With all the competition and turmoil in Div 1A today, conferences are struggling to maintain and improve their status. I see at least 4 keys to MAC strategy over the next few years.

1-Expansion

2-Increased Agreements with BCS Conferences--Of all the keys I see, this one is the most interesting. Many of us are "BCS Conference Bashers", but it looks like the MAC is putting an emphasis on more cooperation and agreements with these Conferences. The clearest examples are in scheduling and Bowl agreements.

This year, the MAC will play 17 football games against Big 10 and Big East teams. And a signicant increase in MAC-Big 10 games looks likely from 2006-2009. There are an additional 10 games this season with other BCS Conferences.

It will be very interesting how this greater cooperation with BCS Conferences will work out. Is Chryst being smart here?

3-A 3rd Bowl--Here too the MAC is working with a BCS Conference, the Big East.

4-Increased TV Exposure--I think all of us would agree that the MAC has done well here. It looks like the MAC is strengthening its relationship with ESPN, and is not looking, like C-USA and the Mountain West, to hook up with CSTV. Is this smart?

I'm betting that the MAC will seek even more exposure, and that this will be more important to MAC strategy than a significant increase in revenues.

Do you agree that these are keys to near term MAC strategy? Do you think they are the smart thing to do? Do you see other keys to MAC strategy?

Expansion is the opposite of a cure-all, rather its a terrible proposition which will continue to drive down the efforts of the above average schools... I almost wish we're back in the mid 80's with nine teams...

Keys... Television games moved from tuesday/wednesday to Thursday/Saturday NIGHT

A change in the BCS rules not allowing more then 7 home games for any program.

A performance review of the schools in three key areas:

1) Minimum amount of sports teams raised to 17/18 sports per school. Identify and build a brand sport, either football, basketball, or my personal choice Lacrosse.

2) Winning in all sports... ie. Reese Trophy... minimum standards or competition, you can't be great at one sport and crap in all the others.

3) Graduation rates... you can't graduate players... we don't need you in the MAC.

I agree with those keys.
1. expansion- must help the conference as a whole. Meaning adding a program that can raise the bar in the MAC or offer a rivalry to a member institution and geographic fit.
Temple is in already for football. A bit of a reach with them; however, their facilities and potential east rival for Buffalo and tv market were enough to slip them in.
The 14th member needs to be a stronger fit.-Not quite sure if there is a slam dunk choice out there. Army would be my first football only choice. Again-they compliment Temple and Army and their academics and tradition would make us proud to have them.
As far a basketball expansion, Do we need to expand beyond 12 hoops members? If we do then we could use the football membership as an leverage tool. Too bad we couldn't get Temple hoops; however, WKY, Southern Illinois, Middle Tennessee State, Northern Iowa, Illinois State, and Indiana State are still out there if we want them.
2. Schedules- Yes more BCS conference football games on schedule will help the MAC grow.
3. Third Bowl- this is very important and must be done.
4. TV exposure- I too would like to see Espn U or Espn 2 show us every Saturday nite. That way we would reach a larger audience.
In hoops, we could play a challage with another conference......with a trophy that goes to the winner. MAC/A-10 challange 12 vs 12 now with St.Louis and Charlotte in A-10.

redskins4ever Wrote:A change in the BCS rules not allowing more then 7 home games for any program.

If that became a rule it would be HUGE for a conference like the MAC. Instead of always having to go on the road to play BIG conference teams, we would get some at our stadium on our turf. I dont know if that will happen though.

A 3rd Bowl would be great, hopefully the Toronto Bowl comes through.

I agree expansion isnt always good. If we just keep adding bottomfeeders it will weight down our conference ranking even more. If we are going to add teams, they need to be solid and or have good potential.

But what if the BCS changes its name to ABC?

Hire a commisioner that can actually accomplish something?

Go ahead bash away.

To get more interest from fans and casual observers, scheduling games with BCS conferences is a must. These agreements the top MAC teams have with Boise State and Fresno State are great, but they would not work for everyone. For Kent State to schedule a home-and-home with a mid-level WAC team, nobody is going to care. At least take the road game at a Big Ten or nearby Big East school when alumni and students might at least bother to see the score. Plus, the inclusion of MAC non-conference games on ABC is exposure the MAC can never get by just scheduling Conf. USA and WAC schools. Playing at certain BCS schools is a necessary evil in so many ways. The no more than 7 home game rule is important, but we already see a change in that. At Kent State, we have Iowa State, Boston College and Navy all slated to come to Dix in the future. It's certainly not your cream of the crop, but it sure beats Bucknell, New Hampshire (even though they beat Rutgers last year and we couldn't :mad: ) and Liberty.

