Don't get too hopeful. WKU has had some highly rated world Table Tennis (not ping-pong) players in the past (Serious).

WKU's situation is more complex than the one for UMASS.

Self-banishing to the MAC would lessen any future opportunities in the SBC or a drastically changed AAC. The next 2-4 years are an open window of opportunity. Risk? Yes--some. Our answer may very well lie elsewhere.

Good perspective. IMO, some hang on to WKU because of the two previous "almost ins." There is also concern about "if not WKU, then who?" UMass joining next year has relit speculation (and some hopes, IMO). But UMass' needs and plans are not WKU's. As you said, a lot can change in the next 2-4 years. A lot has changed already, especially in the larger CFP/NCAA/NIL/portal world, and is a long way from done, if ever.

And there are some new(?) unknowns ... for example, if student-athletes become employees, how will that sit with the larger population of non-athlete students, and those hefty student athletic fees they pay? Not such a big deal to "power" programs with tens of millions in TV and now more CFP money. And how much further will those powers squeeze the mid-majors while tightrope walking around anti-trust? Also, what's going to happen with OTA/digital-cable/streaming platforms? And IMHO, the transgender issue vis-a-vis women's sports cannot help but smack into Title IX at some point. Of course, the idea that football can be cut from T9 calculations to make some sort of easier balance is not going to sit well with somebody. Etc., etc., etc.

Far bigger issues than who is #14, if there is a #14, and if so, when.

All of the above is why this board will continue to gain new threads like this when the previous wears out. It's what we do.

(03-30-2024 11:17 PM)TOPSTRAIGHT Wrote:  Self-banishing to the MAC

(03-30-2024 11:17 PM)TOPSTRAIGHT Wrote:  Self-banishing to the MAC would lessen any future opportunities in the SBC or a drastically changed AAC. The next 2-4 years are an open window of opportunity. Risk? Yes--some. Our answer may very well lie elsewhere.

The assumption is if WKU is going to the MAC it perceives the MAC better than any SBC or AAC future opportunity whatever it may be.

If they decide they never want to be in the AAC its probably because they don't want to ramp up spending levels.

(03-29-2024 10:30 AM)Steve1981 Wrote:  

(03-29-2024 09:19 AM)BruceMcF Wrote:  

Quote: Alternatively (and as BruceMcF seems to be saying), maybe the American Athletic takes Delaware, which would seem to be a good pairing with Temple.

I was saying, "additionally", but yes, they are alternate tracks. I think MTSU, Delaware and FIU are on the AAC shortlist if they lose one or more schools (whether to ripples from an M2 raid or the longer-odds "PAC-9" rebuild) but even if the SBC is open to raids from the AAC, I think Delaware stays on that short list.

My view is pretty simple, the MAC was not to interested in Delaware for the 14th member. Whether they are a flight risk as Delaware preferences are AAC #1, SBC #2, MAC#3 and finally their home. Maybe they did not have the support of enough MAC presidents. We know Delaware inquired to the MAC and they said not now. We know from Commissioner Jon Steinbrecher that UMass called in September regarding all sports membership. Jon Steinbrecher was on campus and attend UMass homecoming game on Nov 4th. Delaware committed to CUSA in late November.

The whole #14 thing is interesting as the MAC was not interested in WKU alone. Could it be like the Abraham Lincoln quote regarding UMass, they always wanted us all sports and made an exception. Idk, but enough to take some chances waiting for #14. Or could it be the WKU is still expressing more than casual interest in the MAC. Time will tell, but thinking WKU is the primary, if not the only major MAC interest.

The process of conference realignment is ongoing, let's see what transpires in the next 30 days.

(03-31-2024 07:17 PM)BeatWestern! Wrote:  The process of conference realignment is ongoing, let's see what transpires in the next 30 days.

The timing does not fit WKU as there is no need to declare before July 1st and receive this years distributions.

