Bouncing between the WMU-OU and NIU-Akron games tonight. I realize that the ESPN contract gets us a lot of money. I also respect the viewpoint that having MAC on national TV is beneficial. Unfortunately when the camera scans the spectator stands, they are 80% empty as one would expect on cold fall weekday evenings. That national TV exposure of empty stands presents the MAC as a glorified high school league in my mind. It also has to murder season ticket sales.

I don't like weeknight MACTION at all. Your thoughts?

I agree with you, Jerry. And I think most MAC fans/alums across the conference agree with you.

What really doesn't make sense to me is playing more than weeknight game at the same time. Why compete ourselves? If the intent is to draw in viewers who wouldn't normally watch, why not focus on one game a night?

(11-01-2018 06:49 PM)Jerry Weaver Wrote:  Bouncing between the WMU-OU and NIU-Akron games tonight. I realize that the ESPN contract gets us a lot of money. I also respect the viewpoint that having MAC on national TV is beneficial. Unfortunately when the camera scans the spectator stands, they are 80% empty as one would expect on cold fall weekday evenings. That national TV exposure of empty stands presents the MAC as a glorified high school league in my mind. It also has to murder season ticket sales.

I don't like weeknight MACTION at all. Your thoughts?

Agree. It is nice seeing WMU getting trounced in a home game in front of nobody though.

I don’t know how we beat you guys, if we played again, you’d kill us

40 minutes into SportsCenter this morning and I've seen zero highlights from the two MAC games played last night. Gotta love the publicity the MAC gets from weekday games.

Agree. The supposed "exposure" we get is not worth it.

The exposure is worth it for recruits, and de generate gamblers. Also november weekend days aren't always perfect either. I think they do 2 games so they can bump the better game to espn. just the cost of doing business in "amateur athletics" where we need to cut 3 sports to fund the rest.

(11-02-2018 09:38 AM)fanfrompowellspub Wrote:  The exposure is worth it for recruits, and de generate gamblers. Also november weekend days aren't always perfect either. I think they do 2 games so they can bump the better game to espn. just the cost of doing business in "amateur athletics" where we need to cut 3 sports to fund the rest.

ESPN has the contract and sells the secondary game, most usually to CBS Sports.

MAC football is a good product exemplified by all the alumni succeeding in the NFL. The game experience is fabulous and economical when compared to Power 5 programs. That great, inexpensive experience is obliterated when a fan is presented with the option of freezing his or hers butt off and staying out late prior to a workday morning.

I just wonder how much MAC game attendance has dropped since the ESPN contract?