I will repeat myself for something like the tenth time on this topic. I REALLY hope WKU comes into the MAC. From what I am reading, they want it to happen and we want it to happen. So let's do it. If we could get MTSU as well that would also be fine. However, if we were lucky enough to get MTSU we would still be left with the problem at Northern Illinois - they need a rival. SIU would fill the bill in that regard and SIU might also be a rival for WKU. It's complicated.

Temple does little for me as a fan. I have been to Philly more times than I care to remember and I sure as hell wouldn't bother driving out there for a football game. On the other hand I would drive to Kentucky or Tennessee in a minute.

Unfortunately, college sports these days is about media markets, money, TV, etc. and Temple has a lot to offer in that regard. With that in mind, it would not surprise me if Temple were invited. I hope it does not happen, but if it does, it better involve ALL sports and not just football. My problem is I really can't understand why Temple would want to join us. I know they have to find a conference home but they just don't fit in the MAC. They would be like Central Florida - and outliner.

Finally, can anyone give me the address of the WKU message board? I would like to follow what they are saying about all this. And the address for the MTSU message board would be nice as well.

<a href='http://www.tribalgrounds.com/belt/forum.php' target='_blank'>A SunBelt site with links to individual SunBelt team sites</a>

Then go to the team links and pick WKU or MTSU and you're done. The team links are at the top of the page.

WutupNJ Wrote:Yes, the Blue Raiders have helped build that conference...and the Sunbelt needs the Blue Raiders....but why lose their biggest annual rival? Why don't the Sunbelt and MAC merge.....into one conference...two or three separate divisions..and dispose of the really weak teams.

Um, no. Thanks for asking, though. :wave:

Oddball Wrote:

WutupNJ Wrote:Yes, the Blue Raiders have helped build that conference...and the Sunbelt needs the Blue Raiders....but why lose their biggest annual rival? Why don't the Sunbelt and MAC merge.....into one conference...two or three separate divisions..and dispose of the really weak teams.

Um, no. Thanks for asking, though. :wave:

Yes, it was polite to offer.

I am not sure that we need to expand past 12, though I can see the argument for it. Anyway if we do expand, WKU is #1 on my list of realistic candidates.

WKU Topper Jeff Wrote:We'll have to figure out who had the song first. It'll make games interesting.... the band starts playing and BOTH teams STAND UP AND CHEER!

Except we cheer for Red and White and Dear Old Western only!!

I suggest we have a Battle of the Bands...both bands play their best renditions of Stand Up and Cheer, and the school whose band plays the best gets to keep the fight song. :D

rocketfootball Wrote:I am not sure that we need to expand past 12, though I can see the argument for it. Anyway if we do expand, WKU is #1 on my list of realistic candidates.

we need to expand past 12 so when Ohio leaves to become flagship of the Big Ten in a couple years we can still have our championship game.






Kidding aside, I imagine this is mainly for security of the championship game in case someone would leave, we can look and get better teams now than scrambling to find a filler if someone did leave just so we could have the championship.

I regularly e-mail back & forth w/Bob Hunter, a sports columnist for the Columbus Dispatch. I sent him some of the news articles that were printed this past week in various KY newspapers (Louisville, Bowling Green, Owensboro, etc.), and asked him to see what he could find out/confirm from the Ohio side of the equation.

I'll pass on any info he gives back to me ASAP.

Man, you don't know the words to the fight song...you'd get lynched for that in my day....somebody get a rope!

I can Verify that Western was using "Stand Up And Cheer" in the 1941 - '42 Season. Also, I went to Grade School and High School on Western's Campus. I remember seeing a Typed Version of it, taped inside the Paper-Back Song Books we used in Grade School. That puts it back to Circa 1938.

I have no Idea about before that.

Gilbert

WKU fans: Even though I have an EZ board password, I have trouble getting into your Hilltopper Haven system over there. I was wanting to respond to one of the threads there were some of your fans are curious about the status of MAC stadiums and arena. Thought I'd post info here that one of you can take back to your board.

Well, I'm not looking at the exact figures, but there are a number of large MAC arenas, and 3 are relatively new. NIU and EMU both built new arenas in the last couple of years....they both seat close to 9K. Ball State built a beautiful new, state of the art arena in the early 90's....it seats 11.5K. WMU renovated their court (bascially all new) a few years back....seats around 6000 but is very nice. OU has the 13K Convocation Center, and both Miami and Toledo seat about 9K. Most of the other MAC arenas are a little smaller, but I believe the JAR (Akron), Kent and CMU's are all about 6K or so. If I'm not mistaken, CMU has plans to build a new arena. Buffalo seats around 8K and is pretty nice as well. BG has an old "gym-like" arena in Anderson...small (5K?) but a great home court advantage.

As for football, most of the MAC stadiums are around 30K. Some are slightly smaller (BSU at 23.5K but plans to go to 30K in a couple of years), Toledo and Miami at around 26.5K, BG at 28K and OU at 24K. Kent, EMU, CMU, WMU, Buffalo, and NIU are all around 30K, and Akron plays at the Rubber Bowl, which is 35K.

Miami and OU have recently had major stadium renovations. EMU's stadium was built in the early 90's, BSU's and WMU have recently been upgraded, and CMU added 10K seats and luxury loges about 6 years ago or so. Buffalo's stadium was doubled in size when they joined the MAC a few years back. I probably have missed other renovations, but other MAC fans can chime in if I missed any or left out some facts.

I thought the WKU fight song was "Have a Drink on Me" by AC/DC?

Oh, wait a minute ... that was the theme song to the house I lived in off-campus.

Buffalo reduced the capacity of Alumni Arena to 6,100 i believe. Looks alot bigger though, we lost the seats because we added in chairbacks. I really reccomend MAC fans come check out Alumni, great place to watch a game. Next year im hoping to check out every MAC schools stadium/arenas.

Question for you WKU fans. How is your football team looking for future years, if you move to the MAC how long would you say you would take to be competitive. BTW im not being a jerk, just curious. Hell my school is still trying to get there.

[QUOTE]I thought the WKU fight song was "Have a Drink on Me" by AC/DC? [QUOTE]

Well, at least you didn't think it was "Why don't we get drunk and screw" by Jimmy Buffet.

Gloom, despair, and agony on me! (WOE!)

Deep, dark depression, excessive misery! (WOE!)

If it weren't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all. (WOE!)

Gloom, despair, and agony on me!

Don't let the hammer fall on me and you

The death of the MAC is adding WKU and MTSU

Gilbert Wrote:I can Verify that Western was using "Stand Up And Cheer" in the 1941 - '42 Season. Also, I went to Grade School and High School on Western's Campus. I remember seeing a Typed Version of it, taped inside the Paper-Back Song Books we used in Grade School. That puts it back to Circa 1938.

I have no Idea about before that.

Gilbert

Ohio's site says that our "Stand Up and Cheer" has been used since the early 1900's. I say WKU changes theirs if you come into the MAC.

I have been away from the board for a little while...is it official that WKU is coming to the MAC?

GoCats Wrote:I have been away from the board for a little while...is it official that WKU is coming to the MAC?

No. An invitiation has not been extended. The MAC has requested information from Western, that is all.

Perhaps this is leverage against Temple or two get two teams to come in at the same time. If Temple were to come in for football, the Mac would need another team to balance the division. This could be a move to let Temple know that the MAC wants them for all sports.