(01-08-2018 04:32 PM)Lord Stanley Wrote:  

(01-08-2018 12:09 AM)Kittonhead Wrote:  All of the MAC schools serve as overflow for the B1G, the strongest public university conference.

For instance the thing in SE Michigan for years was that if you couldn't get into the University of Michigan you would then go to Eastern Michigan. The same kind of kid from the same kind of neighborhood could be found in both schools.

What? No.

"Dad, my dreams of an Engineering degree at Michigan have been dashed so I'm hitting up EMU" has rarely been uttered, at least not un-ironically.

I assure you MAC schools are not filled with Big Ten overflow unless the idea of overflow is the same reason I didn't get into Harvard even though I sent in an application

And I am very proud NIU alumni who was accepted to a number of Big Ten schools.

B1G schools are not that hard to get into, with a couple of exceptions. Twenty years ago they were not hard at all really.

It is B1G overflow, meaning largely the same socionomic status. There are students that will pick a Miami or Kent State MAC school over a B1G for the location, feel of the campus. Maybe they are from Columbus and want to get away from the Ohio State hype. They might be doing it to try something different than what their parents did.

MAC schools are alternate major state schools. Horizon League is commuter schools. Akron and Toledo are borderline. They are mid tier urban schools like Memphis or ODU. The other 10 universities in the MAC have quality reputations in the region.

Fraternity culture, student life on MAC campuses is comparable to a P5 university. College town environments. These are university communities that you can sell and build enthusiasm around.