Some 20 years ago a work colleague who was once a MAC head coach (not football) and is currently a trustee at a MAC school told me that there was a big push on to keep MAC football relevant. There was a fear that basketball would leave football in the dust. Then Bowling Green proved that with the right leadership you could rise quicker than previously thought. By the way that work colleague of mine who is now retired told me that some of the old school coaches held a grudge against Urban Meyer for putting pressure on them to win.

Now look where we are, Ohio regularly goes to bowl games and many of us get upset that we aren't even higher in the MAC food chain considering our fan support and tradition. Schools like Western Michigan. Northern Illinois and Toledo regularly beat power conference schools. You can actually watch MAC football games on national TV, including ones telecast from our beloved Athens. This was somewhat inconceivable twenty years ago.

MAC football coaching salaries are also somewhat inconceivable compared to fifteen years ago, most notably assistant coaching salaries. I would contend we have come a lot farther than the Sunbelt or CUSA. How long this lasts is another question? There are far fewer kids playing youth football than there were 20 years ago. In addition, I am not sure how much longer we can hang in there in the football arms race where the Power 5 have endless amounts of money to put into stadiums, workout facilities, etc. However, it sure beats where we were some twenty years ago.

The door for MAC recruiting is kicked wide open with today's opportunities. First Utah, then Boise and now Houston is showing that you can have a program at our level sitting right in the Top 10. If Ohio could for the next coach bring in a top SEC assistant with strong recruiting ties in High Schools in Florida look out because combined with tough Ohio kids its a deadly combination. The schedules Ohio has put together for the next couple of years are set up to be able to run the table.