Would you prefer to stay at 14 or expand to 16 teams?

Just a simple poll. This is not meant to spur talk about any potential future members.

Thank you for your participation.

Stay the same. just balance out the divisions.

14 is good as any further additions would not likely add value unless schools like Delaware and/or James Madison could be persuaded. A lot depends on if Temple gets the call for the new Big East.

14 = 7 6 division games, 2 cross-over games. 16 = 7 division games, 1 cross-over. I'll take 14.

Less is more. Although I really like the addition of UMass.

(12-19-2011 05:27 PM)Howl-n-Prowl Wrote:  A 16-team conference makes for less scheduling issues.

And why would that be?

9
trim the fat.

(12-19-2011 08:13 PM)perimeterpost Wrote:  9
trim the fat.

Toledo
Bg
NIU
CMU
WMU
Ball state
Miami
Akron
Kent

.... Haha

(12-19-2011 05:56 PM)exCincy Kid Wrote:  14 is good as any further additions would not likely add value unless schools like Delaware and/or James Madison could be persuaded. A lot depends on if Temple gets the call for the new Big East.

Agree with this 100%.

+1

(12-19-2011 07:14 PM)MidnightBlueGold Wrote:  14 = 7 6 division games, 2 cross-over games. 16 = 7 division games, 1 cross-over. I'll take 14.

I agree.

14 is really a perfect size in football with 2 crossover games, home/away.

The problem with going to 16 is that it would just push emerging MAC football schools like Eastern Michigan and Kent State further down in conference finish.

That is part of the reason why the SEC and ACC decided to stop at14 over concern that it would provide too much competition.

(12-19-2011 08:13 PM)perimeterpost Wrote:  9
trim the fat.

A more practical way of doing it is have NIU, Toledo, Temple move on to better conferences.

That would reduce the MAC to an even 10 in basketball: Ball State, WMU, CMU, EMU, BG, Miami, Kent, Akron, Ohio, Buffalo so everyone could play an 18 conference schedule with home/away series.

10 in basketball then add in football Illinois State, Villanova, JMU and for 14.

East: Ohio, Akron, Kent, Buffalo, UMass, Villanova, JMU
West; IL State, Ball St, CMU, EMU, WMU, Miami, BG

Losing Temple wouldn't be a huge loss for the MAC as the MAC could recoup with Villanova.

There was some concern about playing basketball in one FBS conference while playing football in another but Boise State is now placing its basketball in the WAC and football in the Big East.

(12-19-2011 05:27 PM)Howl-n-Prowl Wrote:  Would you prefer to stay at 14 or expand to 16 teams?

Just a simple poll. This is not meant to spur talk about any potential future members.

Thank you for your participation.

I say 16, make Temple and UMass bring all sports, add UC and Louisville, then apply for a BCS bid!!!

(12-19-2011 05:56 PM)exCincy Kid Wrote:  14 is good as any further additions would not likely add value unless schools like Delaware and/or James Madison could be persuaded. A lot depends on if Temple gets the call for the new Big East.

THIS!

It depends on who we add...

If we are talking full members who bring something really good to the table in hoops then sure pick up two more (and no a few novelty games against partial members don't count as "really good").

If JMU and UD came all in how do you say no? Nice stretch to the footprint and strengthens hoops. Go to nine conference games since most MAC school waste a game against an FCS team and you are done

(12-20-2011 03:10 PM)Louis Kitton Wrote:  

(12-19-2011 08:13 PM)perimeterpost Wrote:  9
trim the fat.

A more practical way of doing it is have NIU, Toledo, Temple move on to better conferences.

That would reduce the MAC to an even 10 in basketball: Ball State, WMU, CMU, EMU, BG, Miami, Kent, Akron, Ohio, Buffalo so everyone could play an 18 conference schedule with home/away series.

10 in basketball then add in football Illinois State, Villanova, JMU and for 14.

East: Ohio, Akron, Kent, Buffalo, UMass, Villanova, JMU
West; IL State, Ball St, CMU, EMU, WMU, Miami, BG

Losing Temple wouldn't be a huge loss for the MAC as the MAC could recoup with Villanova.

There was some concern about playing basketball in one FBS conference while playing football in another but Boise State is now placing its basketball in the WAC and football in the Big East.

your suggestion for improving the MAC is to replace NIU, Toledo and Temple with ISU, Nova and JMU for football only?

Any more teams will water down bowl chances. Just replace EMU with Notre Dame and call it a day...

(12-22-2011 01:04 PM)NIUfilmmaker Wrote:  Any more teams will water down bowl chances. Just replace EMU with Notre Dame and call it a day...

