MAC talk
- Thread starter BRaiderDave
- Start date
There's gotta be a better way to do this...
tenor.com
And. Here. We. Go. GIF - The Dark Knight Joker Batman - Discover & Share GIFs
Click to view the GIF
tenor.com
I mean, screw it. Doesn’t really matter but I guess I’m most intrigued about the MAC.
To me, the MAC is our lifeboat. Otherwise, just drop down in football.
I don’t want the MAC, but it’s perfect for MT.
Never ending mediocrity with low commitment to athletics excellence, weak $$$ funding, terrible fan support, and no future growth prospects/joining better conference hopes.
I live in Ohio so I could actually make some games in Athens, Bowling Green, and Toledo….but I would still rather not be in this conference. Nobody cares about MAC sports.
I would rather stay where we are, bring in a power FCS program or two, and stay with a southern footprint and strive to be better.
Never ending mediocrity with low commitment to athletics excellence, weak $$$ funding, terrible fan support, and no future growth prospects/joining better conference hopes.
I live in Ohio so I could actually make some games in Athens, Bowling Green, and Toledo….but I would still rather not be in this conference. Nobody cares about MAC sports.
I would rather stay where we are, bring in a power FCS program or two, and stay with a southern footprint and strive to be better.
It would be an upgrade. Tell me the last time a (current version of) CUSA school went undefeated and/or went to a NY6 bowl game. Hint: never happened
well the SBC is the same, no funding and fan support is weak. tye biggest budgets are the schools moving to CUSA.
I personally like the prospect of playing Northern Illinois, CMU, Miami, and Akron. Still staying with western is good too.
This is so weird and even I can't keep up. Somebody come and get me when somebody makes a decision. LOL.
might not be one if we and wku bail. They don't even have Liberty, Uconn and nmsu yet. Liberty might pass if we bail.
So, I was pretty pro-MAC when this all went down.
Then, I read up on some FCS teams like Missouri State and SHSU and some of the other gems that we could pluck, and I was like, "You know, if we do this right, we maybe can come out of this ok".
Then we got a plate full of $hit with the NMSU and Uconn news, so now i'm back to hoping the MAC calls.
You know what - there's worse places to be - like on college football death row with UCONN. So, what the heck - Let's go to the MAC, get on ESPN, win, and maybe the AAC calls in a few years.
If not, we get to enjoy some MAC-tion and a chance at a NYD bowl.
Then, I read up on some FCS teams like Missouri State and SHSU and some of the other gems that we could pluck, and I was like, "You know, if we do this right, we maybe can come out of this ok".
Then we got a plate full of $hit with the NMSU and Uconn news, so now i'm back to hoping the MAC calls.
You know what - there's worse places to be - like on college football death row with UCONN. So, what the heck - Let's go to the MAC, get on ESPN, win, and maybe the AAC calls in a few years.
If not, we get to enjoy some MAC-tion and a chance at a NYD bowl.
I would be OK with the MAC as long was Western goes. All the Rivals (UAB, Marshall FB) and kind of Rivals (FAU FB) are gone. Only WKU is left. The next round of expansion for the top 4 conferences will kill CUSA if this one does not, and the MAC will be one of the conferences left standing.
If the FCS move ups were done right, it could possibly be a grand improvement. But they are literally talking to anyone who would answer. They as in Judy. She's throwing darts. There is no plan to get the best teams, logistics, fans, support, etc. And that is what makes me want no part of it.
I just have a bad feeling that damn 7 wood and Massaro are going to go along with whatever Judy says and the MTSU ship sinks with CUSA. Who knows maybe then someone above them with an ounce of sense would clean the whole thing out and we could get back on track with a new President, AD and coaches. But if they have not by now, where in the hell are they?
That's one thing that's overlooked here - the MAC offers a stable home.
They've been around 75 years. They've found their niche, they work with ESPN. They are similar programs to us - budget, fan support, regional universities that serve a certain mission, etc.
They offer a product and inventory to the TV networks that's always going to be in demand - those off-prime-time games. That may not be all that exciting, but i'm not sure where college football is headed that we're ever going to be going head to head with the SEC on prime-time Saturdays anyway. There's a separation that's occurring, and we need to have a stable chair when the music stops. If you have to play some Wed/Thurs games on ESPN, we'll live. We can survive and thrive with WKU there.
You don't want to go to Athens Ohio, or Toledo - is it all that different than Huntington WV, or Harrisonburg VA? How many of us made the trip to Norfolk? El Paso? Las Cruces? Is Miami Ohio all that much worse than Ruston, LA? Most of the MAC is closer than what's left of CUSA, and if NMSU/UCONN Liberty are added, then it's even worse.
You don't have to love the MAC, but CUSA is a conference on the verge of collapse, even more with the latest news of NMSU/UCONN/Liberty.
Yeah, let's be honest about it... who here wants to be in a definitely bottom of all FBS conference with Tarleton State, New Mexico State, Sam Houston, and who knows who else -- that will be terrible, one bid league in basketball M/W, not good at any other sport... versus in an established conference with 75 years of history, NY6 bowl games, high caliber basketball? Is this even a serious question? Of course we should try to go to, and accept if invited, the MAC.
Anyone that's been around the program as long as I have(since '03) or longer knows there's been MT/WKU to the MAC talk a few times over the years. When the Sun Belt was truly the perennial laughing stock of CFB in the early days, there was talk of if the MAC could poach us together and there was very little interest on our end.
I'm still not at all interested in the MAC personally, apart from within the vacuum of the MAC vs the absolute clown car of candidates being bandied about for CUSA. I'll take the MAC over that dumpster fire 100 times out of 100.
