Just wan't to hear you guys thoughts on this subject. Seeing this is a perfect opportunity for NIU to possibly move up, no one has even considered us (or Toledo). MAC gets 0% respect. Seeing that we are the best conference between the MAC, WAC, and SunBelt, we deserve some sort of shot. Originally I thought if NIU had a better season (beating Kansas and not losing to CMU) we probably would've gotten a look from a crumbling Big 12 North (but as we all know, they fixed there issues by adding worthy replacements). So now where do we stand... stuck in the MAC another 5 years, maybe get invited to this MWCUSA conference, or make our own MAW-WAC-SunBelt Conference.

I don't even know what the point of it is anymore, with automatic BCS bids about to go by the wayside, I don't think it accomplishes anything. The TV deal they can get would be larger, but it's going to be split against a lot more teams, as well.

IIRC, the original intention was to work towards a BCS bid, but with that out the window, it's just going to become a logistical nightmare.

(02-13-2012 07:38 PM)4PhaseDelta Wrote:  Just wan't to hear you guys thoughts on this subject. Seeing this is a perfect opportunity for NIU to possibly move up, no one has even considered us (or Toledo). MAC gets 0% respect. Seeing that we are the best conference between the MAC, WAC, and SunBelt, we deserve some sort of shot. Originally I thought if NIU had a better season (beating Kansas and not losing to CMU) we probably would've gotten a look from a crumbling Big 12 North (but as we all know, they fixed there issues by adding worthy replacements). So now where do we stand... stuck in the MAC another 5 years, maybe get invited to this MWCUSA conference, or make our own MAW-WAC-SunBelt Conference.

We'd never get an offer to move up, our other sports simply arent good enough (Especially basketball and baseball)

Edit- honestly 5-10 years from now the MAC probably wont exist, neither will most of the conferences we see today...

True, but look at Memphis... clearly there only good in one sport mainly. So it's not always about all of the schools athletic programs.

(02-13-2012 07:45 PM)Tjm68 Wrote:  

(02-13-2012 07:38 PM)4PhaseDelta Wrote:  Just wan't to hear you guys thoughts on this subject. Seeing this is a perfect opportunity for NIU to possibly move up, no one has even considered us (or Toledo). MAC gets 0% respect. Seeing that we are the best conference between the MAC, WAC, and SunBelt, we deserve some sort of shot. Originally I thought if NIU had a better season (beating Kansas and not losing to CMU) we probably would've gotten a look from a crumbling Big 12 North (but as we all know, they fixed there issues by adding worthy replacements). So now where do we stand... stuck in the MAC another 5 years, maybe get invited to this MWCUSA conference, or make our own MAW-WAC-SunBelt Conference.

We'd never get an offer to move up, our other sports simply arent good enough (Especially basketball and baseball)

Edit- honestly 5-10 years from now the MAC probably wont exist, neither will most of the conferences we see today...

The MAC is improving as its member schools have invested in facilities. I think it's a great place to be. Just continue improving the league as a whole while maintaining traditional rivalries, sensible geography and (relatively) cheap travel. Conf. USA and the MWC are doing their merger out of desperation and it makes some sense for them considering their situation. No one in the MAC is desperate to jump into a new league where any financial gain from better TV and bowls is swallowed up by increased travel costs. And what about the chance to play in a BCS bowl you say? The new Conf. USA/MWC says it will have semifinals for its championship, meaning you would have to win FOURTEEN games in order to be considered for a BCS bowl. Good luck with that. Stay the course in the MAC and keep investing, the MAC still has tons of untapped potential. I was very encouraged by what the MAC did in their bowls, 4-1 and easily could have been 5-0. We're comin' for ya.

(02-13-2012 09:17 PM)NIU1981 Wrote:  The MAC is improving as its member schools have invested in facilities. I think it's a great place to be. Just continue improving the league as a whole while maintaining traditional rivalries, sensible geography and (relatively) cheap travel. Conf. USA and the MWC are doing their merger out of desperation and it makes some sense for them considering their situation. No one in the MAC is desperate to jump into a new league where any financial gain from better TV and bowls is swallowed up by increased travel costs. And what about the chance to play in a BCS bowl you say? The new Conf. USA/MWC says it will have semifinals for its championship, meaning you would have to win FOURTEEN games in order to be considered for a BCS bowl. Good luck with that. Stay the course in the MAC and keep investing, the MAC still has tons of untapped potential. I was very encouraged by what the MAC did in their bowls, 4-1 and easily could have been 5-0. We're comin' for ya.

