(02-26-2024 03:37 PM)bullet Wrote:  

(02-26-2024 02:43 PM)rtist Wrote:  

(02-26-2024 02:42 PM)BeatWestern! Wrote:  Now it's finally official, UMass is joining the MAC, effective in 2025, according to Pete Thamel of ESPN.

This has been in the works for awhile, as my source indicated the two sides have been talking.

The question now becomes, who is #14?

Either Middle Tennessee or Youngstown State. I'm thinking the Blue Raiders first.

They aren't bringing in another Ohio school.

Youngstown State is a marginal state university.

They only have 9,477 undergrads. That would be lowest in the MAC and that is a headache the MAC doesn't need.

MAC already has a problem with declining enrollment across the conference. UMass will never be a problem that way for the MAC.

Undergraduate Enrollment:

Akron 10,279
CMU 10,421
EMU 11,129
NIU 11,429
Toledo 12,002

Its a possibiity that Akron and/or EMU moves down from FBS because of the cost burden and struggles with success.

Better options for the MAC:

Stony Brook 17,590
Illinois St 18,450
Delaware 18,812

These are schools that because of their positioning in the academic food chain aren't going out of business any time soon.

Eastern Michigan will never be able to compete for fans or wins with the big behemoth a few miles away from Ypsilanti unless it becomes a haven for Michigan/Big 10 transfers and becomes Michigan fans "B" team.

(02-26-2024 03:52 PM)schmolik Wrote:  If I'm the MAC and I can get UConn for football only with a deal for some men's and women's basketball games I'd push for it and if I'm UConn I'd accept. Obviously no way in you know what would UConn ever leave the Big East in basketball.

The MAC now has a pod system (in football) so balancing to 14 isn't real important.

I: NIU, Toledo, BG
II: EMU, CMU, WMU
III: Ohio, Miami, Ball St
IV: Kent, Buffalo, Akron

What might make sense is trying to go to 15 with Stony Brook and UConn FB only so then you can create a 5th pod.

V: UMass, Stony Brook, UConn

(02-26-2024 05:02 PM)Garden_KC Wrote:  

(02-26-2024 03:37 PM)bullet Wrote:  

(02-26-2024 02:43 PM)rtist Wrote:  

(02-26-2024 02:42 PM)BeatWestern! Wrote:  Now it's finally official, UMass is joining the MAC, effective in 2025, according to Pete Thamel of ESPN.

This has been in the works for awhile, as my source indicated the two sides have been talking.

The question now becomes, who is #14?

Either Middle Tennessee or Youngstown State. I'm thinking the Blue Raiders first.

They aren't bringing in another Ohio school.

Youngstown State is a marginal state university.

They only have 9,477 undergrads. That would be lowest in the MAC and that is a headache the MAC doesn't need.

MAC already has a problem with declining enrollment across the conference. UMass will never be a problem that way for the MAC.

Undergraduate Enrollment:

Akron 10,279
CMU 10,421
EMU 11,129
NIU 11,429
Toledo 12,002

Its a possibiity that Akron and/or EMU moves down from FBS because of the cost burden and struggles with success.

Better options for the MAC:

Stony Brook 17,590
Illinois St 18,450
Delaware 18,812

These are schools that because of their positioning in the academic food chain aren't going out of business any time soon.

I was looking at the enrollment the other day. The attendance at those 5 and WMU has dramatically declined over the last 20 years or so. I don't know when the older figures were from (80s/90s/00s?), but the Akron, CMU and WMU enrollment has declined by close to 50%. EMU by about 33%. Toledo and Bowling Green by about 25%. The number of HS students in the midwest is declining. Southern Illinois in the MVC had also lost about 50%.

That's a problem for the MAC. Kent, Ohio U., Ball St. and Miami are stable, but not growing.

Illinois State, Northern Iowa, Indiana State, EKU, Towson, New Hampshire, Stony Brook, Dayton or Missouri State could be ones from FCS. Delaware is already heading to CUSA.
Youngstown State wants FBS, but AAC needed to get back in the Ohio market, and Toledo could build better on their success from the MAC. I am surprise the AAC have not grabbed them yet. They are the most consistent team in the MAC with wins.

(02-26-2024 03:26 PM)andybible1995 Wrote:  

(02-26-2024 02:44 PM)RamblinRedWolf Wrote:  Update: ooo…I didnt think about the possibility of MAC trying to get either Middle or WKU to defect

WKU will defect. MTSU wants to be in the AAC if Memphis leaves.

