WKU is off the board as they are about to join CUSA. Just waiting on Tulsa to announce conference TBD and then WKU will take the spot in CUSA.

I still think the MAC's best next move is to give EMU an ultimatum to get their football program and attendance in-line or force them to drop football from the MAC. Then they need to deal with UMass.

(03-15-2013 08:54 AM)BarsemaBone2 Wrote:  WKU, yes please.

The other 2...eh...

All three of those teams went to bowls last season, and they went 1-1 vs the MAC. I think their addition would improve the overall talent level of the MAC.

I still remember some of those tight games NIU played against Southwest Louisiana. It would be great to renew that rivalry.

(03-15-2013 11:32 AM)timxlydon Wrote:  EMU is and always will be a bad football program. They are the fifth best FBS school in their state and also have to recruit against the rest of the MAC. I know they won't drop to FCS and wish them the best of luck but they will always bring down the MAC.

How long was Buffalo the doormat of the MAC, when suddenly they came out of nowhere and won the conference in 2008? Kent State almost did it last year (not quite, Heh, heh. ).

EMU just might be the next team to do it.

Everybody jump in! The water is fine.

(03-25-2013 04:30 PM)Huskie_Jon Wrote:  EMU just might be the next team to do it.

Everybody jump in! The water is fine.

They haven't done it since the 80's. There is no water left in that pool.

(03-25-2013 02:29 PM)HuskieTap22 Wrote:  WKU is off the board as they are about to join CUSA. Just waiting on Tulsa to announce conference TBD and then WKU will take the spot in CUSA.

I still think the MAC's best next move is to give EMU an ultimatum to get their football program and attendance in-line or force them to drop football from the MAC. Then they need to deal with UMass.

UMASS is still in the discussion in place of Tulsa.

Temple is basically demanding a team closer to them. Since they are a TV "Group A" team they are flexing what muscle they have. The closest teams to Temple are; UMASS, Buffalo and Army.

I would not be surprised if all three were invited or two of them with Tulsa.

The conference realignment board as a link to the latest Espn Insider which says Tulsa is the only candidate. They will go for no reason other than not being with a bunch of Sun Belt adds in CUSA and to be with a couple private schools. Temple is slotted in Group A per the new ESPN deal which is code for teams most likely to be desired by another conference. They would like UMass but in reality how long are they really even going to be in the league. The TBD conference seems to be moving south.

(03-25-2013 02:29 PM)HuskieTap22 Wrote:  I still think the MAC's best next move is to give EMU an ultimatum to get their football program and attendance in-line or force them to drop football from the MAC. Then they need to deal with UMass.

We've just had seven straight 20-loss seasons in basketball, so should the MAC give us an ultimatum? Keep in mind when we left the league with pie-in-the-sky plans and then needed a home, EMU was one of the schools defending our return while others did not want to let us back in. Worst case scenario, just consider it a "W" over someone other than UT-Martin and move on --- bottom line, quit bitching about EMU football. A conference is more than just football programs and there was a point in time when NIU football was not considered part of this league's upper echelon. Be glad our program has taken off and hope it always continues to improve.

(03-27-2013 05:09 PM)uiniu57 Wrote:  

(03-25-2013 02:29 PM)HuskieTap22 Wrote:  I still think the MAC's best next move is to give EMU an ultimatum to get their football program and attendance in-line or force them to drop football from the MAC. Then they need to deal with UMass.

We've just had seven straight 20-loss seasons in basketball, so should the MAC give us an ultimatum? Keep in mind when we left the league with pie-in-the-sky plans and then needed a home, EMU was one of the schools defending our return while others did not want to let us back in. Worst case scenario, just consider it a "W" over someone other than UT-Martin and move on --- bottom line, quit bitching about EMU football. A conference is more than just football programs and there was a point in time when NIU football was not considered part of this league's upper echelon. Be glad our program has taken off and hope it always continues to improve.

you've made some very valid points.....our hoops program has sucked , so should we be on the "chopping block"? Regarding additions/subtractions to the MAC.....UMass can leave as far as I'm concerned, and I'd like to see Arkansas State join the MAC

I think ASU is there for the taking. Would be an automatic upgrade for the MAC. No reason for the MAC not to present them with an offer. They were talking about the travel on the MAC board and really isn't that bad. ASU travel for the Sun Belt was kind of crazy if the miles were right.

(03-27-2013 05:09 PM)uiniu57 Wrote:  

(03-25-2013 02:29 PM)HuskieTap22 Wrote:  I still think the MAC's best next move is to give EMU an ultimatum to get their football program and attendance in-line or force them to drop football from the MAC. Then they need to deal with UMass.

We've just had seven straight 20-loss seasons in basketball, so should the MAC give us an ultimatum? Keep in mind when we left the league with pie-in-the-sky plans and then needed a home, EMU was one of the schools defending our return while others did not want to let us back in. Worst case scenario, just consider it a "W" over someone other than UT-Martin and move on --- bottom line, quit bitching about EMU football. A conference is more than just football programs and there was a point in time when NIU football was not considered part of this league's upper echelon. Be glad our program has taken off and hope it always continues to improve.

Great points.

(03-27-2013 08:43 PM)huskiebob Wrote:  

(03-27-2013 05:09 PM)uiniu57 Wrote:  

(03-25-2013 02:29 PM)HuskieTap22 Wrote:  I still think the MAC's best next move is to give EMU an ultimatum to get their football program and attendance in-line or force them to drop football from the MAC. Then they need to deal with UMass.

