Kevin Tresolini of the Delaware News-Journal reports:

https://www.delawareonline.com/story/spo...779798007/

I feel very strongly the MAC will add UMass and Delaware before the expiration of its current ESPN media rights deal in 2026-27.

Two flagships coming to the MAC? UConn/UMass and Del? Not too bad...

Delaware should be FBS, imo.

They should be, but geography like NDSU seems to be an issue. The MAC would be a good landing spot for sure.

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(09-08-2023 09:47 AM)Yosef Himself Wrote:  Delaware should be FBS, imo.

At least they've done something at FCS level and earned a promotion unlike recent FCS callups - GaSt, Charlotte, etc.

If Delaware does move up to FBS and join the MAC as a full member, I don't know if UMass is likely to be paired with them. Last time they were associated with the MAC for FB, they specifically declined a full-member invite because (understandably) they didn't want to leave the A-10.

UConn, being in the Big East, would have even stronger reservations about full membership. And even if the MAC would entertain FB-only memberships again, it's not as though UConn FB brings much to the table.

This doesn't exactly work from the travel partner angle, but WKU showed much interest the last time MAC expansion came up, so perhaps they'd be invited along with UDel. That would be my bet. Then you have a team for the West Division and a team for the East.

PS: WKU leaving CUSA doesn't mean EKU is automatically going to be invited. I think CUSA would be more inclined to invite a team in a more populous state. Perhaps SFA?

I'd like Delaware as an FBS opponent. Always liked the FCS games we had with them back when I was a student.

Buffalo is a MAC outlier. UMass needs a home. UDel is sniffing about at moving up.

Frankly UDel, UBuff, and UMass should be "corner-stoning" a G5 in the northeast.

(09-08-2023 09:57 AM)Nerdlinger Wrote:  If Delaware does move up to FBS and join the MAC as a full member, I don't know if UMass is likely to be paired with them. Last time they were associated with the MAC for FB, they specifically declined a full-member invite because (understandably) they didn't want to leave the A-10.

UConn, being in the Big East, would have even stronger reservations about full membership. And even if the MAC would entertain FB-only memberships again, it's not as though UConn FB brings much to the table.

This doesn't exactly work from the travel partner angle, but WKU showed much interest the last time MAC expansion came up, so perhaps they'd be invited along with UDel. That would be my bet. Then you have a team for the West Division and a team for the East.

PS: WKU leaving CUSA doesn't mean EKU is automatically going to be invited. I think CUSA would be more inclined to invite a team in a more populous state. Perhaps SFA?

CUSA seems hellbent on inviting every FCS team anyway.

(09-08-2023 10:18 AM)Scoochpooch1 Wrote:  CUSA seems hellbent on inviting every FCS team anyway.

Hardly. After being gutted, they invited JSU and SHSU to reach 9 members, one over the bare minimum for FBS. Then when ESPN said they needed more, they invited KSU.

Delaware would be upper half in value in the MAC. That said, the appeal of the MAC is only playing regional midwestern teams in conference. There's nothing for the league to chase.

The MAC seems like an outlier for UD. Would think the Sun Belt would make much more sense and the SBC can just add a CUSA team to the west.

(09-08-2023 09:57 AM)Nerdlinger Wrote:  If Delaware does move up to FBS and join the MAC as a full member, I don't know if UMass is likely to be paired with them. Last time they were associated with the MAC for FB, they specifically declined a full-member invite because (understandably) they didn't want to leave the A-10.

UConn, being in the Big East, would have even stronger reservations about full membership. And even if the MAC would entertain FB-only memberships again, it's not as though UConn FB brings much to the table.

This doesn't exactly work from the travel partner angle, but WKU showed much interest the last time MAC expansion came up, so perhaps they'd be invited along with UDel. That would be my bet. Then you have a team for the West Division and a team for the East.

PS: WKU leaving CUSA doesn't mean EKU is automatically going to be invited. I think CUSA would be more inclined to invite a team in a more populous state. Perhaps SFA?

It’s a given that UConn would be a football-only member option for any G5 league - they’re not leaving the Big East for anything less than full membership in a P4 conference.

UMass has always been the one on the borderline of whether giving A-10 membership for basketball is worth full membership in a G5 league.

The other consideration is what does the MAC actually want. As we saw a couple of years ago, they wanted the WKU/MTSU pairing specifically because they league wants to get into the faster-growing and recruiting-rich territory (for both athletes and “regular” students) around Nashville. That’s the thing with any Midwest-based league, from the Big Ten to the MAC to the MVC (in their dalliance with UT-Arlington) - getting *out* of their cold weather region is often a primary objective.

I would be very open to Temple as a football only in the MAC if we could get basketball back into the A10, if UMass and Delaware were going. Is the MAC willing to go football only for Temple, UConn and UMass? Those three plus Buffalo and Delaware is a nice little northeast pocket no other G5 has.

(09-08-2023 10:42 AM)thecoffeecake Wrote:  I would be very open to Temple as a football only in the MAC if we could get basketball back into the A10, if UMass and Delaware were going. Is the MAC willing to go football only for Temple, UConn and UMass? Those three plus Buffalo and Delaware is a nice little northeast pocket no other G5 has.

My guess is they would be open to Temple/UConn FB only.

If the MAC is going to do UMass/UDel all sports it should bring some more A10 schools in for travel like URI, Fordham, GW and VCU.

"There remains no ideal league in which Delaware could be transplanted. The 14-member Sun Belt’s East Division is packed with Delaware’s former FCS/Division I-AA adversaries – James Madison, Appalachian State, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Old Dominion and Marshall."

I think they answered the ideal league question.

BUT, Georgia State would have to move to the AAC to open a logical spot. Would ESPN facilitate this move? Does Georgia State want to move?

Otherwise, UDel and UMass as full MAC members makes sense.

(09-08-2023 10:56 AM)esayem Wrote:  "There remains no ideal league in which Delaware could be transplanted. The 14-member Sun Belt’s East Division is packed with Delaware’s former FCS/Division I-AA adversaries – James Madison, Appalachian State, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Old Dominion and Marshall."

I think they answered the ideal league question.

BUT, Georgia State would have to move to the AAC to open a logical spot. Would ESPN facilitate this move? Does Georgia State want to move?

Otherwise, UDel and UMass as full MAC members makes sense.

This is the better option honestly, but AAC will have to make a hard push for GSU. Could be App St if Dodd's reporting is worth a cent.

(09-08-2023 10:15 AM)The Sicatoka Wrote:  Buffalo is a MAC outlier. UMass needs a home. UDel is sniffing about at moving up.

Frankly UDel, UBuff, and UMass should be "corner-stoning" a G5 in the northeast.

Take a look at a map. Buffalo is no more an outliner than UNI is in the west. Buffalo is much closer to Akron and Kent St than to Army or any of the Eastern "U" schools mentioned.

It would make a lot of sense for the MAC to try and court Dayton and St. Louis as members as a package deal with UMass and presumably Delaware. That would give them some needed basketball depth.