If something is to happen before summer, perhaps Delaware is interested if WKU does not want to move now. They would have to change their minds before July 1st. The opposite side of July 1st than WKU. Could the MAC have a plan A, WKU and B, Delaware. Delaware has the same issue as UMass with fit and more than a half dozen sports that are not offered in CUSA. Early on did ask Delaware posters about those sports. Their answer was not going to worry about them for now. Perhaps we can move them to the A10 with UMass. Well we applied for 2 sports to be an affiliate with the A10. The A10 will vote in May on the application. This vote would push Delaware's decision within that 30 day process.

If I remember rightly, I thought UMASS was thought to join CUSA first. Maybe Delaware jumped in to join CUSA because they thought UMASS was. If that is the case, Delaware might be rethinking their decision.

The media started it at the Army game at the end of October and I ran with it. As it was known with WKU needed a 14th team in 2021. Plus the MAC had published the new pod for the next 3 years. But via Jon Steinbrecher, we were in conversations since late September, and he was on campus Nov 4th. Think Delaware wanted to move and did not like the MAC answer to their inquire, not now.

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(04-01-2024 07:58 AM)Steve1981 Wrote:  

(03-31-2024 07:17 PM)BeatWestern! Wrote:  The process of conference realignment is ongoing, let's see what transpires in the next 30 days.

The timing does not fit WKU as there is no need to declare before July 1st and receive this years distributions.

If memory serves, BeatWestern has said before that April 30 is significant, perhaps because it would be the last day for a school to withdraw from Conference USA without losing another season to do it. (I might be a bit off on that explanation.)

(04-01-2024 05:23 PM)AllBronco Wrote:  If I remember rightly, I thought UMASS was thought to join CUSA first. Maybe Delaware jumped in to join CUSA because they thought UMASS was. If that is the case, Delaware might be rethinking their decision.

I think Delaware went to CUSA because they were actually invited to go there and they were not invited to the MAC. Not sure it had much of anything to do with us.

(04-02-2024 09:29 AM)e-parade Wrote:  I think Delaware went to CUSA because they were actually invited to go there and they were not invited to the MAC. Not sure it had much of anything to do with us.

It's tough to know. It seems pretty clear based on what we are reading on these boards, etc., that they were politely informed by the MAC "not now." And Delaware seems to be sending the message to local media that they prefer Conference USA because it gives them a broader national footprint for their sports teams. How much of that is posturing -- because they don't see an opening in the MAC emerging for them anytime soon -- is hard to say. (Posturing happens. I don't blame Commissioner Steinbrecher when he says he's fine with 13 teams. It's probably the best answer until we know what happens in Bowling Green, Kentucky. But it's also posturing.)

Delaware would make more sense if we also expected to bring on Stony Brook or Temple at some point. Given that these may not be serious near-term possibilities, Western Kentucky may be the best play on the board. They make a bit more geographical sense than Delaware does for us, and the basketball and football will be more competitive.

(03-05-2024 07:41 AM)Steve1981 Wrote:  https://twitter.com/UMassAthletics/statu...4377405462


UMass Athletics : https://t.co/82BUS9Rkly
ESPN+ : https://t.co/92KKNJd78B
YouTube : https://t.co/j0hpXctkqe

Very excited to join MACtion, the conference of rivals. We'll have Buffalo

Massachusetts Athletics Joins the MAC
How to Watch the Introductory Press Conference

The University of Massachusetts will host an introductory press conference at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, March 7 at the Martin Jacobson Football Performance Center.

Hear from Chancellor Javier Reyes, Director of Athletics Ryan Bamford, MAC Commissioner John Steinbrecher, Head Football Coach Don Brown and Head Men's Basketball Coach Frank Martin on our move to the Mid-American Conference.

The press conference is open to media and invited guests only. It will be live streamed for the public on YouTube, UMassAthletics.com and ESPN+. To tune in, click the buttons Above in this post.

