It's interesting that they're trying to highlight the NY part of SUNY, but I'm curious at whom this is really aimed? Nobody's going to start calling them NYSU...and if they did, nobody from the other SUNY schools would allow that change to become officially recognized. Or, not allow Buffalo to be the only one with that name.

Buffalo's stuck with Buffalo. The "State" part puts them at odds with Albany, Stony, and Binghamton. Going the other route will get them in a fight with NYU.

First of all I have to say I love the new court and the graphic on the uniform. As for trying to figure out what SUNY Buffalo is trying to do with this campaign your guess is as good as mine. It kind of reminds me of how UL Lafayette keeps trying to brand themselves Louisiana much to the chagrin of UL Monroe, LSU, and all of the other members of the UL system. In both cases you have a small time athletic program trying to create a new identity for themselves within a state where another program has clearly established themselves as the dominant power. Folks in Western New York who identify with Syracuse are not suddenly going to be SUNY Buffalo fans nor are residents in other parts of the state suddenly going to identify with the Bulls because they are calling themselves New York.

Maybe its a plan to lure out of state recruits who are bad at geography and don't realize that Buffalo is not NYC.

Buffalo is stuck being Buffalo, and all they can do to rebrand is emphasize the SUNY. New York has a separate Buffalo State College (Division III school that may or may not be related to SUNY); and I don't think Albany, Stony Brook or Binghamton (or any of the DIII SUNY schools) would want to rebrand that way, which they would have to do if Buffalo did.

I don't think Akron and Kent State would oppose Youngstown State as a member, honestly. Northeast Ohio may be a sort of megalopolis, but all the MAC athletes come from all over Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania and to a lesser extent, Illinois and Indiana.

Within their own current footprint, Youngstown State and Southern Illinois make the most sense to me. Other schools in their region such as Dayton or Xavier (Catholic), Robert Morris (a corporation), Cleveland State & Wright State (no football) don't make sense.

If the MAC is pushing UMass for a decision, I don't see why we can't just take them at their word. Perhaps the MAC wants UMass "in or out" because any further expansion could hinge on football (who wants to add a school to all sports when UMass is taking a football slot but not in other sports). In addition, if UMass stays, this gives the MAC an area to fill in. If UMass goes, then the MAC may feel more free to look West (or South).

Since every single current MAC school is both public and research, and since the smallest MAC school (Bowling Green) still have 19,000 students (Still quite large), I don't see them adding Dayton (Catholic) or Army/Navy (both around 4,500 students). Another serious problem with adding a "school" like Army or Navy that no one has mentioned yet is that a conference competes in many sports, and Army and Navy have a serious lack of women's sports, although both field some. Army and Navy also field a lot of sports that the MAC does not sponsor (such as Lacrosse, Shooting) that more Eastern conferences do have.

If UMass stays in the conference I think you could see the MAC consider James Madison, Rhode Island, Delaware, or even Stony Brook (public, 21,000 students).

If UMass goes, then the MAC could go west (Illinois State, Southern Illinois, or even Indiana State or even, say, a Minnesota-Duluth) or they could go south with a James Madison, Tennessee Chattanooga, Western Kentucky or perhaps Old Dominion, or Charlotte. (but not Richmond as one member suggested as Richmond is a private school).

But I don't see them extending into the Dakotas, or getting too far southwest. Missouri State is in the farthest SW corner of the state, near Oklahoma.

I certainly don't see the conference as a "dying Rust Belt Conference " as another member put it. While many of the schools lie within the Rust Belt, the conference is very well respected (not just in football), and is one of the most stable conferences in the country.

Article out of Norfolk (previously posted in another thread)discussing "possibility" of JMU making a decision sometime next month to move to an FBS conference "like" the MAC.Link at http://hamptonroads.com/2013/09/reports ... pear-false

Just out of curiosity, when we talk about the MAC expanding to include schools like JMU and Delaware are we talking as full members or football only? Perhaps they could work out a deal where America East takes over CAA football allowing the Dukes and Blue Hens to remain in the CAA for everything else.

Buffalo is overreaching, just like La Laf calling itself "Louisiana".

One thing I've missed that is coming back later this season is MAC Tuesdays! In my opinion, MAC conference games are some of the most exciting games to watch (simply because the average score seems to be something around 215-209.)

