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General Ohio University Discussion/Alumni Events Topic
Topic: Leave the MAC to join a stronger conference
Page: 1 of 3
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71 BOBCAT
12/11/2021 11:19 AM
I often wonder if the University ever considered leaving the MAC to move up conference wise?
If so was there a plan laid out with needed requirements i.e.
1) Capital improvements to the facilities
2) Airport renovation to handle larger aircraft
3) Cost incurred to leave the MAC
4) Cost to move into a stronger conference
5) Increased salaries to hire better coaches
6) Offsetting revenue increase from the new conference
What were all the projected pluses & negatives associated with this plan?




GO BOBCATS
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greencat
12/11/2021 12:51 PM
71 BOBCAT wrote:expand_more
I often wonder if the University ever considered leaving the MAC to move up conference wise?
If so was there a plan laid out with needed requirements i.e.
1) Capital improvements to the facilities
2) Airport renovation to handle larger aircraft
3) Cost incurred to leave the MAC
4) Cost to move into a stronger conference
5) Increased salaries to hire better coaches
6) Offsetting revenue increase from the new conference
What were all the projected pluses & negatives associated with this plan?

GO BOBCATS
The MAC was all set to add a couple of new members that would have added some (at least temporary) pizzazz to the league and open up attention in a major and growing southern media market. Then one of the two schools didn't or couldn't spend the relative chump change to move. Then announced 100 million dollars would be spent there on facility upgrades.
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Pataskala
12/11/2021 1:05 PM
71 BOBCAT wrote:expand_more
I often wonder if the University ever considered leaving the MAC to move up conference wise?
If so was there a plan laid out with needed requirements i.e.
1) Capital improvements to the facilities
2) Airport renovation to handle larger aircraft
3) Cost incurred to leave the MAC
4) Cost to move into a stronger conference
5) Increased salaries to hire better coaches
6) Offsetting revenue increase from the new conference
What were all the projected pluses & negatives associated with this plan?




GO BOBCATS
Don't forget increased cost of travel to be in any "stronger" conference (if we're ever invited). Right now we can bus to all but two or three schools in the MAC. Getting into almost any other conference will require flying to at least half the other schools.
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OUVan
12/11/2021 2:41 PM
Sounds like the Marshall plan which has blown up in their faces.
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Mike Johnson
12/11/2021 2:47 PM
71 BOBCAT wrote:expand_more
I often wonder if the University ever considered leaving the MAC to move up conference wise?
If so was there a plan laid out with needed requirements i.e.
1) Capital improvements to the facilities
2) Airport renovation to handle larger aircraft
3) Cost incurred to leave the MAC
4) Cost to move into a stronger conference
5) Increased salaries to hire better coaches
6) Offsetting revenue increase from the new conference
What were all the projected pluses & negatives associated with this plan?




GO BOBCATS
What follows is a test of my memory - which can be suspect. As I am recalling, during the early years of Vern Alden's tenure, the Big 10 contacted Vern about Ohio possibly becoming a replacement for a then non-competitive Northwestern.

The idea didn't go very far. If it had Ohio, as to football, could have become the sacrificial lamb that now is the duo of Maryland and Rutgers. As to basketball, under Jim Snyder, Ohio might well have been reasonably competitive, given Ohio's success against Big 10 teams during the Snyder years.

Now, if anyone wants to blow up what I've just recounted, please feel perfectly free to do so.
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KyleWvr13
12/11/2021 4:39 PM
I can't think of another conference worth jumping to that isn't a P5, and good luck getting the ACC, let alone the B1G to consider us a potential new member. We would have to dominate football and basketball for a decade or more to even be remotely attractive for either conference to even consider sending us an invite, especially with the non-existent TV market Southeast Ohio is.

Most of our financial woes would be solved by more support from our fans and getting more big donners, which can't be solved by waving a magic wand. Jumping to the AAC or Sunbelt would significantly increase our travel budget for all non-revenue generating sports, wiping any likely financial benefits from the slight increase TV revenue for football and basketball.

