Topic: NHR: Looks like WKU to the MAC possible

[GreenDaddy]

A MAC insider on the csnbbs boards has been beating this drum for a while and it looks like he could be correct. With UMass announcing their move to the MAC today, look for WKU to be #14. IMO, these would be solid moves by the MAC.

Thoughts?


https://x.com/KyleRowland/status/1762199702789816574?s=20

[MUfan08]

Best of luck there, wish SBC would add Western Kentucky for our rivalry and Middle Tennessee for selfish reasons, and La Tech.
I get why the SBC wouldn't want to bring back the schools that previously left the conference and La Tech always thinking they are better than the Louisiana schools in the conference.

Wish MWC, MAC, SBC and AAC just raided cusa and put the death kill for that conference in 2021.
Now, cusa has enough teams again, and adding Delaware, Kennesaw State and supposedly going to add Missouri State and Tarleton State as well.

Just watering down the G5 even more.

[GreenBison]

Best of luck there, wish SBC would add Western Kentucky for our rivalry and Middle Tennessee for selfish reasons, and La Tech.
I get why the SBC wouldn't want to bring back the schools that previously left the conference and La Tech always thinking they are better than the Louisiana schools in the conference.

Wish MWC, MAC, SBC and AAC just raided cusa and put the death kill for that conference in 2021.
Now, cusa has enough teams again, and adding Delaware, Kennesaw State and supposedly going to add Missouri State and Tarleton State as well.

Just watering down the G5 even more.

WKU isn't a rival. We've played EKU more than we've played WKU.

[miltonherdfan]

WKU isn't a rival. We've played EKU more than we've played WKU.

EKU isn't FBS

[gochneaur645]

Happy to see anything that weakens C-USA

[MUfan08]

WKU isn't a rival. We've played EKU more than we've played WKU.

Interesting because those football and basketball games were pretty intense, do not recall that playing the Colonels...ever or anyone else in the last cusa version we were in.
Know those crap heads didn't like us and we sure didn't like them and the game was called moonshine throwdown... but whatever.

[miltonherdfan]

Best of luck there, wish SBC would add Western Kentucky for our rivalry and Middle Tennessee for selfish reasons, and La Tech.
I get why the SBC wouldn't want to bring back the schools that previously left the conference and La Tech always thinking they are better than the Louisiana schools in the conference.

Wish MWC, MAC, SBC and AAC just raided cusa and put the death kill for that conference in 2021.
Now, cusa has enough teams again, and adding Delaware, Kennesaw State and supposedly going to add Missouri State and Tarleton State as well.

Just watering down the G5 even more.

agreed.  SBC needs to bury the hatchet & just realize it WAS a vertical move for those schools at the time they made it.  B12 welcomed back CO, we should do the same...IF it betters our conference & makes it stronger.   

[GreenBison]

EKU isn't FBS

No %^&* Sherlock. I didn't say to add them, I just said we've played them more than WKU. SMH

[MUther]

agreed.  SBC needs to bury the hatchet & just realize it WAS a vertical move for those schools at the time they made it.  B12 welcomed back CO, we should do the same...IF it betters our conference & makes it stronger.

What we already have is all that we need.  Adding to simply add is not smart.  None of WKU, MTSU, or LaTech is going to increase eyeballs, perception, or revenue.   Not all of the SBC schools are good at everything, including us, but they all seem to have specialties and together make a pretty well-rounded group that for the most part get along and support each other, while giving the fans teams that they can hate on and develop rivalry with.  We haven't had a tight group like this since the SoCon.  Anyone we add may have a different mission and gunk up the works.  Never felt that in CUSA 3.0 with the teams that are being tossed around as adds or any of the others.  Everyone always had one foot out the door.  Now it's not like that, imo. 

This conference gets any bigger and the talks will begin on splitting east/west again and the two sides will be diametrically opposed like the Texas schools + LaTech vs the rest of CUSA.  Don't want that or need it.  We have balance, now.  Can we not just ride that a while and see where it takes us?

PS WKU signed the CUSA GoR.  They aren't going anywhere for years.  They can't make up that loss of revenue in the MAC in a decade at 800k per year. 

[2xBison]

No %^&* Sherlock. I didn't say to add them, I just said we've played them more than WKU. SMH

You also said in context they bigger rival.  No one gives a crap about eku.


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[MUther]

You also said in context they bigger rival.  No one gives a crap about eku.


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I think he was just implying we hadn't played WKU enough to consider them a rival.  I, for one, don't give a crap about WKU.  They beat us when they have a uber QB and lose to us when they don't.  They beat us in basketball when there's nothing on the line and choke when there is.  But I don't feel any kind of need to play them for validation or nostalgia and I'm tickled to death they got left behind in that shthole conference.

