(08-03-2017 05:38 PM)HuskieTap22 Wrote:  

(08-03-2017 12:22 PM)epasnoopy Wrote:  Honestly, with ESPN looking to cut expenses, the MAC should offer to take a cut in pay so we can dictate our schedules again. ESPN3 could televise all the Saturday games. Or once the conference figures out how to televise their own games online offer ESPN to drop the contract completely and both sides agree to part ways with no penalty. I doubt ESPN cares if they lost MAC football games.

If you look back to the 2000s before the ESPN deal ramped up to its current state, half of the MAC couldn't even draw a decent crowd on Saturday. Schools like Ball State, EMU, Akron, Kent, and Buffalo have always had attendance issues regardless of what day they play. Based on that, I doubt you could muster enough support across the league to get out of the deal. This deal was sought at the direction of the schools and I would guess many of them are just fine with it.

I think you raise a good point. It is my opinion that NIU has taken a bigger hit than other MAC schools with the weekday games.

Also being in Central Time is taking a huge hit this year.