Conference Realignment

[ZippyRulz]

1 hour ago, zippy5 said:

WKU would be a top 3 athletic program in the conference the minute they join imo

 

We would have to hope J. Brohm stays at Purdue and never returns to WKU in the MAC.

 

[Blue & Gold]

 

[Blue & Gold]

The Mid-American Conference (MAC) announced today that it will not pursue membership expansion at this time. The decision was made after study of the collegiate athletics environment and dialogue among the directors of athletics and presidents of the 12 member institutions.  
 
“Following analysis and evaluation by the membership, it has been determined our best interests are served in the Conference remaining at 12 full member institutions,” said Commissioner Jon Steinbrecher.  “For some time we have been examining the FBS landscape, and certainly our discussions have been more focused over the past several months as our Conference was contacted by other institutions. While a number of institutions have expressed interest, we never requested any institution to apply for membership nor did we have a formal or informal vote concerning any institutions.”
 
“Our focus will continue to be on building upon the strengths of our Conference – providing a student-centered academic and athletics experience, celebrating long-standing relationships and rivalries, and maintaining our tight geographic proximity to one another,” Steinbrecher added. “Today’s announcement is intended to end the speculation that has been occurring.”
 
Recognizing the dynamic environment of higher education and intercollegiate athletics, the Mid-American Conference will continue to monitor the membership landscape. 

 

[zippy5]

👎🏻

[scottditzen]

Some very positive comments about the MAC. The article suggests it was MTSU staying put that ruined WKU's attempt to get in on the MACtion. 

 

'CAROUSEL OF MADNESS': How WKU ended up staying in C-USA and what's ahead for the Hilltoppers

JARED MacDONALD jmacdonald@bgdailynews.com

 

Western Kentucky's conference home is set – for now.

 

After discussions in the Mid-American Conference of possible expansion that would have included the Hilltoppers, the MAC informed WKU on Wednesday it would remain at its current 12 members.

 

It means WKU will stay in a new-look Conference USA that lost nine of its current members and added four new ones starting in 2023.

 

"I know that there's certainly some uncertainty among our fans with how much Conference USA has changed and I know a lot of them – I could tell – became increasingly excited about the opportunity to join the MAC, as were we, but this is just one chapter in the book. It's not the final chapter in the book. There will be a lot of great reading ahead," WKU director of athletics Todd Stewart said in an interview with the Daily News. "Stay with us and there will be a lot of exciting times coming up."

 

 

https://www.bgdailynews.com/sports/wku/carousel-of-madness-how-wku-ended-up-staying-in-c-usa-and-whats-ahead-for/article_b527e8be-60bf-5233-adcf-17e647f9d68e.html

[Let'sGoZips94]

Very little explanation as to why they decided not to expand. I was a fool for getting my hopes up with this weak MAC leadership group. 

[Spin]

On 11/13/2021 at 11:41 AM, scottditzen said:

Some very positive comments about the MAC. The article suggests it was MTSU staying put that ruined WKU's attempt to get in on the MACtion. 

 

'CAROUSEL OF MADNESS': How WKU ended up staying in C-USA and what's ahead for the Hilltoppers

JARED MacDONALD jmacdonald@bgdailynews.com

 

Western Kentucky's conference home is set – for now.

 

After discussions in the Mid-American Conference of possible expansion that would have included the Hilltoppers, the MAC informed WKU on Wednesday it would remain at its current 12 members.

 

It means WKU will stay in a new-look Conference USA that lost nine of its current members and added four new ones starting in 2023.

 

"I know that there's certainly some uncertainty among our fans with how much Conference USA has changed and I know a lot of them – I could tell – became increasingly excited about the opportunity to join the MAC…

Are they talking about the same MAC?

[GP1]

On 11/13/2021 at 12:21 PM, Let'sGoZips94 said:

I was a fool for getting my hopes up with this weak MAC leadership group. 

I was shocked at the display of sanity the likes of which we rarely see. 

Edited November 14, 2021 by GP1

[scottditzen]

On 11/14/2021 at 9:55 AM, Spin said:

Are they talking about the same MAC?

 

Uh, you'd rather we were Independent or in Conference USA? 

