MAC talk
- Thread starter BRaiderDave
- Start date
Dammit, don't suck me back in.
"Do you know what caused Middle and WKU to go screaming to the MAC?"
Yes, ineptitude, laziness, mismanagement, and/or incompetence put us in this position. Had we managed the athletics properly, Stockstill wouldn't have been given a lifetime contract, Nick McDevitt never would have been hired, football would be recruiting better, MBB might have reloaded instead of having to be completely be rebuilt, facilities would already be online or at least be under construction and MT would be viewed as an extremely valuable to property to every other league outside of a P5 conference. Additionally, the university could have created a fan/alumni first environment instead of the paternalistic "we know better than you" mindset in Cope and Murphy that might have helped fundraising instead of running through - what the need for our 10th BRAA director in the last 15 years?? In other words, every single thing we've done for the past 12 years put us in this position. And I'm just not a fan of making another bad decision because we've been forced into the situation by a bunch of other bad decisions.
"Do you know who CUSA is talking to?"
Yes. And I can live with the four coming. Though it should be only three (and probably would have been if we weren't leaving).
"Is that what you want?"
Well, if we're talking about what I want, I want for all those bad decisions made in the first question not to have occurred. But we are where we are. However, just because we are where we are still doesn't mean I have to accept the premise we should accept another bad decision cause this is our only option. Right now the only chance we have at becoming competitive again is an influx of cash. And it's not going to come from donors if we're going to the MAC. The next two years of revenue being forfeited by the other nine leaving could have set us up to do all the things that should have already happened. It's almost like a second chance at a missed opportunity, but we're about to squander it again. Look, virtually no one wants to join this league now, but we can find three schools to get us to eight to rake the funds. Bottom line to my views on this is even if the new C-USA was an absolute bust and we were left with no other options five years from now, we could drop out to become an Independent in football, park our other sports in a more regional southern conference and still be better off than we ever will in the MAC. We're about to give up millions and instead have to pay about $6M in entry and exit fees. We won't even be able to buy out Stockstill's last season now even if he goes 0-12. It's just a bad financial decision for an athletics program that's hemorrhaging money and resources because of all the F ups noted in the first question.
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Just about every single person on this board said the same things to me about 1) Stockstill's contract when it initially was signed; )Stockstill's new contract where he delayed his raises but got an additional $2.5M added to his deal; and 3) the McDeviit hire.
How's all that working out for y'all?
Dammit, don't suck me back in.
"Do you know what caused Middle and WKU to go screaming to the MAC?"
Yes, ineptitude, laziness, mismanagement, and/or incompetence put us in this position. Had we managed the athletics properly, Stockstill wouldn't have been given a lifetime contract, Nick McDevitt never would have been hired, football would be recruiting better, MBB might have reloaded instead of having to be completely be rebuilt, facilities would already be online or at least be under construction and MT would be viewed as an extremely valuable to property to every other league outside of a P5 conference. Additionally, the university could have created a fan/alumni first environment instead of the paternalistic "we know better than you" mindset in Cope and Murphy that might have helped fundraising instead of running through - what the need for our 10th BRAA director in the last 15 years?? In other words, every single thing we've done for the past 12 years put us in this position. And I'm just not a fan of making another bad decision because we've been forced into the situation by a bunch of other bad decisions.
"Do you know who CUSA is talking to?"
Yes. And I can live with the four coming. Though it should be only three (and probably would have been if we weren't leaving).
"Is that what you want?"
Well, if we're talking about what I want, I want for all those bad decisions made in the first question not to have occurred. But we are where we are. However, just because we are where we are still doesn't mean I have to accept the premise we should accept another bad decision cause this is our only option. Right now the only chance we have at becoming competitive again is an influx of cash. And it's not going to come from donors if we're going to the MAC. The next two years of revenue being forfeited by the other nine leaving could have set us up to do all the things that should have already happened. It's almost like a second chance at a missed opportunity, but we're about to squander it again. Look, virtually no one wants to join this league now, but we can find three schools to get us to eight to rake the funds. Bottom line to my views on this is even if the new C-USA was an absolute bust and we were left with no other options five years from now, we could drop out to become an Independent in football, park our other sports in a more regional southern conference and still be better off than we ever will in the MAC. We're about to give up millions and instead have to pay about $6M in entry and exit fees. We won't even be able to buy out Stockstill's last season now even if he goes 0-12. It's just a bad financial decision for an athletics program that's hemorrhaging money and resources because of all the F ups noted in the first question.
