onlinepole Wrote:

saluki_in_ohio Wrote:I think Kent would be a good addition to the MVC, at least they the only current MAC team that give a rat's a$$ about having a quality basketball program.

Kent is in the middle of the pack in terms of 06MAC attendance http://www.ncaa.org

BSU, Toledo, Miami, Ohio, Buffalo outdrew them. The MAC programs that outdrew Drake(#10MVC 4267) are BSU, Buffalo, Ohio & Miami. None would be good geographic fits for any reformulated MVC that would include football.

He's talking about basketball, not attendance.

BobcatFan Wrote:

onlinepole Wrote:With 12 D1 hoops programs in Ohio (several of significantly larger stature, OSU, Dayton, Xavier, Cincy, Wright St) it would take considerable marketing $ to raise the profile of Kent basketball in Ohio.

Wright State does not have a larger stature than most of the Ohio MAC schools in hoops, let alone a "significantly larger stature."

Yes. Wright State has only been Division 1 since the late 1980's and a university since the 1960's

Glorified Community Colleges of Florida eat your heart out.......

There at one time was a "Magnolia League" concept out there....to deal with all the southern private schools that play 1-A football

Suggested lineup.

Rice
SMU
Tulsa
Tulane
Vanderbilt
Wake Forest
Duke
Miami U. (maybe)

Four of those schools currently play in CUSA.

Would it make sense for Miami University and Ohio University to approach CUSA to try to get in with some better academic schools like Rice/Tulane.....ect? Both schools are on the southern fringe of the MAC The Basketball/Football deals are as good as any non-AQ conference in CUSA.

That would also solve the MAC's problem of having too many teams in it for MAC basketball, with league membership down to 10.

Better for both the MAC and CUSA.

Quote:The Convocation Center at NIU actually seats 9,100 for basketball. The 10,000 number would include floor seats that can be added for concerts.

[/quote]

Whatever...it looks damn silly when 1,200 fans show up.

Mike McKinney regularly played in front of bigger crowds at Evanston High School than he did his career at NIU.

Quote: can see the Horizon League possibly being interested in Kent, although they already have 2 Ohio programs and your attendance is nothing to get too excited about (3751) would be #11 in the MVC, #5 (at best) in the Horizon behind Butler, Milwaukee, Green Bay and Wright St. With 12 D1 hoops programs in Ohio (several of significantly larger stature, OSU, Dayton, Xavier, Cincy, Wright St) it would take considerable marketing $ to raise the profile of Kent basketball in Ohio.

All I know is that when Creighton and SIU came to the MAC, they sold out. Former visits by MSU and ISU drew well. Fans come out for good opponents. We've proven it.

Our home schedule consisted of four decent teams (Temple, Akron, Miami and Toledo). Who gets excited about the rest of a conference with six teams under 200 in RPI?

BobcatFan Wrote:

onlinepole Wrote:With 12 D1 hoops programs in Ohio (several of significantly larger stature, OSU, Dayton, Xavier, Cincy, Wright St) it would take considerable marketing $ to raise the profile of Kent basketball in Ohio.

Wright State does not have a larger stature than most of the Ohio MAC schools in hoops, let alone a "significantly larger stature."

They outdraw Kent, BGSU and a few other Ohio based MAC programs and of course went to the Tourney this year.

Flashs Wrote:As postedo n the MAC site

Home games
Toledo - 5,751
Ohio - 4,502
Ball St - 4,294
Akron - 3,593
Kent - 3,355

Road games
Miami - 6,339
Ohio - 4,784
Eastern- 4,652
Kent - 4,650

NEUT games
Kent - 8,512
Akron - 4,615
Miami - 3,736
Toledo - 3,443

ALL games
Miami - 4,649
Kent - 4,607
Toledo - 4,434
Ohio - 4,159

THe NCAA counts home attendance only when computing attendance averages, Neutral court and road games dont' count. which proves my point that Kent is in the middle of the conference in terms of attendance being #5 in home attendance.

FlashFan Wrote:

Quote:The Convocation Center at NIU actually seats 9,100 for basketball. The 10,000 number would include floor seats that can be added for concerts.

Whatever...it looks damn silly when 1,200 fans show up.

Mike McKinney regularly played in front of bigger crowds at Evanston High School than he did his career at NIU.[/quote]

At least the Huskies have an arena that will hold a major college sized crowd. If Kent ever does improve their attendance where will they put their fans in an arena that holds only about 6K.

Now that NIU has hopefully hired a competent coach who can build a winning program, attendance will rise.

onlinepole Wrote:

FlashFan Wrote:

Quote:The Convocation Center at NIU actually seats 9,100 for basketball. The 10,000 number would include floor seats that can be added for concerts.

Whatever...it looks damn silly when 1,200 fans show up.

Mike McKinney regularly played in front of bigger crowds at Evanston High School than he did his career at NIU.

At least the Huskies have an arena that will hold a major college sized crowd. If Kent ever does improve their attendance where will they put their fans in an arena that holds only about 6K.

Now that NIU has hopefully hired a competent coach who can build a winning program, attendance will rise.[/quote]

The problem is the arena can't play the games. That's all we hear from NIU fans.....but our facility is the best in the MAC. Shut up or show up.

Beyond the new coach we have faith in Jim Phillips; with all that he has done so far the program will be turned in a positive direction which will result in larger attendance.

Quote:If Kent ever does improve their attendance where will they put their fans in an arena that holds only about 6K.

How many does the JAR hold, rootard?

FlashFan Wrote:

Quote:The Convocation Center at NIU actually seats 9,100 for basketball. The 10,000 number would include floor seats that can be added for concerts.

Whatever...it looks damn silly when 1,200 fans show up.

Mike McKinney regularly played in front of bigger crowds at Evanston High School than he did his career at NIU.[/quote]It doesn't look as bad as when 1200 show up to your football games.

The thread is about how to improve MAC basketball. You contribute ideas on how to improve NIU basketball. That would be relevant.

FlashFan Wrote:

The thread is about how to improve MAC basketball. You contribute ideas on how to improve NIU basketball. That would be relevant.

I find it very funny every time you KSU fans talk basketball attendance smack. Ball State was pretty bad like NIU yet they still average more in attendance, not to mention that KSU has the largest student population of all MAC schools.

As far as improving NIU Basketball, we are trying. We just hired a new coach and we created a student fan group (Red Riot) to increase interest and participation. These things take time since Judson dug our program further into the ground.

Kent has done nothing attendance wise to thump it's chest about. #5 in MAC home attendance with the largest student population? If you were in the conference some of U seem to be pining for (A10), based off your attendance the last 2 seasons you'd rank #12 out of 15.

Overall conference improvement will necessitate hiring coaches with a winning track record. Since no or few D1 winning coaches will come to a MAC program, the members will have to look at successful d2 programs which have drawn well (Southern Indiana 2,353 #10 D2)that have young coaches(Rick Herdes, 5 years, 129-34) who should be looking for a D1 job. Or Mark Johnson, Ft Hays St 5 years 106-40 they draw 2,490, #9 D2) instead of hiring assistants or coaches who have been less than successful at BCS schools.

Better facilities will be needed also which means private $. With U North Dakota raising $200M(tax increase and private $) and ND ST raising $56M to improve facilities; programs of MAC size have done it. It remains to be see how many in this conference will pony up.