The MAC expanding and increasing their value will not
happen in my opinion. There are only 4 schools that have the value to move at this point. Ohio, Miami(OH), WMU, and Toledo. Buffalo and UMass may have the most potential because of their academics and alumni money, but as of yet, they just haven't made the commitment that is required. The rest of the MAC just do not have the money, to field teams that compete on the NIL(money) it is going to take to be a top G6 school. Kent State and Akron have already come out and said that they are going all in on basketball with 50% of their revenue. I'd rather see a FCS upstart that is actually making the commitment to improve their football, JMU comes to mind.
With NIU going to the Mountain West, the other schools are looking around, as the Titanic (MAC) is looking at an iceberg right in front of them, and I don't think they will be able to avoid it any longer.
With the G6 media contract negotiations, ESPN and others just might be telling the conferences what it will take to get a better contract, and no one wants to go to the MAC.
** Edited by Big12 guy at 7/10/2025, 10:17:34 AM
Thread Replies (40)
Stech, there are rumors that Ohio has
-- Big12 guy
Jul 10, 2025 at 08:51 AM ET
Big12 guy
•
07/10/25 08:51 AM ET
I am more against Coast to Coast Conferences, where three hour time zones
-- Stech
Jul 12, 2025 at 12:25 AM ET
Stech
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07/12/25 12:25 AM ET
I think that business model failed with the collapse of the SWC. **
-- Big12 guy
Jul 12, 2025 at 08:24 AM ET
Big12 guy
•
07/12/25 08:24 AM ET
SEC kicking butt with 1 hour time difference between all schools.**
-- Stech
Jul 12, 2025 at 12:08 PM ET
Stech
•
07/12/25 12:08 PM ET
The exception for now? Nothing
-- Big12 guy
Jul 12, 2025 at 02:06 PM ET
Big12 guy
•
07/12/25 02:06 PM ET
Plenty of conferences are staying regional, that's not the point. the point
-- Stech
Jul 12, 2025 at 06:14 PM ET
Stech
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07/12/25 06:14 PM ET
I don't think anyone would disagree with you
-- Big12 guy
Jul 12, 2025 at 06:47 PM ET
Big12 guy
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07/12/25 06:47 PM ET
Sorry I misread your post. I would be okay with Ohio vs Louisiana Tech as
-- Stech
Jul 12, 2025 at 06:55 PM ET
Stech
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07/12/25 06:55 PM ET
Ohio has recently come out and denied that they reached out
-- Big12 guy
Jul 12, 2025 at 07:05 PM ET
Big12 guy
•
07/12/25 07:05 PM ET
I think East Carolina would have been a good addition, but they may make
-- Stech
Jul 13, 2025 at 08:10 AM ET
Stech
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07/13/25 08:10 AM ET
Did it though? A reason the SWC failed is it was only 2 states (TX & AR).
-- VTHokie2000
Jul 12, 2025 at 08:32 AM ET
VTHokie2000
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07/12/25 08:32 AM ET
The media dollars involved changed everything. All former
-- Big12 guy
Jul 12, 2025 at 08:56 AM ET
Big12 guy
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07/12/25 08:56 AM ET
I believe UCF was a football-only member for a short period of time as
-- VTHokie2000
Jul 12, 2025 at 09:00 AM ET
VTHokie2000
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07/12/25 09:00 AM ET
A sign of the times I'm afraid. **
-- Big12 guy
Jul 12, 2025 at 09:19 AM ET
Big12 guy
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07/12/25 09:19 AM ET
Actually UMass did it as a result in the change of the bylaws. In the
-- VTHokie2000
Jul 12, 2025 at 09:29 AM ET
VTHokie2000
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07/12/25 09:29 AM ET
It's another reason that the idea
-- Big12 guy
Jul 12, 2025 at 10:36 AM ET
Big12 guy
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07/12/25 10:36 AM ET
The schools probably created more problems for itself when it decided to
-- VTHokie2000
Jul 12, 2025 at 11:54 AM ET
VTHokie2000
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07/12/25 11:54 AM ET
Athens, Ohio is in southeastern Ohio's Appalachian region. IMO, Ohio ...
