(02-19-2013 06:31 PM)mikeinsec127 Wrote:  

(02-19-2013 04:49 PM)Louis Kitton Wrote:  

(02-19-2013 04:12 PM)Frog in the Kitchen Sink Wrote:  The stability of the MAC in this day and age is sort of amazing, considering how much instability there is all around it in the AQ and non-AQ worlds. It's kinda the Popeye of the college sports landscape- "I y'am what I y'am"

In the 90's there was a lot of questioning as to the future of the MAC as a FBS conference. From 1997 to 2002 Buffalo, Northern Illinois, Marshall and UCF all joined the MAC while Marshall and UCF left for CUSA in 2003. At the time a lot of MAC schools were looking over there shoulders at CUSA.

It wasn't until 2004 that more than 2 MAC schools went bowling. Since then bowl system has opened up a lot more to the MAC and the arguement that CUSA is better than the MAC because it has "X" amount of bowl tie-ins no longer carries weight when 7 MAC schools were bowling last year.

The MAC is taking good care of its top teams under commissioner Steinbrecher. Each bowl participant receives a 400,000 cash suppliment from the MAC office and there is unequal revenue sharing in MAC basketball. MAC schools also receive money from the league office for ESPN football (150k) and basketball (50k) appearances. Thus the MAC is very functional for its top programs like Ohio and Kent State that bring it in both football and basketball.

The potential for Mountain West level 300k per game payout exists when the conference next negotiaties. Schools in the MAC then would make more than even the Big East at that point. Perhaps even before the next TV deal with the increased playoff money.

UMass is the school that doesn't benefit from the top heavy revenue shairng in the MAC as the worst MAC football team. Neither has Akron and I'm surprised CUSA hasn't looked their direction because of the large Cleveland-Akron media market.

I doubt. UMass lasts too long in the MAC. My guess is there is a Temple like five year stay. Then it either moves up to the NBE or back down to the CAA.

UMass joins the BE as number 12 if Tulsa isn't picked over them when Navy joins in 2015. If UConn leaves for the ACC if and when they get poached again they get an invite to the BE anyway.