Trying to sum up a LOT of threads:

1). Once the tweaking of conferences is complete (later this summer?) we'll know if Temple will remain.

2). If so, then make (and this is EASIER said then done) a package deal, temple joins for all and ISU is offered for all sports once the moratorium is over.

This is the MAC I've envisioned for years: Philly and Buffalo in the east, 6 Ohio schools, 3 in MI, one in IN and 2 in IL. Very nice footprint.

This isn't some STUPID conference like the BT have 10 in the midwest, PSU in the East, Texas in the Southwest, and maybe Maryland along the mid-atlantic.

That 'conference' could be called: "Conference USA".

Glad it didn't happen.

(06-18-2010 10:59 AM)CE-SELLS-GOATS Wrote:  

(06-18-2010 10:44 AM)Siborg Wrote:  I have nothing against ISU or any other potential candidate MAC school. My main concern is the Temple question. If we add an all sport school, then we have 13 in bball and 14 in fball until Temple leaves and then we have 13 in both. Before we decide anything, we need the answer to the Temple question.

Having said all that, I think its more likely we cut back to 12 teams or less rather than increase. I just don't see the revenue gain in adding new teams unless its a special circumstance.
- like a BCS leftover falling into our laps ( won't happen again but something like Temple )
- a school with a large market to themselves or nearly so ( like recent adds Buffalo, Temple ).
- a school that has a great program in certain sports even if its not fball ( like WKU or Temple )

Well then, get that do-nothing-window-dressing MAC Commish to force the issue with Temple. I don't think there's any question that Temple is going, either forcibly, or of their own volition. Start looking at viable replacements, and in my mind, Illinois State fits that potential.

I don't know... If 2010 finishes and the BE is unmolested Temple's dream of going back into the fold is going the shrink rapidly. The negotiating position of the MAC improves with a BE holding and with the Owls knowing that UCF and Memphis are in line first.

If the BE does not happen Temple has several of choices:

1) Go football Independent: have fun with that aside from the Service academies and Notre Dame that does not work for anyone.

2) Join Conference USA: Any bump in revenue will be offset by insane travel for the non revenue sports, CUSA is not going to want a FB only member

3) Join the MAC: A step down in Basketball but they could make their OOC schedule A10 focused. The Travel costs more than the A10 but not much more.
--

As much as I like having Temple Football in the conference they are not worth the hassle. Every time the MAC wants to talk about what they are going to do with membership Temple, an associate member, has to be factored in. Its not like were asking ourselves how does this effect Hartwick.

Temple needs to be given an all or nothing invite. If they need some minor placating give it to them but no more of the FBonly crap, we are the only conference in FBS football that does it and its freaking embarrassing.

If Temple leaves, I would be for bringing in ISU and UNI for ALL SPORTS. No exceptions.

MAC W
------
NIU
BSU
UNI
ISU
WMU
CMU
EMU

MAC E
------
UT
BGSU
OU
MU
UB
UA
KSU

I think ISU would be a great addition to the MAC as they are a good fit academically, geographically, athletically, you name it. As someone said above they would make for a good MAC West three-way with NIU and Ball State. Hard to believe they could make the FBS leap any time soon though with the terrible financial situation in Illinois. I assume their athletic budget would have to increase quite a bit.

Well then, when does this asinine contractual agreement with Temple expire?

(06-18-2010 12:17 PM)Bull_In_Exile Wrote:  

(06-18-2010 10:59 AM)CE-SELLS-GOATS Wrote:  

(06-18-2010 10:44 AM)Siborg Wrote:  I have nothing against ISU or any other potential candidate MAC school. My main concern is the Temple question. If we add an all sport school, then we have 13 in bball and 14 in fball until Temple leaves and then we have 13 in both. Before we decide anything, we need the answer to the Temple question.

Having said all that, I think its more likely we cut back to 12 teams or less rather than increase. I just don't see the revenue gain in adding new teams unless its a special circumstance.
- like a BCS leftover falling into our laps ( won't happen again but something like Temple )
- a school with a large market to themselves or nearly so ( like recent adds Buffalo, Temple ).
- a school that has a great program in certain sports even if its not fball ( like WKU or Temple )

Well then, get that do-nothing-window-dressing MAC Commish to force the issue with Temple. I don't think there's any question that Temple is going, either forcibly, or of their own volition. Start looking at viable replacements, and in my mind, Illinois State fits that potential.

I don't know... If 2010 finishes and the BE is unmolested Temple's dream of going back into the fold is going the shrink rapidly. The negotiating position of the MAC improves with a BE holding and with the Owls knowing that UCF and Memphis are in line first.

If the BE does not happen Temple has several of choices:

1) Go football Independent: have fun with that aside from the Service academies and Notre Dame that does not work for anyone.

