Four schools in Ohio, covering each corner of the state:

NW: Toledo

SW: Miami University

SE: Ohio University

NE: Akron

Who gets cut: Bowling Green (Great sports program but not enough support from the community. Nearby Toledo has better football and better attendance.) Kent State (Terrific basketball program but, compared to Akron, not much room to grow beyong what they are now. Akron is positioning itself to be northern Ohio's research university, a counterpart to Cincinnati in the southern part of the state. They have the ambition and potential to grow into a regional power like a Toledo).

Two schools in Michigan, the choices are obvious: Western Michigan and Central Michigan are far stronger than Eastern Michigan, which will have trouble complying with I-A criteria.

Northern Illinois. Obviously a keeper.

From the East: Marshall, Buffalo (but they have to shape up soon -- I'd give them a strict four-year deadline for stabilizing attendance beyond 15,000 per game and becoming competitive in football and basketball) and Temple.

That's 10 schools.

I'm ready to listen to arguments for keeping Ball State in the mix, but if the league goes beyond 10, I would prefer to look at high-quality southern directional schools, specifically Western Kentucky, Middle Tennessee, East Carolina, Georgia Southern and UCF and USF to get to 12.

Assuming the league has reason to want to lose some schools, but perhaps can't pull it off through votes and wishes to save face publicly, could they enact higher standards of their own? Perhaps require 16k a game just to egg EMU and Buffalo out? Granted, this might make it tough for a Temple or WKU to step in, as well. Or, assuming a strong majority wished to do so, could 8-9 schools simply walk away from the MAC, thereby ending the present form of the conference and releasing the NCAA funds to their respective institutions. Two weeks later, "Surprise," the MAC is reborn!

And while UCF is on the clock for moving to CUSA, so might Marshall. The MAC commissioner better be sure to evoke confidence that the potential loss of UCF or the loss of others to the new 1-A standards does in fact offer the opportunity to strengthen the league. How bad would it appear politically if he were to be researching potential candidates with everyone knowing they won't add until someone is lost?

:o


Man, this MAC realignment is becoming overkill. In the past month I have heard mentioned:

Memphis, USF, St. Louis, Charlotte, East Carolina, Temple, Western Kentucky, MTSU, Georgia Southern!, Western Ill, Army, Navy, WVU and Illinios St.

Nice to know that this conference has so much popularity. Also nice to know that the MAC is very level headed and will always remain everything a true collegate sports conference is supposed to be. No one will be kicked out unless it is mandated by the NCAA. EMU and Kent St. will be around for awhile. UCF and Marshall may leave (UCF to the Big East or UCF and Marshall to a revamped (C-USA) Southern all sports league) opening space for new members.

Who will they pick? Temple (if they keep D1-A football and bring their basketball) and WKU (if they upgrade to D1-A football) are the front runners. IMO. ::)

Actually, the University at Buffalo belongs in Division III.

If the MAC is looking at I-AA, I would rate the schools:
1. Illinois St.
2. SW Missouri St.
3. Delaware
4. WKU

The MAC actually approached ISU, but they weren't interested in I-A, especially in the MAC. Actually, I think they would be a good gamble for the Big 12 should CU leave. It would be an upgrade for the Big 12 in every sport except Cross-country, skiing and football. They fit the profile of the Big 12 schools. SW Missouri is the #2 school in a relatively populous state, they aren't in a pro sports area and they are a long way from the U of Missouri (unlike ISU). Delaware has a state to itself and already meets the I-A attendance requirements, but it is a small state. WKU would be #3 in a relatively small state in a small market in a basketball, not football crazy state. And EKU has a better fb tradition. Although, EKU and Delaware both have to deal with losing long time successful coaches.

Delaware very interesting it seems alot of people have Delaware moving up but is there any truths too this or is it a rumor? Do they have the attendance? and do they have the facilities?

_________________
The Bear may be dead but he still hates Tennessee. Roll Damn Tide

Bullet,

WKU #4???? They dominate every school you have listed above them in both football and basketball. Delware has better football tradition BUT how is that saying "what have you done for me lately?" WKU the last 3 years is the Gateway champs and the 2 years before that they were the OVC champs. They have won their conference every year for the last 5 years......NOT TO MENTION THEY ARE THE DEFENDING NATIONAL CHAMPS. EKU just lost their legend coach but it doesn't change the fact that they have NOT WON A PLAYOFF GAME IN 10 years. Illinois State gets destroyed every time they WKU in football and basketball. WKU's basketball tradition is WAY better than everyone you listed!!

Market size: Bowling Green, KY is a college TOWN but its not small. B.G. and the surrounding area has over 100,000 people and it's only 55 mile north of Nashville. It's not too small of a market!

Illinois State to the Big XII? Did I read that right?

it also has the corvette plant. I can see it noe corvette stadium

_________________
The Bear may be dead but he still hates Tennessee. Roll Damn Tide

Joedadi, you're just a wealth of information on the MAC...

Do you happen to know just what an Akron Zip is? (the mascot). Is this short for Zipper, and is there a factory in Akron?

I'm always very curious about these sorts of things, including Hoyas, Hokies, and such...

Yes, ISU to the Big 12. Should the Big 12 lose Colorado and/or Missouri, there aren't a lot of good choices (Arkansas and LSU aren't going to leave the SEC). Basically, there's Louisville and a bunch of schools with baggage.

1. Louisville
2. BYU-distance and no Sunday play, relatively small state.
3. Utah-distance and population.
4. CSU-2nd rate except for fb-doesn't even meet new I-A standards. Was awful in fb before Sonny Lubick and he is near retirement.
5. Memphis-too much a commuter school, no success in fb.

Nobody else who fits geographically makes any sense.
Anybody south of Memphis or the Kansas and Colorado borders doesn't fit into the northern division and the Big 12 doesn't need any more Texas schools anyway.

So, Illinois St. seems like a good gamble for the population challenged Big 12 which had the worst TV contract of the BCS conferences until the BE got re-negotiated downward. Chicago is a good market. And N. Illinois doesn't have enough success in fb and limited success outside fb to be attractive to anyone outside the MAC. Its also too much of a commuter school.

The MAC may be the most stable non-BCS conference as they are geographically compact (except for fb only member UCF) and nobody but Marshall is quite attractive enough for anyone else to be interested. The biggest threat to the MAC is the loss of their championship game if the new I-A standards take too many members.