Indeed. It's not a big help that Temple got no bowl game this year. And if CUSA loses either UTEP (MWC likely) or UCF (Big East) or even ECU (has been speaking with CAA and SoCon about non-football sports home) then there will liley be spots open for Temple as a football only CUSA member.

For UMass, they just need to hope that UTEP and UCF leave and CUSA is open to Temple bringing UMass along. CUSA would have 12 football schools (East: UMass, Temple, Marshall, ECU, Memphis, UAB) and 10 non-football schools.

such a longshot though. But Temple did have some rumored discussions with CUSA for football only membership a few months ago...and UTEP/UCF could very well be leaving...

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In future years, the MAC may get a few more bowl bids, at the expense of the WAC (which may end up folding). Supposedly the New Mexico bowl has already told the WAC that their affiliation will end with the departure of Nevada and Fresno St.

Maybe the MAC won't get tied to those games, though, if they're all out west. The MAC used to be affiliated with the Humanitarian Bowl in Boise, and generally "didn't travel well".
Nothing against Boise, but most bowl games are in a warm weather location for a reason.

I think it is time for some of the MAC schools to form a new conference
with some of the northeastern schools. This is what I would suggest:

GREAT NORTH CONFERENCE

west division
Northern Illinois
Western Michigan
Central Michigan
Ohio
Temple

east division
Marshall
Army
Navy
Delaware
U Mass

Here's an update from the Umass luncheon:

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This all makes sense, and it jives with the article talking about how the addition of UMass FB ties to Temple extending their agreement with the MAC (Temple decision due by end of the year).

I don't see Temple getting a Big East invitation at this time. The Big East will expand with Villanova FB, UCF, or Houston to get to 10 for FB.

So Temple gets interest from the MAC and perhaps also CUSA. I see them extending their agreement with the MAC, but with a loophole that avoids a huge exit fee if a Big East invitation were to materialize.

With Temple locked up for several more years and UMass in the fold, the MAC has a 14-team FB league, with 2 guest members from the A-10. With both Temple and now UMass in the East, another Ohio team (Bowling Green St. ?) will slide to the Football Western Division (joining Toledo) to balance the 14-team FB league at 7 West + 7 East.

If Youngstown State has an ultimate goal of joining the MAC, they might make some inquiries about upgrading their FB to FBS and joining MAC FB as well (I mean it sounds like an opportunity to perhaps get a foot in the door). And Marshall likes it to be known that they rake in more money in CUSA than they previously did in the MAC, but honestly with all the travel for all sports Marshall (and ECU to a lesser extent) might be a lot happier in the MAC.

If UCF goes to the BE I see CUSA getting Temple or FIU or FAU if they feel the need to get Fla back. If Temple is the choice I think JMU is on deck as 14 for fb in MAC after UMass. I wonder if JMU would want full membership? I don't know if YSU still wants to move to the MAC, since the Vest isn't there anymore.

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I must admit that I'm having trouble understanding this potential move. Not from the perspective of UMass -- while there is some downside to them in making the move, there is some upside as well, so certainly the move is at least worth UMass's time to consider. But I don't really understand what the MAC hopes to gain by this -- is it really just "locking in" Temple football (as tute79 suggested)? Given that Temple football just got left out of the 2010 bowl season while some seemingly inferior teams were selected, I have to wonder if Temple football really adds that much value to the conference. (And I do not think it's likely that Temple will move their other sports over to the MAC, so that source of added value doesn't seem viable.) I've also read some things to the effect that this would increase the exposure of the MAC in the Northeast -- but does this exposure really compensate for splitting the (already small) football revenues 14 ways? Is there some other benefit here that I'm just too dense to see?

Again, this is not intended to be a slam on UMass -- they've been a successful program at the I-AA/FCS level, and obviously the potential exists to carry on with that. But, to substantially paraphrase Deep Throat, if the MAC follows the money, what will they see?

Regards, Driver 8

You hit it on the head. It's to expand the footprint into the Northeast media markets. It's to potentially maintain the Philly market via Temple. It's to balance the divisions better. It's to lock up the 3-4 OOC basketball games each year with another school in the northeast. And of course, it's the MAC. The benefits of the 4 OOC hoops games for men and 4 OOC hopes games for women are pretty close to generating the type of revenue MAC football does

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Agree with Quinn. I can't see any other reason to be dallying with Temple and UMass, other than as part of somebody's vision to make the MAC less Ohio / Michigan - centric (expand the footprint).

It surprised a lot of people when the MAC added SUNY - Buffalo. I had heard that Youngstown State was the obvious choice, but the MAC is up to it's eyeballs with Ohio teams. Although Buffalo is just down the pike (I-90) from Cleveland, it did move the MAC into New York state.