-- Old Line Hokie
Jul 10, 2025 at 07:39 PM ET
Old Line Hokie
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07/10/25 07:39 PM ET
I always wanted Marshall, App State, and while
-- Big12 guy
Jul 10, 2025 at 07:59 PM ET
Big12 guy
•
07/10/25 07:59 PM ET
MAC/Sun Belt merger of some sort would be some entertaining stuff.**
-- reestuart
Jul 10, 2025 at 02:15 PM ET
reestuart
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07/10/25 02:15 PM ET
Would be entertaining, but can't see why the Sunbelt would do it.**
-- wwhokie1
Jul 10, 2025 at 06:52 PM ET
wwhokie1
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07/10/25 06:52 PM ET
If ESPN is telling them if you want a $3M+ per team media contract,
-- Big12 guy
Jul 10, 2025 at 07:13 PM ET
Big12 guy
•
07/10/25 07:13 PM ET
Your last sentence is the issue. Low value in the Mac.
-- wwhokie1
Jul 11, 2025 at 01:11 AM ET
wwhokie1
•
07/11/25 01:11 AM ET
I did see that article and I immediately thought of our discussion.
-- VTHokie2000
Jul 10, 2025 at 09:21 AM ET
VTHokie2000
•
07/10/25 09:21 AM ET
Surprised Buffalo never made more of a commitment
-- I85Hokie
Jul 10, 2025 at 02:20 PM ET
I85Hokie
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07/10/25 02:20 PM ET
Maybe they couldn't because their hands were tied for various reasons. I
-- VTHokie2000
Jul 10, 2025 at 03:28 PM ET
VTHokie2000
•
07/10/25 03:28 PM ET
There really is no SUNY flagship
-- Tailgate Guru
Jul 10, 2025 at 06:36 PM ET
Tailgate Guru
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07/10/25 06:36 PM ET
I guess someone forgot to tell that to Gov. Kathy Hochul because in 2022
-- VTHokie2000
Jul 10, 2025 at 09:11 PM ET
VTHokie2000
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07/10/25 09:11 PM ET
I guess you can call them anything you want
-- Tailgate Guru
Jul 10, 2025 at 09:31 PM ET
Tailgate Guru
•
07/10/25 09:31 PM ET
The UC system is very similar to New York’s in that regard
-- I85Hokie
Jul 11, 2025 at 07:52 AM ET
I85Hokie
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07/11/25 07:52 AM ET
That may be true about people in Rochester, but it is a moot point for this
-- VTHokie2000
Jul 10, 2025 at 09:50 PM ET
VTHokie2000
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07/10/25 09:50 PM ET
And here are the enrollments of all the universities in NY State**
-- RJHokie
Jul 10, 2025 at 09:20 PM ET
RJHokie
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07/10/25 09:20 PM ET
I think a feature of a "flagship school" in a university system is it is
-- VTHokie2000
Jul 10, 2025 at 09:28 PM ET
VTHokie2000
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07/10/25 09:28 PM ET
SUNY is managed from Albany
-- Tailgate Guru
Jul 10, 2025 at 09:50 PM ET
Tailgate Guru
•
07/10/25 09:50 PM ET
The MAC expanding and increasing their value will not
◄
-- Big12 guy
Jul 10, 2025 at 10:08 AM ET
Big12 guy
•
07/10/25 10:08 AM ET
I agree the MAC's future looks bleak right now given how things are playing
-- VTHokie2000
Jul 10, 2025 at 10:26 AM ET
VTHokie2000
•
07/10/25 10:26 AM ET
The G6 probably needs to be reduced to the G3, but there
-- Big12 guy
Jul 10, 2025 at 10:29 AM ET
Big12 guy
•
07/10/25 10:29 AM ET
One thing that often isn't mentioned in any of these discussions is the
-- VTHokie2000
Jul 10, 2025 at 10:33 AM ET
VTHokie2000
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07/10/25 10:33 AM ET
A tough sell for basketball. **
-- Big12 guy
Jul 10, 2025 at 10:34 AM ET
Big12 guy
•
07/10/25 10:34 AM ET
Maybe. The main reason the DI schools did it for football is because it
-- VTHokie2000
Jul 10, 2025 at 10:42 AM ET
VTHokie2000
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07/10/25 10:42 AM ET