|
|
Post by cardfan on Dec 3, 2023 8:43:35 GMT -6
Easier said than done. The changing conference part. True but conferences are constantly in flux these days. Isn't Western Illinois leaving the Missouri Valley and Summit leagues for the OVC? Schools have been laying waste to conference tradition for a long time now. You would think BSU should at least be exploring the possibility. That would require forward thinking …. |
|
|
|
Post by 00hmh on Dec 3, 2023 9:27:03 GMT -6
Easier said than done. The changing conference part. True but conferences are constantly in flux these days. Isn't Western Illinois leaving the Missouri Valley and Summit leagues for the OVC? Schools have been laying waste to conference tradition for a long time now. You would think BSU should at least be exploring the possibility. The MAC is a great conference for BSU. Except for that FB commitment.
Other sports could hardly find a better conference for travel, good competition, similar academic and budget requirements and so on.
It's mostly about the history of being the mini-B10. The little brothers. A belief we can't be a great university without the traditional B10 sport. Who believes this is a good question. Alumni and donors? Legislators? Board members collectively? The Presidents are just not willing to go against whoever it is. Other priorities. That and the almost practical alternative of just settling for mediocre low budget operation.
On the academic side, all the schools are similar which is part of that B10 dynamic in a weird way. All the MAC schools hold up other conference schools as peer institutions to justify academic budgets. That's not entirely logical but it does seem to have some weight with ICHE and the Legislature. After all those IU alums who run things don't want their little brothers to not be as good as the other B10 little bros...
We have kicked this around enough to know why MAC FB is not going to be long term tenable. I think we are stuck until the MAC Presidents just can't avoid admitting it.
|
|
|
|
Post by grass on Dec 3, 2023 10:10:35 GMT -6
Drop to FBS, or all together, bad for MAC schools This ties finances and branding nicely together, regarding why dropping a level, or FB, is a bad move - particularly for MAC schools. In all due respect, this article should be pinned and this subject permanently closed.
|
|
|
|
Post by 00hmh on Dec 3, 2023 11:06:44 GMT -6
Drop to FBS, or all together, bad for MAC schools This ties finances and branding nicely together, regarding why dropping a level, or FB, is a bad move - particularly for MAC schools. In all due respect, this article should be pinned and this subject permanently closed. What the article dodges is the change coming from P4 consolidation. Expenses are increasing in coaching and staffing. NIL is dog eat dog and increasing Revenue will decrease. P4 money games are going to be fewer, harder for G5 to get multiple games. Those P4 teams will have more incentive to schedule conference schools and even other P4 schools. Any large revenue from tournament inclusion is VERY unlikely to go to the MAC. And our TV money assumes P4 schools won't give up Saturday games which begs the question as their contracts get bigger. NFL games are good TV, even on Thursday... Don't pretend SEC, B10 and others would not love it. More marquee matchups a week on national TV? MACtion even less competitive. Besides all that legislators are looking more and more at MAC school missions. Will student fee usage be allowed for a cash strapped MAC school as it has been? What's the trend in gate? The article is right about making a drop now not producing much saving. Yes. What makes FCS savings meager now is lost revenue moving down. But. That revenue will be lost anyway fairly soon. And expenses at FBS are accelerating. FCS is possibly not ever the answer as it is now, but that level faces challenges which will produce a downsized FB alternative soon enough. Something like FCS is where end up. Or dropping American FB altogether...soccer anyone? We'll have a great stadium for it. The article is right as I said above. Right now the Presidents won't change. |
|
|
|
Post by grass on Dec 3, 2023 11:22:02 GMT -6
Good points. Even with the mega conferences forming, and NIL somewhat out of control, I think we’re in a sweet spot, similar to when the article was written. If you drop, the dam breaks across all teams and brand. I’d imagine BSU, and other G5s, test financial and branding scenarios regularly.
