https://twitter.com/toledosports/status/...47617?s=21

https://twitter.com/KyleRowland/status/1...1833608201

https://twitter.com/MattBrownEP/status/1...7072389122

They are needle movers from the MAC perspective.

(11-08-2021 08:07 AM)BeatWestern! Wrote:  https://twitter.com/toledosports/status/...47617?s=21

Well I hope so. This is one flip I'd like to see happen.

I'm ready for #MACtion.

I predicted there was likely an announcement containing the word “likely”, likely to happen this week!

The story says that the Presidents appear to be leaning toward making the invite, while the tweet says the announcement is likely next week. One wonder whether the tweet has any support in addition to what was in the article.

Not sure how Conf USA can respond. EKU, UT-Chat, McNeese? Very slim pickings.

Can Conf USA legacy members collect exit fees and disband in a few years to pursue independence? It's not looking good...

(11-08-2021 09:03 AM)RUScarlets Wrote:  Not sure how Conf USA can respond. EKU, UT-Chat, McNeese? Very slim pickings.

Can Conf USA legacy members collect exit fees and disband in a few years to pursue independence? It's not looking good...

It looks like travel is going to be awful regardless. I would target NDSU/SDSU and use the exit fees to help cover travel expenses until a better media deal can be secured (maybe even UND/USD as well). That is if Missouri State still can't be persuaded.

http://cafidatabase.knightcommission.org...he_money-1

Looking at different FCS programs, there are a lot that have eyes on FBS but I just don't see where the money to compete is going to come from. Little to no licensing, ticket sales, or donations. There are others that are already operating at or near the FBS level.

(11-08-2021 09:59 AM)freshtop Wrote:  

(11-08-2021 09:03 AM)RUScarlets Wrote:  Not sure how Conf USA can respond. EKU, UT-Chat, McNeese? Very slim pickings.

Can Conf USA legacy members collect exit fees and disband in a few years to pursue independence? It's not looking good...

It looks like travel is going to be awful regardless. I would target NDSU/SDSU and use the exit fees to help cover travel expenses until a better media deal can be secured (maybe even UND/USD as well). That is if Missouri State still can't be persuaded.

http://cafidatabase.knightcommission.org...he_money-1

Looking at different FCS programs, there are a lot that have eyes on FBS but I just don't see where the money to compete is going to come from. Little to no licensing, ticket sales, or donations. There are others that are already operating at or near the FBS level.

CUSA is looking like it could be the all-star lineup from MVFC, ASUN, and WAC.

(11-08-2021 08:11 AM)Kit-Cat Wrote:  They are needle movers from the MAC perspective.

Needle movers, to be sure, but they are not going to vault the MAC to the top of the pile. They will elevate us a bit in the sports that matter and they check a ton of boxes

1 - Fit the footprint (A bit of a stretch but only a slight bulge and in the right direction)

2 - Culturally Pretty MAC places (MTSU is more south than MAC, but WKU is very MAC)

3 - Nice pair of existing rivals to get right into a conference built largely on rivalries.

4 - Boost football and hoops a bit

Hoops - https://www.ubbullrun.com/2021/11/2/2275...basketball

Football - https://www.ubbullrun.com/2021/11/1/2275...n-football

They don't make us a multi-bid league, but they get us closer if Buffalo can maintain and Akron/Kent/Ohio keep get into/stay in the 50-75 net area before conference play starts every year.

In football they will balance the divisions. Either WKU/MTSU join the current MAC East (with BG going over with Toledo) or they join the current MAC West (with Toledo coming over to Bowling Green).

Make for some more potential championship games between two ranked teams.

(11-08-2021 08:52 AM)BruceMcF Wrote:  The story says that the Presidents appear to be leaning toward making the invite, while the tweet says the announcement is likely next week. One wonder whether the tweet has any support in addition to what was in the article.

I think the "likely" announcement is a decision, and was not saying if affirmative or negative.

If we're looking at 2023 for their first season, then it's no rush to get it done today.

Do it right, make sure the MAC, Mouse, and new guys are in a deal that they want to be in for the next 10-12 years at least.

(11-08-2021 09:03 AM)RUScarlets Wrote:  Not sure how Conf USA can respond. EKU, UT-Chat, McNeese? Very slim pickings.

Can Conf USA legacy members collect exit fees and disband in a few years to pursue independence? It's not looking good...

I don't know as much about the western bloc schools (McNeese, etc.) but Conference USA could do a lot worse than EKU, Chattanooga and other Southern/Big South/CAA schools.

(11-08-2021 09:03 AM)RUScarlets Wrote:  Not sure how Conf USA can respond. EKU, UT-Chat, McNeese? Very slim pickings.

Can Conf USA legacy members collect exit fees and disband in a few years to pursue independence? It's not looking good...

If I were them I'd find a travel partner for FIU and one for JSU. That would give you eight teams, in four pairs. I just don't know who you can get for FIU?

Then if they want to be *really* daring go after UConn/UMass football only provided they are willing to pay into the conference for the right to play there. I've seen 1.25 million listed here as the "going rate" people might ask UMass, another 2.5 million a year to the conference members would more than cover the travel to those two schools for football and then some.

But this hinges on WKU/MTSU coming to the MAC, and the longer this goes on the more doubtful I get. All things considered with those two schools I think CUSA has done as well as could be expected given the raids that happened.

(11-08-2021 10:24 AM)Bull_In_Exile Wrote:  

(11-08-2021 09:03 AM)RUScarlets Wrote:  Not sure how Conf USA can respond. EKU, UT-Chat, McNeese? Very slim pickings.