2) Join Conference USA: Any bump in revenue will be offset by insane travel for the non revenue sports, CUSA is not going to want a FB only member

3) Join the MAC: A step down in Basketball but they could make their OOC schedule A10 focused. The Travel costs more than the A10 but not much more.
--

As much as I like having Temple Football in the conference they are not worth the hassle. Every time the MAC wants to talk about what they are going to do with membership Temple, an associate member, has to be factored in. Its not like were asking ourselves how does this effect Hartwick.

Temple needs to be given an all or nothing invite. If they need some minor placating give it to them but no more of the FBonly crap, we are the only conference in FBS football that does it and its freaking embarrassing.

More like 10 steps down in basketball. Temple would have to play a ton of heavyweights in the Non-con schedule just to come out on the under100 rpi side of things. Kent State finished at # 47 in the reg. season rpi. the A-10 had 4 teams ranked ahead of the first MAC team. You have to go to #89 to find the next ranked team from the MAC...the A-10 had 7 teams in the top 89...huge difference. Temple would have to play way more than an A-10 out of conference schedule to remain where they are...

I don't know what is in store for Temple in athletics...maybe C-USA for football and remain in the A-10 for everything else? It will be interesting. The problem with the MAC for all-sports is that I don't think the MAC offers a lot of the same sports that Temple offers?

(06-18-2010 11:41 AM)Lord Stanley Wrote:  Everyone who talks about SIU is right to their potential, but the "southern Illinois" culture is a fair bit different than our "midwest" heritage. The southern Illinois area is best described as the "most northern part of the South"

Columbus, OH. Latitude: 40 deg 0'

(06-18-2010 12:38 PM)CE-SELLS-GOATS Wrote:  Well then, when does this asinine contractual agreement with Temple expire?

After this season. Unless the MAC wets itself and votes to continue this one-sided relationship.

(06-18-2010 12:45 PM)uakronkid Wrote:  

(06-18-2010 12:38 PM)CE-SELLS-GOATS Wrote:  Well then, when does this asinine contractual agreement with Temple expire?

After this season. Unless the MAC wets itself and votes to continue this one-sided relationship.

That's enough time to get the gears in motion. I'm e-mailing our AD (Heeke), suggesting the ISU scenario, inclusive of our past history with ISU, and to get Mr. DO-NOTHING (MAC Commish), to push the bOWeLS to either sh!t, or get off the pot! RedbirdRay, you may want to get your fellow bALLstate-look-alike friends to start pushing things from your end (figuratively speaking).

Someone posted on the ISU thread that the AD said he knew nothing about this "major announcement", so who knows.

(06-18-2010 12:43 PM)templefan1 Wrote:  More like 10 steps down in basketball. Temple would have to play a ton of heavyweights in the Non-con schedule just to come out on the under100 rpi side of things. Kent State finished at # 47 in the reg. season rpi. the A-10 had 4 teams ranked ahead of the first MAC team. You have to go to #89 to find the next ranked team from the MAC...the A-10 had 7 teams in the top 89...huge difference. Temple would have to play way more than an A-10 out of conference schedule to remain where they are...

I don't know what is in store for Temple in athletics...maybe C-USA for football and remain in the A-10 for everything else? It will be interesting. The problem with the MAC for all-sports is that I don't think the MAC offers a lot of the same sports that Temple offers?

I love the logic... You would need a ton of heavyweights to end up under 100 but you mention, in the same breath Kent, who was under 100...

(06-18-2010 01:50 PM)Bull_In_Exile Wrote:  

(06-18-2010 12:43 PM)templefan1 Wrote:  More like 10 steps down in basketball. Temple would have to play a ton of heavyweights in the Non-con schedule just to come out on the under100 rpi side of things. Kent State finished at # 47 in the reg. season rpi. the A-10 had 4 teams ranked ahead of the first MAC team. You have to go to #89 to find the next ranked team from the MAC...the A-10 had 7 teams in the top 89...huge difference. Temple would have to play way more than an A-10 out of conference schedule to remain where they are...

I don't know what is in store for Temple in athletics...maybe C-USA for football and remain in the A-10 for everything else? It will be interesting. The problem with the MAC for all-sports is that I don't think the MAC offers a lot of the same sports that Temple offers?

I love the logic... You would need a ton of heavyweights to end up under 100 but you mention, in the same breath Kent, who was under 100...

Maybe you missed my point or I wasn't clear...what did Kent State get with the #49 RPI...nothing

Temple would have to schedule their asses off in non-conference and run the table in the MAC just to get into consideration for the NCAA. No longer would they have any games that would boost their profile late in the season...No Dayton, Xavier, St. Louis, Richmond games to boost the late season profile...