For G5’s, I think the portal helps a lot - there are limited places to play, and roster spots (for field time), so the MAC will benefit greatly as long as the portal exists. Players are fighting for the ultimate goal - NFL. Balance.
|
|
|
|
Post by ballstfan on Dec 3, 2023 13:26:04 GMT -6
Joey Lynch will be the next OC…
|
|
|
|
Post by grass on Dec 3, 2023 13:32:27 GMT -6
Joey Lynch will be the next OC… I hope you’re posting that in jest, and are not in the “know”. |
|
|
|
Post by cardfan on Dec 3, 2023 13:49:46 GMT -6
Totally would not surprise me and would just make us an even bigger joke.
|
|
|
|
Post by 00hmh on Dec 3, 2023 14:58:18 GMT -6
For G5’s, I think the portal helps a lot - there are limited places to play, and roster spots (for field time), so the MAC will benefit greatly as long as the portal exists. Players are fighting for the ultimate goal - NFL. Balance. Right now it makes less sense to go FCS. In the future we will reach a breaking point and have to do so. The MAC as the bottom conference in G5 in terms of revenue is going to see the stress.
The portal will overall make the divide between P4 and G5 wider. We lose our best, have to fight for those who aren't as good moving down.
As for the portal helping the MAC among all the other G5, I don't see how. Why would better players go to the MAC with the number of stronger G5 conferences? All better funded, and NIL is a factor.
|
|
|
|
Post by grass on Dec 3, 2023 16:43:02 GMT -6
For G5’s, I think the portal helps a lot - there are limited places to play, and roster spots (for field time), so the MAC will benefit greatly as long as the portal exists. Players are fighting for the ultimate goal - NFL. Balance. Right now it makes less sense to go FCS. In the future we will reach a breaking point and have to do so. The MAC as the bottom conference in G5 in terms of revenue is going to see the stress.
The portal will overall make the divide between P4 and G5 wider. We lose our best, have to fight for those who aren't as good moving down.
As for the portal helping the MAC among all the other G5, I don't see how. Why would better players go to the MAC with the number of stronger G5 conferences? All better funded, and NIL is a factor.
Their eyes are not on meager G5 NIL - rather, on the big prize, the NFL. |
|
|
|
Post by 00hmh on Dec 3, 2023 18:09:19 GMT -6
Right now it makes less sense to go FCS. In the future we will reach a breaking point and have to do so. The MAC as the bottom conference in G5 in terms of revenue is going to see the stress.
The portal will overall make the divide between P4 and G5 wider. We lose our best, have to fight for those who aren't as good moving down.
As for the portal helping the MAC among all the other G5, I don't see how. Why would better players go to the MAC with the number of stronger G5 conferences? All better funded, and NIL is a factor.
Their eyes are not on meager G5 NIL - rather, on the big prize, the NFL. OK. Why does a top player in the portal choose the MAC over other G5 schools? Not for competition, we're not average on that count. Not for prospects of moving up to FBS in reorganization.. We're last there. And assuming we do make a case and compete with another G5 school as finalist for kid moving to G5 with NFL dreams? Why ignore NIL? The MAC produced NFL players in the last decade, some. But where will this year's MAC and vgBSU best pro prospects be playing next year? In the portal era I see no advantage to the MAC. Show me. |
|
|
|
Post by coastalcard on Dec 3, 2023 18:13:41 GMT -6
Big ? from last year’s portal:
What was Cooper thinking?
|
|
|
|
Post by cardfan on Dec 3, 2023 19:29:54 GMT -6
Big ? from last year’s portal: What was Cooper thinking? I’m sure he as thinking we’d do with him like we did with Steele. We probably also blew a lot of sunshine up his ass. |
|
|
|
Post by grass on Dec 3, 2023 20:04:59 GMT -6
Their eyes are not on meager G5 NIL - rather, on the big prize, the NFL. OK. Why does a top player in the portal choose the MAC over other G5 schools? Not for competition, we're not average on that count. Not for prospects of moving up to FBS in reorganization.. We're last there. And assuming we do make a case and compete with another G5 school as finalist for kid moving to G5 with NFL dreams? Why ignore NIL? The MAC produced NFL players in the last decade, some. But where will this year's MAC and vgBSU best pro prospects be playing next year? In the portal era I see no advantage to the MAC. Show me. Bro… you have to see the field, have film, to play at the next level. There have been countless NFL’ers from the MAC. P4/5 will continue to flood the MAC to play. |
|
|
|
Post by grass on Dec 3, 2023 20:37:26 GMT -6
There are 16,000 young men across FBS alone who want to be one of the 2,500 men who makeup NFL rosters (including practice squad). FBS is where you find the top potential/talent, and opportunity. Now, fold in the other 80,000 college players (FCS to NAIA), who have representatives within NFL history, you’ll see that coveted FBS opportunities are very sparse. MAC football, with all of its football history, is a targeted destination for young men who aspire to the highest level of football achievement.
|
|
