Survey
It's a long survey, but apparently the MAC is looking for feedback.
Did you know the MAC wants our feedback NOW?
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falconfan1999
- Peregrine
- Posts: 862
- Joined: Wed Apr 12, 2006 4:39 pm
- Location: Huron,OH
I took the survey, and I saved a my answers to a few of the questions. I thought I'd post them considering many of the questions they asked are topics that come up here frequently.
6. How important is it for the MAC to maintain its Division 1-A (now known as Football Bowl Subdivision) standing within the NCAA versus dropping to Division 1-AA (now known as Football Championship Subdivision) classification?
There is a ton of pride that comes with competing at college football's highest level. College football is the most recognizable NCAA sport, and even if BGSU was a National Championship contender at the I-AA level, it still wouldn't come close to what winning games against the likes of Missouri, Kansas, Purdue, Northwestern, Minnesota, Pittsburgh etc. has meant to our university. I'd cherish a MAC championship over a I-AA national championship any day.
7. Should greater financial investment and effort be asserted to elevate the standing of MAC football programs among its peers (Western Athletic Conference, Sunbelt Conference, Conference USA, and Mountain West Conference)?
Hard to say, because I don't know how the spending of MAC football compares to those other leagues. However, I'd have a hard time placing a ton of importance on that, because I feel all of those conferences are already on the same level, regardless of what perception is. Ball State and Central Michigan have great teams this year, and would be competing for a championship if they were in any of those other leagues I believe. And just looking back recently, BGSU, Toledo, NIU and Miami have all been ranked at some point in the last few seasons, so I feel MAC teams have done an adequate job of competing on a national scale.
8. In recent years, the MAC has been given one slot in NCAA Basketball March Madness and no at-large bids. Should greater financial investment and effort be asserted to elevate the standing of MAC basketball programs to earn more at-large bids to March Madness?
I don't think it's a case of financial investment. I think it's a case of bureaucracy in college athletics. Supporters of the MAC will argue until we are blue in the face that our top team that doesn't win the conference tournament is certainly as good, maybe better than the 6th best team in the Big Ten who usually gets in, and certainly the 4th or 5th best team in the Missouri Valley, which seems to have become a little overrated recently based on the individual success of a few of their teams in the tournament. Unfortunately, college athletics is a "good 'ol boys" system, which means the MAC has been unfairly labeled with the "mid-major" stigma. It's disappointing to admit, but I don't see increased spending changing the minds of the national media and tournament selection committee.
9. What could the MAC do to increase its value to your school?
Enough with the mid-week football games already. By continually killing in-stadium attendance by having football games on Tuesday night, I don't think we are strengthening our standing as a conference because of the "exposure." If anything, it hurts the MAC's reputation, when a game played in an empty stadium on a Tuesday is beamed across the nation. It just gives fuel to the fire of BCS fans who already don't take us seriously, it's easy to laugh at a small crowd, and it's not a fair situation to put fans in with families who work the 9 to 5. ESPN acts like it's some act of charity that they actually televise a non-BCS conference game, and being at their beck and call to play a football game during the week does nothing to promote our league and lessen the stigma of being "mid-major." It actually HURTS us in that aspect, as letting ESPN determine our football schedule simply gives them the re-assurance that we are "less important." Fan-bases in the MAC are regional, and no amount of Tuesday night football on national TV is going to change that. Fans in each market can see their team regionally on Saturdays, so if ESPN doesn't want to broadcast MAC football on the weekend, that's their loss. We'll still be supporting our teams without them. I don't think we need ESPN to be successful.
2. With reference to the MAC's 12 member institutions, is the MAC a stronger or weaker conference in terms of overall athletic competitiveness since the changes (loss of Marshall University overall; loss of University of Central Florida football) in 2004?
Any school that doesn't want to be in the MAC can only hurt the MAC, no matter how good they're athletics are. And honestly, is Conference-USA really that much better than the MAC in football? If it is, it's not by much. Marshall has not done very well in C-USA, so it's hard to feel like the MAC took a step backwards in losing them. As far as UCF goes, it was obvious from the beginning MAC membership was only temporary for them, so I never gave them much thought in regards to the long term strength of the league.
3. With reference to the MAC's 12 member institutions, is the MAC a stronger or weaker conference in terms of overall athletic competitiveness since the addition of Temple University football in 2007?
I'll say stronger, because Al Golden is a good coach who's building a nice program there. I know Temple is far away and out of the MAC's footprint, but I don't get too hung up on geography if I feel it will help the league. Temple has a nice facility, a big media market, and I think we fit their needs as a program better than the Big East. Taking into consideration all of those factors, I see their acquisition as a strength...assuming the MAC will eventually balance out the conference with two divisions of 7 in the near future to make scheduling easier.
8. What thing(s) could the MAC do to increase stability in the MAC?
Continue to support initiatives to upgrade and improve facilities. The revolution beginning around the athletic facilities at BGSU is great to see. Often times, I think a great facility is probably step one in building a great athletic team. Recruits want to be taken care of, and want to feel assured that in exchange for all the time they put into their sport, they'll have a positive and motivating environment to do that.
9. What one thing could the MAC do to elevate MAC student-athlete academic accomplishments?
Member schools could hand out stiffer penalties to "athlete-students" who don't take advantage of their situation by not putting the time into academics a normal undergrad does. I "shared" classes with many "athlete-students" at BGSU, only to see them actually show up to said class occasionally, while never seeming to miss a game or practice.
