When I benchmark student sections I think Duke and Pitt.. I wouldn't guess either of those get over 1,200 per game. 720 against Ball State in the JAR for a team that quite frankly isn't nor hasn't ever been Pitt or Duke is pretty good.
To play the what-if game.. What if Tree and Harney weren't suspended? 12-2 with wins over Ok State, Tennessee and NC State? RPI in the 30's too? Probably near the top 25 in polls. Ugh.
Honestly, I'll be a little disappointed if we do worse than 14-2 in the MAC. I see us possibly losing one at OU and maybe dropping another on an off night. Knock on wood, but we're not a MAC team this year.
I think it'll be for the best, if the younger guys taking his minutes excel and the Zips can win the games he misses. The experience of some MAC games along with a rested, healthy Chauncey will be nice.
Is it? I feel like the people that want to stay D-1 don't want to really argue about it. Football belongs in the MAC, everything else should be moved to the A-10 or MVC. We can be a competitive MAC team and have the type of season that Can't or NIU had once in a while. Even being ranked would stir way more excitement around town than winning a 1-AA championship.