30 MVC games to be aired on ESPN networks

[MoValley John]

Rather than just take an assertion at face value, I did a little Google work on the idea that the MAC wants to expand to 18 members. I couldn't find it anywhere. What I did find was this interview: http://www.appstatenation.com/2012/09/04/conference-realignment-mac-commissioner-talks-expansion/

Best I can make out of this is the MAC is in no hurry to fill a 14th slot and I can't imagine that they are even entertaining 18.

Could a UNI fan please post a link that indicates the MAC to 18? I'm not saying the MAC isn't moving in that direction, but I can't find any indication from my research.

[DoubleJayAlum]

Rather than just take an assertion at face value, I did a little Google work on the idea that the MAC wants to expand to 18 members. I couldn't find it anywhere. What I did find was this interview: http://www.appstatenation.com/2012/09/04/conference-realignment-mac-commissioner-talks-expansion/

Best I can make out of this is the MAC is in no hurry to fill a 14th slot and I can't imagine that they are even entertaining 18.

Could a UNI fan please post a link that indicates the MAC to 18? I'm not saying the MAC isn't moving in that direction, but I can't find any indication from my research.

I asked for something like this about week ago when a UNI poster first brought it up in a different thread. I thought the idea of a league going to 18 members begged credibility as it would only seem to water down the money further, not to mention the last super conference failed miserably, but I readily admitted that I don't have a grip on the MAC financial situation and was interested in reading something about such expansion. Unfortunately, nobody ever provided any such link.

[TheAsianSensation]

If UNI moving causes instability within the MVFC, I'd have no problem with the MVC telling UNI that you if move FB, you move everything. They already don't play soccer or baseball, so as far as other spectator men's sports go, they don't really offer the MVC anything outside of basketball. I'd be more concerned with losing certain other MVC FB playing schools than I would UNI as I think those other schools bring a lot more to the table. I also doubt UNI could afford the additional travel to move their entire athletic department to the MAC, although I admit I don't know the full financial impact of the additional travel.

I always found it a bit ironic when UNI posters were weighing in on the Evansville to the Horizon thread with suggestions that Evansville didn't present any value to the MVC, despite the fact that UNI's attendance was less than Evansville's.

I would have a problem with booting UNI, for the same reasons I mentioned in the E'ville thread. Strength in numbers. I don't want to sit as a 9-team conference for long.

As for the MAC and 18, I'm waiting too. Now, 16, I can buy. Easily.

Remember there's the NCAA bylaw - if you have 2 divisions and a championship game, each division must be round robin. 18 teams means 9 team divisions, and your entire 8-game conference schedule is in the one division. Even the MAC won't want to commit to that level of inflexibility.

[DoubleJayAlum]

Springfield is much bigger than CedarFalls, and Missouri is much, much more populous than Iowa. Missouri State would also be the second 1-A school, not third, in a much bigger state.

As for Illinois State, well the MAC would have another presence in Illinois, not a cash grabbing school from Iowa. Two schools could build interest in Chicagoland, not Des Moinesland.

I'm not trying to come off as an ass, but really, I'm not asking what UNI would take, but what do you bring to the table?

I mean really, what are we talking about here, a "presence in Illinois"?? What is the meaning of that? Big deal, they already have Northern Illinois. MSU is the #2 in MIzzou, but they are a distant, distant #2. Its really no different, and its silly to argue otherwise. MSU is not going to move the needle in Missouri, and LOL at the idea of ISU moving the needle in Chicago. Never mind the fact that the majority of all mid-major FBS schools are no different than any of us in that they are all 2nd, 3rd, 4th options in their states anyway. Its no different.

You tell me, precisely, what value do MSU and Ill St "offer". All they have proven is that they can average 7K people at their games, and that they cannot find a way to have successful programs at the 1AA level.

UNI offers a strong football program (I mean, that is what we are talking about here aren't we?), with a very long history of winning, and good fan support. A "cash grabbing school"?? Give me a break, I'm sure all schools that have changed conferences or move up a division were all doing it out of the purity of their heart, and not for money. LOL, what is the point of making a dig like that? Who isn't a cash grabbing school?

If the MAC expansion is all about grabbing the best programs, why wouldn't they pick North Dakota St and Appalachian St first? Those schools have championships at the FCS level.

I'm not sure that hoping for a move based on FB quality makes UNI looks any better than a discussion involving media markets. I guess it may put you ahead of MSu and IlSU, but you still end up behind other programs.

[valleychamp]

If UNI moving causes instability within the MVFC, I'd have no problem with the MVC telling UNI that you if move FB, you move everything. They already don't play soccer or baseball, so as far as other spectator men's sports go, they don't really offer the MVC anything outside of basketball. I'd be more concerned with losing certain other MVC FB playing schools than I would UNI as I think those other schools bring a lot more to the table. I also doubt UNI could afford the additional travel to move their entire athletic department to the MAC, although I admit I don't know the full financial impact of the additional travel.

