(08-22-2022 08:21 PM)IWokeUpLikeThis Wrote:  

(08-22-2022 07:46 PM)sstaedtler88 Wrote:  Both MTSU and WKU would be foolish to go to the MAC. 8 of the 25 worst FBS football stadiums, lowest football attendance, worse than new CUSA in baseball

University presidents do not care about these things.

The relevant points in your post are recruiting the South and Tue/Wed games. MTSU cited recruiting the south. I’m not sure if university presidents care about Tue/Wed games if they’re making more money, but I would always count that as a negative as it depresses fan support which in turn depresses alumni engagement.

CUSA has been able to avoid Tue, Wed games but it may have to cave to that to get some exposure. We will see.

Recruiting the south is a valid point. I don’t think Tues/Wed night games would affect us that bad. Most of the fans that attend our games live in the Metro. I personally don’t think it would have a major impact on attendance and might actually boost student attendance since it would be shortly after classes are over. Weekends there are a lot of options and we have a lot of Tennessee and Bama fans to compete with for attention.

(08-23-2022 08:11 PM)Ewglenn Wrote:  Recruiting the south is a valid point. I don’t think Tues/Wed night games would affect us that bad. Most of the fans that attend our games live in the Metro. I personally don’t think it would have a major impact on attendance and might actually boost student attendance since it would be shortly after classes are over. Weekends there are a lot of options and we have a lot of Tennessee and Bama fans to compete with for attention.

IMHO, it's highly unlikely MTSU recruiting would suffer playing in the MAC. In fact, it would probably help you recruit in places like Michigan, Ohio and Illinois, states that each annually produce close to 100 Division I college football players.

I don't know of a MAC school that doesn't recruit in the south, either. Central Michigan, like many northern programs, is very active in Florida, Georgia and in recent years, even Texas.

MAC expansion would be kind of intriguing because it's had fewer changes over the past 25 years than anyone else. Full member Marshall came for 8ish years and left. Football only members UCF, Temple, and UMass had their short stints. Otherwise, it's been the same game since Buffalo joined in, I think, 1998.

Everyone else has had dramatic changes.

So for the MAC, of all conferences, to add two full new members, to me, that would be a really big deal.

(08-23-2022 08:21 PM)BeatWestern! Wrote:  IMHO, it's highly unlikely MTSU recruiting would suffer playing in the MAC. In fact, it would probably help you recruit in places like Michigan, Ohio and Illinois, states that each annually produce close to 100 Division I college football players.

Bowling Green alone has 43 Ohio players on its roster. I'm confident Ohio produces several hundred Division I players.

Does the MAC footprint have talent to spare for Middle Tennessee? That I do not know.

(08-24-2022 08:44 AM)Schadenfreude Wrote:  

(08-23-2022 08:21 PM)BeatWestern! Wrote:  IMHO, it's highly unlikely MTSU recruiting would suffer playing in the MAC. In fact, it would probably help you recruit in places like Michigan, Ohio and Illinois, states that each annually produce close to 100 Division I college football players.

Bowling Green alone has 43 Ohio players on its roster. I'm confident Ohio produces several hundred Division I players.

Does the MAC footprint have talent to spare for Middle Tennessee? That I do not know.

Yes, you're correct, Ohio annually produces more than 100 Division I scholarship players. Michigan and Illinois are close to the mark while Wisconsin and Indiana are seeing an increase in talent, too.

What's going to enhance both MTSU and WKU's ability to recruit is when they improve their facilities. Both schools are preparing to break ground on new indoor training facilities.

As you probably know, every current member of the MAC has an indoor training facility and some have recently built new multimillion dollar football buildings, including Buffalo, CMU, EMU, Miami and NIU.

(08-18-2022 07:43 AM)andybible1995 Wrote:  It's widely known at this point that WKU is wanting out of the C-USA, and is wanting to go to the more geographically sane, and over more stabilized MAC. However, in order to do that, they need a travel partner to bring the MAC up to an even number. Their ideal partner, and long time rival, MTSU, had a chance to move with them last November when the C-USA was collapsing, but they decided to stay in the C-USA, which irked a lot of the WKU fan base. As an MTSU alum, this isn't the first time MTSU has made the wrong decision. It seemed ideal at the time, but they're hoping for and holding out for a spot in the AAC should Memphis be added to the Big 12, which may or may not happen.

With all that in mind, would WKU allow themselves to swallow their pride and let their forgotten rival EKU join the C-USA for a few years, before jumping ship to the MAC when the next media deal for the MAC is up for renegotiation?

I think a combination of WKU and Delaware would make a better fit in the MAC.

When the PAC-12 loses teams to the B1G and Big XII, and then takes some MWC teams to reload, the MWC will end up taking CUSA teams. And then MTSU is going to re-think the MAC, if that option is still open to them and WKU. If not, then EKU is going to end up in CUSA once the Texas schools and maybe La Tech depart to the reconstituted MWC.

(08-24-2022 10:48 AM)CitrusUCF Wrote:  When the PAC-12 loses teams to the B1G and Big XII, and then takes some MWC teams to reload, the MWC will end up taking CUSA teams. And then MTSU is going to re-think the MAC, if that option is still open to them and WKU. If not, then EKU is going to end up in CUSA once the Texas schools and maybe La Tech depart to the reconstituted MWC.

Citrus, you see this playing out the same way I do.

(08-24-2022 11:04 AM)BeatWestern! Wrote:  

(08-24-2022 10:48 AM)CitrusUCF Wrote:  When the PAC-12 loses teams to the B1G and Big XII, and then takes some MWC teams to reload, the MWC will end up taking CUSA teams. And then MTSU is going to re-think the MAC, if that option is still open to them and WKU. If not, then EKU is going to end up in CUSA once the Texas schools and maybe La Tech depart to the reconstituted MWC.

Citrus, you see this playing out the same way I do.

You are underestimating the EGO of the Mountain West. Plus they could easily stay at nine or ten teams. They consider UTEP and NMSU beneath them.