+1

the more college football evolves the more i wonder why everyone wants to stay at the "FBS" level. these games (conference shifting/manipulation) will continue to happen and the MAC and NIU will be at a greater and greater competitive disadvantage as the years roll on. NIU1981 mentioned that facilities continue to get upgraded, but in the greater context all that is happening is that the MAC is just getting on par with the rest of the other FBS schools, not creating some sort of innovative competitive edge. lets face it....we are the Oakland A's to your NY Yankees ala moneyball..if not worse. the more I see this evolve the more turned off to collegiate athletics i become..and the more i wonder if we can get a better overall experience at what the former Whiskeydick indicated as some type of "mid-major" only league. this whole thing is ridiculous

(02-13-2012 09:26 PM)huskiealum03 Wrote:  the more college football evolves the more i wonder why everyone wants to stay at the "FBS" level. these games (conference shifting/manipulation) will continue to happen and the MAC and NIU will be at a greater and greater competitive disadvantage as the years roll on. NIU1981 mentioned that facilities continue to get upgraded, but in the greater context all that is happening is that the MAC is just getting on par with the rest of the other FBS schools, not creating some sort of innovative competitive edge. lets face it....we are the Oakland A's to your NY Yankees ala moneyball..if not worse. the more I see this evolve the more turned off to collegiate athletics i become..and the more i wonder if we can get a better overall experience at what the former Whiskeydick indicated as some type of "mid-major" only league. this whole thing is ridiculous

They're ruining college football. MAC teams are just trying to keep up, and go with the flow.

(02-13-2012 09:18 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  

(02-13-2012 09:17 PM)NIU1981 Wrote:  The MAC is improving as its member schools have invested in facilities. I think it's a great place to be. Just continue improving the league as a whole while maintaining traditional rivalries, sensible geography and (relatively) cheap travel. Conf. USA and the MWC are doing their merger out of desperation and it makes some sense for them considering their situation. No one in the MAC is desperate to jump into a new league where any financial gain from better TV and bowls is swallowed up by increased travel costs. And what about the chance to play in a BCS bowl you say? The new Conf. USA/MWC says it will have semifinals for its championship, meaning you would have to win FOURTEEN games in order to be considered for a BCS bowl. Good luck with that. Stay the course in the MAC and keep investing, the MAC still has tons of untapped potential. I was very encouraged by what the MAC did in their bowls, 4-1 and easily could have been 5-0. We're comin' for ya.

+1

+2!

I see nothing in the new 16-24 team mess (conference) that makes sense. The article brags that it covers 5 time zones, but most of us, and America, see that fact as the joke/dilemma with the idea. It appears as if they are just calling 2 or 3 conferences "one conference" to create a positive "technicality" for the BCS folk, which is changing this summer as we have learned, when in reality the divisional play will make it function largely like separate conferences anyway?

Dumb and Desperate! Call it the "DOUBLE D Conference" and have Hooters Sponsor!

(02-13-2012 09:32 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  

(02-13-2012 09:26 PM)huskiealum03 Wrote:  the more college football evolves the more i wonder why everyone wants to stay at the "FBS" level. these games (conference shifting/manipulation) will continue to happen and the MAC and NIU will be at a greater and greater competitive disadvantage as the years roll on. NIU1981 mentioned that facilities continue to get upgraded, but in the greater context all that is happening is that the MAC is just getting on par with the rest of the other FBS schools, not creating some sort of innovative competitive edge. lets face it....we are the Oakland A's to your NY Yankees ala moneyball..if not worse. the more I see this evolve the more turned off to collegiate athletics i become..and the more i wonder if we can get a better overall experience at what the former Whiskeydick indicated as some type of "mid-major" only league. this whole thing is ridiculous

They're ruining college football. MAC teams are just trying to keep up, and go with the flow.

the problem is that the flow is moving faster than the MAC can keep up

(02-13-2012 09:39 PM)huskiealum03 Wrote:  

(02-13-2012 09:32 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  

(02-13-2012 09:26 PM)huskiealum03 Wrote:  the more college football evolves the more i wonder why everyone wants to stay at the "FBS" level. these games (conference shifting/manipulation) will continue to happen and the MAC and NIU will be at a greater and greater competitive disadvantage as the years roll on. NIU1981 mentioned that facilities continue to get upgraded, but in the greater context all that is happening is that the MAC is just getting on par with the rest of the other FBS schools, not creating some sort of innovative competitive edge. lets face it....we are the Oakland A's to your NY Yankees ala moneyball..if not worse. the more I see this evolve the more turned off to collegiate athletics i become..and the more i wonder if we can get a better overall experience at what the former Whiskeydick indicated as some type of "mid-major" only league. this whole thing is ridiculous

They're ruining college football. MAC teams are just trying to keep up, and go with the flow.

the problem is that the flow is moving faster than the MAC can keep up

The flow isn't moving faster, just more erratic. No school in the mess/merger will be building a 50,000-seat stadium prior to a MAC school doing so, we're doing just fine. If anything our stability is making us shine right now, lets enjoy it, laugh at all the panic, and keep building.