The MAC may not be the most competitive or the most exciting conference, but unless Ohio wants to get into even more debt and trying to compete in the arms race that college sports has become, its a no brainer to stay for the short to medium term.
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stub
12/11/2021 6:23 PM
I wanted Ohio to drop D1 football during the pre-Solich nightmare era, and go full speed into hoops, leave the MAC and going independent. I remember President Ping once raised that question of dropping football in our 0 for the season journey back then, but it went nowhere quickly. One can only wonder where we'd be today if that happened.
Last Edited: 12/12/2021 12:10:27 PM by stub
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El Gato Roberto
12/11/2021 6:31 PM
Nahh…make ‘em come to the MAC! 😄
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The Optimist
12/11/2021 6:53 PM
El Gato Roberto wrote:expand_more
Nahh…make ‘em come to the MAC! 😄
West Virginia and Kentucky would be great additions to the MAC’s footprint and OHIO could create the “Ohio River Rivalry” with both of them!
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BillyTheCat
12/11/2021 7:21 PM
How the Big 10 did not choose OHIO over Maryland or Rutgers, I have no clue. We definitely should be next in line for the Big12. The beauty of our campus alone should get us in! We probably do though need to make a couple facility improvements before we are attractive to the SEC.
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TWT
12/11/2021 8:34 PM
71 BOBCAT wrote:expand_more
I often wonder if the University ever considered leaving the MAC to move up conference wise?
If so was there a plan laid out with needed requirements i.e.
1) Capital improvements to the facilities
2) Airport renovation to handle larger aircraft
3) Cost incurred to leave the MAC
4) Cost to move into a stronger conference
5) Increased salaries to hire better coaches
6) Offsetting revenue increase from the new conference
What were all the projected pluses & negatives associated with this plan?
Its going to be much more competitive on the financial outlay than what the MAC is. The MAC is smaller market and the facility arms race is gradual.

I would argue salaries are already high enough to attract good coaches from lower level D1 conferences. The lowest paid football coach in the AAC makes 2 million per year at Tulsa so even if Ohio were to move up to the AAC to grow the basketball program it would cost at least 2 million more to meet expectation for AAC football. Then would Ohio even be successful in the AAC paying 2.5 or 3 million for its football coach if it can't even win the MAC?

Its smarter IMO to stay in the MAC and keep chipping away at facilities. Ohio has some facility and academic advantages in the MAC. The Convo is nice but if you can add to it a basketball practice facility that takes it up another level.
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Jeff McKinney
12/11/2021 9:05 PM
I honestly can't believe we are having this conversation *again* on this board. We are stuck in the MAC, for better or for worse. We don't have the profile or resources to move up. No one wants us.
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Casper71
12/11/2021 9:28 PM
Thank you Jeff.
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Pataskala
12/11/2021 9:29 PM
Jeff McKinney wrote:expand_more
I honestly can't believe we are having this conversation *again* on this board. We are stuck in the MAC, for better or for worse. We don't have the profile or resources to move up. No one wants us.
Our version of "Groundhog Day."
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The Optimist
12/11/2021 9:56 PM
I’ve developed my own fictional basketball-only conference. I am willing to donate money to make this happen.

East:
Temple
Umass
Buffalo
St Bonaventure
Vermont
Hofstra
Delaware
Niagara

West:
Ohio
Marshall
Kent
Akron
WKU
Middle Tennessee
Toledo
Miami
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The Optimist
12/11/2021 9:58 PM
Jeff McKinney wrote:expand_more
I honestly can't believe we are having this conversation *again* on this board. We are stuck in the MAC, for better or for worse. We don't have the profile or resources to move up. No one wants us.
I think you are underestimating our resources

:-)
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Bobcat Love
12/11/2021 10:08 PM
This Board oF Trustees can't even walk and chew gum at the same time. You want to discuss expectations of increased performance in the Athletic or Academic Departments? Might as well be speaking Mandarin Chinese to these no-talents hand picked by Dewine.
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The Optimist
12/11/2021 10:23 PM
Bobcat Love wrote:expand_more
This Board oF Trustees can't even walk and chew gum at the same time. You want to discuss expectations of increased performance in the Athletic or Academic Departments? Might as well be speaking Mandarin Chinese to these no-talents hand picked by Dewine.
Dewine sucks.