As for the dead horse of whether Chryst is a good commissioner or not. I believe he has done more good than bad which means he has improved the conference. That's all you can ask.

redskins,
I like your three keys, but that's more of an administrative point of view. As ideal as we all are, though, I think 90% of the fans here still have winning in basketball or football as No. 1 priority. Kent State does not get much recognition for their field hockey team nor does Akron for its soccer team.

Here is my keys for improving the MAC.....

1.Eastern Michigan. Give them the pink slip for not meeting attendance numbers.

2.Play a 16 game schedule in basketball with Temple in all sports to replace the Hurons.

3.A 4th bowl for the conference would just about be the right number, not three

4.Force Bowling Green State to replace that firetrap basketball arena within 5 years or else they can play in the Sun Belt.

5.Require all NIU football season ticket holders to buy for basketball.

6.Require OU basketball season ticket holders to buy for football.

7.Require UT season ticket holders to have a GED.

From an outsider (who was an insider for a very short time) point of view:

- In business courses, we were seldomly allowed to give the easy solution of selling the company, but there should definitely be a 2-3 teams highly considering I-AA ball. They would still be division one programs that could do fine in another league.

- Stay at a max of 12 teams. Why go bigger? This isn't Risk or anything. Anything over 12 is just splitting a small pie more ways.

- Innovation. There may be a school or 2 or 3 that think they are the best thing in the MAC and above everyone else, but everyones in it together....in a pretty geographically sound situation. Share resources. Help eachother out. Maybe a marketing committee made from all the different MAC schools marketing directors. Same with operations and facilities. It benefits everyone.

- The motor city bowl is great, but why the GMAC? Keep it geographically fit and convenient for fans to go to. Then again, everyone loves to go south for the winter - so I dunno. Just whatever works best.

- Something that all conferences could do would be to integrate their identity on the campus in a bigger way than athletics. You always hear about XYZConference all academic teams and awards...so why not put the logo around campus if it can symbolize more than sports. You have a solid league of schools academically so why not. The whole thing is - when more students and faculty feel like a part of the conference, they'll be more prone to go to the games.

Just trying to think outside the box. Best of luck to you all.

Go Knights.

KStud Wrote:As for the dead horse of whether Chryst is a good commissioner or not. I believe he has done more good than bad which means he has improved the conference. That's all you can ask.

Agreed. A big part of that particular horse is usually brought on by the Chryst worshipers who will allow no criticism of their idol, which then forces the other side to recite the litany of his missteps, thereby polarizing the debate. You've nailed the issue, Kstud. I have serious issues with some of Chryst's decisions, but we've never had a better commissioner.

Kit-Cat Wrote:Here is my keys for improving the MAC.....

1.Eastern Michigan. Give them the pink slip for not meeting attendance numbers.

2.Play a 16 game schedule in basketball with Temple in all sports to replace the Hurons.

3.A 4th bowl for the conference would just about be the right number, not three

4.Force Bowling Green State to replace that firetrap basketball arena within 5 years or else they can play in the Sun Belt.

5.Require all NIU football season ticket holders to buy for basketball.

6.Require OU basketball season ticket holders to buy for football.

7.Require UT season ticket holders to have a GED.

I have a better idea. How about we ship you around to the various schools, hang your sorry @ss from the goalpost crossbar, and sell tickets to beat you with sticks like some scraggly pinata that the cat dragged in? At $5.00 a swing, imagine how much the MAC athletic departments would rake in. My guess is that OU would have the longest line.

Flame bait

Kit-Cat Wrote:7.Require UT season ticket holders to have a GED.

Why would you create stipulation that could reduce attendance?

Why would a season ticket holder with a law, pharmacy or engineering degree waste a Saturday morning taking the GED?

That's like requiring OU season ticket holders to be straight. Why reduce your attendance?

LakelandRocket Wrote:That's like requiring OU season ticket holders to be straight. Why reduce your attendance?

Oh please.......

The school nickname is "Harvard on the Hocking" not "BGSU on the Hocking"

:D

Kit-Cat Wrote:

LakelandRocket Wrote:That's like requiring OU season ticket holders to be straight. Why reduce your attendance?

Oh please.......

The school nickname is "Harvard on the Hocking" not "BGSU on the Hocking"

:D

You are a stupid son of a goat. There's a song from the South Park movie that comes to mind right now and it's not Blame Canada. By saying that EMU dropped the ball ONE season, you are going to demote them?? Your logic doesn't even make sense in the Bizaro world, where everything is backwards. Do you go out of your way to piss everyone off? You have any plans on being in BG this season? I'd LOVE the chance to visit with you some time in person!

Santa Fe Falcon Wrote:Do you agree that these are keys to near term MAC strategy? Do you think they are the smart thing to do? Do you see other keys to MAC strategy?

I think this lecture is fundamentally flawed Santa Fe.

The concept of a "strategy" implies and end goal that would be realized once the strategy is complete. What you've done with this thread is basically outlined all the issues the conference faces in TV and bowls, but no vision that would necessitate a strategy. The scheduling agreement (MAC-BigTen) is good but its old news.

