A friend of mine with close ties to the Marshall athletic program thinks it's possible that when head football coach Doc Holliday leaves, Marshall could seek a return to the MAC.

The MAC favors having two 7-team divisions and the likely school to pair with Marshall would be James Madison, which has been talking with the MAC off and on for the past 20 years.

Marshall would be much closer driving distance to most of its division foes, Ohio (1.5 hrs.), Miami (3.5 hrs.), Akron and Kent State (4 hrs.), James Madison (4.5 hrs.), and Buffalo (7 hrs.), the same distance as Huntington, W.V., to Norfolk, Va., home of Old Dominion. Also, Cleveland, where the MAC basketball tourney is held, is only a 4.5 hour drive from Huntington.

If this were to happen, the MAC divisions would likely look like this:

MAC EAST
Akron
Buffalo
James Madison
Kent State
Marshall
Miami
Ohio

MAC WEST
Ball State
BGSU
Central Michigan
Eastern Michigan
Northern Illinois
Toledo
Western Michigan

Didn’t know a moderately successful football coach was keeping Marshall in CUSA? Learn something new every day.

(07-29-2018 01:44 PM)BeatWestern! Wrote:  A friend of mine with close ties to the Marshall athletic program thinks it's possible that when head football coach Doc Holliday leaves, Marshall could seek a return to the MAC.

The MAC favors having two 7-team divisions and the likely school to pair with Marshall would be James Madison, which has been talking with the MAC off and on for the past 20 years.

Marshall would be much closer driving distance to most of its division foes, Ohio (1.5 hrs.), Miami (3.5 hrs.), Akron and Kent State (4 hrs.), James Madison (4.5 hrs.), and Buffalo (7 hrs.), the same distance as Huntington, W.V., to Norfolk, Va., home of Old Dominion. Also, Cleveland, where the MAC basketball tourney is held, is only a 4.5 hour drive from Huntington.

If this were to happen, the MAC divisions would likely look like this:

MAC EAST
Akron
Buffalo
James Madison
Kent State
Marshall
Miami
Ohio

MAC WEST
Ball State
BGSU
Central Michigan
Eastern Michigan
Northern Illinois
Toledo
Western Michigan

This would be a good move for them.

When Marshall moved to C-USA, they perceived it as a move to a more high-profile conference. C-USA morphed into something else, as they lost members and gained new ones.

They have to be asking themselves if it is worth it to send their teams as far away as Texas to play in a conference with minimal TV exposure and money. A cut in conference footprint and a return to rivals such as Ohio is tempting, if the money is equal or better. However, I'm not sure if they'd want to play multiple weeknight football games in November.

The MAC, as far as G5 conferences go, has a great thing going with its tight footprint and similar profiles of conference members.

I like the idea of Marshall and James Madison to the MAC. If so, does CUSA at 13? Does a geographical outlier like UTEP week another conference? Does CUSA add a 14th?

I’d think they’d add and I’d say New Mexico St would need to put on its prettiest gown.

What's in it for the MAC?

Personally I would be surprised if it was only the coach stopping something like that.

On the MAC side some fans might be happy (but others would not be) but I do not know if al the individual schools are as interested considering the history. Especially since so many of them can get home and homes right now with with Marshal which means they are a decent choice for a H+H OOC game. For some MAC schools they are among the best option and having them in conference would make them lose that benefit.

CUSA could then bump UAB to the east and everyone in that conference would be a lot happier

Is there any difference between C-USA East and the MAC East?

Marshall is in a division with Old Dominion, Western Kentucky, Middle Tennessee, Charlotte and have a guaranteed annual trip to Florida. C-USA 3.0 might not be perfect but it hasn’t been that bad for Marshall. If they want to be in a bus league, they’re more than welcome to leave but I don’t see the MAC as an upgrade. Now if they were aiming for the AAC, then it would be different.

(07-29-2018 04:23 PM)UTEPDallas Wrote:  Is there any difference between C-USA East and the MAC East?

Marshall is in a division with Old Dominion, Western Kentucky, Middle Tennessee, Charlotte and have a guaranteed annual trip to Florida. C-USA 3.0 might not be perfect but it hasn’t been that bad for Marshall. If they want to be in a bus league, they’re more than welcome to leave but I don’t see the MAC as an upgrade. Now if they were aiming for the AAC, then it would be different.

