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Topic: Hustlebelt Expansion Article
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ExCat21
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Posted: 1/17/2025 1:32 PM
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Great read for today. While it may be farfetched, I would love to add the "D4" schools and become a super conference. They can keep their rivalries and add excitement to the MAC. I know this comes up often, but it's still refreshing to think about.

https://www.hustlebelt.com/2025/1/17/24338685/mid-america...
Bobcat Love's Sense of Shame
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Posted: 1/17/2025 2:05 PM
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There's been a lot of expansion discussion -- which I've participated in, too -- but there's a part of me that's still a little unclear on the goal of expansion.

Other conferences do it for TV money. If the MAC's gonna expand, they have to be absolutely certain that the next TV deal increases enough to support any extra mouths.
GoCats105
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Posted: 1/17/2025 3:10 PM
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I didn't realize Delaware had that kind of endowment. Sheesh.
OUcats82
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Posted: 1/17/2025 3:22 PM
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GoCats105 wrote:expand_more
I didn't realize Delaware had that kind of endowment. Sheesh.
Lots of DuPont money maybe?
BillyTheCat
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Posted: 1/17/2025 3:24 PM
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OUcats82 wrote:expand_more
I didn't realize Delaware had that kind of endowment. Sheesh.
Lots of DuPont money maybe?
Delaware has LOTS of corporations and sits close to the beltway. Lots of things going for the Blue Hens.
ExCat21
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Posted: 1/17/2025 4:09 PM
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Bobcat Love's Sense of Shame wrote:expand_more
There's been a lot of expansion discussion -- which I've participated in, too -- but there's a part of me that's still a little unclear on the goal of expansion.

Other conferences do it for TV money. If the MAC's gonna expand, they have to be absolutely certain that the next TV deal increases enough to support any extra mouths.
Totally agree. But I have to ask you, which 2 schools from this list would you select if they were all greenlights?
Victory
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Posted: 1/17/2025 6:12 PM
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ExCat21 wrote:expand_more
There's been a lot of expansion discussion -- which I've participated in, too -- but there's a part of me that's still a little unclear on the goal of expansion.

Other conferences do it for TV money. If the MAC's gonna expand, they have to be absolutely certain that the next TV deal increases enough to support any extra mouths.
Totally agree. But I have to ask you, which 2 schools from this list would you select if they were all greenlights?
Marshall and WKU
OhioCatFan
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Posted: 1/17/2025 8:23 PM
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Victory wrote:expand_more
Marshall and WKU
+ the D4. That would bring us to 18, and we'd truly be the Big MAC!
mf279801
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Posted: 1/17/2025 11:43 PM
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BillyTheCat wrote:expand_more
I didn't realize Delaware had that kind of endowment. Sheesh.
Lots of DuPont money maybe?
Delaware has LOTS of corporations and sits close to the beltway. Lots of things going for the Blue Hens.
A lot of corporations and a lot of highly paid professionals.

From statisticalatlas.com
Ohio Median Household Income: $50.7k
Delaware Median Household Income: $61.0k

And
(1) that difference is maintained pretty well up and down the income spectrum
(2) Athens is definitely in the/a lower earning corner of the state, Newark DE (home of UDel) is in the economic heart of the state
(3) 62k people live in Athens County, 580k live in New Castle County (and additional gobs live in surrounding counties).