We've just had seven straight 20-loss seasons in basketball, so should the MAC give us an ultimatum? Keep in mind when we left the league with pie-in-the-sky plans and then needed a home, EMU was one of the schools defending our return while others did not want to let us back in. Worst case scenario, just consider it a "W" over someone other than UT-Martin and move on --- bottom line, quit bitching about EMU football. A conference is more than just football programs and there was a point in time when NIU football was not considered part of this league's upper echelon. Be glad our program has taken off and hope it always continues to improve.

Great points.

I mean, really. We've been an anchor for the MAC in BB how long? We gotta stop pointing fingers in football and get our BB in order.

(03-27-2013 10:43 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  

(03-27-2013 08:43 PM)huskiebob Wrote:  

(03-27-2013 05:09 PM)uiniu57 Wrote:  

(03-25-2013 02:29 PM)HuskieTap22 Wrote:  I still think the MAC's best next move is to give EMU an ultimatum to get their football program and attendance in-line or force them to drop football from the MAC. Then they need to deal with UMass.

We've just had seven straight 20-loss seasons in basketball, so should the MAC give us an ultimatum? Keep in mind when we left the league with pie-in-the-sky plans and then needed a home, EMU was one of the schools defending our return while others did not want to let us back in. Worst case scenario, just consider it a "W" over someone other than UT-Martin and move on --- bottom line, quit bitching about EMU football. A conference is more than just football programs and there was a point in time when NIU football was not considered part of this league's upper echelon. Be glad our program has taken off and hope it always continues to improve.

Great points.

I mean, really. We've been an anchor for the MAC in BB how long? We gotta stop pointing fingers in football and get our BB in order.

I think the difference is NIU was good at basketball and will be again soon, where as there is a special stigma right now on EMU Football... losing, no attendance, living in the shadow of U of Michigan. It seems like a much more permanent and serious condition, and certainly a much larger embarrassment to the conference then the current bottom dweller basketball squad. All conferences have their annual bottom dweller basketball squad, few or no other FBS conferences have a dead football program that draws high school size crowds.

(03-28-2013 11:22 AM)NIUfilmmaker Wrote:  

(03-27-2013 10:43 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  

(03-27-2013 08:43 PM)huskiebob Wrote:  

(03-27-2013 05:09 PM)uiniu57 Wrote:  

(03-25-2013 02:29 PM)HuskieTap22 Wrote:  I still think the MAC's best next move is to give EMU an ultimatum to get their football program and attendance in-line or force them to drop football from the MAC. Then they need to deal with UMass.

We've just had seven straight 20-loss seasons in basketball, so should the MAC give us an ultimatum? Keep in mind when we left the league with pie-in-the-sky plans and then needed a home, EMU was one of the schools defending our return while others did not want to let us back in. Worst case scenario, just consider it a "W" over someone other than UT-Martin and move on --- bottom line, quit bitching about EMU football. A conference is more than just football programs and there was a point in time when NIU football was not considered part of this league's upper echelon. Be glad our program has taken off and hope it always continues to improve.

Great points.

I mean, really. We've been an anchor for the MAC in BB how long? We gotta stop pointing fingers in football and get our BB in order.

I think the difference is NIU was good at basketball and will be again soon, where as there is a special stigma right now on EMU Football... losing, no attendance, living in the shadow of U of Michigan. It seems like a much more permanent and serious condition, and certainly a much larger embarrassment to the conference then the current bottom dweller basketball squad. All conferences have their annual bottom dweller basketball squad, few or no other FBS conferences have a dead football program that draws high school size crowds.

I wish we drew high school size crowds for basketball - or even middle school size crowds for that matter.

(03-28-2013 11:22 AM)NIUfilmmaker Wrote:  

(03-27-2013 10:43 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  

(03-27-2013 08:43 PM)huskiebob Wrote:  

(03-27-2013 05:09 PM)uiniu57 Wrote:  

(03-25-2013 02:29 PM)HuskieTap22 Wrote:  I still think the MAC's best next move is to give EMU an ultimatum to get their football program and attendance in-line or force them to drop football from the MAC. Then they need to deal with UMass.

We've just had seven straight 20-loss seasons in basketball, so should the MAC give us an ultimatum? Keep in mind when we left the league with pie-in-the-sky plans and then needed a home, EMU was one of the schools defending our return while others did not want to let us back in. Worst case scenario, just consider it a "W" over someone other than UT-Martin and move on --- bottom line, quit bitching about EMU football. A conference is more than just football programs and there was a point in time when NIU football was not considered part of this league's upper echelon. Be glad our program has taken off and hope it always continues to improve.

Great points.

I mean, really. We've been an anchor for the MAC in BB how long? We gotta stop pointing fingers in football and get our BB in order.

I think the difference is NIU was good at basketball and will be again soon, where as there is a special stigma right now on EMU Football... losing, no attendance, living in the shadow of U of Michigan. It seems like a much more permanent and serious condition, and certainly a much larger embarrassment to the conference then the current bottom dweller basketball squad. All conferences have their annual bottom dweller basketball squad, few or no other FBS conferences have a dead football program that draws high school size crowds.

Understood, but we've been setting records for futility in BB, and I'm sure several years ago people thought our turnaround was just around the corner.