[Let'sGoZips94]

17 hours ago, scottditzen said:

 

Uh, you'd rather we were Independent or in Conference USA? 

 

Independent please. 

[scottditzen]

On 11/16/2021 at 8:13 AM, Let'sGoZips94 said:

 

Independent please. 

 

That will surely help ease our transition to the Big 10. 

[zippy-claws]

Wow….I guess all our purests who didn’t want Western Kentucky and Middle Tennessee State in the MAC may be right…they’re both too good for the MAC! 

[Let'sGoZips94]

15 minutes ago, zippy-claws said:

Wow….I guess all our purests who didn’t want Western Kentucky and Middle Tennessee State in the MAC may be right…they’re both too good for the MAC! 

 

Not wanting WKU and MTSU was a laughable notion. Someone else said it prior, but both programs would be in the top 3-5 athletic programs if they joined today. 

[Zipmeister]

1 hour ago, Let'sGoZips94 said:

 

Not wanting WKU and MTSU was a laughable notion. Someone else said it prior, but both programs would be in the top 3-5 athletic programs if they joined today. 

 

WKU looked fantastic dismantling Apy State today. The addition of both them and MTSU to the MAC would surely boost the strength of the conference.

And did you see the size of that WKU crowd in the stands. I bet they lost less than $400,000 playing that game.

 

 

[zippy-claws]

12 minutes ago, Zipmeister said:

 

WKU looked fantastic dismantling Apy State today. The addition of both them and MTSU to the MAC would surely boost the strength of the conference.

And did you see the size of that WKU crowd in the stands. I bet they lost less than $400,000 playing that game.

 

 

Kinda like our Tart Cherry Bowl attendance??

[Spin]

3 Schools Announce They’re Withdrawing From Conference USA

 

In anticipation of a move to the Sun Belt Conference, three schools — Old Dominion, Marshall and Southern Miss — have all announced their decision to end their alliance with Conference USA in June 2022.

 

Sports Illustrated’s college football insider Ross Dellenger reports that this decision comes in response to all three of these schools being included on the official C-USA fall schedule that was released earlier this week. The Sun Belt has also included each of these three schools in their scheduling for the 2022 season, Dellenger adds.

.

[Let'sGoZips94]

28 minutes ago, Spin said:

3 Schools Announce They’re Withdrawing From Conference USA

 

In anticipation of a move to the Sun Belt Conference, three schools — Old Dominion, Marshall and Southern Miss — have all announced their decision to end their alliance with Conference USA in June 2022.

 

Sports Illustrated’s college football insider Ross Dellenger reports that this decision comes in response to all three of these schools being included on the official C-USA fall schedule that was released earlier this week. The Sun Belt has also included each of these three schools in their scheduling for the 2022 season, Dellenger adds.

.

 

This is a wild story. The Big 12 schools joining the SEC aren't leaving for a couple of years. Why are Marshall/ODU/Southern Miss bolting so quickly? 

[Spin]

36 minutes ago, Let'sGoZips94 said:

 

This is a wild story. The Big 12 schools joining the SEC aren't leaving for a couple of years. Why are Marshall/ODU/Southern Miss bolting so quickly? 

 

TV network money?

Share of bowl revenue?

[GP1]

Nothing like having to read about....well....let's call it "The Marshall Double Cross" every few years.  We (by "We" I mean someone other than me) should start a poll guessing the over/under on the years until their next conference move.

 

We could coin ODU and Southern Mississippi "The Desperate Duo". Someone has to explain to me the importance of the Hattiesburg television market because I must have missed something. Heck, Jackson State has become a more important team in central MS than South Miss.

 

Schools like these three are just filler for desperate conference leaders who are looking to pad their resume and move on to the next opportunity. I know how interesting these conference moves may seem, but when you look at them closely, almost every team moving is acting out of desperation.  That's never a good place to be. I'll stick with the MAC.

[Let'sGoZips94]

I'm not sure how much these numbers have changed since 2019, but I'm struggling to see any advantage to moving among CUSA/SWAC/MAC. The goal for any G5 should always be to get to the AAC, or even the MWC depending on location. Otherwise it's a lateral/backwards move. 

