(12-21-2014 10:44 PM)lakesbison Wrote:  NDSU back for a 4th straight title. 57-3 now. Beat 8 FBS teams.

NDSU YOUNGSTOWN WITH PELINI could be added tomorrow and help the exposure of the MAC football wise for sure, hell basketball and Olympics sports too. So it's a freaking plane ride. Oh big deal!

I would not use that argument if trying to convince Marshall to come play at your stadium...

Quote:NDSU back for a 4th straight title. 57-3 now. Beat 8 FBS teams.

NDSU YOUNGSTOWN WITH PELINI could be added tomorrow and help the exposure of the MAC football wise for sure, hell basketball and Olympics sports too. So it's a freaking plane ride. Oh big deal!

It's cost. NDSU is going to shell out more money to go FBS. Having a good fan base is a catch-22. You're not going to see a bigger fan-base to help make up for that. You'll rely on playing P5 teams with big crowds, which will lessen your record, even if you pick up a surprise win. It will also make your Head Coaches leave quicker. NDSU, unless they have a lot of money flowing suddenly, which I doubt, also won't be in a position to throw down lots of coin to keep HCs at any point in the near future.

So that's why (longer) "freaking plane rides" add salt to the wounds for conference games in the purse department.

The reason the other D1AA teams are joining is because they're looking to Expand + have more potential money + are located closer to opponents. Being way out in BFE makes it tougher to join when you'd have to travel more (and ask the conference to travel more).

With all that said, if money was a non-issue/non-factor, sure -- I'd like to have NDSU in the MAC. But I don't think they really want it. It's a more risky jump going from D1AA->D1A, rather than going G5->P5 in D1A (zero risk on the latter; just for the P5 conference).

One reason why people look at Grand Valley State -- with a good DII Football & Basketball program, along with many other sports that does very well -- why don't they go DI? At Least go FCS/D1AA for a bit, ya know? Their athletic dept people say: MONEY/RISK. D1AA->D1A isn't as big, and much of it depends on location, ability/willingness to grow which costs money, and, well, money factor.

Some D1AA schools, even if they were battling in the Final Four almost every year in football, don't want to position themselves to join "real" DI because they're at a happy medium and don't want to rock the boat.

I haven't been following this thread, but NDSU and UMass, both FB only????

OR (I'm ready for the stones) NDSU and ISU (Il. State) FB only.

The MAC, if it is ever going to expand, needs FCS power schools and I just named two.

(01-12-2015 11:41 AM)emu steve Wrote:  I haven't been following this thread, but NDSU and UMass, both FB only????

OR (I'm ready for the stones) NDSU and ISU (Il. State) FB only.

The MAC, if it is ever going to expand, needs FCS power schools and I just named two.

Everybody seems to be against it, based on geography. ISU was good this year but I think UNI has been better on a regular basis. NDSU would help I think but I don't know what that does to the travel budgets.

(01-12-2015 02:07 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  

(01-12-2015 11:41 AM)emu steve Wrote:  I haven't been following this thread, but NDSU and UMass, both FB only????

OR (I'm ready for the stones) NDSU and ISU (Il. State) FB only.

The MAC, if it is ever going to expand, needs FCS power schools and I just named two.

Everybody seems to be against it, based on geography. ISU was good this year but I think UNI has been better on a regular basis. NDSU would help I think but I don't know what that does to the travel budgets.

I hear you, but if the MAC would do FB only then travel (and artic conditions) aren't a problem. All sports. NO WAY.

(01-12-2015 05:36 PM)emu steve Wrote:  

(01-12-2015 02:07 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  

(01-12-2015 11:41 AM)emu steve Wrote:  I haven't been following this thread, but NDSU and UMass, both FB only????

OR (I'm ready for the stones) NDSU and ISU (Il. State) FB only.

The MAC, if it is ever going to expand, needs FCS power schools and I just named two.

Everybody seems to be against it, based on geography. ISU was good this year but I think UNI has been better on a regular basis. NDSU would help I think but I don't know what that does to the travel budgets.

I hear you, but if the MAC would do FB only then travel (and artic conditions) aren't a problem. All sports. NO WAY.

So you'd keep UMass football only to keep the divisions even? Ironically, that would make the West even stronger. Would probably have to shuffle teams.

(01-13-2015 09:54 AM)NIU007 Wrote:  

(01-12-2015 05:36 PM)emu steve Wrote:  

(01-12-2015 02:07 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  

(01-12-2015 11:41 AM)emu steve Wrote:  I haven't been following this thread, but NDSU and UMass, both FB only????

OR (I'm ready for the stones) NDSU and ISU (Il. State) FB only.

The MAC, if it is ever going to expand, needs FCS power schools and I just named two.

Everybody seems to be against it, based on geography. ISU was good this year but I think UNI has been better on a regular basis. NDSU would help I think but I don't know what that does to the travel budgets.

I hear you, but if the MAC would do FB only then travel (and artic conditions) aren't a problem. All sports. NO WAY.

So you'd keep UMass football only to keep the divisions even? Ironically, that would make the West even stronger. Would probably have to shuffle teams.

I'm 'flexible' on it. UMass is an excellent school and does seem to have some FBS FB potential. The MAC and UMass could easily undo what they did last year (UMass leaving FB only MAC).

