Around the MAC

[kreed5120]

12 minutes ago, GP1 said:

I see one. It's one where the G5 conferences come together and create their own division and stop playing P4 schools. These schools would offer scholarships and stipends like the military academies pay their attendees (at some schools, ROTC members make a stipend of around$400 per month). If the players want to earn money elsewhere, that's up to them and whatever agent they may have. They must  be on a path to graduation. There would be a structure for coach pay and staff structure and headcount. Players get one transfer. One additional transfer if the coach that recruited them gets fired. Five years of college football at any level is enough. If a player gets cut, the school must continue to pay their scholarship and monthly stipend for as long as that student attends the university. Limit the influence of athletic departments to day to day management of their departments and no influence in revenue generation. Share TV revenue and no team shall have more than one game a year played on any day except Saturday. Regionalized teams, 11 game season, regional winners make a playoff system and crown a champion before, on or the first weekend after January 1. 

 

I think this would be a good start. 

 

There is already a subdivision for D1. It's called the FCS. 

[GP1]

18 minutes ago, kreed5120 said:

 

There is already a subdivision for D1. It's called the FCS. 

Create something between the two. There is nothing stopping us...The NCAA? What are they going to do?  It's becoming increasingly obvious it's an almost useless organization. We wouldn't actually need it. They would be desperate to keep us because if won't be long until the P4 schools wash their hands of them. 

[Let'sGoZips94]

10 hours ago, GP1 said:

I see one. It's one where the G5 conferences come together and create their own division and stop playing P4 schools. These schools would offer scholarships and stipends like the military academies pay their attendees (at some schools, ROTC members make a stipend of around$400 per month). If the players want to earn money elsewhere, that's up to them and whatever agent they may have. They must  be on a path to graduation. There would be a structure for coach pay and staff structure and headcount. Players get one transfer. One additional transfer if the coach that recruited them gets fired. Five years of college football at any level is enough. If a player gets cut, the school must continue to pay their scholarship and monthly stipend for as long as that student attends the university. Limit the influence of athletic departments to day to day management of their departments and no influence in revenue generation. Share TV revenue and no team shall have more than one game a year played on any day except Saturday. Regionalized teams, 11 game season, regional winners make a playoff system and crown a champion before, on or the first weekend after January 1. 

 

I think this would be a good start. 

 

Find me the commissioners with the balls to make this happen. That was my point. 

[exit322]

1 hour ago, Let'sGoZips94 said:

 

Find me the commissioners with the balls to make this happen. That was my point. 

 

Probably just as accurately, find the school administrations with the balls to make this happen...

[GP1]

11 hours ago, Let'sGoZips94 said:

 

Find me the commissioners with the balls to make this happen. That was my point. 

They may have no choice. Either we dump the P4 or they dump us. After this happens and the G5 conferences combine, the commissioners will be exploring new employment opportunities. 

[Let'sGoZips94]

18 minutes ago, GP1 said:

They may have no choice. Either we dump the P4 or they dump us. After this happens and the G5 conferences combine, the commissioners will be exploring new employment opportunities. 

 

Seems like they are perfectly content getting whatever scraps they're being tossed by the P4s. 

[Zippy87]

There's a reason MAC schools play these buy games against Big Ten teams - they need the money to fund their programs. The ideas shared sound awesome in theory, but most programs would likely find themselves significantly in the red financially with them. 

[exit322]

6 minutes ago, Zippy87 said:

There's a reason MAC schools play these buy games against Big Ten teams - they need the money to fund their programs. The ideas shared sound awesome in theory, but most programs would likely find themselves significantly in the red financially with them. 

 

Well luckily they're all in the black doing it this way.

[kreed5120]

2 hours ago, Zippy87 said:

There's a reason MAC schools play these buy games against Big Ten teams - they need the money to fund their programs. The ideas shared sound awesome in theory, but most programs would likely find themselves significantly in the red financially with them. 

 

I'm not opposed to eliminating bowl games in favor of an NIT type secondary playoff that is G6 focused. A third D1 league I feel is very much unneeded. If they wanted to do that just go FCS. It already has many of the things they're advocating for with the lower cost to compete and an inclusive playoff system specific to like resourced programs.

 

Any real change financially would have to come from slashing costs. No MAC coach is worth $700K+. G6 programs keep dumping more and more money into football thinking it will help them catch up, but that doesn't work when everyone else is doing the same. You just end up paying more to remain the same status quo.

Edited Monday at 05:21 PM by kreed5120

[GP1]

2 hours ago, Let'sGoZips94 said:

 

Seems like they are perfectly content getting whatever scraps they're being tossed by the P4s. 

