It may not change the overall picture, but it has to in a small way catch a few eyeballs for the Big 12. They also have alums there and NIU has a few as well. Not saying that that would have a huge impact, but it has to have a little. There's just a lot of people in that metro area.

Im still not on board with NIU seeing the Big 12 for lots of other reasons. Only would happen if they took 6 or more schools and thought outside the box.

It is delusional defined to think that Ohio is any way in these discussions.

Hey, when you have a coach who can't win the weak conference that we're in even one time over an 11 year tenure, you really think anyone gives the slightest thought to Ohio? That's delusional.

That's one of the reasons that there are a few of us who are quite dis-satisfied with no title in our weak, weak conference in 11 years. We want to be at least a little bit relevant.

I'm with you here Country. If in fact the AAC breaks up, those schools will either filter back into Conference USA 2.0 or need somewhere else to go. I think the MAC needs to start thinking about how to clean up the pieces. Like now. It seems silly but this whole standing pat thing from the beginning could pay dividends.

I'd say you're right - it's unlikely to have much of a bearing on the MAC, but it never hurts to have the conversations. For one, let's say NIU or UB appear likely to leave. I'd hope that they'd be on the phone to Marshall for starters.


Here's another thought: Maybe it's worth being aggressive to add two additional teams and go to 14? (I don't think so, just playing a different angle)

In that case, ODU, WKU, Middle Tennessee, and App State are potentially nice partners for the MAC. Or maybe there is a logical choice that is a school aspiring to jump to FBS?

I agree standing pat has turned out to serve the MAC well so far, but it doesn't mean there isn't value in kicking the tires for replacement schools if a MAC jumps to the AAC, or even looking at adding two more schools if they fit.

Your asking if a school like Memphis gets rejected from the Big 12 would it help the MAC? Of course it would.

I think the MAC was smart not doing anything in the beginning, but now they need to do something for survival. Get WKU and Marshall on board if the AAC plucks the rest of C-USA. Do something.

For now the AAC is the best of the G5 conferences, sort of a step between the MAC-CUSA-Sunbelt group and the P5. If they AAC gets raided, I'm not sure that will still be true, but it might be.

Have you taken your pills today?

Nobody satisfied with no MACC, but calling for a coaching change right now may be a waste of time, but hey keep trying.

Who thinks we could leave? Who wants us? We don't fill a 25k stadium and our local media market doesn't even include a tv station.

Btw, adding WKU would be cool, great football stadium, visiting fans can check out the National Corvette Museum. They have a Nic racetrack too. I would frequent.

Why would the MAC want to expand?

The teams in this league are committed. And I get it the teams that the MAC has can be poached at any point (only teams they'd want to take is NIU, Toledo, Buffalo and despite everything Akron), but right now the stability is the best selling feature for the MAC. When I can essentially look at the meat of the MAC that has been going strong for 20 years in all sports (sans the Marshalls, UCF, Temples, and UMASS) there's no reason to add. Sure WKU and Marshall would be great gets from a regional standpoint. My problem in adding them is Marshall and WKU have always looked for bigger and better. To look at Marshall is how I would look at an ex that has burnt you before and now wants you back. I wouldn't take them even if they were a smokeshow of a girl.

As I said above, I'm curious what the AAC looks like after this. I've read articles that the Big 12 is taking 4 schools. I've read articles that it will only take 2. I've read articles claiming certain schools seem like locks while other articles say the exact opposite. Even UC, who appears like a lock to me, it still considered far from a sure-thing by many. Without knowing who the Big 12 takes, it is hard to play out all the different scenarios.

If the Big 12 takes UC and Houston (some swear is unlikely bc of Texas schools) and then grabs BYU and Boise (again, not sure how likely either are) then lets say UConn defects elsewhere (but to WHERE????) and Memphis defects elsewhere (again, WHERE?) and UCF defects (WHERE?) leaving the AAC like Country proposed above... That would leave:

ECU
USF
Temple
Navy
SMU
Tulane
Tulsa

That IS a conference I'm interested in IF (BIG IF) contracts are put in place that make it absurdly costly for a member to leave the conference. I think it is becoming increasingly evident that standing pat has more benefits than a lot of people first admitted. Beyond the convenience of not changing member schools, I think it helps the MAC's brand that is has been mostly constant.

Now with that said, the MAC hasn't been completely stable. Temple and UMass have both come and gone in the lasts decade. Had either been full-time members, committing to men's basketball, that is a complete game-changer in the sense that I doubt any MAC fans would not take them back in a heartbeat.

If the MAC can add full-time members from this, particularly Temple, I'm all-in. Where do all these AAC schools with hopes of the Big 12 turn when they aren't the "chosen ones" for the Big 12?
It doesn't hurt to ask.

I've been surprised at the amount of media coverage NIU has gotten in Chicago on the nightly sports reports for both football and basketball and in local newspapers/radio. Chicago will always be a Big 10 market, but what a coup it would be for the Big 12 to get a team in the backyard of the Big 10 HQ in Rosemont.

Interesting analogy. How would Green Eggs & Ham analogy go......?

"I would eat them with a fox, especially if that fox was Courtney Cox"......wait I don't think that was in the original