That said, NDSU is an absolute FCS power; ISU and UNI (Northern Iowa) are very, very strong.

I'd have NO problem adding two of the three, NDSU, ISU, or UNI.

I'd prefer to expand eastward e.g., UMass and one more, if there is one which would meet the qualifications BUT the strength of FCS is in schools like NDSU, ISU, UNI, etc.

(01-13-2015 02:55 PM)emu steve Wrote:  

(01-13-2015 09:54 AM)NIU007 Wrote:  

(01-12-2015 05:36 PM)emu steve Wrote:  

(01-12-2015 02:07 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  

(01-12-2015 11:41 AM)emu steve Wrote:  I haven't been following this thread, but NDSU and UMass, both FB only????

OR (I'm ready for the stones) NDSU and ISU (Il. State) FB only.

The MAC, if it is ever going to expand, needs FCS power schools and I just named two.

Everybody seems to be against it, based on geography. ISU was good this year but I think UNI has been better on a regular basis. NDSU would help I think but I don't know what that does to the travel budgets.

I hear you, but if the MAC would do FB only then travel (and artic conditions) aren't a problem. All sports. NO WAY.

So you'd keep UMass football only to keep the divisions even? Ironically, that would make the West even stronger. Would probably have to shuffle teams.

I'm 'flexible' on it. UMass is an excellent school and does seem to have some FBS FB potential. The MAC and UMass could easily undo what they did last year (UMass leaving FB only MAC).

That said, NDSU is an absolute FCS power; ISU and UNI (Northern Iowa) are very, very strong.

I'd have NO problem adding two of the three, NDSU, ISU, or UNI.

I'd prefer to expand eastward e.g., UMass and one more, if there is one which would meet the qualifications BUT the strength of FCS is in schools like NDSU, ISU, UNI, etc.

I'd prefer to expand westward if the MAC expanded, but of course that's based on where NIU is located on the western end of the conference.

(01-14-2015 01:58 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  

(01-13-2015 02:55 PM)emu steve Wrote:  

(01-13-2015 09:54 AM)NIU007 Wrote:  

(01-12-2015 05:36 PM)emu steve Wrote:  

(01-12-2015 02:07 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  Everybody seems to be against it, based on geography. ISU was good this year but I think UNI has been better on a regular basis. NDSU would help I think but I don't know what that does to the travel budgets.

I hear you, but if the MAC would do FB only then travel (and artic conditions) aren't a problem. All sports. NO WAY.

So you'd keep UMass football only to keep the divisions even? Ironically, that would make the West even stronger. Would probably have to shuffle teams.

I'm 'flexible' on it. UMass is an excellent school and does seem to have some FBS FB potential. The MAC and UMass could easily undo what they did last year (UMass leaving FB only MAC).

That said, NDSU is an absolute FCS power; ISU and UNI (Northern Iowa) are very, very strong.

I'd have NO problem adding two of the three, NDSU, ISU, or UNI.

I'd prefer to expand eastward e.g., UMass and one more, if there is one which would meet the qualifications BUT the strength of FCS is in schools like NDSU, ISU, UNI, etc.

I'd prefer to expand westward if the MAC expanded, but of course that's based on where NIU is located on the western end of the conference.

I'm getting more inclined to go westward as well. We would almost match the B1G footprint (e.g., NDSU is on the border of Minnesota and N. Iowa is well, in Iowa).

Then INVITE NDSU! NDSU cannot just ask the MAC. They need an invite and the powers that be at NDSU aren't the type to beg or go asking for an invite, too conservative of people..


NDSU is consistently higher in sagarin rankings then the MAC for 3 years now. 58-3 4 titles 2 espn game days and 1.4 million viewers their last 2 playoff games on espn 2. (If on ESPN woulda been higher!)

Your problem is need. The MAC doesn't need to expand. If a school came to the the MAC offices with a well structured plan on how the conference would benefit--especially financially--from the addition of said school, the conference would probably listen. But if you are waiting for the MAC to come to you, you will have a very long wait. NDSU would have to do exactly what you are saying they wouldn't do: come a beggin'. And do it very convincingly. Fargo is just a better fit for the MWC. Go beg them.

(01-12-2015 11:41 AM)emu steve Wrote:  I haven't been following this thread, but NDSU and UMass, both FB only????

OR (I'm ready for the stones) NDSU and ISU (Il. State) FB only.

The MAC, if it is ever going to expand, needs FCS power schools and I just named two.

NO! No more FB only and no FCS schools in the middle of freaking nowhere... One of the only things the MAC has going for it right now is a compact footprint that keeps travel costs down.

Axeme, you saying conf don't have long range plans

I'm sure some do. The MAC seems to have moved away from the idea of football only adds. There was no push to add a school to go with UMass. It appears that the MAC is closing ranks rather than expanding. There just are not any schools that would want to join that make sense for the MAC. A far-flung school just makes current MAC schools poorer.

(11-20-2013 11:01 PM)lakesbison Wrote:  38-2 in last 40. Ranked #24 in Saarinen rankings. 20,000 average, a traveling fanbase. ESPN GAMEDAY.

What is your problem MAC?

We already beat you for recruits.

If NDSU played every MAC team, NDSU would be undefeated.