(02-26-2024 03:50 PM)GoBuckeyes1047 Wrote:  I think you could add Delaware to the list of candidates if they could grab them from CUSA. Nothing guaranteed that they would ditch CUSA, but they're a good candidate.

Y'all clearly didn't hear about the CUSA GOR.

(02-26-2024 05:34 PM)inutech Wrote:  

(02-26-2024 03:26 PM)andybible1995 Wrote:  

(02-26-2024 02:44 PM)RamblinRedWolf Wrote:  Update: ooo…I didnt think about the possibility of MAC trying to get either Middle or WKU to defect

WKU will defect. MTSU wants to be in the AAC if Memphis leaves.

(02-26-2024 03:50 PM)GoBuckeyes1047 Wrote:  I think you could add Delaware to the list of candidates if they could grab them from CUSA. Nothing guaranteed that they would ditch CUSA, but they're a good candidate.

Y'all clearly didn't hear about the CUSA GOR.

What would it cost $5m total to buy out?

(02-26-2024 05:46 PM)4x4hokies Wrote:  

(02-26-2024 05:34 PM)inutech Wrote:  

(02-26-2024 03:26 PM)andybible1995 Wrote:  

(02-26-2024 02:44 PM)RamblinRedWolf Wrote:  Update: ooo…I didnt think about the possibility of MAC trying to get either Middle or WKU to defect

WKU will defect. MTSU wants to be in the AAC if Memphis leaves.

(02-26-2024 03:50 PM)GoBuckeyes1047 Wrote:  I think you could add Delaware to the list of candidates if they could grab them from CUSA. Nothing guaranteed that they would ditch CUSA, but they're a good candidate.

Y'all clearly didn't hear about the CUSA GOR.

What would it cost $5m total to buy out?

Depends on when they leave. I can't imagine any school would leave CUSA without giving the agreed upon notice. That wouldn't be cool. So between that and being a year in, the raw number will have dropped somewhat. Probably a couple of million plus forfeited conference payouts for two years (which do include the FAU run at the moment).

Not sure how any of that works with Delaware. I'd let them go for a Starbucks gift card if they asked nicely.

(02-26-2024 06:07 PM)inutech Wrote:  

(02-26-2024 05:46 PM)4x4hokies Wrote:  

(02-26-2024 05:34 PM)inutech Wrote:  

(02-26-2024 03:26 PM)andybible1995 Wrote:  

(02-26-2024 02:44 PM)RamblinRedWolf Wrote:  Update: ooo…I didnt think about the possibility of MAC trying to get either Middle or WKU to defect

WKU will defect. MTSU wants to be in the AAC if Memphis leaves.

(02-26-2024 03:50 PM)GoBuckeyes1047 Wrote:  I think you could add Delaware to the list of candidates if they could grab them from CUSA. Nothing guaranteed that they would ditch CUSA, but they're a good candidate.

Y'all clearly didn't hear about the CUSA GOR.

What would it cost $5m total to buy out?

Depends on when they leave. I can't imagine any school would leave CUSA without giving the agreed upon notice. That wouldn't be cool. So between that and being a year in, the raw number will have dropped somewhat. Probably a couple of million plus forfeited conference payouts for two years (which do include the FAU run at the moment).

Not sure how any of that works with Delaware. I'd let them go for a Starbucks gift card if they asked nicely.

If WKU thinks stuff is going to start rolling down hill at cusa, then the MAC offers a lot of stability.

It doesn't sound cost prohibitive vs being stuck perpetually inviting FCS programs up.

(02-26-2024 04:05 PM)4x4hokies Wrote:  

(02-26-2024 03:58 PM)HartfordHusky Wrote:  

(02-26-2024 03:52 PM)schmolik Wrote:  If I'm the MAC and I can get UConn for football only with a deal for some men's and women's basketball games I'd push for it and if I'm UConn I'd accept. Obviously no way in you know what would UConn ever leave the Big East in basketball.

I hope UConn just embraces independence at this point. As long as they can schedule full schedules with a few P5 home games and get a decent TV deal, I don’t think joining a G5 is worth it.

If SeC goes to 9 games then everyone will follow. That's the biggest issue UConn faces. They may need at least a late-season scheduling agreement with the MAC.

With the exception of an upcoming home and home with Ole Miss, UConn doesn't usually schedule SEC teams. The Big Ten and Big 12 are already at 9 games, and I don't see the ACC going to 9 games as that means Clemson, Georgia Tech, Florida State, etc. would be forced to play 11 P4 games every third year. I don't see that happening.