Sounds to me like we need a coup d'état. Anyone have some Bitcoin to throw down?
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Pataskala
12/11/2021 11:23 PM
The Optimist wrote:expand_more
This Board oF Trustees can't even walk and chew gum at the same time. You want to discuss expectations of increased performance in the Athletic or Academic Departments? Might as well be speaking Mandarin Chinese to these no-talents hand picked by Dewine.
Dewine sucks.

Sounds to me like we need a coup d'état. Anyone have some Bitcoin to throw down?
DeWine is too worried about his own phony-baloney job to do anything worthwhile.
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Jerry86
12/11/2021 11:41 PM
Pataskala wrote:expand_more
This Board oF Trustees can't even walk and chew gum at the same time. You want to discuss expectations of increased performance in the Athletic or Academic Departments? Might as well be speaking Mandarin Chinese to these no-talents hand picked by Dewine.
Dewine sucks.

Sounds to me like we need a coup d'état. Anyone have some Bitcoin to throw down?
DeWine is too worried about his own phony-baloney job to do anything worthwhile.
As an alum who lives out of state at least DeWine comprehended what Covid might do. Sadly, Ohio is one of the worst states in the US now. Having just been back seems most in Ohio don't know what a mask is.
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Jeff McKinney
12/12/2021 12:01 AM
Don't let this get partisan or it's going to Siberia. How many times do we have to go through this?
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bobcatsquared
12/12/2021 8:16 AM
DeWine started off the pandemic making the right calls with advice from Dr. Acton. But his own republicans have put too much pressure on him and his re-election bid that he has backslided over the past 12 months.
Last Edited: 12/12/2021 8:16:52 AM by bobcatsquared
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OhioCatFan
12/12/2021 10:14 AM
Mike Johnson wrote:expand_more
What follows is a test of my memory - which can be suspect. As I am recalling, during the early years of Vern Alden's tenure, the Big 10 contacted Vern about Ohio possibly becoming a replacement for a then non-competitive Northwestern.

The idea didn't go very far. If it had Ohio, as to football, could have become the sacrificial lamb that now is the duo of Maryland and Rutgers. As to basketball, under Jim Snyder, Ohio might well have been reasonably competitive, given Ohio's success against Big 10 teams during the Snyder years.

Now, if anyone wants to blow up what I've just recounted, please feel perfectly free to do so.
Not sure about the B1G gambit, but I do know that Alden tried to put together an eastern conference with WVU, Ohio, Rutgers and some others. The conference that he envisioned was very much like the Big East (minus Ohio) that emerged later.
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greencat
12/12/2021 12:07 PM
Jerry86 wrote:expand_more
As an alum who lives out of state at least DeWine comprehended what Covid might do. Sadly, Ohio is one of the worst states in the US now. Having just been back seems most in Ohio don't know what a mask is.
Ohio is at 68% with one shot (18 & up) 63% fully vaccinated.

Michigan is similar at 70/64. Pennsylvania is at 95/68 - MUCH better.

If people would get vaccinated and at least wear a mask into a crowded Kroger?**

**By vaccinated, I don't mean one shot...I mean two plus get the booster. Maybe even take immunity support supplements that can even be found in gummy-bear form for the kids. And is $2.59 too much for playing it extra safe?

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0260/4747/9880/products...
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SBH
12/12/2021 12:08 PM
Bobcat Love wrote:expand_more
This Board oF Trustees can't even walk and chew gum at the same time. You want to discuss expectations of increased performance in the Athletic or Academic Departments? Might as well be speaking Mandarin Chinese to these no-talents hand picked by Dewine.
They wrote checks. That's all that matters when it comes to serving on a state university board in Ohio. As in all things, money corrupts this process.

Dewine should be facing jail time for his role in the FirstEnergy scandal.
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