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I always look at it like college basketball. Would I rather the Zips compete at the highest level and have a less than 1% of winning a championship or play at the second highest level and have a better chance at a meaningless championship? Youngstown State has 4 national titles and does anyone care? How many people can even name the FCS champion from last season? I'm sure more people know who won the AAC, Sun Belt and MAC last season. Even if our program peaked when we won the MAC Championship or Idaho Potato bowl. To me personally I prefer that to a FCS playoff appearance or whatever. Just like I'd rather see the Zips basketball team make the NCAA tournament and get knocked out in the first round, than win a game in the NIT/CBI.

But he didn’t mention we have the best officiating in college basketball?! So hey, I hear there’s an opening in the A-10.

How about recent history: Thornton and Scott?

If the 3 additional schools were something like WKU, Richmond, and Illinois State, how good would that be for the MAC? Illinois State has a better football program and comparable basketball program to Rhode Island, and would geographically make more sense.

I don't mean they would. That's the problem. Those programs love the revenue but are at the same time not going to every be a part of the playoff system. The Indianas, Purdues, Northwesterns have had a century of Big10 affiliation and riches and never (or once in a generation) competed at the top. So, if the G5 becomes its own subdivison with its own playoff, I can't imagine that those "Power" programs that are left out of thier own playoff wouldn't somehow be put into the second-tier playoff...because TV money. Sad as it is, a 7-5 Purdue team (likey ranked above almost the entire MAC, for example) is a bigger TV draw than a (God willing) 10-4 Akron.

I could understand that argument if they were having similar success to a Dayton or VCU. Reality is for the last 15-20 years they've performed like an upper mid-tier MAC team. The guys talks about Kenpom, but if he took the time to go through it I'm guessing on average Akron, Toledo, and Buffalo have all outperformed UMass. Ohio and Kent are probably around the same ballpark.

This guy likes it for UMass basketball (not)- https://www.masslive.com/umassfootball/2024/02/umass-move-to-mac-is-brutal-blow-to-its-mens-basketball-program-vautour.html

I wouldn't say they should be perennial favorites, but they should be perennial contenders. I'd place them in a similar category of an Akron or Toledo.

Nate Johnson.

WKU seems like an obvious target. Wonder if current A-10 members Richmond & Rhody would be interested in moving up? Richmond is tough in both FCS football and basketball, while Rhody is another nice basketball program. They'd make the MAC a seriously formidable basketball conference Akron Kent Ohio Toledo Buffalo UMass WKU Richmond Rhode Island

I saw online that they're going to petition (is that the right word) the A-10 to remain an affiliate member for men's lacrosse. Maybe they'll be doing the same for men's soccer?

From what I see, UMASS hasn't been very good in basketball in almost 10 years. And epically bad in football. If you want to build a conference from the bottom up, this is the way.

What's great is the people who say that MAC needs to make a move are the same ones who complain when they do. Frankly, I'm a little indifferent. I follow MAC basketball more than MAC football so I'm excited about the move for that. Financially, between the MAC CFP playoff pool, NCAA tourney credits, etc so much of the revenue is fixed so adding more teams just means you split the same sized pie into more pieces. That's not even getting into the TV deal. I obviously don't know the terms of the deal financially so I can't cast judgement.

Reality it was a huge mistake to bring in a guy with no FBS experience without requiring him to have a Chuck Amato type of OC/DC. He was way in over his head. You see it all levels. Some people are fantastic OC/DC/ position coaches, but when promoted to a higher role fail miserably.

11 am on March 2nd....the zips kick off their spring schedule https://gozips.com/news/2024/2/22/akron-mens-soccer-announces-spring-exhibition-schedule