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Post by rmcalhoun on Sept 26, 2024 19:09:31 GMT -6
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Post by 00hmh on Sept 26, 2024 19:21:58 GMT -6
Hmmm. Could be this make the MAC amenable to membership that did not require FB? To retain NIU and Toledo who could still be there for BB and other sports. MAC can lose a few FB members and still have 8 members all sports. Or. Maybe pick up a few FCS schools with FBS ambition as full members. Which would allow BSU and/or a few others to move down and out in FB. Granted they'd lose quality in FB, but when you're the weakest G5, so what? |
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Post by williamtsherman on Sept 26, 2024 20:01:45 GMT -6
OK, here is something that could actually, seriously threaten MAC "FBS football". People here are always fretting that the power schools are going to kick the MAC to the curb, but the thing is that the MAC's continued existence as "FBS" does not in any way threaten or reduce the income of the power schools, so why should they care? Why should they bother to protect MAC students from the depredations of MAC athletic departments? They are too busy signing jillion dollar TV contracts.
But if the MAC lost their two premier football programs, it would be a bucket of cold water and could actually kick off a chain reaction of sane thinking. Whether Northern and Toledo would have any interest in this offer, I have no idea.
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Post by williamtsherman on Sept 26, 2024 20:18:05 GMT -6
"Mountain West notifies the MAC of its interest in NIU & Toledo as football-only members in 2026, sources told
@actionnetworkhq
. This adds Central Time Zone to MW, potentially increasing future media rights value."
Would this really work? If I own a media company, would I really give the mountain west a better deal on this basis? Does Northern and Toledo really have that much sway in the Central timezone, as a whole? I would think these programs have little to no support outside their immediate localities...with near zero influence over a whole time zone (Anyway, Toledo is in the Eastern timezone). Seems like just moving their games forward an hour would give the MWC a bigger effect. I think the whole discussion is silly and delusional. The MWC is basically in the same position as the MAC in that their "FBS" football programs are doomed to be money-losing, third-rate failures and it's just a question of how much they will need to take from their students to stay afloat.
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Post by Lurkin McGurkin on Sept 27, 2024 6:33:12 GMT -6
The MAC will play hardball on this. All sports or none. NIU and Toledo don't have the budget for travel in all sports.
Of course, it could backfire and they join the MWC in football, and the Missouri Valley in other sports, if the MoVal will take them.
Looks like the MWC is looking at the Texas State Armadillos for all sports.
Grab your popcorn...
Both the MWC and PAC12 are at seven members each. Not sure why they don't just merge. That'd be a solid conference.
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Post by villagepub on Sept 27, 2024 9:22:23 GMT -6
I guess McMurphy doesn't know his timezones |
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Post by rmcalhoun on Sept 27, 2024 9:36:39 GMT -6
I doubt this ever happens and if it does its suicide for toledo and niu
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Post by redbirdman on Sept 27, 2024 10:05:59 GMT -6
NIU & Toledo would be crazy to do it. The only gain is a trip to Vegas every other year. They would not even increase the viewers in any time zone.
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Post by coastalcard on Sept 27, 2024 10:15:32 GMT -6
Nothing says “Must See TV” like Toledo or Northern Illinois playing someone else in a football game
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Post by williamtsherman on Sept 27, 2024 10:33:18 GMT -6
What's suicidal for NIU and Toledo? The MWC football programs are moderately stronger on average than the MAC and the basketball programs significantly stronger on average. This is true even with the cream of the MWC conference joining the rump Pac12.
obviously NIU's and Toledo's travel costs would increase, but having been in the MAC, they are very accustomed to ignoring money losses and generally know how to approach financial concerns from a hallucenogenic standpoint.
But I don't pretend to know all the factors these two schools might be facing.
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Post by frozenbaugh on Sept 27, 2024 12:53:32 GMT -6
Right now, I believe the payout to each team in the MAC with its ESPN deal is $800k and the MWC is $5M. That sounds wonderful. However, that MWC deal runs out in 2026 and there is no way they’re getting that much based on what the new MWC will be.
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Post by Lurkin McGurkin on Sept 27, 2024 13:00:01 GMT -6
Right now, I believe the payout to each team in the MAC with its ESPN deal is $800k and the MWC is $5M. That sounds wonderful. However, that MWC deal runs out in 2026 and there is no way they’re getting that much based on what the new MWC will be. The travel budget alone would wipe that out in the first semester. |
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Post by williamtsherman on Sept 27, 2024 13:14:59 GMT -6
Right now, I believe the payout to each team in the MAC with its ESPN deal is $800k and the MWC is $5M. That sounds wonderful. However, that MWC deal runs out in 2026 and there is no way they’re getting that much based on what the new MWC will be. The travel budget alone would wipe that out in the first semester. But how important is this to schools that are currently losing >$10milion a year for MAC football? These are not schools that make decisions according to sound financial principles. Delusions of grandeur are their primary decision drivers. To predict Toledo and Northern's future decisions you have to think like they do. If they perceive a move to the MWC as a move up the FBS food chain, who knows what additional financial burden they might choose to put on their students. The students have access to subsidized loans you know. |
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Post by 47306fan on Sept 27, 2024 13:32:11 GMT -6
NIU use to have BIG plans for their football. I remember they left the MAC back in the 80's to go major independent. We all know how that turned out... Hope they're both smarter than that now.
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Post by CallingBS on Sept 27, 2024 13:35:31 GMT -6
The travel budget alone would wipe that out in the first semester. But how important is this to schools that are currently losing >$10milion a year for MAC football? These are not schools that make decisions according to sound financial principles. Delusions of grandeur are their primary decision drivers. To predict Toledo and Northern's future decisions you have to think like they do. If they perceive a move to the MWC as a move up the FBS food chain, who knows what additional financial burden they might choose to put on their students. The students have access to subsidized loans you know. It's irrelevant long before football is even added into the mix, as the home school is responsible for TV production of games, which means that $800k merely offsets production expenses (so I was told by an athletics staffer a few years ago). I would say Steinbrecher sold the MAC down the river with that deal, but what kind of market value does the MAC even have these days? |
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