...not much I have found the last day or so... the last info noted they were in 'discussions', but wondered if any 'inside info' out there...

The MAC's TV deal with ESPN runs through 2025-26, toward the end of this realignment cycle so I don't see how there is a rush.

They may want to sit and assess the situation here because of the possibility of more realignment happening out of the XII. If the AAC loses Memphis they might want MT as a replacement.

Also details on how the 12 team playoff is going to work and how base conference share will be distributed isn't known but may be within a year or so.

If ESPN is going to match the AAC's TV money (projected $40 million) to add WKU/MT they MAC will rush in and do it tomorrow. To give everyone a $500k raise that would require ESPN to up the total annual value by $7 million at 14 schools.

Rumor is ESPN is going to up the SBC's FB exposures to what the AAC is getting. There may not be room for the MAC in FB but if they could do something big for them in basketball that also could be a factor and would bring up recruiting across the conference.

I don't think there will be any movement until the SBC adds are officially announced. Then talks can begin. It may result in the MAC just cordially listening and nothing coming of it but there will be a pitch from at least WKU.

I hope not.

The only thing the MAC needs to do is move Bowling Green to the West and Ball State to the East.

Leave us alone. Sorry you guys got screwed, but you don't help us.

(10-22-2021 11:39 PM)thrill_house Wrote:  I hope not.

The only thing the MAC needs to do is move Bowling Green to the West and Ball State to the East.

Leave us alone. Sorry you guys got screwed, but you don't help us.

I think we could help, but hey, it will most definitely be the MAC extending the invite if it happen. We won't be able to force our way in not matter how hard we try. I think ESPN will sweeten the pot much like they have for the SBC. They want C-USA to die and if MTSU and WKU are still kicking then it will likely survive.

(10-22-2021 11:43 PM)freshtop Wrote:  

(10-22-2021 11:39 PM)thrill_house Wrote:  I hope not.

The only thing the MAC needs to do is move Bowling Green to the West and Ball State to the East.

Leave us alone. Sorry you guys got screwed, but you don't help us.

I think we could help, but hey, it will most definitely be the MAC extending the invite if it happen. We won't be able to force our way in not matter how hard we try. I think ESPN will sweeten the pot much like they have for the SBC. They want C-USA to die and if MTSU and WKU are still kicking then it will likely survive.

Sweeten the pot by going big on televised MAC basketball.

There is a point where the MAC would sign off on it.

(10-22-2021 11:43 PM)freshtop Wrote:  I think we could help, but hey, it will most definitely be the MAC extending the invite if it happen. We won't be able to force our way in not matter how hard we try. I think ESPN will sweeten the pot much like they have for the SBC. They want C-USA to die and if MTSU and WKU are still kicking then it will likely survive.

No thank you. EMU is the MAC team support. I do not want to swap our closest geographical opponent which is located an hour away (Toledo) for a school in an area where we would have to charter a jet to fly to.

I don't hate WKU/MTSU, just please stay out of the conference. The travel costs outweigh whatever limited financial gain you may provide the MAC.

I would be through the roof if WKU & MTSU join the MAC. Please make this happen.

(10-23-2021 12:27 AM)IWokeUpLikeThis Wrote:  I would be through the roof if WKU & MTSU join the MAC. Please make this happen.

You guys can always leave and join C-USA if you would like to play WKU/MTSU over Toledo. I'm sure they'll be happy to have NIU.

(10-23-2021 12:14 AM)thrill_house Wrote:  

(10-22-2021 11:43 PM)freshtop Wrote:  I think we could help, but hey, it will most definitely be the MAC extending the invite if it happen. We won't be able to force our way in not matter how hard we try. I think ESPN will sweeten the pot much like they have for the SBC. They want C-USA to die and if MTSU and WKU are still kicking then it will likely survive.

No thank you. EMU is the MAC team support. I do not want to swap our closest geographical opponent which is located an hour away (Toledo) for a school in an area where we would have to charter a jet to fly to.

I don't hate WKU/MTSU, just please stay out of the conference. The travel costs outweigh whatever limited financial gain you may provide the MAC.

Travel costs? For a 5-7-hour drive? Oh, gosh! That is so awful!! Holy s*** you guys in the east are so spoiled. Is that why MAC attendance is so lousy?

Hell, you might as well drop out of the MAC and schedule all your area high school and community and junior college teams so that every game is less than an hour away.

If WKU leaves, why not throw 15-20 million in Conf USA exit fees at Texas State over 4-5 years and build out a western flank if you are Conf USA? This is assuming LA Tech wouldn’t replace Texas St.