As far as expansion...



Since the MAC is already at 13 for football and the non-BCS conferences only get up to $12M/year to split among their members, no matter the number, why on earth would they expand? If anything, some of the stronger FCS schools could upgrade and form the MEC (Mideast Conference) and the remaining teams could form the MWAC (Midwest Athletic Conference). Maybe add a couple teams from CUSA and Sun Belt.

Maybe two 10-team conferences...

MWAC: Northern Illinois, North Dakota St, Northern Iowa, Ball St, Toledo, Bowling Green, Miami (OH), Western Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Central Michigan
States: Illinois, North Dakota, Iowa, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan
MEC: Ohio, Kent St, Akron, Buffalo, Massachusetts, Delaware, James Madison, Marshall, Old Dominion, Appalachian St
States: Ohio, New York, Massachusetts, Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina

The MAC seems like a much more stable conference than CUSA or the Sun Belt. Also, if any of the FCS schools listed above don't want to move up the FBS, a couple substitutes could be Western Kentucky, Middle Tennessee, or Charlotte.

I don't think there's *any* pressure on the MAC to do anything. I think, with the way the whole of the Big East/AAC, CUSA, and SBC reacted over the last two years, the MAC got some very definitive advantages to which they can now throw onto these other schools.

Not that the MAC would be spiteful to schools who thought themselves more advanced of the conference to forgo them for CUSA or elsewhere, but I believe the MAC can now legitimately demand committment from prospective schools, rather than the wishy-washy "at this time, we're all yours!"

I think the MAC is waiting for that bloc of Temple, Marshall, Army, and Navy to agree to some terms that will make sure they stay within the conference as committed members for whatever sports they field there. I believe Temple and UMass for all of their sports is the priority, with the hopes of Army and/or Navy football sweetening the deal. More than just a few things have to happen, but I think this is why the MAC is being so patient. They know they can do better than support FCS upgrades.

Assuming this occurs plus Massachusetts goes all in, that puts the MAC at 17. While the MAC is known to work with odd numbers, I don't see them going at 17 but maybe 18. Maybe they add Western Kentucky who has had a recently decent football team and is usually a sweet 16 darkhorse in basketball. They also add a new contiguous state to the MAC.

2 DIVISIONS of 9 Teams:
West: Northern Illinois, Western Kentucky, Ball St, Eastern Michigan, Western Michigan, Central Michigan, Bowling Green, Toledo, Miami (OH)
East: Ohio, Kent St, Akron, Temple, Marshall, Buffalo, Massachusetts, Army, Navy

3 DIVISIONS of 6 Teams:
East: Army, Navy, Buffalo, Marshall, Temple, Massachusetts
West: Northern Illinois, Ball St, Western Kentucky, Eastern Michigan, Western Michigan, Central Michigan
Ohio: Bowling Green, Toledo, Miami (OH), Akron, Kent St, Ohio

At that point you may as well create a new "Gang of 5" conference if such a thing could be done. My thoughts are you could bring up some of those super-FCS schools--Delaware, James Madison, Liberty...create a league that spans from VA or NC up to MA. If Youngstown St can't be a part of the MAC maybe they'd join too.

UMass
Buffalo
Delaware
James Madison
Old Dominion
Liberty
Marshall
Youngstown St
Appalachian St
Charlotte

With all of the changes that have occurred in C-USA, I wonder if Marshall would ever consider coming back to the MAC? It would mean easier travel and the level of play will be about the same, especially with all of the new programs coming into C-USA East.

I think one has to convince administration that "going back" in this case is actually an upgrade. I don't know if that happens as easily as it seems.

I'm watching the following programs as potential MAC members:
Missouri State
Illinois State
Western Kentucky
James Madison/Old Dominion/Charlotte (pick two)
Marshall
UMass as a full member
Army (fb-only)
NDSU
Temple (fb-only)

I listed them based on how plausible I thought they were.

You might want to consider Delaware as another outside possibility too especially if JMU starts serious conversations with the MAC but UMass continues to stonewall.

With Marshall, plus the following: WKU, ODU, UNCC, and possibly JMU heading to C-USA....I don't see any of these teams splitting up the group to head to the MAC(and their 6 teams from Ohio).