It's why their influence must be mitigated. 

[GP1]

2 hours ago, Zippy87 said:

There's a reason MAC schools play these buy games against Big Ten teams - they need the money to fund their programs. 

Good start, but we need more clarity. The reason they need the money is they have spent their schools into near bankruptcy listening to some of the most reckless people on campus, athletic directors. 

[Zippy87]

2 hours ago, exit322 said:

 

Well luckily they're all in the black doing it this way.

 

Of course they aren't, but do you think that will improve without these $$$ games every year? 

 

 

[exit322]

2 hours ago, Zippy87 said:

 

Of course they aren't, but do you think that will improve without these $$$ games every year? 

 

 

 

No, without making the other fundamental changes to stabilize expenses, they're going to need these games just to pretend to be afloat.

[UAZipster0305]

On 9/5/2026 at 1:41 PM, MangoZip said:

It so frustrating to see so many MAC teams really compete against these P4 teams every year and we get absolutely destroyed in every game. Throw out the Indiana game and every other game has been a complete embarrassment. 

We were down to the goal line for a win at Michigan about 10 years ago. Given the weekend events, that situation looks impossible, even if we did actually stick it in for 7.

[1981 grad]

14 hours ago, UAZipster0305 said:

We were down to the goal line for a win at Michigan about 10 years ago. Given the weekend events, that situation looks impossible, even if we did actually stick it in for 7.

I remember that game just like I remember the ridiculous offensive foul called on Freeman at the UCLA NCAA game in the last few minutes when it looked like Akron was a lock to upset a blue blood.  Akron is always the bridemaid and never the bride.

[Let'sGoZips94]

14 hours ago, UAZipster0305 said:

We were down to the goal line for a win at Michigan about 10 years ago. Given the weekend events, that situation looks impossible, even if we did actually stick it in for 7.

 

Shockingly, officiating potentially cost us that game as well with the PI in the end zone not called against Michigan in the final seconds. 

 

Michigan vs. Oberlin in 1892 has been a precursor for all these controversial results ending in Michigan victories. 

 

It was agreed upon prior to the game that 4:50pm would be the official end so Oberlin could catch their train home. Oberlin was up 24-22 and the referee (Oberlin substitute) called the game at 4:50pm and Oberlin left the field. An umpire (a Michigan supporter) said the time was only 4:46pm, so Michigan stayed on the field, ran another play that resulted in a 4 pt touchdown, and claimed victory.

 

The following year, Oberlin coach John Heisman became the head coach at Buchtel (now the University of Akron).

Edited Tuesday at 01:51 PM by Let'sGoZips94

[akzipper]

I hate every single team in the Big Ten and always will. 

[exit322]

25 minutes ago, akzipper said:

I hate every single team in the Big Ten and always will. 

 

I'm OK with Oregon & Washington.  It's merely a marriage of convenience to them.

[akzipper]

2 hours ago, exit322 said:

 

I'm OK with Oregon & Washington.  It's merely a marriage of convenience to them.

 

Good point. I actually forget sometimes about Oregon. 

 

I used to root for Michigan just because of how much OSU fans hate them. But not after the past few years. Now they are just the lesser of two evils. 

[ZippyRulz]

WMU ranked #32 by votes in the new AP poll.

 

[Let'sGoZips94]

3 hours ago, exit322 said:

 

I'm OK with Oregon & Washington.  It's merely a marriage of convenience to them.

 

Not to mention both have been a thorn in the side of the Big Ten elite since joining. 

[Hilltopper]

It looks like the MAC has finally grown a set.

 

[LZIp]

It’s going to get juicy now! Might want to be cautious of the repercussions of this though. Is going after the B1G for cheating in one game worth the potential of losing but games in the future?

Edited Tuesday at 06:58 PM by LZIp

[kreed5120]

6 minutes ago, LZIp said:

It’s going to get juicy now! Might want to be cautious of the repercussions of this though. Is going after the B1G for cheating in one game worth the potential of losing but games in the future?

 

I don't see that being an issue. Those games are scheduled years in advance and TBH nobody will even be talking about this in 2-3 weeks. Maybe in November it will get more attention again if UM is still in the hunt for a playoff spot as SEC, ACC, Big 12 will want to discredit (rightfully so) UM resume.

[Zippy87]

36 minutes ago, Hilltopper said:

It looks like the MAC has finally grown a set.

 

 

This is odd to me after Steinbrecher basically stated Saturday night that what the Big Ten told them added up. I'm guessing they received some pushback from WMU and/or other member schools and wanted to at least look like they are fighting this.