Highlights from the March 7th MAC-UMass Joint Press Conference:

https://getsomemaction.com/news/2024/3/6...am-et.aspx

(04-01-2024 08:01 PM)Schadenfreude Wrote:  

(04-01-2024 07:58 AM)Steve1981 Wrote:  

(03-31-2024 07:17 PM)BeatWestern! Wrote:  The process of conference realignment is ongoing, let's see what transpires in the next 30 days.

The timing does not fit WKU as there is no need to declare before July 1st and receive this years distributions.

If memory serves, BeatWestern has said before that April 30 is significant, perhaps because it would be the last day for a school to withdraw from Conference USA without losing another season to do it. (I might be a bit off on that explanation.)

I don't know Conference USA's exit fee terms, but I do know that the AAC regular exit fee is on moves 27 months or more in the future, so departures from the AAC tend to take place before the end of April. I presume the idea is to penalize announcing a departure between the conference distribution and the end of the fiscal year. I guess that CUSA might have something similar, especially if it is still doling out shares of its recent exit fee windfall from the AAC raid. [Edit: per BeatWestern below they do indeed, 14 months notice required for normal exit fee, so April 30 to leave the end of June the following year and join the other conference July 1 at the start of the Fiscal Year.]

However, the larger issue for Conference USA is the GOR buyout, which is based on how many years of the current broadcast contract a school misses at $800,000 per year, through to the 2027/28 season. That means leaving CUSA to join the MAC the same year as UMass costs $2.4m in GOR buyout, over and above the exit fee.

That plus any exit fees not yet distributed form a reasonably strong inducement to remain in "wait and see" mode, not moving on that schedule unless conference realignment in the medium term future deals CUSA another strong blow.

If we see the MAC make a non-permanent move through to the 2027/28 season, that would be a tell for WKU saying, "maybe, but not until the GOR expires".

(04-03-2024 06:32 AM)BeatWestern! Wrote:  

(03-05-2024 07:41 AM)Steve1981 Wrote:  https://twitter.com/UMassAthletics/statu...4377405462


UMass Athletics : https://t.co/82BUS9Rkly
ESPN+ : https://t.co/92KKNJd78B
YouTube : https://t.co/j0hpXctkqe

Very excited to join MACtion, the conference of rivals. We'll have Buffalo

Massachusetts Athletics Joins the MAC
How to Watch the Introductory Press Conference

The University of Massachusetts will host an introductory press conference at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, March 7 at the Martin Jacobson Football Performance Center.

Hear from Chancellor Javier Reyes, Director of Athletics Ryan Bamford, MAC Commissioner John Steinbrecher, Head Football Coach Don Brown and Head Men's Basketball Coach Frank Martin on our move to the Mid-American Conference.

The press conference is open to media and invited guests only. It will be live streamed for the public on YouTube, UMassAthletics.com and ESPN+. To tune in, click the buttons Above in this post.

Highlights from the March 7th MAC-UMass Joint Press Conference:

https://getsomemaction.com/news/2024/3/6...am-et.aspx

Thanks for posting. Did not post this version from Western Mass News. It's 58 minutes and includes the promo introduction video, but after the band at the very beginning. The focus of the audience and speakers is different and we can see the backs of the other MAC senior officials as they acknowledge their introduction from MAC Commissioner Dr. Jon Steinbrecher.

(04-01-2024 08:01 PM)Schadenfreude Wrote:  

(04-01-2024 07:58 AM)Steve1981 Wrote:  

(03-31-2024 07:17 PM)BeatWestern! Wrote:  The process of conference realignment is ongoing, let's see what transpires in the next 30 days.

The timing does not fit WKU as there is no need to declare before July 1st and receive this years distributions.

If memory serves, BeatWestern has said before that April 30 is significant, perhaps because it would be the last day for a school to withdraw from Conference USA without losing another season to do it. (I might be a bit off on that explanation.)

On target, Schaden! CUSA requires at least 14 months notice of departure from a member institution for the following year, meaning NLT 30 April to depart effective July 1, 2025.