 

FY 2019 Total Revenue:

AAC $111,278,729 Up from 2018 73M and 2017 77M

MWC $59,467,622 Up from 2018 57M and 2017 54M

CUSA $40,861,629 Down from 2018 44M and 2017 38M

SBC $33,072,881 Up from 2018 27M *

MAC $32,241,698 Up from 2018 30M, but down from 2017 30M.

 

FY 2019 Media Revenue:

AAC $43,988,700 Up from 2018 22M and 2017 21M

MWC $19,853,461 Up from 2018 14M and 2017 13M

CUSA $6,440,156 Down from 2018 4M and up from 2017 3M

SBC $3,920,523 Up from 2018 1M*

MAC $9,186,590 Up from 2018 8M, but down from 2017 8M

[GP1]

5 minutes ago, Let'sGoZips94 said:

The goal for any G5 should always be to get to the AAC, or even the MWC depending on location.

Why?

[Let'sGoZips94]

58 minutes ago, GP1 said:

Why?

 

Because MWC's media deal is worth more than double the MAC's, and the AAC's media deal is worth almost 5x the MAC's. 

 

FY 2019 Media Revenue:

AAC $43,988,700 Up from 2018 22M and 2017 21M

MWC $19,853,461 Up from 2018 14M and 2017 13M

CUSA $6,440,156 Down from 2018 4M and up from 2017 3M

SBC $3,920,523 Up from 2018 1M*

MAC $9,186,590 Up from 2018 8M, but down from 2017 8M

 

Not to mention competition level is a step up in those two conferences. 

 

Edited February 16, 2022 by Let'sGoZips94

[GP1]

12 minutes ago, Let'sGoZips94 said:

 

Because MWC's media deal is worth more than double the MAC's, and the AAC's media deal is worth almost 5x the MAC's. 

 

FY 2019 Media Revenue:

AAC $43,988,700 Up from 2018 22M and 2017 21M

MWC $19,853,461 Up from 2018 14M and 2017 13M

CUSA $6,440,156 Down from 2018 4M and up from 2017 3M

SBC $3,920,523 Up from 2018 1M*

MAC $9,186,590 Up from 2018 8M, but down from 2017 8M

 

Not to mention competition level is a step up in those two conferences. 

 

Silly me. I thought the purpose of athletic programs was to benefit the athletes, students, alumni, fans and greater communities around the schools. If I would have know TV money was the driving force, I would have advocated for Tuesday night games all season long as the benefit of the money would outweigh the costs of the empty stadiums and endless losing. I guess I have been wrong all along.

[Let'sGoZips94]

4 minutes ago, GP1 said:

Silly me. I thought the purpose of athletic programs was to benefit the athletes, students, alumni, fans and greater communities around the schools. If I would have know TV money was the driving force, I would have advocated for Tuesday night games all season long as the benefit of the money would outweigh the costs of the empty stadiums and endless losing. I guess I have been wrong all along.

 

Growing revenue benefits all parties mentioned in your comment. The innocence of college athletics is long gone; it's all about money. 

 

Not to mention getting away from Directional Michigans would breathe some much needed new life into the athletic schedules. 

Edited February 16, 2022 by Let'sGoZips94

[GP1]

25 minutes ago, Let'sGoZips94 said:

 

Growing revenue benefits all parties mentioned in your comment. The innocence of college athletics is long gone; it's all about money. 

 

Not to mention getting away from Directional Michigans would breathe some much needed new life into the athletic schedules. 

There are many ways to grow revenue for a MAC university. For example, make gameday the cultural center for the universities in their region so people will see the value in the university and invest in it through their personal activities, charitable giving and for some perhaps even attend the school paying much needed tuition. Aspiring to the AAC doesn't seem like an achievable pursuit.  Making it all about money for the MAC has resulted in disastrous outcomes for the conference. There has to be a better way to make more money.

 

I'd love to hear your thoughts on how getting rid of the directional Michigan schools would improve the schedule to see if it ranks right up there with ESPN's claim that expanding the trash that is the college football playoff will make college football better. Get rid of the directional Michigans?  We are lucky they don't get rid of us.  In reality, the MAC would be better off to jettison Canada and NIU.

Edited February 16, 2022 by GP1