Even trade.

(12-22-2011 12:25 PM)perimeterpost Wrote:  

(12-20-2011 03:10 PM)Louis Kitton Wrote:  

(12-19-2011 08:13 PM)perimeterpost Wrote:  9
trim the fat.

A more practical way of doing it is have NIU, Toledo, Temple move on to better conferences.

That would reduce the MAC to an even 10 in basketball: Ball State, WMU, CMU, EMU, BG, Miami, Kent, Akron, Ohio, Buffalo so everyone could play an 18 conference schedule with home/away series.

10 in basketball then add in football Illinois State, Villanova, JMU and for 14.

East: Ohio, Akron, Kent, Buffalo, UMass, Villanova, JMU
West; IL State, Ball St, CMU, EMU, WMU, Miami, BG

Losing Temple wouldn't be a huge loss for the MAC as the MAC could recoup with Villanova.

There was some concern about playing basketball in one FBS conference while playing football in another but Boise State is now placing its basketball in the WAC and football in the Big East.

your suggestion for improving the MAC is to replace NIU, Toledo and Temple with ISU, Nova and JMU for football only?

I'm not speaking to my entire post here but if you had Toledo leave the MAC replaced by JMU that would be a market upgrade for the MAC to get into Virginia while staying strong in Ohio.

It would also allow the MAC to swing both Miami and BG to the West making the football divisions evenly cut east-west.

East: Ohio, Akron, Kent, Buffalo, JMU, UMass, Temple
West: NIU, Ball St, CMU, WMU, EMU, Bowling Green, Miami

14 in football, 11 in hoops. Losing Toledo would be an addition by subtraction upgrade.

If the opportunity of adding 2 more football teams to enhance hoops came up I would consider it. Would consider teams like James Madison and Old Dominion.

(12-22-2011 02:21 PM)Louis Kitton Wrote:  

(12-22-2011 12:25 PM)perimeterpost Wrote:  

(12-20-2011 03:10 PM)Louis Kitton Wrote:  

(12-19-2011 08:13 PM)perimeterpost Wrote:  9
trim the fat.

A more practical way of doing it is have NIU, Toledo, Temple move on to better conferences.

That would reduce the MAC to an even 10 in basketball: Ball State, WMU, CMU, EMU, BG, Miami, Kent, Akron, Ohio, Buffalo so everyone could play an 18 conference schedule with home/away series.

10 in basketball then add in football Illinois State, Villanova, JMU and for 14.

East: Ohio, Akron, Kent, Buffalo, UMass, Villanova, JMU
West; IL State, Ball St, CMU, EMU, WMU, Miami, BG

Losing Temple wouldn't be a huge loss for the MAC as the MAC could recoup with Villanova.

There was some concern about playing basketball in one FBS conference while playing football in another but Boise State is now placing its basketball in the WAC and football in the Big East.

your suggestion for improving the MAC is to replace NIU, Toledo and Temple with ISU, Nova and JMU for football only?

I'm not speaking to my entire post here but if you had Toledo leave the MAC replaced by JMU that would be a market upgrade for the MAC to get into Virginia while staying strong in Ohio.

It would also allow the MAC to swing both Miami and BG to the West making the football divisions evenly cut east-west.

East: Ohio, Akron, Kent, Buffalo, JMU, UMass, Temple
West: NIU, Ball St, CMU, WMU, EMU, Bowling Green, Miami

14 in football, 11 in hoops. Losing Toledo would be an addition by subtraction upgrade.

Just a question? If you wanted to cut a team from OH but keep that Ohio base by virtue of there being so many other OH teams. Why would you cut the team with the history of doing the best(15 MACC, 8 Bowl wins), and the one in the largest city? If you want to keep the conference strong in football cut a team like Kent who doesnt bring much to the table. That is of course if you are only cutting a team for football.

If you want to cut Toledo for everything. You would lose Toledo in womens sports which would hurt the MAC a lot. Women are very good in basketball, and went to the NCAA tourny in Soccer and Cross Country this year. Toledo has the strongest womens sports in the MAC.

And mens basketball is on the rise. If you saw the amount of young tallent on this team you wouldn't want Toledo to leave. We're 7-4, havent played anyone too good yet but we have some players that will be "all MAC" this year... It's been a while since that happened.

To top it all off, this could only be a fantasy because Toledo is geographically not a school that fits anywhere but the MAC and Big10.... that won't happen. I personally don't think Toledo is a team the MAC wants to lose. We have the second highest mens basketball attendance. #1 womens basketball attendance. #2 football attendance... Conferences usually want to keep schools who produce revenue.