This is what we should tell both UMass and Temple  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpi5mMxpY5o

A single interim president vetoed the membership, killing it. 

Coming from UMass, I hope that we get upgraded to the MAC in all sports.  I agree that we shouldn't just come in for football.  All or nothing.

RIght now our school is known as being in the shadow of the University of Connecticut.  They've pumped a ton of money over the past 20-30 years into the campus, buildings, and sports.  All the other New England schools, UNH, Maine, Rhode Island, and us are reeling from not doing what UConn did.  RI dropped down, Maine and UNH football programs will be lost soon.

While you can't say that UConn's success has come all because of football, that's a big part of it.  The Boston Globe ran a series of lengthy and in depth articles about UMass and some of our troubles.  One was comparing UMass to UConn.   In it, they highlight that UConn students have much higher SAT's, stricter admission standards, more out of state students, they have more tenured professors, better academic buildings, better dorms, and importantly a lot of school spirit springing from its basketball and football programs.

Now, UConn dumped a couple of billion dollars in addition to the football program into the school, but the new football stadium brought it all together.
www.boston.com/news/education/higher/articles/2010/10/24/uconn_scores_by_spending_more/

I really think that if UMass did what UConn did, it can be a lot more relevant.  In addition to the football upgrade, we need our legislators to put a lot more money into the school

Its all because of Jim Calhoun.

You're right.  Its was actually all Gino Auriemma.

But honestly, I do not think it was just a coincidence that Calhoun started winning big time around 1988-89 and CT politicians started pouring money into Uconn in the early 1990s.  I grew up 30 minutes from Storrs and remember just being shocked to hear that Uconn had more out of state applications than in-state applications by the mid to late 1990s.  Basketball is a huge influence in that school's history now.

Anyway, I believe Umass has a bona fide shot at the Big East.  Certainly the Big East would like to get in BC and ACCs kitchen up there and turn BC into a city school and not a regional school fan-wise.  I guess a lot could hinge on whether Uconn would try to block Umass.

http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/ncf/news/story?id=5929950

That'd be better for Ohio as far as basketball is concerned.

No offense to anyone here, The A10 will never merge with the MAC.

A10 basketball is a top 10 basketball conference. It is there best sport. The MAC is a top 13-17 type basketball conference and the second worst D1 football conference.

It makes no sense for the A10 to lower itself by joining the MAC. They only have a handful of schools that would want to move to D1 football and the rest of their schools won't want to merge with the MAC for basketball.

The most logical situation is the one listed a post above me. Ohio stays in the MAC for football but moves into the A10 for basketball and other sports. (still probably won't happen cuz I don't see Ohio leaving the MAC)

Maybe the MAC is waiting to announce UMASS and the conference scheds together? (read into the article for the reference to a potential announcement in the coming week or so)

http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110203/SPORTS/110209932

Also, head to the Football Threads. (sorry, couldn't link it directly)  Only 58 pages of the thread on their FBS possibilities, granted only 15 posts per page.  Great insights on FB only, FB and BB, Conference options and other assorted speculation.

http://umasshoops.com/board/index.htm

Never overestimate the sanity of a school administration that wants to join our conference.

Or enrollment into Akron.

I can't buy the argument that a couple of 4-star recruits would make that big an impact. The average OU fan just doesn't pay that kind of attention to recruiting rankings. Only the die-hard college football fans gives that any consideration at all.

As for UMass using the MAC as a stepping stone, I'm sure that's a big part of it--for geographic reasons alone this deal makes little sense. But, the MAC must see something in this for its own interest: publicity, additional market, backroom wrangling that would bring in Temple and UMass basketball in the future... Something.

If this happens, I believe there's more to the story that will not be immediately obvious.

Names are only a slight advantage. Think about UCLA and Southern California do those names hold back those schools athletically? It all comes down to the role of a university with its state system or region. While some of those MAC schools haven't really transcended their traditional regional roles they've stepped up their academic in some cases (notably Toledo and Akron). A serious student is first going to evaluate what programs are offered by the campus and that is usually the best indicator of the level of school. Think if you were interested in a media career and you were looking at our College of Communications, the depth of programs would signal that it was a top tier school. In that context some of the MAC has become better. Toledo was started as a trade school and until 10-15 years ago offered a wide variety 2 year technical programs in direct competition with local community colleges. They aren't doing that anymore and have acquired a medical college. Relating to athletics, Ohio has been in the MAC for 65 years but the MAC has evolved from a mid-major FCS level conference to a high-mid major non-BCS league. I don't think its a bad situation for Ohio to be in at all as the premier school, the "Utah" of the MAC. The marketing for the athletics department needs to take on less of a SE Ohio attitude and move to more of a statewide attitude. Afterall this is OHIO and its another major athletics option for the residents of this state. Think the way the Texas is operating in the Big XII they view everyone else on a lower tier. That is the attitude we need in marketing that we are big OHIO and you are Miami-Ohio or BGSU. We are in the MAC to show the rest of the state who is boss while Ohio State hides in the Big Ten.