Exactly my thoughts as well. I couldn’t have stated it better. We’ve made a decade of terrible decisions and put ourselves in a place to make yet another bad decision. It would be hilarious if it wasn’t our own athletics department we are talking about here….
the reality is we shouldn’t even be in this mess to begin with. We would have gotten an AAC or SBC invite if our leaders and administration took sports seriously. Everyone knew realignment was coming, everyone. And this whole time they have sat around and done quite literally nothing for our major sports for the last 20 years.
it almost feels like intentional sabotage at this point. What did M&M THINK was going to happen? Everyone would fawn over our APR and bowl eligibility ?? While everyone else builds new stadiums, IPF's, and multi-million dollar athletic complexes, and fires/hires coaches in an effort to be better....
no clue how these idiots remain in power. I wouldn’t let them manage a McDonald’s. I would pay a large sum of money to verbally undress these clowns in person and have them answer for their decisions.
One thing some are concerned with is MTSUs place in the College Football Pyramid and ability to be 'called up' if some more of the big conferences start poaching again in the next few years being in the MAC. In recent years most of the callups are from CUSA. But CUSA has been raided dry especially if MTSU and WKU move to the MAC. I mean will FIU and UTEP be getting moved up instead of options in the MAC and SunBelt? Doubt that. Plus the next time the AAC gets raided it will look damn near identical to the CUSA that MTSU entered. I think in 2-3 years once all the dust settles from this conference raid frenzy is done it will not matter much, and could be better being in a 'Mouse TV Conference'.
I love Ohio. I do a lot of business there. I wanna join the MAC. Liberty, SHSU, Jax st. and NMSU just annoinced they are joining CUSA. That could complicate things.
We are such fools if we leave. Those 4 additions give CUSA all the stability it needs + the windfall of $$$$
I’d say you can’t be serious but I know you are. Yes, a conference with Liberty, NMSU, Jacksonville State, and Sam Houston just screams “stable” and money-maker. Yes, all 100 fans of each of those schools (except maybe Liberty) is gonna bring in the money on Facebook Live.
But the leadership is trash with Judy and the media deal is absolute crap. Plus Jax st. with NMSU will stink it up. The MAC's leadership is better and I love weeknight games. I'd much rather be on ESPN by ourselves on a tuesday than play on ESPN 15 or StadiumTV on a Saturday during a UT game time slot.
If you think we got next to nothing now, just wait till you see what a collection of FCS programs - and yes I include NMSU in that - will bring in for the conference, exit fees be damned
Yea. I think more programs like ours should take chances on coaches like him. Success at lower levels does not always translate, but 109-6 with 6 national titles deserves a look.
Jacksonville State and Sam Houston are 1aa... so they can't afford the 20 more schollies for football and another 20 for lady sports to stay Title IX compliant... and THOSE are supposed to be the cash cow?? The golden goose?
What a crock of pure B.S.
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The NCAA should put it's foot down and reject a part FCS/part FBS concoction for a league.
I cannot wait to revisit this thread 3-4 years from now when SHSU and Liberty are ranked with CUSA looking sexy as hell and we have buyers remorse to the max.
Rest assured, whatever decision we make will be the wrong one.
Rest assured, whatever decision we make will be the wrong one.
Oh, so maybe we should wait until another MAC team makes it to a NY6 bowl game then.
Oh wow, NIU had a good season a decade ago against a bunch of cupcakes and fooled their way into a NY6 bowl, where they got ran off the field by FSU.
Coastal Carolina will end this season with a better resume and better wins than that 2012 NIU team. They may not be rewarded with a NY6 bowl game but that's a dynamic, environment defined situation on who get's what bowl.
I'd like to know why the Farmers Market on 8th here in Nashville is such a complete and total joke compared to the WestSide Market in Cleveland.
And you know what really bothers "certain people" about Cleveland? That giant statue downtown that salutes the people who fought for and died fighting for the WINNING side of the Civil War.
My wife and I were there too. The zips had Charlie Frye with a bunch of fanfare. I remember Josh Harris threw a late pick and they brought in the lefty Clint Marks. Took us on a game winning drive. The thing I remember most, however, was when Akron’s band was on the field and played our fight song because our band couldn’t make the trip. I just remembered thinking “man, that’s classy”.
You do realize WMU played Wisconsin (lost 24-16) in the Cotton Bowl in 2017… Wonder when Jacksonville State or NMSU will be doing that. Better get used to perpetual mediocrity! Oh wait. We’re already there.
They (J-State and Sam Houston) are 1aa teams, right?
So they will be in the 1aa playoffs, probably against Incarnate Word. Not in a bowl for D-1 FBS teams.
So, which is it? Stay in CUSA and it’s wrong. Go to the MAC, it’s wrong. In the game threads you are immediately doom and gloom if MT loses the coin toss. You’ve also advocated for dropping football altogether. That isn’t happening. Middle Tennessee has been fielding a team for over 100 years. Get over yourself
Is it that hard to figure out what I'm advocating for?
