http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/...erence-all

To think Temple paid the MAC several million to join the Big East.

I'm sure Temple regrets returning to the Big East now, if they paid the several millions (and not Big East themselves). Especially since Temple's been historically a basketball school, the BE has taken a huge hit on that end.

It wouldn't be worth millions to leave the MAC in football & A-10 in basketball, and go to the new Big East in football & Bball.

Without Boise, I think the Big East will be a shade less than the Mountain West in football year to year (assuming Utah State continues being good, and San Jose State firmly situates itself as a good club). The BE are losing a few key football teams, yes, but they're taking the best of the Conference USA, San Diego State from MW, and still keeping Cincinnati (a key team), S. Florida (who is usually pretty good), and UConn (the worst, BUT who won it a couple years ago).

The WAC is going to be laughable -- basically full of new D1AAs. And the Sun Belt will be worse because their best is to supplant CUSA after its losses to the Big East.

The MAC should be a shade better than CUSA, year to year.

(01-01-2013 05:07 PM)toddjnsn Wrote:  I'm sure Temple regrets returning to the Big East now, if they paid the several millions (and not Big East themselves). Especially since Temple's been historically a basketball school, the BE has taken a huge hit on that end.

It wouldn't be worth millions to leave the MAC in football & A-10 in basketball, and go to the new Big East in football & Bball.

Without Boise, I think the Big East will be a shade less than the Mountain West in football year to year (assuming Utah State continues being good, and San Jose State firmly situates itself as a good club). The BE are losing a few key football teams, yes, but they're taking the best of the Conference USA, San Diego State from MW, and still keeping Cincinnati (a key team), S. Florida (who is usually pretty good), and UConn (the worst, BUT who won it a couple years ago).

The WAC is going to be laughable -- basically full of new D1AAs. And the Sun Belt will be worse because their best is to supplant CUSA after its losses to the Big East.

The MAC should be a shade better than CUSA, year to year.

The WAC will no longer sponser FBS football this year. The San Jose State vs Bowling Green game was the last WAC game ever.

Good to see Boise State return to the Mountain West where they geographically/culturally belong. More meaningful games for their fan base playing against 'neighborhood' teams from Nevada and Utah as opposed to teams from Tennessee and Ohio.

Good luck to Boise State.

I would love for NIU to get into the Mountain West.

(01-02-2013 02:48 PM)BleedsHuskieRed Wrote:  I would love for NIU to get into the Mountain West.

Too far and expensive for us to be able to travel.

The MAC is our home, feels right and we have a lot of work to do before moving, or ever think of moving.

Wish the MAC was a welcoming home. We are like the abused step children here. I bet @JMACGuy on Twitter couldn't wait to have to stop Tweeting about NIU football.

(01-02-2013 03:02 PM)MileHighHuskie Wrote:  The MAC is our home, feels right and we have a lot of work to do before moving, or ever think of moving.

Bingo. Mile High, we didn't actually meet, but I gave you a wave while I was getting my name stage from HuskieFootballAddict

Do you think NIU would go to the Big East if they came calling?

I'm sure it would be considered, if the money were right.

From the standpoints of attendance and getting into the region's sports consciousness, outside of Cincinnati I don't think the rest of the "Big East" would move the needle any more than the current MAC slate.

The Chicago TV number for the Orange Bowl makes me wonder what might have been over time if the the real Big East still existed. We know it's really possible to capture local attention when playing on a big enough platform.

IDK but I hope not. Even if there's a little more money in it now, the travel cost would be more and the league is not stable. Within a couple years it could be a hodgepodge of FCS schools and startups like CUSA.

I'd rather the Huskies stay in the MAC and the conference just gets better as a whole. Now if someone like the Big 10/12 came calling then I'd love to leave, but that's not happening in the next 10 years.

The B10 will never want 3 Illinois schools in the conference. Erase that from your mind.

I think the Big East would be a good move...if they keep Cincinnatti, UConn, UCF, USF and the other additions, it is actually an upgrade from the MAC if you look at the conference as a whole. Certainly would add a lot more in conference revenue to NIU.

Not only that, but NIU would be just as competitive in the upgraded conference as they are now in the MAC.

(01-02-2013 08:55 PM)PiKappNoleATL Wrote:  I think the Big East would be a good move...if they keep Cincinnatti, UConn, UCF, USF and the other additions, it is actually an upgrade from the MAC if you look at the conference as a whole. Certainly would add a lot more in conference revenue to NIU.

Not only that, but NIU would be just as competitive in the upgraded conference as they are now in the MAC.

I still want a handful of MAC teams to join the Big East. The bottom half of the MAC is garbage and there would be plenty of benefits for teams like NIU, Toledo, Ohio, Kent St to join the Big East.

(01-02-2013 08:55 PM)PiKappNoleATL Wrote:  I think the Big East would be a good move...if they keep Cincinnatti, UConn, UCF, USF and the other additions, it is actually an upgrade from the MAC if you look at the conference as a whole. Certainly would add a lot more in conference revenue to NIU.

Not only that, but NIU would be just as competitive in the upgraded conference as they are now in the MAC.

The Big East would have to look past our basketball program, or at least hold their nose until we can get it turned around.

A friend of mine keeps joking that they should take whatever is left of the Big East and the best of the MAC to form the BIG MAC. Sign McDonald's up as a conference sponsor and I'd imagine we would be splitting some pretty decent money

(01-02-2013 08:50 PM)NIUSox10 Wrote:  The B10 will never want 3 Illinois schools in the conference. Erase that from your mind.

You're absolutely right. My point is better summed up by this Groucho Marx quote. "I don't want to belong to any club that will accept people like me as a member." I would rather stay in the MAC than leave for another non-AQ.