kreed5120 Posted March 1 Report Share Posted March 1 2 hours ago, AkronAlumnus said: VCU being in the MAC would benefit them the same way that Gonzaga benefits from being in the West Coast Conference. The WCC is way better than the MAC most years, but in Gonzaga's case , still significantly below their overall prestige. Obviously with the emphasis on $$$ some smaller conferences will go defunct, others will expand. I think the MAC has more longevity than the A10 perhaps just because of football. Take this year as an example, VCU is fourth in the A10. If they jumped to the MAC they would almost certainly be dancing even with a mediocre team by their standards. Switch out VCU for a school like Liberty and the same premise applies. They would make a lot less money in the MAC. The A10 is an eat what you kill conference. That means the schools that earn the tournament credits are the ones who receive the payout for them. The MAC gives a little extra to the team that earns them to cover travel costs, but they're mostly split evenly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AkronAlumnus Posted March 1 Report Share Posted March 1 10 minutes ago, kreed5120 said: They would make a lot less money in the MAC. The A10 is an eat what you kill conference. That means the schools that earn the tournament credits are the ones who receive the payout for them. The MAC gives a little extra to the team that earns them to cover travel costs, but they're mostly split evenly. I like you - you're intellectual. Do you think the money from MAC football would offset the A10's top down approach? I know they currently don't have a FB program (like Vermont) but, they could assemble a team quickly and likely be a contender. I read part of an article before the paywall prop populated & it said the main reason VCU doesn't have a football program is bc of the start-up cost to only play FCS ball. Basically the ends didn't justify the means but would a change in conference offset this? UMass seems to think so 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AkronAlumnus Posted March 1 Report Share Posted March 1 Akron is last in MAC FB for grossing revenue but first in MBB for grossing revenue. Even with this, football still brings in more $$ which is why I say the MAC has more longevity than the A10 or similar conferences. With the sheer amount of money going into football, if I was a university president and I didn't have a FB program, I'd want to wet my universities's beak - especially in today's day & age 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kreed5120 Posted March 1 Report Share Posted March 1 24 minutes ago, AkronAlumnus said: I like you - you're intellectual. Do you think the money from MAC football would offset the A10's top down approach? I know they currently don't have a FB program (like Vermont) but, they could assemble a team quickly and likely be a contender. I read part of an article before the paywall prop populated & it said the main reason VCU doesn't have a football program is bc of the start-up cost to only play FCS ball. Basically the ends didn't justify the means but would a change in conference offset this? UMass seems to think so Most likely not because not only would they have to invest $100+ million in facilities, but they would then need add women's sports to stay title IX compliant. I do think the MAC should adopt a more eat what you kill mentality when it comes to paying out NCAA tournament credits. The current system gives little to no incentive for the Northern Illinois, WMU of the world to try to contend. They get their money regardless so they have no further incentive to want to improve. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve1981 Posted March 8 Report Share Posted March 8 Of course I'm thrilled! It's actually about a hour but almost the first 20 minutes was waiting. Talks started in September, they talk about faculty, academics, academic and leadership consortium and our Chancellor jumped in as he was a product of the academic consortium. About building the next department head, deans, chairs, provost etc while Javier Reyes was at Arkansas in the SEC. Seemed very thoughtful, covering athletics, facility, students, campus vision. Not really much rahrahrah. Commissioner Steinbrecher was quietly on campus during a game in November and disappointed did not seem him. The investment in athletics will accelerate with 8 to 10 times the conference revenue growth. As our AD said, we are hitting the gas, no brakes. Frank Martin is a real team player, his wife ran track at UMass, football helps raise all programs and their budgets all went up from his career. Don Brown and Frank Martin had offices next to each other at Northeastern. They both recruit in programs that were at the bottom with no bells and whistles. You recruit players that believe in your vision, the school and not the conference. Looking forward to playing you guys, especially in basketball. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GP1 Posted March 9 Report Share Posted March 9 2 hours ago, Steve1981 said: Of course I'm thrilled! It's actually about a hour but almost the first 20 minutes was waiting. Talks started in September, they talk about faculty, academics, academic and leadership consortium and our Chancellor jumped in as he was a product of the academic consortium. About building the next department head, deans, chairs, provost etc while Javier Reyes was at Arkansas in the SEC. Seemed very thoughtful, covering athletics, facility, students, campus vision. Not really much rahrahrah. Commissioner Steinbrecher was quietly on campus during a game in November and disappointed did not seem him. The investment in athletics will accelerate with 8 to 10 times the conference revenue growth. As our AD said, we are hitting the gas, no brakes. Frank Martin is a real team player, his wife ran track at UMass, football helps raise all programs and their budgets all went up from his career. Don Brown and Frank Martin had offices next to each other at Northeastern. They both recruit in programs that were at the bottom with no bells and whistles. You recruit players that believe in your vision, the school and not the conference. Looking forward to playing you guys, especially in basketball. You guys should save the video and use it the next time you jump conferences. It will save money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve1981 Posted March 9 Report Share Posted March 9 This is our first conference move in 48 years! Anyhow, still looking forward to the matchups. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MDZip Posted March 9 Report Share Posted March 9 10 hours ago, Steve1981 said: Looking forward to playing you guys, especially in basketball. The way we've been playing lately you should be looking forward to it. 😂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve1981 Posted March 9 Report Share Posted March 9 Excited to be playing in the MAC in 2025. We have a lot of freshman and Coach Martin is the real deal. Earning the 4th seed, we get a double bye in Brooklyn. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GP1 Posted March 9 Report Share Posted March 9 7 minutes ago, Steve1981 said: Excited to be playing in the MAC in 2025. That makes one of us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue & Gold Posted March 10 Report Share Posted March 10 1 hour ago, Steve1981 said: Excited to be playing in the MAC in 2025. We have a lot of freshman and Coach Martin is the real deal. Earning the 4th seed, we get a double bye in Brooklyn. Excited to have you guys & looking forward to competing against you! Good fit competitively for football & UMass, Akron, Kent State, Ohio, Toledo, Buffalo & Ball State makes for a very nice basketball conference. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZippyRulz Posted March 10 Report Share Posted March 10 6 hours ago, Blue & Gold said: Excited to have you guys & looking forward to competing against you! Good fit competitively for football & UMass, Akron, Kent State, Ohio, Toledo, Buffalo & Ball State makes for a very nice basketball conference. Don't forget WKU 😁 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve1981 Posted March 31 Report Share Posted March 31 On 2/26/2024 at 5:22 PM, kreed5120 said: Yes, the A10 also isn't what it was 10 years ago. Now it's pretty much a 1 bid conference, like the MAC, but much harder to win. It probably made the pill of leaving men's hoops easier to swallow. Of the three categories of UMass fans, only those identifying as primary Hoop fans had a majority not liking or hating the moved. Now this was on the hoop forum and few football fans voted but those either loved it or liked it. All sports fans overwhelming like the move. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spin Posted April 10 Report Share Posted April 10 I should be excited about this, I guess…. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GP1 Posted April 11 Report Share Posted April 11 On 4/10/2024 at 8:22 AM, Spin said: I should be excited about this, I guess…. This news is as exciting as a warm glass of skim milk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zipmeister Posted April 13 Report Share Posted April 13 (edited) On 4/11/2024 at 5:29 PM, GP1 said: This news is as exciting as a warm glass of skim milk. I see what you mean......... Edited April 13 by Zipmeister . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClevelandZip Posted May 26 Report Share Posted May 26 Well, we are in the area for a wedding, so we decided to check out the UMASS campus. It is a really beautiful campus, so should make for some nice road trips to see the Zips! It kind of gives me Miami U vibes from the architecture and Ohio U vibes from the area’s geography. The surrounding area feels a lot like Hocking Hills, so based off of that I’d say it feels like a MAC school. Haven’t interacted with too many people yet, so I can’t speak to the cultural fit. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UA1996MAENG Posted May 27 Report Share Posted May 27 20 hours ago, ClevelandZip said: Well, we are in the area for a wedding, so we decided to check out the UMASS campus. It is a really beautiful campus, so should make for some nice road trips to see the Zips! It kind of gives me Miami U vibes from the architecture and Ohio U vibes from the area’s geography. The surrounding area feels a lot like Hocking Hills, so based off of that I’d say it feels like a MAC school. Haven’t interacted with too many people yet, so I can’t speak to the cultural fit. Many people on this forum are luke warm to negative about UMASS joining the MAC, but I think it's a really good addition. It's a highly respected and nationallly ranked university, and it's within the orbit of the Boston TV market. I don't see any negatives in this move. Are there other universities that would be a good fit? Sure, but there has to be interest from those universities for it to become a reality. So far, I have not heard that WKU and others are calling the MAC to join. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GP1 Posted May 27 Report Share Posted May 27 1 hour ago, UA1996MAENG said: it's within the orbit of the Boston TV market. Every game is on TV. What does this have to do with anything? The MAC has been chasing "exposure" for decades, and the league is worse today than 20 years ago. God willing, G5 schools will have their own division in the next 5 years. The MAC will continue as a Midwest centered conference and UMass will be part of something else focused on an eastern division. The MAC has given them a lifeline and I can't figure out why. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UA1996MAENG Posted May 27 Report Share Posted May 27 12 minutes ago, GP1 said: Every game is on TV. What does this have to do with anything? The MAC has been chasing "exposure" for decades, and the league is worse today than 20 years ago. God willing, G5 schools will have their own division in the next 5 years. The MAC will continue as a Midwest centered conference and UMass will be part of something else focused on an eastern division. The MAC has given them a lifeline and I can't figure out why. Size of the TV market matters. Massachussettes has 7 million+; Kentucky has 4.5 million. Ratings determine a lot, so the Boston and Massachussettes market is not bad addition. I'm just not sure why there is such negative about UMASS. Again, has any other univeristy petitioned to join recently that you'd prefer? The MAC is "worse" today becuase it has little or no national TV audience (it never had this). It's one of the last regional conferences, and that's what it will remain for better or worse. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Let'sGoZips94 Posted May 27 Report Share Posted May 27 This isn't very hard. - Big media market - Respected academics - Top of the MAC basketball program with tradition - Living, breathing football program Overall, UMass makes the MAC more competitive with a large market that can be sold to whichever media company gives the MAC their next TV deal. That's the bottom line. It's beating a dead horse, but the "traditional MAC schools" (mainly directional Michigan's, Balls, NIU, etc.) don't move the needle for people outside of the MAC offices. Those are the pearls the MAC has been clutching and it's nice to see them loosen the grip to accept a more competitive but non-traditional school to the MAC. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GP1 Posted May 27 Report Share Posted May 27 3 hours ago, UA1996MAENG said: Size of the TV market matters. Massachussettes has 7 million+; Kentucky has 4.5 million. Ratings determine a lot, so the Boston and Massachussettes market is not bad addition. I'm just not sure why there is such negative about UMASS. Again, has any other univeristy petitioned to join recently that you'd prefer? The MAC is "worse" today becuase it has little or no national TV audience (it never had this). It's one of the last regional conferences, and that's what it will remain for better or worse. Is this extra media coverage going to get us an extra $50,000 from ESPN? Every school will probably blow that in the extra travel costs and then some. MAC leadership is the only leadership that leaves their organization in worse shape after every decision. I don't see UMass as their first successful move. We don't have a TV audience? The MAC is the only thing on ESPN on Tuesday and Wednesday nights for a month. The people at Disney believe there is an audience.....until the P5 goes on their own and they fill Tues and Wed nights with match ups such as Syracuse vs Cal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akzipper Posted May 28 Report Share Posted May 28 19 hours ago, Let'sGoZips94 said: This isn't very hard. - Big media market - Respected academics - Top of the MAC basketball program with tradition - Living, breathing football program Overall, UMass makes the MAC more competitive with a large market that can be sold to whichever media company gives the MAC their next TV deal. That's the bottom line. It's beating a dead horse, but the "traditional MAC schools" (mainly directional Michigan's, Balls, NIU, etc.) don't move the needle for people outside of the MAC offices. Those are the pearls the MAC has been clutching and it's nice to see them loosen the grip to accept a more competitive but non-traditional school to the MAC. We can't emphasize this enough. The schools you mentioned do nothing for the conference and fans don't care when they come to town. My completely unrealistic pipe dream would be to merge the MAC and SunBelt while cutting some dead weight to make a new conference with a north and south division. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkWiley Posted May 28 Report Share Posted May 28 10 minutes ago, akzipper said: We can't emphasize this enough. The schools you mentioned do nothing for the conference and fans don't care when they come to town. My completely unrealistic pipe dream would be to merge the MAC and SunBelt while cutting some dead weight to make a new conference with a north and south division. I also would love a MAC/Sunbelt merge but that would depend on how they classify "dead weight" lol. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akzipper Posted May 28 Report Share Posted May 28 23 minutes ago, MarkWiley said: I also would love a MAC/Sunbelt merge but that would depend on how they classify "dead weight" lol. Yeah as long as a school has a beautiful football stadium, I think they should completely ignore the team on the field. That doesn't matter right? 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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