(06-18-2010 01:59 PM)templefan1 Wrote:  

(06-18-2010 01:50 PM)Bull_In_Exile Wrote:  

(06-18-2010 12:43 PM)templefan1 Wrote:  More like 10 steps down in basketball. Temple would have to play a ton of heavyweights in the Non-con schedule just to come out on the under100 rpi side of things. Kent State finished at # 47 in the reg. season rpi. the A-10 had 4 teams ranked ahead of the first MAC team. You have to go to #89 to find the next ranked team from the MAC...the A-10 had 7 teams in the top 89...huge difference. Temple would have to play way more than an A-10 out of conference schedule to remain where they are...

I don't know what is in store for Temple in athletics...maybe C-USA for football and remain in the A-10 for everything else? It will be interesting. The problem with the MAC for all-sports is that I don't think the MAC offers a lot of the same sports that Temple offers?

I love the logic... You would need a ton of heavyweights to end up under 100 but you mention, in the same breath Kent, who was under 100...

Maybe you missed my point or I wasn't clear...what did Kent State get with the #49 RPI...nothing

Temple would have to schedule their asses off in non-conference and run the table in the MAC just to get into consideration for the NCAA. No longer would they have any games that would boost their profile late in the season...No Dayton, Xavier, St. Louis, Richmond games to boost the late season profile...

Thats true, Temple might have to choose between football nad basketball again...

Because CUSA does not want a FB only member, the BE has at least two teams in line in front of Temple, and the ACC is not adding unless they get raided.

so in 2011 the MAC will be your only football option, aside from independence, and the commish has indicated he does not like FB only members..

HAMMER TIME!

(06-18-2010 03:27 PM)Bull_In_Exile Wrote:  

(06-18-2010 01:59 PM)templefan1 Wrote:  

(06-18-2010 01:50 PM)Bull_In_Exile Wrote:  

(06-18-2010 12:43 PM)templefan1 Wrote:  More like 10 steps down in basketball. Temple would have to play a ton of heavyweights in the Non-con schedule just to come out on the under100 rpi side of things. Kent State finished at # 47 in the reg. season rpi. the A-10 had 4 teams ranked ahead of the first MAC team. You have to go to #89 to find the next ranked team from the MAC...the A-10 had 7 teams in the top 89...huge difference. Temple would have to play way more than an A-10 out of conference schedule to remain where they are...

I don't know what is in store for Temple in athletics...maybe C-USA for football and remain in the A-10 for everything else? It will be interesting. The problem with the MAC for all-sports is that I don't think the MAC offers a lot of the same sports that Temple offers?

I love the logic... You would need a ton of heavyweights to end up under 100 but you mention, in the same breath Kent, who was under 100...

Maybe you missed my point or I wasn't clear...what did Kent State get with the #49 RPI...nothing

Temple would have to schedule their asses off in non-conference and run the table in the MAC just to get into consideration for the NCAA. No longer would they have any games that would boost their profile late in the season...No Dayton, Xavier, St. Louis, Richmond games to boost the late season profile...

Thats true, Temple might have to choose between football nad basketball again...

Because CUSA does not want a FB only member, the BE has at least two teams in line in front of Temple, and the ACC is not adding unless they get raided.

so in 2011 the MAC will be your only football option, aside from independence, and the commish has indicated he does not like FB only members..

Has the commish addressed the Temple question publicly yet?

(06-18-2010 12:37 PM)NIU1981 Wrote:  I think ISU would be a great addition to the MAC as they are a good fit academically, geographically, athletically, you name it. As someone said above they would make for a good MAC West three-way with NIU and Ball State. Hard to believe they could make the FBS leap any time soon though with the terrible financial situation in Illinois. I assume their athletic budget would have to increase quite a bit.

Illinois State is not a good academic match. They offer very few PhD programs - mostly in education. Why not invite Western Kentucky, which has NO doctoral programs?

Illinois State is a Tier 3 National University. This is on par or better than most schools in the MAC. I think our academics are fine.

(06-18-2010 10:08 PM)Redbird Ray Wrote:  Illinois State is a Tier 3 National University. This is on par or better than most schools in the MAC. I think our academics are fine.

Academics are fine.

What is the current status of the FB stadium renovation?

It is pending a move to I-A?????

I dont really understand why academics have to match for you to play someone in football.

(06-18-2010 04:27 PM)DetroitRocket Wrote:  

(06-18-2010 12:37 PM)NIU1981 Wrote:  I think ISU would be a great addition to the MAC as they are a good fit academically, geographically, athletically, you name it. As someone said above they would make for a good MAC West three-way with NIU and Ball State. Hard to believe they could make the FBS leap any time soon though with the terrible financial situation in Illinois. I assume their athletic budget would have to increase quite a bit.

Illinois State is not a good academic match. They offer very few PhD programs - mostly in education. Why not invite Western Kentucky, which has NO doctoral programs?

I think that WKU ship has sailed. I'd love to have them in the MAC. That would also help our negotiations with Temple for BBall. Why would they switch from the Sun Belt to the MAC?