If I can make double what I get from ESPN and have a nucleus of LA Tech, UTEP, NMSU, and a couple more FCS call ups? It may be worth it to save on travel costs.

(10-23-2021 06:36 AM)RUScarlets Wrote:  If WKU leaves, why not throw 15-20 million in Conf USA exit fees at Texas State over 4-5 years and build out a western flank if you are Conf USA? This is assuming LA Tech wouldn’t replace Texas St.

If I can make double what I get from ESPN and have a nucleus of LA Tech, UTEP, NMSU, and a couple more FCS call ups? It may be worth it to save on travel costs.

That seems to be the WAC's future footprint. I don't think Texas St. sees the benefit of starting over in a new conference. Maybe they'd enjoy bringing up SFA, SHSU, and Lamar?

Didn’t realize San Marcos is almost a nine hour drive to El Paso…. Ouch. They’ll need at least 5-6 more schools in that greater southwest area.

At this point, CBS should have some money freed up to bring in UTEP and NMSU to the MWC at a fraction of the payout. It’s the right thing to do for your partners, but CBS is so cash strapped at the moment (as is Viacom in large). Maybe there isn’t a few extra hundred grand laying around.

(10-23-2021 07:21 AM)dawgonit Wrote:  

(10-23-2021 06:36 AM)RUScarlets Wrote:  If WKU leaves, why not throw 15-20 million in Conf USA exit fees at Texas State over 4-5 years and build out a western flank if you are Conf USA? This is assuming LA Tech wouldn’t replace Texas St.

If I can make double what I get from ESPN and have a nucleus of LA Tech, UTEP, NMSU, and a couple more FCS call ups? It may be worth it to save on travel costs.

That seems to be the WAC's future footprint. I don't think Texas St. sees the benefit of starting over in a new conference. Maybe they'd enjoy bringing up SFA, SHSU, and Lamar?

They have already bailed on the WAC once and made a bad situation worse. I hope they don't come back. We just took on 4 other flakey Texas schools, and I'm not sure the WAC should become so Texas heavy because historically they have all bailed that first chance they get.

(10-22-2021 11:39 PM)thrill_house Wrote:  I hope not.

The only thing the MAC needs to do is move Bowling Green to the West and Ball State to the East.

Leave us alone. Sorry you guys got screwed, but you don't help us.

We’re good

(10-23-2021 03:30 AM)All4One Wrote:  

(10-23-2021 12:14 AM)thrill_house Wrote:  

(10-22-2021 11:43 PM)freshtop Wrote:  I think we could help, but hey, it will most definitely be the MAC extending the invite if it happen. We won't be able to force our way in not matter how hard we try. I think ESPN will sweeten the pot much like they have for the SBC. They want C-USA to die and if MTSU and WKU are still kicking then it will likely survive.

No thank you. EMU is the MAC team support. I do not want to swap our closest geographical opponent which is located an hour away (Toledo) for a school in an area where we would have to charter a jet to fly to.

I don't hate WKU/MTSU, just please stay out of the conference. The travel costs outweigh whatever limited financial gain you may provide the MAC.

Travel costs? For a 5-7-hour drive? Oh, gosh! That is so awful!! Holy s*** you guys in the east are so spoiled. Is that why MAC attendance is so lousy?

Hell, you might as well drop out of the MAC and schedule all your area high school and community and junior college teams so that every game is less than an hour away.

I wouldn't be entirely opposed to it. I'd rather play Grand Valley State, Wayne State, Ferris State, etc. annually than WKU/MTSU. We actually have alumni from those schools living in our area who would potentially attend a sporting event. Wayne State has 104,000 LinkedIn Profiles in the Detroit Metropolitan Area. GVSU and Ferris State have 14,000 each. Assuming it's East/West, we would be trading Toledo (7800 alumni in Detroit) for these two teams who have a combined 463 alumni in the metro area. If it's North/South, you just need to ask the Ohio schools + Ball State if they would rather play WKU/MTSU than the Michigan / Toledo area schools.

It's important that everyone plays their local schools. It grows interest in the league regionally. Playing a bunch of programs you have no history with that drives up travel costs really isn't helping most programs. For the west coast it's different, you guys don't have the luxury of having another a half dozen colleges (at least) within 4 hours if you're in most cities.

The Sun Belt won the long game because they have a regional identity. Fans of UL Lafayette, UL Monroe, Troy, South Alabama, Southern Miss are able to attend the majority of their sporting events with relative ease. If you go to the Southern Miss board their fans are happy with this move and genuinely understanding that after 25+ years of chasing a paycheck it's in their best interest to be in a stable regional conference with their local schools.

Not bragging (which impresses no one), but been a college sportsfan since the mid-60's and an NIU/MAC fan since the early-70s, so feel at least a little qualified at least to opine.

The days of the cute little bus league D1/FBS conference are about over. MAC fans don't travel well, and local attendance is dropping. Fans of WMU, NIU et al are already complaining of nice-weather home-game attendance around 11,000. Yes, Covid had a double impact: fear, and the opportunity to find other things to do. It's about TV eyeballs, big-screen TVs at home, convenient online streaming and how to monetize those things.

But realistically, the domino effect of UT/OU to the SEC and Big12 raiding the AAC is unavoidable. The Sun Belt saw its chance and is moving to expand. For now, the PAC12 and MWC stand pat, but look where they are geographically. The MAC may be last in line, but "as is" is not an option for future survival.

All that said ... I was mistook in my judgement initially saying WKU and MTSU to the MAC is the best option. WKU some years ago almost got into the MAC, but EMU blocked it, allegedly due to a tiff with Toledo about something. So I like the add of WKU ... but now see MTSU as a too-expensive stretch.

WKU-MTSU may yet happen, but I do not think it is the MAC's "job" to save anyone. I now hope the alleged brains at UMass wake up and try to move all-sports to the MAC along with WKU. Absolutely no more football-only c**p. And the hell with both CUSA and the A10.

WKU goes to the West Division, UMass to the East. Six MAC schools have 17 future football games with UMass anyway. Most are with Buffalo and Miami-Ohio. If both go to the East, move BGSU West; terrific real rivalry with Toledo. With UMass, six in-division and 2 (1 home, 1 away) ex-division; only one West team makes the long haul each year. WKU-UMass flip-flop home games every other year.

Travel costs for other sports go up, but so do the chances of an annual tournament autobid+at-large. TV eyeballs definitely go up, and so might attendance with bball (m and w) hosting WKU and UMass. Raising revenue is a dance marathon that never ends.

But sitting around waiting for the ship to come in is a waste of whatever revenue schools have right now. It's been a long, long wait so far.

(10-23-2021 07:40 AM)mufanatehc Wrote:  

(10-22-2021 11:39 PM)thrill_house Wrote:  I hope not.

The only thing the MAC needs to do is move Bowling Green to the West and Ball State to the East.

Leave us alone. Sorry you guys got screwed, but you don't help us.

We’re good

Not at basketball

(10-23-2021 12:14 AM)thrill_house Wrote:  

(10-22-2021 11:43 PM)freshtop Wrote:  I think we could help, but hey, it will most definitely be the MAC extending the invite if it happen. We won't be able to force our way in not matter how hard we try. I think ESPN will sweeten the pot much like they have for the SBC. They want C-USA to die and if MTSU and WKU are still kicking then it will likely survive.

No thank you. EMU is the MAC team support. I do not want to swap our closest geographical opponent which is located an hour away (Toledo) for a school in an area where we would have to charter a jet to fly to.

I don't hate WKU/MTSU, just please stay out of the conference. The travel costs outweigh whatever limited financial gain you may provide the MAC.

You are assuming they would join the West, when on average the Eastern teams are closer. If they join the East, your division adds Bowling Green (OH) to Toledo, and the East gets Bowling Green (KY).

______________-

(10-23-2021 10:08 AM)pvk75 Wrote:  All that said ... I was mistook in my judgement initially saying WKU and MTSU to the MAC is the best option. WKU some years ago almost got into the MAC, but EMU blocked it, allegedly due to a tiff with Toledo about something. So I like the add of WKU ... but now see MTSU as a too-expensive stretch.

WKU-MTSU may yet happen, but I do not think it is the MAC's "job" to save anyone. I now hope the alleged brains at UMass wake up and try to move all-sports to the MAC along with WKU. Absolutely no more football-only c**p. And the hell with both CUSA and the A10. ...

UMass supporters might not be to the point of sacrificing membership in a multi-bid basketball conference in return for the uncertain and speculative benefits of having their ailing FB program play in a conference.

Also, if UMass-Amherst at 8.5-9hrs drive from Kent is an affordable distance for an all-sports add, it's hard to see how 8-8.5hrs drive to Murfreesboro a "too-expensive stretch". Plus for the subsidy team sports where travel-partner scheduling is an option, WKU plus the closer-to-most-MAC-schools MTSU allows travel-partner scheduling, while WKY plus farther-from-most-MAC-schools UMass does not.

I don’t see how UMass does anything for geography and establishing rivalries. WKU is the best option but there isn’t a viable 14th school. Maybe Liberty if they are ambitious, or stay at 13 like they have in the past.