Maybe it's only swimming and diving...or.......maybe it's their secret desire for MAC membership.

http://themacdaily.com/index.php?news&nid=92

(08-07-2009 08:03 PM)psc2009 Wrote:  Maybe it's only swimming and diving...or.......maybe it's their secret desire for MAC membership.

http://themacdaily.com/index.php?news&nid=92

I would also not dismiss the fact the Missouri State is now a member in two sports. I am not surprised to see the foundation being laid for...

Getting them in basketball would be a coup.

Missouri State once known as SW Missouri State was once Cleveland State's bigger rival back in the 1980's.

You realize how big of a commotion you could have started by making the headline in all caps "SIU JOINS THE MAC!!!!1!!"?

There's no way I could have resisted that temptation.

(08-08-2009 12:58 AM)uakronkid Wrote:  You realize how big of a commotion you could have started by making the headline in all caps "SIU JOINS THE MAC!!!!1!!"?

There's no way I could have resisted that temptation.

Don't fret, K.C. Airport still might.

(08-08-2009 12:58 AM)uakronkid Wrote:  You realize how big of a commotion you could have started by making the headline in all caps "SIU JOINS THE MAC!!!!1!!"?

There's no way I could have resisted that temptation.

I wanted to get people excited though...without their heads exploding.

(08-07-2009 08:36 PM)Blitz Wrote:  

(08-07-2009 08:03 PM)psc2009 Wrote:  Maybe it's only swimming and diving...or.......maybe it's their secret desire for MAC membership.

http://themacdaily.com/index.php?news&nid=92

I would also not dismiss the fact the Missouri State is now a member in two sports. I am not surprised to see the foundation being laid for...

We talk about how SIU is not really anywhere close to another MAC school (at least 6 hours) but with Missouri St. is even that much further from the core MAC schools....we may as well be looking at LaTech if we are looking at Missouri St.

Neither schools have an incentive to leave the successfull MVC for the MAC at this point. For the mid-major school basketball is your greatest outlet for success. In this economy, I don't see too many schools wanting to make the move upwards.

The MAC would be better served trying to land a school like Florida Atlantic who; 1) Currently plays FBS football, 2) Is playing competitive FBS football, 3)Brings a large media and recruiting presence to the MAC.

FAU is so far from the majority of SBC schools that it may as well be playing in the MAC. They've already won a Motor City bowl, something only a handfull of MAC programs can even say. With the way the bowls are working, FAU would fill an at-large spot for the MAC (possibly even a Florida game).

MAC GOTW down in Miami can only help recruiting. South Florida players know they are a commodity and are more than comfortable with leaving the region for other football opportunites. Ohio has one of their top receivers LaVon Brazil from out of there and I know WMU has done well in Florida recruiting over the years.

SIU doesn't add much of anything to the MAC as far as football recruiting goes. I would prefer Illinois St over SIU as they are closer and in the process of renovating their facility. SIU has had a nice run in MVC lately but for years was a doormat so don't get too hooked on the hype.

(08-07-2009 08:03 PM)psc2009 Wrote:  Maybe it's only swimming and diving...or.......maybe it's their secret desire for MAC membership.

http://themacdaily.com/index.php?news&nid=92

You have to give Steinbrecher points for a successful negotiation to save the MAC in Swimming and Diving. A few traditonal men's programs like the one at Ohio has disbanded in recent years so this was a necessity.

(08-08-2009 11:04 PM)Airport KC Wrote:  SIU doesn't add much of anything to the MAC as far as football recruiting goes. I would prefer Illinois St over SIU as they are closer and in the process of renovating their facility. SIU has had a nice run in MVC lately but for years was a doormat so don't get too hooked on the hype.

And ISU is a doormat in football. They haven't won a conference title in either football or men's basketball in a decade. They have the longest NCAA basketball drought in the Valley.

A problem with ISU is that it's in the immediate shadow of Champaign and so the orange and blue will always dominate interest and coverage. The recent "Spread the Red" campaign has helped a bit but their capacity for growth is limited, at least until that elusive Big XII invite falls from the sky.

SIU is a larger school with a wide array of professional programs that ISU lacks (medicine, dentistry, law), is located in a part of the state where it's the only game in town, and its football and men's basketball programs have recently achieved national notoriety. It's worth the extra drive.

(08-08-2009 11:04 PM)Airport KC Wrote:  

(08-07-2009 08:36 PM)Blitz Wrote:  

(08-07-2009 08:03 PM)psc2009 Wrote:  Maybe it's only swimming and diving...or.......maybe it's their secret desire for MAC membership.

http://themacdaily.com/index.php?news&nid=92

I would also not dismiss the fact the Missouri State is now a member in two sports. I am not surprised to see the foundation being laid for...

We talk about how SIU is not really anywhere close to another MAC school (at least 6 hours) but with Missouri St. is even that much further from the core MAC schools....we may as well be looking at LaTech if we are looking at Missouri St.