Can Conf USA legacy members collect exit fees and disband in a few years to pursue independence? It's not looking good...

If I were them I'd find a travel partner for FIU and one for JSU. That would give you eight teams, in four pairs. I just don't know who you can get for FIU?

There isn't anyone, unless they can convince FGCU to start football. FGCU and FIU are around 2 hours apart.

A pod with Liberty, UMass, UConn, and another NE FCS (All sports)?

Then LA Tech, SHSU, UTEP, NMSU.

Other all sports would be JSU, EKU, UT-Chat, FIU (which is it's own pod).

But you'd need two divisions or a waiver to play a CCG with three pods.

Fugly...

(11-08-2021 10:24 AM)Bull_In_Exile Wrote:  

(11-08-2021 09:03 AM)RUScarlets Wrote:  Not sure how Conf USA can respond. EKU, UT-Chat, McNeese? Very slim pickings.

Can Conf USA legacy members collect exit fees and disband in a few years to pursue independence? It's not looking good...

If I were them I'd find a travel partner for FIU and one for JSU. That would give you eight teams, in four pairs. I just don't know who you can get for FIU?

Then if they want to be *really* daring go after UConn/UMass football only provided they are willing to pay into the conference for the right to play there. I've seen 1.25 million listed here as the "going rate" people might ask UMass, another 2.5 million a year to the conference members would more than cover the travel to those two schools for football and then some.

But this hinges on WKU/MTSU coming to the MAC, and the longer this goes on the more doubtful I get. All things considered with those two schools I think CUSA has done as well as could be expected given the raids that happened.

The bolded is a non-starter.

The MAC has leverage, but that doesn't mean that it can just throw out bad faith proposals and expect to get anywhere. That's why I don't buy the GoR rumor discussed in another thread. It's honestly more respectful to just tell a school, "We're just not interested in expanding at this time" than to throw out some insanely one-sided proposal that everyone reasonably knows wouldn't be accepted. The former is interpreted as just a business decision, while the latter is insulting.

How about a 10 team conference with two divisions:

East: FIU, Liberty, MTSU, WKU, JSU

West: La Tech, Sam Houston, UTEP, NMSU, (Central Arkansas or McNeese or S. Missouri or Stephen F Austin)

Conference championship game between the winner of each division. Or no divisions, all current Big 12, with conference championship between the two highest ranked teams.

(11-08-2021 10:40 AM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  

(11-08-2021 10:24 AM)Bull_In_Exile Wrote:  

(11-08-2021 09:03 AM)RUScarlets Wrote:  Not sure how Conf USA can respond. EKU, UT-Chat, McNeese? Very slim pickings.

Can Conf USA legacy members collect exit fees and disband in a few years to pursue independence? It's not looking good...

If I were them I'd find a travel partner for FIU and one for JSU. That would give you eight teams, in four pairs. I just don't know who you can get for FIU?

Then if they want to be *really* daring go after UConn/UMass football only provided they are willing to pay into the conference for the right to play there. I've seen 1.25 million listed here as the "going rate" people might ask UMass, another 2.5 million a year to the conference members would more than cover the travel to those two schools for football and then some.

But this hinges on WKU/MTSU coming to the MAC, and the longer this goes on the more doubtful I get. All things considered with those two schools I think CUSA has done as well as could be expected given the raids that happened.

The bolded is a non-starter.

The MAC has leverage, but that doesn't mean that it can just throw out bad faith proposals and expect to get anywhere. That's why I don't buy the GoR rumor discussed in another thread. It's honestly more respectful to just tell a school, "We're just not interested in expanding at this time" than to throw out some insanely one-sided proposal that everyone reasonably knows wouldn't be accepted. The former is interpreted as just a business decision, while the latter is insulting.

I think they were looking at it from a CUSA perspective, not a MAC perspective.

(11-08-2021 10:40 AM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  The MAC has leverage, but that doesn't mean that it can just throw out bad faith proposals and expect to get anywhere. That's why I don't buy the GoR rumor discussed in another thread.

I disagree that the MAC proposing a GOR for MTSU and WKU is insulting. It's a reflection of the reality of the situation.

In some thread, CSNBBS posters joked with youtube links.
MTSU, WKU: "Should I Stay Or Should I Go Now"
MAC: "Will You Love Me Forever?" (From MEatloaf PAradise by the Dashboard Light)

Middle Tennessee and Western Kentucky are, relative to the MAC schools, serious flight risks. And the MAC schools have been on this merry-go-round with Marshall and UCF and Temple and UMass.

If the MAC isn't MTSU and WKU's destination conference, then it's not a worthwhile move for the MAC to make. The MAC is just fine without them.

Minor point: I can't imagine that it would be a GOR just for Middle Tennessee and Western Kentucky, it would be a MAC-wide GOR, either for the length of a new ESPN deal or just for 15 or 20 years to protect the MAC. But as I said in some other thread, if me and you and Brad Pitt sign a pledge not to bed any Oscar-winning actresses in the next five years, it's equal on paper but Brad Pitt is the only one making any kind of concession.

(11-08-2021 10:40 AM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  The MAC has leverage, but that doesn't mean that it can just throw out bad faith proposals and expect to get anywhere.

Umm "they" here were CUSA, not the MAC. I don't think the MAC should be looking at UmAss or UConn no matter what. Again, unless we can nab WKU but not MTSU, then maybe tell UmAss the door is open all sports if they want it.

Quote:That's why I don't buy the GoR rumor discussed in another thread. It's honestly more respectful to just tell a school

I agree which is why I said *IF* there is a GOR discussion happening it's because ESPN wants one from the whole MAC for the next contract and not as some weapon against potential new guys.