When Temple football was added a few years ago, Temple was TERRIBLE !!! I'm sure a lot of people other than myself wondered "why the hell is the MAC doing this ?" I guess financially they may have been conpensated with some BB games. UMass would continue to push the footprint eastward. perhaps they might look for 2 more football-only members as well, to increase MAC exposure..

I think anyone taking a serious look at Temple needs to pause for a second now that their coach is Miami bound.

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Certainly the Big East will be less enthralled with Temple at the moment.
But the guess is that for now, the Big East will either see a Villanova upgrade or invite UCF or Houston.
No Temple to the BE for now.

Regardless of the departure of Temple's coach, their program is WAY better than it was when Temple was summarily booted by the BE back in 2003.

I think Temple should still be MAC-worthy.... Who know ? ... Sometimes replacement coaches turn out to be really good !

I think Temple's only Big East shot is if Villanova says no and the league splits.

As far as MAC worthy, yeah, I don't think the MAC would decline to renew their affiliate status.

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Article in Daily Hampshire Gazette reporting that the MAC had their UMass campus visit yesterday.Are we now on "invitation watch"?Link at http://www.gazettenet.com/2010/12/15/ma ... may-follow

It's not just media markets that tie Temple and UMass together. It's travel. It's academics. It's school size. With both of them being A-10 members, they don't want to lose the A-10 basketball affiliation (better than C-USA, btw) by fully committing most/all sports to C-USA (which I think they would have to do).

Temple, being the easternmost football member of the MAC, represents itself as a model for any school in the North Atlantic and New England region not presently a target acquisition for the Big East or ACC. Temple football doesn't make money. I think UMass feels their program won't likely do that either for the next couple of years. Temple, a doormat up until firm MAC membership, is a beacon for emerging northern programs that the MAC allows programs to succeed in a conference with a lot of turnover. When you compare Temple and their "sudden" success in the MAC to Marshall's "sudden" slump in C-USA, where would you rather align?

Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but UConn paired itself with a MAC-light schedule before BE membership. UMass is really just following in UConn's footsteps.

Not sure this is entirely a MAC vs. CUSA thing....

There have been other factors going on here.

The administration at Temple was running their football program into the ground with a lack of financial commitment. I believe a new administration came in (after Temple football was not retained by the Big East) and was determined to rebuild the program with the goal of eventually vieing for a BCS conference membership. Indeed, the MAC has been the perfect fit for this interim period. It was the right level of competition, and travel hasn't been horrible. But the coach (now departing for "the U" - Miami) had a lot to do with the recent progress.

UMass has seemingly decided to make the push to FBS VERY SUDDENLY ! This issue has languished a long time, and it's as though the UMass administration suddenly was presented with an opportunity.
Maybe they recently got a strong sense that Villanova will decline BE football membership, and the BE will add UCF or Houston as #10 FB school this year. And then UMass (along with Temple) need to be positioned for a second FB expansion (#11 and #12) a few years from now.

So UMass is suddenly "ready to roll". This FCS -> FBS moratorium is still in place. UMass must be expecting that to be lifted soon (it has been scheduled for review in 2011), or they are stuck, since they hadn't announced any intention to move to FBS prior to the moratorium, to get themselves"grandfathered in".

Why did Marshall jump to CUSA in 2003 ? CUSA clearly has SOME higher profile schools and is not perceived as a collection of Ohio and Michigan "State Schools". Their TV contract earns more money. CUSA has a LOT of bowl tie-ins. The down-side has to be TRAVEL, which has to be a pain in the butt for Marshall's other (non-revenue) sports. They will claim that this was a great decision, and the CUSA money is SO MUCH BETTER (to save face), but the reality is that overall the MAC is a much better fit.

From a competitive stand-point would the MAC be so much better for Marshall ? Not sure...
They had a really nice run where they benefitted from having superb players like Moss, Pennington, and Leftwich there. Is Marshall's ability to attract such recruits affected by whether Marshall is in CUSA or the MAC ? I honestly don't know.

A school like BC gets enough $$$ and is located near a major airport, such that travel to other ACC schools isn't a killer. For other "isolated" ischools like Marshall (CUSA), LaTech (WAC), and Hawaii (WAC), the travel is a much more significant factor. It is HUGE in the case of Hawaii, to the extent that they would not have been invited to the Big West / MWC football without agreeing to cough up significant travel subsidies for visiting teams. LaTech has let it be known that they would jump to CUSA in a heartbeat. If there is a conference re-shuffling that presents an opportunity to Marshall, rest assured that they will be willling to sit down and listen.