MAC Suspends Mens Soccer sponsorship after 2022

[Zip_ME87]

 

Edited November 11, 2022 by Zip_ME87

[Zip_ME87]

 

[Zip_ME87]

 

[Zip_ME87]

 

[zippy-claws]

Nothing stopping us now from joining a worthy conference!  Good News for sure!  The next to fall will be Men's Track and Field, probably next year.  Once again, only Kent, Akron, Buffalo, Eastern Michigan and Ohio left in that sport.  But so nice to hear.

[Let'sGoZips94]

6 minutes ago, zippy-claws said:

Nothing stopping us now from joining a worthy conference!  Good News for sure!  The next to fall will be Men's Track and Field, probably next year.  Once again, only Kent, Akron, Buffalo, Eastern Michigan and Ohio left in that sport.  But so nice to hear.

 

Big East was mentioned in another thread as Akron having a foot in the door for soccer. It would make too much sense to get as many sports as possible into the Big East, especially basketball. 

[Let'sGoZips94]

 

(Replace the Del Fuego's building with this news/new conference)

Edited November 11, 2022 by Let'sGoZips94

[MDZip]

This is awesome the Big East would be a fantastic home for Zips soccer (and selfishly will allow me to see more games). So if we drop football can we join as a full time member? 🤣😂

[LZIp]

This is great, I think.

[Blue & Gold]

Well, we know it won't be The Missouri Valley Conference 😂

 

I'd love to see us in the Big East.  Men & Women's Track & Field to follow.

 

This would help us with top-level OOC scheduling & probably get a Big East school to visit the JAR once a year. 

[fknbuflobo]

It is only fitting that two of the original MAC MSOC sides square off for the last MAC crown.  That title definitely belongs in Akron.

[Blue & Gold]

2 minutes ago, LZIp said:

This is great, I think.

Exactly. There are always unintended consequences.

[fknbuflobo]

3 minutes ago, MDZip said:

This is awesome the Big East would be a fantastic home for Zips soccer (and selfishly will allow me to see more games). So if we drop football can we join as a full time member? 🤣😂

From your mouth to God's ears!

[Zip_ME87]

14 minutes ago, Blue & Gold said:

Exactly. There are always unintended consequences.

 

Travel within the conference will be more interesting; I won't miss going to NIU or the WMU farm or pasture, whatever they call it.

 

If the Big East, I suspect that Scotty Caldwell's dad may likely be seen among Zips fans when we visit UConn and Providence.

 

Edited November 11, 2022 by Zip_ME87

[Let'sGoZips94]

9 minutes ago, Blue & Gold said:

Well, we know it won't be The Missouri Valley Conference 😂

 

I'd love to see us in the Big East.  Men & Women's Track & Field to follow.

 

This would help us with top-level OOC scheduling & probably get a Big East school to visit the JAR once a year. 

 

How about 16-20 times a year as a full member and our football program finds a different conference? 

 

8 minutes ago, Blue & Gold said:

Exactly. There are always unintended consequences.

 

Like finding ourselves in a conference that is more than 1 step above a high school conference? 

[ewbrooman1]

How about the BI6? We already play at least 4 teams on a regular basis. Only 9 soccer teams there. 

[LoyalZIP]

Will Chicago State join us in the Big East?!?! 😂

[Kangaroo Craig]

I would love for it to be the BIG or ACC

[Blue & Gold]

48 minutes ago, Let'sGoZips94 said:

 

How about 16-20 times a year as a full member and our football program finds a different conference? 

 

UConn is a member of the Big East, which does not sponsor football. Is UConn an independent in football?

[Blue & Gold]

10 minutes ago, Kangaroo Craig said:

I would love for it to be the BIG or ACC

I'm pulling for the Big East; a conference where we can hope to join in other sports. All sports sans football? I think that'd be pretty great.

BUT... football is the driving factor in all college athletics. So, big decisions ahead.

Exciting time!

[Let'sGoZips94]

Just now, Blue & Gold said:

UConn is a member of the Big East, which does not sponsor football. Is UConn an independent in football?

 

Yes.

[Zip_ME87]

7 minutes ago, Blue & Gold said:

UConn is a member of the Big East, which does not sponsor football. Is UConn an independent in football?

 

4 minutes ago, Let'sGoZips94 said:

Yes.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NCAA_Division_I_FBS_independent_schools

 

 

[Let'sGoZips94]

Just now, Blue & Gold said:

I'm pulling for the Big East; a conference where we can hope to join in other sports. All sports sans football? I think that'd be pretty great.

BUT... football is the driving factor in all college athletics. So, big decisions ahead.

Exciting time!

 

I don't know if you saw my post in the soccer thread where the Big East was mentioned. The Big East media deal with Fox Sports is a 12 year, $500M deal - ~$40M per year. They don't have football. Compare this with the MAC's 13 year, $100M (~$8M per year) deal with football. 

 

Although the Big East deal is set to expire in a couple of years, their ratings beat most other sports on FS1, so this will most likely be renewed and maybe for even more. 

 

The $32M annual increase would more than justify moving every sport possible out of the MAC and into the Big East, while going Independent in football until a conference is found.

[zipsrule]

1 hour ago, MDZip said:

 So if we drop football can we join as a full time member?

We can still have football as several Big East schools do.  The conference doesn't sponsor it, so we'd need to find somewhere else to play.  What a problem I'd like to have.

[mes102]

I just saw this on Twitter and had to share it. This could become Akron's opening for a potential full time move to the Big East.