You think the MVC would leverage UNI out of the Valley if they were to explore a football move??? Highly, highly doubtful. You think they would compromise the MVC for the sake of the MVFC? That's just silly.

I know you like to completely diminish everything UNI does in athletics, but its really disrespectful to discount what UNI has done in this conference, and for this conference. They are competitive, if not top tier in nearly all sports that they compete in. Basketball, WBB, Volleyball, Track, Softball, etc on top of the football success.

[valleychamp]

Springfield is much bigger than CedarFalls, and Missouri is much, much more populous than Iowa. Missouri State would also be the second 1-A school, not third, in a much bigger state.

As for Illinois State, well the MAC would have another presence in Illinois, not a cash grabbing school from Iowa. Two schools could build interest in Chicagoland, not Des Moinesland.

I'm not trying to come off as an ass, but really, I'm not asking what UNI would take, but what do you bring to the table?

I mean really, what are we talking about here, a "presence in Illinois"?? What is the meaning of that? Big deal, they already have Northern Illinois. MSU is the #2 in MIzzou, but they are a distant, distant #2. Its really no different, and its silly to argue otherwise. MSU is not going to move the needle in Missouri, and LOL at the idea of ISU moving the needle in Chicago. Never mind the fact that the majority of all mid-major FBS schools are no different than any of us in that they are all 2nd, 3rd, 4th options in their states anyway. Its no different.

You tell me, precisely, what value do MSU and Ill St "offer". All they have proven is that they can average 7K people at their games, and that they cannot find a way to have successful programs at the 1AA level.

UNI offers a strong football program (I mean, that is what we are talking about here aren't we?), with a very long history of winning, and good fan support. A "cash grabbing school"?? Give me a break, I'm sure all schools that have changed conferences or move up a division were all doing it out of the purity of their heart, and not for money. LOL, what is the point of making a dig like that? Who isn't a cash grabbing school?

If the MAC expansion is all about grabbing the best programs, why wouldn't they pick North Dakota St and Appalachian St first? Those schools have championships at the FCS level.

I'm not sure that hoping for a move based on FB quality makes UNI looks any better than a discussion involving media markets. I guess it may put you ahead of MSu and IlSU, but you still end up behind other programs.

They might do just that, who knows. Those are top tier FCS programs that, like UNI, are exploring the possibility of moving up to FBS sometime in the future.

[valleychamp]

*(does this board autocorrect Northern Illinois' abbreviation into Northern Iowa's? )

Pathetic. I knew the UNI fans were an insecure whiny lot, but throwing a fit to the extent that they wanted this autocorrected would be hilarious if it wasn't so sad.

Please. Maybe we can get some confirmation from Chris before we condemn the entire UNI fanbase on here?

I think its likely that he did it just to stop trolls like Baller and Cold from continually doing so.

[TheAsianSensation]

Also, you may think I'm bonkers, and I probably am, but with rumors that the WAC is about to add CSU-Bakersfield and Utah Valley for non-football, the WAC may try to survive, and that may be a more desirable avenue to FBS. Instead of dealing with the MAC traffic jam, there's plenty of room over there.

[DoubleJayAlum]

If UNI moving causes instability within the MVFC, I'd have no problem with the MVC telling UNI that you if move FB, you move everything. They already don't play soccer or baseball, so as far as other spectator men's sports go, they don't really offer the MVC anything outside of basketball. I'd be more concerned with losing certain other MVC FB playing schools than I would UNI as I think those other schools bring a lot more to the table. I also doubt UNI could afford the additional travel to move their entire athletic department to the MAC, although I admit I don't know the full financial impact of the additional travel.

You think the MVC would leverage UNI out of the Valley if they were to explore a football move??? Highly, highly doubtful. You think they would compromise the MVC for the sake of the MVFC? That's just silly.

I know you like to completely diminish everything UNI does in athletics, but its really disrespectful to discount what UNI has done in this conference, and for this conference. They are competitive, if not top tier in nearly all sports that they compete in. Basketball, WBB, Volleyball, Track, Softball, etc on top of the football success.

My concern is that if UNI were to try to exit the MVFC, it could lead to others deciding to leave too, except that they may leave the MVC too (I don't really care about the MVFC, so long as issues there don't carry over to the MVC). If UNI's departure is going to cause that sort of chain reaction than yes, I want the MVC to make such a departure difficult. I think that would fall under conference self preservation. If UNI ultimately decides that moving everything to the MAC is in its best interest, so be it. I don't, however, want the MVC to become a place-saver for programs that are ultimately trying to move up to a BCS type of conference as that is only a recipe for long term problems.

I'm not attacking UNI's competition level in its MVC programs (except to point out that they don't even field a baseball or soccer program now), so your comments in that regard are misguided.

[Red]

The Valley office doesn't wany anyone to leave I can assure you that. If we move up or someone else does for football reasons I don't think anyone would blame us.