Neither schools have an incentive to leave the successfull MVC for the MAC at this point. For the mid-major school basketball is your greatest outlet for success. In this economy, I don't see too many schools wanting to make the move upwards.

The MAC would be better served trying to land a school like Florida Atlantic who; 1) Currently plays FBS football, 2) Is playing competitive FBS football, 3)Brings a large media and recruiting presence to the MAC.

FAU is so far from the majority of SBC schools that it may as well be playing in the MAC. They've already won a Motor City bowl, something only a handfull of MAC programs can even say. With the way the bowls are working, FAU would fill an at-large spot for the MAC (possibly even a Florida game).

MAC GOTW down in Miami can only help recruiting. South Florida players know they are a commodity and are more than comfortable with leaving the region for other football opportunites. Ohio has one of their top receivers LaVon Brazil from out of there and I know WMU has done well in Florida recruiting over the years.

SIU doesn't add much of anything to the MAC as far as football recruiting goes. I would prefer Illinois St over SIU as they are closer and in the process of renovating their facility. SIU has had a nice run in MVC lately but for years was a doormat so don't get too hooked on the hype.

Problem with Illinois State is they would be another Marshall and only use the MAC as a stepping stone to the Big 12.*

*Note: Some of their fans think they belong in the Big 12

SIU is in the process of trying to build a new stadium. I believe the stadium will hold less then 15,000. They do not have the desire to move to FBS.

You have to give Steinbrecher points for a successful negotiation to save the MAC in Swimming and Diving. A few traditonal men's programs like the one at Ohio has disbanded in recent years so this was a necessity.
[/quote]

Yep. For anybody who is interested about MAC swimming, that's the real story. We were about to lose the sport period. Last year, it was a co-tournament with the Sun Belt and with only four teams, MAC men's swimming probably wouldn't have survived.

Adding these three schools was huge.

The Carbondale, IL (SIU) region could never support an FBS football team.. Bloomington/Normal (ISU) on the other hand could

We've been "down this road before". All previous indications (from posters supposedly familiar with MVC schools) was that basketball is the key sport for schools like ISU and SIU, and that they're not willing to give up long term benefits (NCAA b-ball tourney $$) and rivalries of being in the MVC. Based on artisit's renditions, the new football stadium going in at SIU (although only 15K) is very nice and is a horseshoe shape (kind of reminds me of CMU's stadium before it was renovated to seat 30K). I can't see how joining the MAC (mostly for reasons of moving football up to IA) would be of real benefit to ISU or SIU.

Neither SIU or ISU will add value to the conference.

ISU is bad in football and in basketball hasn't been to the tourney since before NIU. Sure you could say that they have strung together a couple nice seasons the last two years in bball but look at their non-conference schedule. It's been filled with 8+ easy wins the last two years against scrubs. The NCAA committee recognized that and that's why they haven't made the Tourney. As someone mentioned above, they are in the shadow of UIllinois and there's more illini fans in Bloomington/Normal than redbirds.

SIU makes more sense because they are a lot better than ISU in both football and basketball. However, SIU is far from most MAC schools including NIU. They have no desire to move up to the 1-A level, as shown by their intentions to build a stadium that seats 15k. The area of Illinois they are in has no market value and probably never will. SIU is having a hard time keeping enrollment up as their numbers keep going down. Even though they have been really good in football they still only draw crowds of 6-8k.

I think we missed the boat on WKU. Sure, their football is bad right now. I have no clue if they will get better and be able to sustain success on this level but their basketball program would have added a lot of value (more than SIU and ISU).

There aren't any value options out there in football except Army or Navy that make it worth it to split the few bowl opportunities and little TV and BCS money we get more ways.

NIU / MAC swimming alum here.

MAC swimming was this close to really making a splash at NCAAs. Toledo, Miami, EMU - all seemed to put a couple a year into the Big Swim. Then so many schools had (?) to drop swimming to meet some excuse of Title IX or budget or facilities or something...... Adding SIU (a traditional swimming powerhouse) back when more schools had teams would of made for even more exciting MAC champs and certainly would of increased the competitive footprint of the swimming MAC....

For those interested, the NCAA Div1 Championships is the hardest swimming meet in the world to qualify for - it's based purely on time.

Remember, you can qualify for the World Champs or the Olympics with a slow time if you swim for a country with little or now swimming representation.

I know I probably late on this but has/was/ or Cleveland St. remotely interested in joining the MAC at all? What is the hang up if any between the conference and school?

Cleveland State doesn't even have football. They were planning on adding it some time in the future, but there's absolutely no interest in them from Clevelanders and I doubt they would be willing to leave the Horizon League now that they're starting to compete with Butler.

(08-10-2009 01:30 PM)AzulDos Wrote:  I know I probably late on this but has/was/ or Cleveland St. remotely interested in joining the MAC at all? What is the hang up if any between the conference and school?

NO MORE OHIO SCHOOLS. I would even say the same for Michigan unless the Wolverines or MSU wants to join which of course won't happen.