I agree. The MAC does nothing to improve Marshall's lot in the FBS. The move might save some money on travel, but that is it. Marshall would be better served staying in C-USA, which is on the upswing. But it is Marshall's choice.

(07-29-2018 03:40 PM)johnbragg Wrote:  What's in it for the MAC?

Marshall was the hottest ticket when they were in the MAC. Marshall improves the MAC in every fashion - football, fan base, geography, stadium, facilities, hoops.

(In hoops both Marshall and Buffalo were Round of 32 teams)

It is absolutely in the best interest of Marshall to move back to the MAC...which means they absolutely won't do it. That school has major financial problems and saving a few pennies on travel would be greatly beneficial to them.

If revenues become negligible, MAC needs to sell Marshall on cutting expenses, old/natural rivals, drivable conference tournament, recruiting OH/VA, and JMU as 14 (VA exposure, academics, good FB - Marshall will like JMU).

Ohio 1:34
Miami 3:29
Akron 3:51
Kent 4:03
WKU 4:13
JMU 4:25
Ball 4:30
BG 4:32
Charlotte 4:54
Toledo 4:55
EMU 5:32
MTSU 5:35
WMU 6:44
ODU 6:55
Buffalo 7:10
CMU 7:17
UAB 7:40
NIU 7:47
USM 10:51
La Tech 12:49
FAU 14:33
UNT 15:08
FIU 15:14
Rice 16:44
UTSA 18:26
UTEP 23:17

Stop dreaming

No reason to add Marshall to the MAC

They would just be another school to divide the pie with.

James Madison. Meh


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Could see Marshall getting together with James Madison, Buffalo, and Delaware, Stony Brook, Albany, Liberty, Kennesaw St, Jacksonville St and a Florida gang, but in a FBS Atlantic Sun conference. Marshall needs a Florida presence.

The only reason Marshall should consider the MAC again would be for what could happen to CUSA if others were to eventually leave it for something better. Because Marshall won't be one of those teams. Old Dominion, Charlotte (if they ever find themselves again), Rice, UTEP...those guys will be able to move.

Over time, I do wonder if someone like Old Dominion or Charlotte don't see the benefits they thought they were going to get in CUSA. That CUSA fails to ever be something in FBS and the NY6 G5 spot. Or CUSA fails to be anything more than a single-bid conference. Those losses would crush someone like Marshall.

Not going to happen. Nor should it.

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(07-29-2018 09:25 PM)NoDak Wrote:  Could see Marshall getting together with James Madison, Buffalo, and Delaware, Stony Brook, Albany, Liberty, Kennesaw St, Jacksonville St and a Florida gang, but in a FBS Atlantic Sun conference. Marshall needs a Florida presence.

I was wondering when the first thread hijack was coming.

(07-29-2018 10:19 PM)utpotts Wrote:  

(07-29-2018 09:25 PM)NoDak Wrote:  Could see Marshall getting together with James Madison, Buffalo, and Delaware, Stony Brook, Albany, Liberty, Kennesaw St, Jacksonville St and a Florida gang, but in a FBS Atlantic Sun conference. Marshall needs a Florida presence.

I was wondering when the first thread hijack was coming.

The MAC won’t take on 14 teams. If anything it would expand to 16-20 (with the 4-8 new schools not getting CFP money right away) and then divide at the next CFP agreement so every MAC school maximizes the CFP.

Why would they not add 2, but add 4 to 8? Especially if the new schools are precluded from receiving CFP money for a few years? If their concern is adding more hands into the cookie jar then why would they allow more hands, even if it is later?

(07-30-2018 08:19 AM)AssyrianDuke Wrote:  Why would they not add 2, but add 4 to 8? Especially if the new schools are precluded from receiving CFP money for a few years? If their concern is adding more hands into the cookie jar then why would they allow more hands, even if it is later?

An FBS conference has to have 8 FBS members. 16 is the lowest it can have to support a split and both haves getting CFP. Seven members need to be together for at least 7-8 years to qualify to split.

FBS transition schools are not eligible for CFP. If an existing FBS school was invited, they would absolutely minimize the time that they get a reduced payout.

The way the MAC is structured, any seven western teams can break off and add an eighth team. Most of the new schools would have to come from the more populous East.

Marshall leaving would minimize the headache reduced CFP payout for CUSA.

As an example, add UMass, Stony Brook, Delaware, James Madison, Liberty and Marshall to the east and then split.