl.

Airport KC Wrote:

epasnoopy Wrote:If there was a bowl game in Indy in 2006 and we had the choice to go there or go to the Poinsettia i would have rather gone to Indy. I know we would have brought more there than the 6-7k we brought to Cali. We brought a good amount of fans to Cali, more than probably any other team in the MAC would have brought but that's because our fanbase is more built up than most in the MAC. I just don't see it beneficial for any MAC team to go all the way to Cali. It's way out of our region and its too far for our fans. I want more MAC bowl games in the midwest where our fans can attend. There's nothing wrong with a bowl game in the midwest. Look how successful the MCB has been and that's even with the B10 only sending a team twice.

I'm thinking more in consideration of recruiting. Most recruits would perfer bowls in Hawaii and California over Indiana and Michigan. Even if a MAC school does sell less out West they add to the economy with hotels and plane tickets and that attracts bowl organizers.

Indy is not going to happen as no more new bowls will be authorized for a few years. The best the MAC can hope for is a few more backup agreements in the near term.

MAC Bowl Games (2008)
1.BCS vs. ACC Champ (Miami, FL)^
2.Motor City vs. Big Ten (Detroit, MI)
3.GMAC vs. CUSA (Mobile, AL)
4.International vs. Big East/Notre Dame (Toronto, ONT)
5.Congressional vs. Army/Navy/Air Force (Washington, DC)*

^Played if MAC Champ ranked #16 or higher in BCS standings
*Backup agreements in the Service Academy bowl rotation

I just see trying to work out an arrangement with Army/Navy for backup in a couple more bowl games is the logical way to go about it. Army/Navy do not want to play in the Congressional every year. They have the fans but they are only 2 schools. That is where the MAC comes in to bond the arrangement.

The MAC is the oldest, most established non-BCS conference. The MWC/WAC and SBC/CUSA compete with each other within their region but the MAC is the only non-BCS in the Midwest region.

There is no competition for bowls at the non-BCS within the MAC's region and outside of it everyone likes to play the MAC because its an interregional matchup. Its a unique position to be in and if smart about it the MAC can really take advantage.

Dumb and you are stuck with Indy, Papa John's, and Boise Bowls in small markets. That is the Krocker Krapp plan for the Mid American conference.

I don't want to see the Mid-American dream go down the tubes.

Krocker does not have a plan for the Mid-American Conference. Nor have I ever associated the MAC with the bowl in Boise or a fictitious game in Indianapolis. It is absolutely ridiculous to continually throw people's names around and attribute to them things which they never said. Rick Chryst and the university presidents are the individuals who make future plans for the Mid-American Conference so addressing gripes with them should be at least a little bit more effective than typing false statements on an internet message board.

Krocker Krapp Wrote:

Airport KC Wrote:

epasnoopy Wrote:If there was a bowl game in Indy in 2006 and we had the choice to go there or go to the Poinsettia i would have rather gone to Indy. I know we would have brought more there than the 6-7k we brought to Cali. We brought a good amount of fans to Cali, more than probably any other team in the MAC would have brought but that's because our fanbase is more built up than most in the MAC. I just don't see it beneficial for any MAC team to go all the way to Cali. It's way out of our region and its too far for our fans. I want more MAC bowl games in the midwest where our fans can attend. There's nothing wrong with a bowl game in the midwest. Look how successful the MCB has been and that's even with the B10 only sending a team twice.

I'm thinking more in consideration of recruiting. Most recruits would perfer bowls in Hawaii and California over Indiana and Michigan. Even if a MAC school does sell less out West they add to the economy with hotels and plane tickets and that attracts bowl organizers.

Indy is not going to happen as no more new bowls will be authorized for a few years. The best the MAC can hope for is a few more backup agreements in the near term.

MAC Bowl Games (2008)
1.BCS vs. ACC Champ (Miami, FL)^
2.Motor City vs. Big Ten (Detroit, MI)
3.GMAC vs. CUSA (Mobile, AL)
4.International vs. Big East/Notre Dame (Toronto, ONT)
5.Congressional vs. Army/Navy/Air Force (Washington, DC)*

^Played if MAC Champ ranked #16 or higher in BCS standings
*Backup agreements in the Service Academy bowl rotation

I just see trying to work out an arrangement with Army/Navy for backup in a couple more bowl games is the logical way to go about it. Army/Navy do not want to play in the Congressional every year. They have the fans but they are only 2 schools. That is where the MAC comes in to bond the arrangement.

The MAC is the oldest, most established non-BCS conference. The MWC/WAC and SBC/CUSA compete with each other within their region but the MAC is the only non-BCS in the Midwest region.

There is no competition for bowls at the non-BCS within the MAC's region and outside of it everyone likes to play the MAC because its an interregional matchup. Its a unique position to be in and if smart about it the MAC can really take advantage.

Dumb and you are stuck with Indy, Papa John's, and Boise Bowls in small markets. That is the Krocker Krapp plan for the Mid American conference.

I don't want to see the Mid-American dream go down the tubes.

Krocker does not have a plan for the Mid-American Conference. Nor have I ever associated the MAC with the bowl in Boise or a fictitious game in Indianapolis. It is absolutely ridiculous to continually throw people's names around and attribute to them things which they never said. Rick Chryst and the university presidents are the individuals who make future plans for the Mid-American Conference so addressing gripes with them should be at least a little bit more effective than typing false statements on an internet message board.

Yeah, but if he did that, he would vanish. To paraphrase the great Albert King, "if it wasn't for nonsense, he wouldn't have no sense at all."

Why has this thread turned into another KC list fantasy train wreck?

I think Michigan State vs. Western at Ford Field is a good idea for both programs. Michigan State has been marketing the Detroit area very hard in basketball with games at the palace and ford field in recent years. In fact this year Michigan State is playing North Carolina at Ford Field. It would be good for WMU to hook into that marketing machine and become a presence in the Detroit area. God knows the hockey team doesn't seem capable of getting to the Joe anytime soon. If our Illinois game goes well this year at the gate I would like to see an annual game at Ford Field. Bringing State in early on would help make that a real possability for success year after year..