(02-15-2012 01:42 PM)THUNDERGround Wrote:  No, I agree...That's a fair point. I'd say the schools we have the most in common with is Southern Miss and ECU (small market/small town). Everyone else is either in a large metro area or west of the Mississippi or both.

And I think 24 teams in 4 pods (or whatever) is too big. Eighteen is plenty as there is currently an abundance of travel. If UTEP goes west and we add two in the "east" with zero crossovers our travel costs stay relatively the same.

The jury is still out on this one for me. I'm excited about the better programs in the MWC, but on the other hand, big whoop if we have to win the title every year to get a chance to play one. Overall, I think it will be better for the conference(s), but as to how much, well, that remains to be seen. They've kept a pretty tight lid on it.

This thing is about TV and markets.

I do miss the close-knit conference that the MAC is. Easy jaunts to Oxford, Athens, Kent, etc...

I think the best solution, for both conferences would have been a Molotov–Ribbentrop pact to divide up the WAC and then shuffle that large mass into two functional conferences. Maybe add Appy Georgia state or some sun belt to give an eastern front.

Could have put together two decent 12 team conferences with a nice scheduling agreement. But I doubt the WAC would have been any more enthusiastic about an MRP than Poland was.