All statistical tom-foolerly aside, I really do with that we'd gotten Delaware to join the MAC, and I'm not saying that just because I live <5 miles from the stadium. 45 minutes from Philadelphia's airport (and 15 minutes from Wilmington's airport, which does have limited commercial service and charter capabilities), would make for a great fit in the MAC, and walking around UDel and Newark, there's brick buildings, there are trashy bars and (bad) college student food...I don't expect them to join, but they'd be a great addition.
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Posted: 1/18/2025 1:45 AM
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Youngstown State and Eastern Kentucky would be a nice pair from this list. Close to MAC footprint.
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Posted: 1/18/2025 9:23 AM
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Curious why everyone is calling on FCS schools, while at the same time we question the viability of the G5 to start with. The economic commitment to move up is pretty steep, just not seeing that decision coming from an EKU, definitely not from a YSU. Delaware has the $$$ but I am not sure I see them wanting to make the move, because I feel (my own opinion) they would have already done so by now.
Bobcat Love's Sense of Shame
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Posted: 1/18/2025 9:48 AM
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ExCat21 wrote:expand_more
There's been a lot of expansion discussion -- which I've participated in, too -- but there's a part of me that's still a little unclear on the goal of expansion.

Other conferences do it for TV money. If the MAC's gonna expand, they have to be absolutely certain that the next TV deal increases enough to support any extra mouths.
Totally agree. But I have to ask you, which 2 schools from this list would you select if they were all greenlights?
The two teams with the highest budgets.
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Posted: 1/18/2025 9:51 AM
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Bobcat Love's Sense of Shame wrote:expand_more
There's been a lot of expansion discussion -- which I've participated in, too -- but there's a part of me that's still a little unclear on the goal of expansion.

Other conferences do it for TV money. If the MAC's gonna expand, they have to be absolutely certain that the next TV deal increases enough to support any extra mouths.
Totally agree. But I have to ask you, which 2 schools from this list would you select if they were all greenlights?
The two teams with the highest budgets.
+1
TWT
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Posted: 1/18/2025 12:29 PM
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Budgest are going to have to be $50 million in the future to compete at the G5 level. Not as a rule but as a realistic spending level. I wouldn't look so much at the current athletic budget numbers as much as the capacity to spend.

A lot of the MAC is already too stretched on the budgets they are spending. The future at this level appears to be schools like UMass and Delaware (they already moved up for 25') with deeper institutional pockets.
Bobcat Love
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Posted: 1/18/2025 2:37 PM
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oubobcatjohn wrote:expand_more
Youngstown State and Eastern Kentucky would be a nice pair from this list. Close to MAC footprint.
Are you high?
ExCat21
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Posted: 1/18/2025 4:36 PM
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I didn't realize Illinois State was operating at the capacity it is. Quite surprised. They weren't high on my list at first but now I'm intrigued to see how else they could fit the MAC. Wonder if Eastern Illinois, Western Illinois, Southern Illinois along with Illinois State would be a great fit as well.

If Auburn and LSU can share Tigers in the SEC, I guess a battle of Cardinals wouldn't be as bad in the MAC. Ball State needs some rivals.
Last Edited: 1/18/2025 4:38:05 PM by ExCat21
MiamiBlowsChunks
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Posted: 1/18/2025 11:54 PM
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ExCat21 wrote:expand_more
I didn't realize Illinois State was operating at the capacity it is. Quite surprised. They weren't high on my list at first but now I'm intrigued to see how else they could fit the MAC. Wonder if Eastern Illinois, Western Illinois, Southern Illinois along with Illinois State would be a great fit as well.

If Auburn and LSU can share Tigers in the SEC, I guess a battle of Cardinals wouldn't be as bad in the MAC. Ball State needs some rivals.
Western Illinois is a terrible D1 school; their football team had to leave the Mo Valley for the Ohio Valley because they couldn't hack it anymore. Eastern ain't much better across the board.