We should stay in CUSA and keep the 20 million, but it doesn't matter really because....
Whatever decision we make will be the wrong one. Hence, our fate is sealed because Massaro and McPhee are in charge, aka, it doesn't matter where we go. We will always be in the worst conference in FBS because that's who we are.
We are cursed and we have the worst leadership in D1 athletics.
So let's take the $20 million at least and build some nice facilities so that we can at least suck in style
Actually it was the Bowling Green series in 2016 and 2017 since we played a MAC school. We won both years of course.
SHSU was last year's National Champ and is no.1 so far this year. They are the best team in FCS and are making the transistion to be FBS by 23. They will win and have talent all over the place. Jax st. is more of a project. No one wants to play SHSU right now. They are basically what App st. was in FCS. That's a good pickup. NDSU is also a FCS team and they had 2 1st round draft picks in the NFL last year. They have multiple wins over P5 teams as well. I wouldn't sneer at the top teams in FCS. Some whatever bowl in G5 doesn't beat a national title or 2 back to back.
I agree the leadership is bad. The whole situation is bad. We couldn’t foresee the perennial cellar dweller SBC when we were members rebounding when we made the jump to CUSA. Now they dont want us or WKU (that true backstory would be interesting. Did we burn the bridge simply by leaving? I know they kept us both from a bowl at the time). They prefer So Miss, Marshall, and ODU
I guess yall forgot about WMU in 2017 season NY6
At least we have options. We aren't dropping down to FCS. I'm good either way. I like the MAC. It doesn't bother me to go there. If we stay with Liberty, it will be more competitive than it was with all of the turd birds we had in there. It looks pretty solid if they lock up those teams.
No just 2 years. 1 really. Transition next year and be a full member in 23. That's what UTSA did in 13'. voted to move up in 12, joined CUSA in 13 and was a full fledged competing member in 14. Charlotte announced in 13 and was in the conference as members by 15. ODU was a member by 14 after announcing the move in 13.
The only one of those pickups that are even remotely interesting or has any potential is SHSU. If there were 4 SHSU's lying about the southeast it would make sense to think twice.
I'd still rather play Ohio on ESPN than J-ville state on CBS.
I'd still rather play Ohio on ESPN than J-ville state on CBS.
Is there confirmation that each remaining institution will get an automatic proportionate cut of the exit fees? Or, will the fees be used to assist in FCS move-ups and travel supplements? The exit fees go into the C-USA bank. From there, not sure what actually would happen.
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Now I can get behind this idea!If MT goes MAC, I think CUSA needs some new leadership.
I would like to nominate Chris Massaro as the new CUSA Commissioner. I would be happy to write a letter of recommendation.
It’s interesting to read back through this thread and see the differing opinions.
I think a few things are certain.
Massaro and McPhee will make the wrong long-term choice for MT.
It doesn’t matter what conference we play in, we will finish 6-6 +\- 1 and lose our bowl game 75% of the time as long as Stock is here.
As long as M&M are in charge, we can expect choke jobs no matter where we play, so I don’t really see a difference between losing in Huntsville, Tx or Kalamazoo, MI. It’s difficult to debate what’s better for MT, when you have that 2-headed albatross hanging from our necks. They will ruin any move we make.
I think a few things are certain.
Massaro and McPhee will make the wrong long-term choice for MT.
It doesn’t matter what conference we play in, we will finish 6-6 +\- 1 and lose our bowl game 75% of the time as long as Stock is here.
As long as M&M are in charge, we can expect choke jobs no matter where we play, so I don’t really see a difference between losing in Huntsville, Tx or Kalamazoo, MI. It’s difficult to debate what’s better for MT, when you have that 2-headed albatross hanging from our necks. They will ruin any move we make.
We did not think that at the time.
We did not think that at the time. Also, when we joined CUSA, Banowski was the commish, not Judy. In 2013, we played a very good ECU team and Marshall was on fire. Then Judy took over and crap went downhill quick. I have zero faith in her. If she doesn't get booted like now, we should leave because it's not gonna get better and the re worked media deal will even be worse than it is now.
Yup and there's no guarantee that we keep the CBS deal. That's the issue with me right now. Is the MAC the ultimate destination in my mind? No, not at all but Judy;s CUSA vision got us here and there is even more uncertainty than before with the teams she's bringing in. What deal did Liberty get? Are they equal partners or did they get incentives? That team wasn't begging us in this last round. We had to attract them. What did Judy promise them? Will it even happen?
With the MAC, everything is locked in. No BS like that. You can call it whatever but on ESPN, we will be more visible than now. What's our visibility right now? It's terrible. I think you have to cut through any delusions of granduer and see the forest for the trees. The MAC is stable and Judy's power wheels riding Circus of Unfit Surviving Apathy isn't.
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