(02-06-2020 11:22 AM)IWokeUpLikeThis Wrote:  

(02-06-2020 11:13 AM)Illini60940 Wrote:  

(02-06-2020 11:03 AM)IWokeUpLikeThis Wrote:  There are 3 schools who improve the league aggregate:
- Marshall
- JMU
- NDSU (FB-only)

The MVC schools have a good basketball fan base. They don't improve the league in football success, football fan support, or football budget. That's what the MAC cares about. They are basketball-first schools who are in a league better suited for their goals.

You don't think adding the "State" school from a large state like Illinois would improve the MAC? Or adding UNI? Stony Brook? My opinion. all 3 are more attractive than several MAC schools.

The 3 you mentioned have no desire to join the MAC, if they are going to grow their product they will need to look in other directions.

Not UNI. They're only <6 hours of 1/12 MAC schools and they're not even located in the population center of a small state (Cedar Falls is 2 hours from Des Moines).

Stony Brook is 8 hours from the nearest MAC school. That's a non-starter for all sports, no matter how good they look institutionally/NYC market.

Illinois State would appeal geographically and institutionally. They would definitely be in the hunt. The issue there is ISU is very much a basketball school. They can't fund an IPF. Their football support/facilities/budget would be average at best in the MAC and when you have 12 members as a mid-major league, you don't expand beyond that unless you're adding schools who would be top of the mountain in your flagship sport (Marshall, JMU, NDSU).

If you are going to allow a school like ISU into your conference, you are banking on their potential. I think that is what makes them attractive is their current uptrend while other midwestern schools are declining. I read somewhere their current fundraising effort passed the $150M level a year early, so if they want to be serious about an IPF, it will get built. I know a lot of the Illini nation looks down on them, but they are doing things the right way over there, especially when compared to other state schools here in Illinois.

I am not as familiar with UNI, but they seem to get good support and have good programs, and good academics.