Regardless of what happens, I hope MT/WKU stick together and effing Liberty stays very far from whatever conference we end up in.
I'm still not at all interested in the MAC personally, apart from within the vacuum of the MAC vs the absolute clown car of candidates being bandied about for CUSA. I'll take the MAC over that dumpster fire 100 times out of 100.
Regardless of what happens, I hope MT/WKU stick together and effing Liberty stays very far from whatever conference we end up in.
I’m starting to,Ike the MAC idea better. The new CUSA,if it survives, is just going to be a bunch of random teams making the jump from smaller divisions. I would rather be with a more established group of teams and conference. Being associated with Tarleton State and Jacksonville doesn’t help the image of MT Much.
Frank Solich and Rick Stockstill in the same conference ?
the battle for .500
the battle for .500
I would welcome an invite gladly. I like the MAC history a lot. We are who we are. I had different thoughts where we would be over 20 years ago.
I am really concerned for MT and the leadership rather than our conference. We are where we are because of M&M. We get them removed or replaced with better people and we automatically get an upgrade on optimism, interest, and giving.
I am really concerned for MT and the leadership rather than our conference. We are where we are because of M&M. We get them removed or replaced with better people and we automatically get an upgrade on optimism, interest, and giving.
This right here I don't think can be understated. That is what started all this. Talk of the CFP being bid out to networks so ESPN could lose it. So what did they do, signed ALL the SEC games. No more CBS. Got two blue bloods to move to the SEC. Now they are taking care of the G5. CUSA and the MWC are not under the mouse. We all know MWC isn't going anywhere. No where to go so that left us.
Is MAC perfect, no. But honestly I would prefer it to even the AAC aka CUSA 5.0. The farthest team is still closer in the MAC.
No way would I take MAC over AAC, I'm interested/concerned with how MAC play would affect our recruiting in GA and FL.
Provided WKU is coming with us, being in a conference with Western, UAB and Memphis(for now at least) would be hard to pass up.
If we had competent leadership and were a valued target and had the option of AAC or Sun Belt, I'm not sure what I'd choose as strange as that sounds.
That doesn't sound strange at all. (Especially while watching this awful Navy/Tulsa game) I just want something more regional which to me even the SBC is compared to the AAC.
the Mac schools have have about 18 to 20 kids from GA and FL. So recruiting won't be hurt, may help us get back in to those states stronger
Ave a
Considering where we are current state, we should have a parade if any other league wants us. I would place the MAC as the 3rd option behind the AAC and the Sun Belt. The leftover C-USA collection of cast off misfits and begging of any FCS schools with a pulse at option 27. I’d rather drop back than stay with that bunch, especially considering the current leadership at the conference and our institution. Let’s not lose sight of how we got here. Terribly subpar leadership at all levels. The inability to capitalize on any momentum at any time in the last 15+ years is the biggest issue. Our inability to fundraise and push the fan base growth resides squarely on leadership.
Last edited:
It doesn't sound strange today given all that's happened, I meant that as recently as a few months ago(let alone a few years ago) that seeing a move to the SBC as desirable, let alone that it might be equally desirable as a move to the AAC, would have definitely sounded strange.
This. Beggars can’t be choosers and idk what falls below beggar on the pecking order but that’s essentially who MT is now. I think I’m selling myself more and more on the MAC as I continue to process it. If anything, it’s stability and that’s what MT has hung their hat on so damn it just feels like the right shoe for the program. Hoops could be fun, too.
If Stockstill doesn't retire after this season, maybe the prospect of a icy cold ass blizzard, tuesday, late november, night in Buffalo, getting his ass handed to him will convince him to step down. Trying to look at the bright side here.
I also think there is something to this.
fwiw, C-USA was getting paid substantially well above the SunBelt with the mixture of media networks. This is an opportunity to consolidate power for espn and generally pay less to a lot of these schools to have them playing only on espn group of networks. Likewise, espn probably doesn't mind investing a little more in the few programs that have demonstrated a willingness to invest in growing their own programs particularly in those larger media markets. Not agreeing or disagreeing, just speculating on the business end.
With a severely wounded conference, schools and folks like us are more than eager to run to a conference arrangement made by espn and broadcast only by espn for a lower payout.
I'm not sure if this is really relevant or not, but the mouse house is rumored to be seriously considering spinning off espn.
There could be worse things than the MAC. A stable conference might buy MTSU x-number of years of reasonable stability until new leadership could replace the disastrously failed ongoing leadership. Again, not holding my breath.
I sure would like to know if espn is whispering into the ear of MAC officials the names MTSU & WKU?
When the dust settles, I have to think that the MAC will be much more respectable and stable compared to the patchwork of castaways that will exist in CUSA. Unless MT can collect a huge check from CUSA for exit fees, I see no way to stay if there is a chance to go to the MAC.
Until major staff changes and better recruiting initiatives are made by our Head Coach (or he’s forced to make) we are never going to be a conference title contender regardless of where MTSU finally lands. And for those who think he’s going away after this year? How many of you would walk away from $5 million dollars guaranteed at $910,000 a year until 2027? Not me.
Even the President of the University is on video record from the last BOT meeting last month touting successes as the Student Athlete APR and graduation rates in spite of 3 straight losing seasons in Men’s Basketball and 2 in Football.
Apparently our problems run much deeper than Athletics but it is the front porch of the University. Especially when a former Vice Chair of the BOT goes public.
Even the President of the University is on video record from the last BOT meeting last month touting successes as the Student Athlete APR and graduation rates in spite of 3 straight losing seasons in Men’s Basketball and 2 in Football.
Apparently our problems run much deeper than Athletics but it is the front porch of the University. Especially when a former Vice Chair of the BOT goes public.
Similar threads