[MarshallHerdFan99]

I think he was just implying we hadn't played WKU enough to consider them a rival.  I, for one, don't give a crap about WKU.  They beat us when they have a uber QB and lose to us when they don't.  They beat us in basketball when there's nothing on the line and choke when there is.  But I don't feel any kind of need to play them for validation or nostalgia and I'm tickled to death they got left behind in that shthole conference.

I agree 100%. I hope they join the MAC and miss out on the FAU Final 4/Liberty NY6 Money. I also would prefer CUSA replace them with EKU. I like EKU better


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[herdman22]

Interesting because those football and basketball games were pretty intense, do not recall that playing the Colonels...ever or anyone else in the last cusa version we were in.
Know those crap heads didn't like us and we sure didn't like them and the game was called moonshine throwdown... but whatever.

I remember the early 80s just wishing we could have a program like EKU. Then we played them and beat them there and to me that was the first huge step in showing we had something good happening here. The young folks in here don't even realize how gigantic wins over EKU and Furman were at one time. Those wins legitimized us in the 1AA world back then.


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[GreenBison]

You also said in context they bigger rival.  No one gives a crap about eku.


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And a lot of us don't give a crap about WKU.

[2xBison]

I don't either.  Honestly not many teams that herdfans speculate as rivals do anything for me.  That's current or former conference mates.


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[GreenWhite]

I remember the early 80s just wishing we could have a program like EKU. Then we played them and beat them there and to me that was the first huge step in showing we had something good happening here. The young folks in here don't even realize how gigantic wins over EKU and Furman were at one time. Those wins legitimized us in the 1AA world back then.


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I remember those days with coach Kidd at EKU. I also remember those games with Furman. The Purple Paladins were not liked by the Herd fans. They used to pound us in football. Once we got things turned around, we gave it back. I also remember those Georgia Southern games. Glad we are back in a conference with them. Never cared much for them. They were really cocky when they came into the Southern Conference.

[andy31]

fwiw WKU was the one school we were with in C-USA that I really felt anything towards when we played them.  Them dancing on the M before the game in 2014 really rubbed me wrong.  I'm not saying they're among our biggest rivals, but I'd count them as a rival.  I wouldn't mind playing them in football and basketball periodically.

[marshallmark]

I remember those days with coach Kidd at EKU. I also remember those games with Furman. The Purple Paladins were not liked by the Herd fans. They used to pound us in football. Once we got things turned around, we gave it back. I also remember those Georgia Southern games. Glad we are back in a conference with them. Never cared much for them. They were really cocky when they came into the Southern Conference.

Furman has terrible financial problems right now, and just dropped baseball.  I don't think they're a candidate to go anywhere else.  EKU doesn't have the budget to compete in the SunBelt - right now, EKU spends about 1/2 what most of the SunBelt teams are spending and coming up with the $5mil to jump from FCS to FBS would be a really heavy lift.  Plus, if you think getting to Huntington is difficult, try regularly traveling to Richmond. 

[HerdEcon]

Furman has terrible financial problems right now, and just dropped baseball.  I don't think they're a candidate to go anywhere else.  EKU doesn't have the budget to compete in the SunBelt - right now, EKU spends about 1/2 what most of the SunBelt teams are spending and coming up with the $5mil to jump from FCS to FBS would be a really heavy lift.  Plus, if you think getting to Huntington is difficult, try regularly traveling to Richmond.

I don't find traveling to Richmond bad.  I-75 runs right through it.  30+/- minutes from Bluegrass Field airport in Lexington. 

UK community college = ECU.

[MUonium]

i guess i just think of the times historically MU was an odd man out (most of the time!) so i'm glad for WKU in that sense.  i've always respected the small schools in the region such as Ohio, Morehead and EKU.

when questioned like this- who would you rather have in the SBC?    WKU or
Ark State
TX State
UL Monroe
Alabama St
Ga State

probably a few others too. 

[GreenBison]

i guess i just think of the times historically MU was an odd man out (most of the time!) so i'm glad for WKU in that sense.  i've always respected the small schools in the region such as Ohio, Morehead and EKU.

when questioned like this- who would you rather have in the SBC?    WKU or
Ark State
TX State
UL Monroe
Alabama St
Ga State

probably a few others too.

SBC is perfectly fine as it is. But I would take East Carolina over Georgia State all day long.

[Flat Tire 2]

Well, it looks like WKU isn't interested in moving to the MAC. Mods might want to move this to another board?

"This time around, WKU is in much more stable shape and probably not perched at the train station with its MAC bags packed.

A source close to the athletic administration verified that ? not that WKU isn?t interested ? but the university is just not clamoring for a relocation as it was during the near disintegration of CUSA, which has rebounded nicely."

https://www.bgdailynews.com/sports/wku-mac-stay-linked-but-another-courting-could-be-different/article_7a76b228-302b-569e-8de2-56ac127524a3.html