Southern is more like ISU but has had steep decline in enrollment.
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Posted: 1/19/2025 8:03 AM
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This is not unlike the "Animal House" scene where the Delta Tao Chi members are viewing photos of prospective pledges. Most of our prospects are Kent Dorfmans.
GoCats105
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Posted: 1/19/2025 3:25 PM
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BillyTheCat wrote:expand_more
Curious why everyone is calling on FCS schools, while at the same time we question the viability of the G5 to start with. The economic commitment to move up is pretty steep, just not seeing that decision coming from an EKU, definitely not from a YSU. Delaware has the $$$ but I am not sure I see them wanting to make the move, because I feel (my own opinion) they would have already done so by now.
As much as I'd love the Delaware move they'd also now need to presumably pay an exit fee to leave CUSA. The MAC has a more stable geographic footprint, but that's probably too much of a price to pay for little extra return.
TWT
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Posted: 1/19/2025 6:08 PM
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GoCats105 wrote:expand_more
Curious why everyone is calling on FCS schools, while at the same time we question the viability of the G5 to start with. The economic commitment to move up is pretty steep, just not seeing that decision coming from an EKU, definitely not from a YSU. Delaware has the $$$ but I am not sure I see them wanting to make the move, because I feel (my own opinion) they would have already done so by now.
As much as I'd love the Delaware move they'd also now need to presumably pay an exit fee to leave CUSA. The MAC has a more stable geographic footprint, but that's probably too much of a price to pay for little extra return.
The MAC could apply NIU's exit fee to Delaware's exit fee.
Pataskala
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Posted: 1/19/2025 7:16 PM
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SBH wrote:expand_more
This is not unlike the "Animal House" scene where the Delta Tao Chi members are viewing photos of prospective pledges. Most of our prospects are Kent Dorfmans.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMENQeCbxfI
ExCat21
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Posted: 1/19/2025 7:24 PM
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BillyTheCat wrote:expand_more
Curious why everyone is calling on FCS schools, while at the same time we question the viability of the G5 to start with. The economic commitment to move up is pretty steep, just not seeing that decision coming from an EKU, definitely not from a YSU. Delaware has the $$$ but I am not sure I see them wanting to make the move, because I feel (my own opinion) they would have already done so by now.
I think the success of programs like James Madison and Jax State has opened the discussion as to who's next in the FCS world to move up. Some of us wanted James Madison before they moved up but didn't know how that would work out.
ExCat21
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Posted: 1/19/2025 7:35 PM
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mf279801 wrote:expand_more
I didn't realize Delaware had that kind of endowment. Sheesh.
Lots of DuPont money maybe?
Delaware has LOTS of corporations and sits close to the beltway. Lots of things going for the Blue Hens.
A lot of corporations and a lot of highly paid professionals.

From statisticalatlas.com
Ohio Median Household Income: $50.7k
Delaware Median Household Income: $61.0k

And
(1) that difference is maintained pretty well up and down the income spectrum
(2) Athens is definitely in the/a lower earning corner of the state, Newark DE (home of UDel) is in the economic heart of the state
(3) 62k people live in Athens County, 580k live in New Castle County (and additional gobs live in surrounding counties).

All statistical tom-foolerly aside, I really do with that we'd gotten Delaware to join the MAC, and I'm not saying that just because I live <5 miles from the stadium. 45 minutes from Philadelphia's airport (and 15 minutes from Wilmington's airport, which does have limited commercial service and charter capabilities), would make for a great fit in the MAC, and walking around UDel and Newark, there's brick buildings, there are trashy bars and (bad) college student food...I don't expect them to join, but they'd be a great addition.
Really impressed with what they can bring to the table. I've never been there but others have said it's better than advertised. If there was no shot to get D4, I would happily take Delaware and Rhode Island to get us to 14 teams. I'm sure Buffalo would love some east coast brothers/sisters to help with their away schedule. Both schools are 1 hour or less than a trip from Buffalo to Muncie.
Bobcat Love
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Posted: 1/19/2025 8:43 PM
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SBH wrote:expand_more
This is not unlike the "Animal House" scene where the Delta Tao Chi members are viewing photos of prospective pledges. Most of our prospects are Kent Dorfmans.
Absolutely perfect analogy.

Steinbrecher is our Dean Wormer. A completely inadequate, bumbling buffoon of an Administrator.
Andrew Ruck
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Posted: 1/20/2025 2:29 PM
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Big conferences are stupid and struggle to crown a true champion with unbalanced schedules year to year. Stick to 12ish.
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