The KC "New MAC" strategy:

The goal should be to have a conference that can rival the Big East in football with a top 10 basketball TV package.

1. Form a new conference with Temple as an all sport member. Limit membership to 8-9 schools for good strength of schedule and high RPI.

2. At least 3 bowls for the 8-9 team conference. Its as good as 4 bowls in a 12 team conference.

3. Improve the scheduling for the conference under the "New MAC" label. Set up new relationships bringing bigger schools into MAC arenas and stadiums.

4.Maintain the Gund Arena as the neutral site championship for New MAC basketball. Make sure Kent State is part of the new MAC to anchor the northeast Ohio market to protect the BB tourney.

5.Enhance the financial component of the MAC TV deal to the point where its comparable with CUSA. More money for the schools involved, plus long term stability.

6. Use Temple to create a top 10 basketball deal with several regular season contests televised like the MAC has in football.

There it is.......my MAC strategy.

"but there should definitely be a 2-3 teams highly considering I-AA ball."


And who should these teams be? It seems that every member in the MAc is trying to up their facilities and programs. every conference has it's bottom dwellers and these circulate very much in the MAC. Look for the weaker programs to start stepping up. You go back less than 10 years ago and Ball State had the MAC championship, we're just now rebuilding from a bad coach and administration. And in 5 years we'll be up there again. relax, nobody needs to be kicked out, and if they can get a school that will add value to the conference why not bring them in. WKU looks to be a decent fit. If they ever move their football up to D1. they would be tough in all the money sports.

I also don't like having to set a minimum number of sports teams so high. Sure it's a confernce but if schools have to take away a sport or two to keep the money sports going in a very strained athletic budget so be it. It's a sad fact of life but it's a fact. I don't think the quantity of sports is near as important as the quality of the programs a university chooses to have.

as for keys for success.

1. expand, but only if that team can add strength to the conferece and only if they uphold the academic norm of the MAC, much higher than other conferences.

2. Fight for a rule and join with other non-BCS conferences in pushing a home game limit per season.

3. expand with as many bowl deals as you can. 3 bowls are needed and 4 should be pushed for.

4. create a rivalry with another conference. I like a big 10 rivalry in football, try to get that 12th game used for a conference challenge with them. a random drawing each season for each game to determine opponent and where the game is to be played.

5. get as much exposure as you can. we need to try to get something going with our cache of Pro players from the MAc, and ad campaign that shows what players from the MAC can do. they should also focus on parents of athletes. A campaign that shows off the MAC academic success. Parents have a big influence on their athletes. Make it known that star players get to play young most of the time as opposed to sitting on the bench. get some stats on the # of true freshman and sophs playing the MAC vs other conferences, and then hit them with the academic stuff. I think they really need to play that up. I think every coach should have these things with them on paper to leave with recruits and families during visits.

6. Keep kicking butt on the fields and courts.

7. they need to create a sense of pride in the MAC. make students and families and people in the community fans of those programs and come to those games instead of staying at home to watch "their" team on tv. If the entire MAC pools resources into making this happen it'll easily be returned 10x.[QUOTE][QUOTE][QUOTE][QUOTE][QUOTE][CODE][QUOTE]

As long as the BCS exists and the MAC is not a member of it, the strategy doesn't matter. It will not be perceived to be on the level of the BCS conferences and perception is everything.

For example, UT has not had a losing football season in over ten years or something like that. They've been ranked in the top 25 a heck of a lot over that time period for a non-BCS type program. In the end, the casual fan does not respect them. I was amazed at how many people on this board and in northwest Ohio do not give much respect to the Rockets. I found out that it is even worse in Oxford and SW Ohio. Not only are people there not Miami fans but they view the city of Toledo as "poe-dunk" or "trailer trash"...their words, not mine. In their opinion, UT is located in a ghetto so the school is trashy. One equated UT's football team to Akron and Kent State ==> (OU grad, OSU fan). I am only using UT as an example because that is what I know, but it works for all schools. Even most people on these boards really only respect a couple of the programs. Unless I am witnessing a conspiracy organized by northwest Ohioans and Miami people, I believe that perception is palpable.

I honestly used to think that the joking on these boards was really only jokes. Unfortunately, there is a lot of truth in them, at least as far as perception is concerned ==> KC's "GED" and EMU comments.

I guess that my point is when you don't respect yourselves, how do you expect others to respect you? Maybe the BCS has pounded this line of thinking into us. Most of us are guilty of this. Oh well, not my conference.

FalconFan1999 Wrote:Do you go out of your way to piss everyone off? You have any plans on being in BG this season? I'd LOVE the chance to visit with you some time in person!

Wow. You know that you've crossed the line when Falconfan gets pissed off. :eek: