About 10 p.m. Monday night (CST) Brett McMurphy tweeted that CUSA rumored to be recovering with some adds. These include Liberty, New Mexico State and 2 FCS call-ups (good FCS: Jacksonville State and #1 Sam Houston State). If true, the CUSA would be decidedly south central and southwest.

https://www.actionnetwork.com/ncaaf/conf...ttMcMurphy

Of course, speculation immediately followed on the various boards that WKU and MTSU had reason to stay with CUSA and not join the MAC. Our newly-acquired "friends" from those two have not reacted yet, but it will be interesting when/if they do. Many of their earlier posts had a "thank you for saving us" tone.

Ironically, earlier Monday, I posted a caution on the MACbbs main board that without official "word" from MAC presidents, all the welcomes and congrats were a bit premature. I personally would be ecstatic with adding WKU and MTSU -- the dust and rust are getting a bit thick, IMO.

Not raining on any parade, but ...

Yeah, but here's the thing -- CUSA would have to do a lot more than that.

CUSA lost Marshall, Southern Miss, and ODU to Sun Belt. They lost a ton of teams that were recently FCS to the AAC (which is silly, but still).

WKU and MTSU already knew CUSA was talking to FCS teams to join.

WKU and MTSU didn't aim to join the MAC *only* if CUSA were to fold. I mean, that's obvious, right? You wouldn't get word that all the MAC Presidents agreed to bring them in and they were just going over formalities at this point to bring them in, if that were the case.

I mean, CUSA taking in FCS teams to replace mostly newly FBS teams gone to AAC was a supposed assumption by anyone leaving CUSA + losing Marshall & Southern Miss, along with a very good recent FCS join to Sun Belt.

Taking in NMSU is chuckling for football. So would UMass or UConn which would only join for football only (wouldn't help their sports resume to join At All).

Taking in Liberty is Good athletically -- but big caveat which is being super-religious/private. MW didn't like that with BYU but still had them since they're (not high but) P5 level until they finally parted in a tiff. Liberty also has those ethical issues to deal with which is what I think put them over the edge to join, actually.

From everything out there, CUSA taking those in is less "coagulated" than the MAC taking in WKU & MTSU. So if you want to play "caution caution" -- ya gotta go that way too. Remember that! :)

CUSA is taking a BIG HIT, regardless. Just surviving isn't going to cut it. They expected that.

And remember, even if CUSA gets UMass & UConn for football -- so what? The MAC told UMass to get lost. It just 'sounds good' At First, when you're a conference trying to survive.

CUSA would have to do a lot more to stop WKU & MTSU, last minute.

Wasn't knocking it, and would be thrilled if WKU and MTSU joined the MAC. Best of the adds out there, no doubt, and are #1 and #2 in conference titles won of that whole bunch. Just noting what CUSA is doing might give them second thoughts (who doesn't have those from time to time), and noting there are no formal invites yet. Until things actually happen, there's a ton of speculation because, well, it's fun and that's a lot of what we do on these boards.

And the only "caution" is common sense ... let's have more than a couple Tweets with "sources said." Yes, where there's smoke here I believe there's fire, and again, would greet the newcomers with a full boatload of enthusiasm. The MAC, as I said a dozen times, needs an infusion. Sorry if that caution was too strong, but oh well.

The process: AD's talk it over>AD's talk it over with Presidents>Presidents talk it over (insert "sources said here)>Presidents reach decision (let's say it's "go!")>Invitations sent to WKU+MTSU>Each invitee AD+President+stakeholders discuss>Presidents decide independently (maybe talk with each other)>Whoopee announcements by each school

Discussion by McMurphy including emphasis on financial impacts ...

https://www.actionnetwork.com/ncaaf/mac-...ttMcMurphy

IF...WKU and MTSU were swayed by C-USA bringing in that bunch then they'd be making a huge mistake. For one, they'd be setting themselves up for another similar situation down the road (possibly soon) and would have burned a bridge with the most stable conference in FBS.

Cutting bait with C-USA is the smart move.

(11-02-2021 05:00 AM)pvk75 Wrote:  Wasn't knocking it, and would be thrilled if WKU and MTSU joined the MAC. Best of the adds out there, no doubt, and are #1 and #2 in conference titles won of that whole bunch. Just noting what CUSA is doing might give them second thoughts (who doesn't have those from time to time), and noting there are no formal invites yet. Until things actually happen, there's a ton of speculation because, well, it's fun and that's a lot of what we do on these boards.

And the only "caution" is common sense ... let's have more than a couple Tweets with "sources said." Yes, where there's smoke here I believe there's fire, and again, would greet the newcomers with a full boatload of enthusiasm. The MAC, as I said a dozen times, needs an infusion. Sorry if that caution was too strong, but oh well.

The process: AD's talk it over>AD's talk it over with Presidents>Presidents talk it over (insert "sources said here)>Presidents reach decision (let's say it's "go!")>Invitations sent to WKU+MTSU>Each invitee AD+President+stakeholders discuss>Presidents decide independently (maybe talk with each other)>Whoopee announcements by each school

I agree, and I was thinking the same thing. And that was before the announcement of CUSA agreements with the new schools.

As hesitant as some of their fans may be to join the little old MAC they’re soon going to realize the MAC is going to net about $1.5-$2M more per school per year from media than whatever they cobble together down there. You fans still want to stay and play your games on Facebook ???? Personally if we some how get rejected last second I could care less. We’re still getting paid on par with the other real conferences with the existing escalator in our agreement and we won’t have to compete with WKU for championships.

(11-02-2021 08:01 AM)Big Redd Wrote:  As hesitant as some of their fans may be to join the little old MAC they’re soon going to realize the MAC is going to net about $1.5-$2M more per school per year from media than whatever they cobble together down there. You fans still want to stay and play your games on Facebook ???? Personally if we some how get rejected last second I could care less. We’re still getting paid on par with the other real conferences with the existing escalator in our agreement and we won’t have to compete with WKU for championships.

Exactly. They need the MAC waaaaaaay more than the MAC needs them. And, tbh, if they do "reject" the MAC, it leaves the door open to other schools to join in the near future when something else goes awry.

The MAC, while not being the gold star league some others are, is solid and stable. Something C-USA has never been.

(11-02-2021 07:46 AM)NIU007 Wrote:  

(11-02-2021 05:00 AM)pvk75 Wrote:  Wasn't knocking it, and would be thrilled if WKU and MTSU joined the MAC. Best of the adds out there, no doubt, and are #1 and #2 in conference titles won of that whole bunch. Just noting what CUSA is doing might give them second thoughts (who doesn't have those from time to time), and noting there are no formal invites yet. Until things actually happen, there's a ton of speculation because, well, it's fun and that's a lot of what we do on these boards.

And the only "caution" is common sense ... let's have more than a couple Tweets with "sources said." Yes, where there's smoke here I believe there's fire, and again, would greet the newcomers with a full boatload of enthusiasm. The MAC, as I said a dozen times, needs an infusion. Sorry if that caution was too strong, but oh well.

The process: AD's talk it over>AD's talk it over with Presidents>Presidents talk it over (insert "sources said here)>Presidents reach decision (let's say it's "go!")>Invitations sent to WKU+MTSU>Each invitee AD+President+stakeholders discuss>Presidents decide independently (maybe talk with each other)>Whoopee announcements by each school

I agree, and I was thinking the same thing. And that was before the announcement of CUSA agreements with the new schools.

Looks like there are a couple of newspapers that are confirming the move also. They are school newspapers, but I believe them because they still teach journalistic integrity in college and they know to check sources.

(11-02-2021 08:07 AM)Big Red Wrote:  

(11-02-2021 08:01 AM)Big Redd Wrote:  As hesitant as some of their fans may be to join the little old MAC they’re soon going to realize the MAC is going to net about $1.5-$2M more per school per year from media than whatever they cobble together down there. You fans still want to stay and play your games on Facebook ???? Personally if we some how get rejected last second I could care less. We’re still getting paid on par with the other real conferences with the existing escalator in our agreement and we won’t have to compete with WKU for championships.

Exactly. They need the MAC waaaaaaay more than the MAC needs them. And, tbh, if they do "reject" the MAC, it leaves the door open to other schools to join in the near future when something else goes awry.

The MAC, while not being the gold star league some others are, is solid and stable. Something C-USA has never been.

This is the most important thing. Plus there is quality football and hoops here. Looking at the trajectory of some of these schools, heck even specifically NIU, they are young and going to take the next step soon.

I'm 100% comfortable with WKU, MTSU staying in the CUSA garbage heap.

(11-02-2021 09:48 AM)NIUfilmmaker Wrote:  I'm 100% comfortable with WKU, MTSU staying in the CUSA garbage heap.

As am I.

With that said, I highly doubt they stay (or are even considering staying) in C-USA.

Picked up from the csnbbs_mac conference talk board ....MacDonald is with the Bowling Green (Ky.) Daily News ...

https://twitter.com/JMacDonaldSport/stat...age-5.html

(11-02-2021 01:13 PM)pvk75 Wrote:  Picked up from the csnbbs_mac conference talk board ....MacDonald is with the Bowling Green (Ky.) Daily News ...

https://twitter.com/JMacDonaldSport/stat...age-5.html

Well that's interesting. Perhaps a MAC president is blocking the add?

I'm going to go with the key words are "at this time" as in the invite has not quite yet been given. Have to think there's way too much smoke not to be fire. I don't take our commish as the type to leak false claims intentionally. We're just not that desperate with a monopoly on the G5 north. It's a fun time to be a MAC fan with all this realignment and MACtion starting tonight. Side note, I have no idea who to bet on. Seems like the best teams can lose to the worst teams any given Sat/Tue/Wed. I think I'll stick with the over, especially the CMU/WMU game.

??

https://twitter.com/wkubasketballr1/stat...3750072321

Wow! If true ... just, Wow! Thanks for finding. Great work.

What's with this Mac action stuff? It's Maction.

Welcome to the MAC conference....#Macaction

(11-02-2021 03:19 PM)NIUfilmmaker Wrote:  ??

https://twitter.com/wkubasketballr1/stat...3750072321

Over on ccnbbs-mac conference talk, a long-time wku fan posted that the poster is not an official wku account, and speculates it might be a student poking their nose in, and that's the reason for the macdonald tweet.

Wow. This is starting to draw trolls and fakers. Have we hit the big time or what?

Again over on the mac main board, BeatWestern! (CMU) picked this up from the Detroit news about another meeting Weds. ...

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports...257318001/

Just keeping this board up-to-date.

Welcome to the MAC Conference .... #MacAction!