A prediction I saw on a MAC team board

Gang,

A fan of a MAC school posted this in response to P5 conferences announcing “conference only” schedules. Any agreement/disagreement?

Quote: The MAC will likely be the first conference to end/be demoted. We just don’t have the boosters and financial backing necessary to survive without the P5 payouts. I predict in the next 5 years that the conferences will fold as follows:

1st: MAC
2nd: Sun Belt (App State goes to a P5)
3rd: C-USA
4th: Mountain West (Boise, Air Force, Utah State, Colorado State all go P5)
5th: AAC - Most of this conference will be added to the P5 leagues

It will be interesting to see the fall out from of all of this. I like where we’re currently at with the AAC; however, I think UH, Cincy, and Memphis would be good fits in the ACC. Urban schools, semi decent in football, even better in MBB! I would prefer us joining the ACC versus an invite to a weakened Big 12 (after UT and OU bolt once the current TV deals are up).

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We need a little reset on some of the craziness on the business and profit side of amateur athletics.

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I don’t think that anyone in the MAC has any idea what the Autonomous 5 conferences or any one else will do.

That said, these predictions seem rational and logical. Which is the other reason I don’t believe them.

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The MAC can’t survive without the beat down money. Period.
No team from the Sun Belt is going P5. All State is in N.C., too many D1 schools there already.
No CUSA team is going P5.
MWC, perhaps those mentioned, perhaps SDSU but probably not Utah State (unless Utah and BYU want to ease some travel.
AAC, mostly the top of the conference: UH, UCF, UC, Temple, USF, not Tulane, Tulsa

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Colleges and universities as a whole.

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We will now get to the 4 big conferences with 16 teams they have been talking about, or maybe 5 conferences with a set number of teams? I just hope Houston is not left out this time

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Fan predictions on boards are not something to bank on.

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I always thought of the Sunbelt as low man on the totem pole, followed by cusa and the Mac. Interesting they have the Mac as first on the chopping block. I don’t know the inner workings of any of those three though.

The economics of conference expansion was driven by cable and the need for the additional cable outlets. The absence of what caused the expansion could very well cause reduction.

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We will make it with the top AAC schools prob 5. Houston is in too big a market to get passed over by other conf. That can add us for a new market vs big 12. If this consolidation happens. Espn will help us

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COVID is putting at risk almost all of college sports. Very scary at all the potential fall out, but all to be determined.

Very sad if we end up losing all those sports opportunities for student athletes in this country. Football is a drain on many ADs espevially at the lower conferences.

Very difficult to predict the fall out at this point in time. Total BS when a fan takes a hard core position like that especially at this point in time. Pray for COVID to go away ar least by 1st Qt of 2021 and the economy to return ASAP. It is all related.

Economically, the MAC is in probably the most precarious situation.

See here:

http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/Attendance/2019.pdf

Average MAC attendance is #10 out of 10 I-FBS football conferences at only 15,538 per game; well below the Sun Belt. CMU has the largest stadium in the MAC, and it only holds 30.5K fans. Most MAC schools aren’t in large TV markets, and/or are located in markets where B1G schools dominate TV ratings and media coverage.

Their fan bases and regional followings are very small.

As far as talent goes, in the most recent NFL draft, NCAA Division II and III produced more draft picks than the ENTIRE MAC. When it comes to Division I-FBS college football, the MAC is absolutely ROCK bottom.

ALL MAC schools count on playing at least two P5 teams (usually B1G teams on the road) annually and (usually) getting the crap kicked out of them for the money in order to help manage their finances.

With the B1G bowing out…that conference risks financial ruin. In other sports, the MAC is also relatively low profile. They are usually a one bid conference in men’s basketball, with the one bid going to the conference tourney winner. Mid-Major at best. A lot of small “cracker box” type venues as well. That holds true for most of the “olympic” and women’s sports also.

About the only sport where the MAC would be considered a top conference is in wrestling, and that’s in part because they have some schools from other conferences (like Top Ten Missouri from the SEC and some PA schools whose only Division I sport is wrestling) that are “affiliate” members for only that one sport.

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Are we eligible for reparations??

I am surprised many have stayed at the FBS level this long. I do not see how some of the teams in the Sunbelt or CUSA benefit from the higher cost with FBS over FCS. I don’t see them receiving much more in terms of money or exposure in those conferences. Unless the bowls benefit them more than a chance at FCS playoffs.

I have generally been of mind that 80ish teams would be a good number to allow for competition levels, recruiting and exposure while still keeping the college feeling. A top 30 only or so would be just the NFL light and lose the college feel.

I like the idea of 6 conferences at 14 teams each. The Big 12 could pick up a few of those from the Rockies that don’t fit ACC, AAC, SEC or B1G.

Each team then plays 3 permanent opponents and rotates between the rest of the conference. That give 5 rotating conference games annually and each team will play all others at least once every two years and have them at home once every 4 years. Then 3-4 OOC games.

Follow with an 8 team playoff - 6 champs, 2 at-large.

The big buck contracts are still in effect and those games will still be necessary after this COVID thing blows away.

Purple, that seems too reasonable and fair to ever be considered. If there is one thing the greedy P5 bosses don’t ever want to consider is being fair, and reason isn’t in much supply there either.

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That is so true. Big name colleges (and Pros) would much rather win behind the scenes before ever getting on the field. I still have that faint hope that sports are supposed to be about fair on-field competition.

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Yes, for certain. Schools like UT are the perfect example of, “being born on 3rd base and thinking they hit a triple.” Which makes it even more enjoyable when they flounder.

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