I would be fine with us joining but ONLY with 3 other MAC schools that are not named Akron, Kent St, Buffalo & EMU (Toledo, Miami & Ohio make the most sense to me). I know Akron is tops at BBall and also a Soccer power but FB is all that matters here.

If only 1 or 2 other MAC schools join what about us joining as FB only and stay in the MAC for all other sports?

If they're really going to add 6 members, you have to think NIU is going to be somebody they consider.

(02-13-2012 09:59 PM)7 Wrote:  If they're really going to add 6 members, you have to think NIU is going to be somebody they consider.

Lets assume for arguments sake that the money is the same for media rights. If that's the case, what would we gain by joining?

(02-13-2012 10:05 PM)NIUfilmmaker Wrote:  

(02-13-2012 09:59 PM)7 Wrote:  If they're really going to add 6 members, you have to think NIU is going to be somebody they consider.

Lets assume for arguments sake that the money is the same for media rights. If that's the case, what would we gain by joining?

There would be none, but I would be shocked if there isn't more money. It's pretty much going to be a mid-major "super conference."

And if they're going to 24, I bet they go to 4, 6 team divisions and play a 4 team playoff for the conference championship.

It makes some sense for football, but I don't know if it makes any sense for all the other sports.

(02-13-2012 09:59 PM)7 Wrote:  If they're really going to add 6 members, you have to think NIU is going to be somebody they consider.

After they add 1 more all sports team they are looking to add 2-5 all sport (non-football) schools. Rumor is that there are some good MBB schools in-discussions with the ultimate goal of enticing Temple to join in all sports.

(02-13-2012 10:11 PM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  

(02-13-2012 09:59 PM)7 Wrote:  If they're really going to add 6 members, you have to think NIU is going to be somebody they consider.

After they add 1 more all sports team they are looking to add 2-5 all sport (non-football) schools. Rumor is that there are some good MBB schools in-discussions with the ultimate goal of enticing Temple to join in all sports.

They want to add 2-5 non football schools? Or 2-5 football only schools?

(02-13-2012 10:10 PM)7 Wrote:  

(02-13-2012 10:05 PM)NIUfilmmaker Wrote:  

(02-13-2012 09:59 PM)7 Wrote:  If they're really going to add 6 members, you have to think NIU is going to be somebody they consider.

Lets assume for arguments sake that the money is the same for media rights. If that's the case, what would we gain by joining?

There would be none, but I would be shocked if there isn't more money. It's pretty much going to be a mid-major "super conference."

And if they're going to 24, I bet they go to 4, 6 team divisions and play a 4 team playoff for the conference championship.

It makes some sense for football, but I don't know if it makes any sense for all the other sports.

Join for football only and keep the other sports in the MAC.

So do we keep one of our rivalry games with Ball St WMU or Toledo?

(02-13-2012 10:12 PM)7 Wrote:  

(02-13-2012 10:11 PM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  

(02-13-2012 09:59 PM)7 Wrote:  If they're really going to add 6 members, you have to think NIU is going to be somebody they consider.

After they add 1 more all sports team they are looking to add 2-5 all sport (non-football) schools. Rumor is that there are some good MBB schools in-discussions with the ultimate goal of enticing Temple to join in all sports.

They want to add 2-5 non football schools? Or 2-5 football only schools?

2-5 non-football schools (for upping the conferences basketball image)

(02-13-2012 10:15 PM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  

(02-13-2012 10:12 PM)7 Wrote:  

(02-13-2012 10:11 PM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  

(02-13-2012 09:59 PM)7 Wrote:  If they're really going to add 6 members, you have to think NIU is going to be somebody they consider.

After they add 1 more all sports team they are looking to add 2-5 all sport (non-football) schools. Rumor is that there are some good MBB schools in-discussions with the ultimate goal of enticing Temple to join in all sports.

They want to add 2-5 non football schools? Or 2-5 football only schools?

2-5 non-football schools (for upping the conferences basketball image)

Like who/where did you see this?