8. Would MAC-sponsored student-athlete Internet chat rooms be valuable?
Time spent on something like that could easily be better spent on turning some MAC football and basketball players into "student-athletes" instead of "athlete-students."
1. What should be the highest overall priority for the MAC office?
Shedding the label of "mid-major." I hate how that term has just gained an agreed upon definition in college sports. It's a put down, it's a pejorative. The way I see it is you are either in Division I-A, or you're not. Well, we are. We may never be the Big Ten; I understand that, accept it, and don't kid myself into thinking we'll ever be on that level. However, repeated use of the term "mid-major" just implies that MAC's best is no better than the BCS Conferences' worst. And that is simply not true, nor will it ever be.
6. How important is it for the MAC to maintain its Division 1-A (now known as Football Bowl Subdivision) standing within the NCAA versus dropping to Division 1-AA (now known as Football Championship Subdivision) classification?
There is a ton of pride that comes with competing at college football's highest level. College football is the most recognizable NCAA sport, and even if BGSU was a National Championship contender at the I-AA level, it still wouldn't come close to what winning games against the likes of Missouri, Kansas, Purdue, Northwestern, Minnesota, Pittsburgh etc. has meant to our university. I'd cherish a MAC championship over a I-AA national championship any day.
7. Should greater financial investment and effort be asserted to elevate the standing of MAC football programs among its peers (Western Athletic Conference, Sunbelt Conference, Conference USA, and Mountain West Conference)?
Hard to say, because I don't know how the spending of MAC football compares to those other leagues. However, I'd have a hard time placing a ton of importance on that, because I feel all of those conferences are already on the same level, regardless of what perception is. Ball State and Central Michigan have great teams this year, and would be competing for a championship if they were in any of those other leagues I believe. And just looking back recently, BGSU, Toledo, NIU and Miami have all been ranked at some point in the last few seasons, so I feel MAC teams have done an adequate job of competing on a national scale.
8. In recent years, the MAC has been given one slot in NCAA Basketball March Madness and no at-large bids. Should greater financial investment and effort be asserted to elevate the standing of MAC basketball programs to earn more at-large bids to March Madness?
I don't think it's a case of financial investment. I think it's a case of bureaucracy in college athletics. Supporters of the MAC will argue until we are blue in the face that our top team that doesn't win the conference tournament is certainly as good, maybe better than the 6th best team in the Big Ten who usually gets in, and certainly the 4th or 5th best team in the Missouri Valley, which seems to have become a little overrated recently based on the individual success of a few of their teams in the tournament. Unfortunately, college athletics is a "good 'ol boys" system, which means the MAC has been unfairly labeled with the "mid-major" stigma. It's disappointing to admit, but I don't see increased spending changing the minds of the national media and tournament selection committee.
9. What could the MAC do to increase its value to your school?
Enough with the mid-week football games already. By continually killing in-stadium attendance by having football games on Tuesday night, I don't think we are strengthening our standing as a conference because of the "exposure." If anything, it hurts the MAC's reputation, when a game played in an empty stadium on a Tuesday is beamed across the nation. It just gives fuel to the fire of BCS fans who already don't take us seriously, it's easy to laugh at a small crowd, and it's not a fair situation to put fans in with families who work the 9 to 5. ESPN acts like it's some act of charity that they actually televise a non-BCS conference game, and being at their beck and call to play a football game during the week does nothing to promote our league and lessen the stigma of being "mid-major." It actually HURTS us in that aspect, as letting ESPN determine our football schedule simply gives them the re-assurance that we are "less important." Fan-bases in the MAC are regional, and no amount of Tuesday night football on national TV is going to change that. Fans in each market can see their team regionally on Saturdays, so if ESPN doesn't want to broadcast MAC football on the weekend, that's their loss. We'll still be supporting our teams without them. I don't think we need ESPN to be successful.
2. With reference to the MAC's 12 member institutions, is the MAC a stronger or weaker conference in terms of overall athletic competitiveness since the changes (loss of Marshall University overall; loss of University of Central Florida football) in 2004?
Any school that doesn't want to be in the MAC can only hurt the MAC, no matter how good they're athletics are. And honestly, is Conference-USA really that much better than the MAC in football? If it is, it's not by much. Marshall has not done very well in C-USA, so it's hard to feel like the MAC took a step backwards in losing them. As far as UCF goes, it was obvious from the beginning MAC membership was only temporary for them, so I never gave them much thought in regards to the long term strength of the league.
3. With reference to the MAC's 12 member institutions, is the MAC a stronger or weaker conference in terms of overall athletic competitiveness since the addition of Temple University football in 2007?
I'll say stronger, because Al Golden is a good coach who's building a nice program there. I know Temple is far away and out of the MAC's footprint, but I don't get too hung up on geography if I feel it will help the league. Temple has a nice facility, a big media market, and I think we fit their needs as a program better than the Big East. Taking into consideration all of those factors, I see their acquisition as a strength...assuming the MAC will eventually balance out the conference with two divisions of 7 in the near future to make scheduling easier.
8. What thing(s) could the MAC do to increase stability in the MAC?
Continue to support initiatives to upgrade and improve facilities. The revolution beginning around the athletic facilities at BGSU is great to see. Often times, I think a great facility is probably step one in building a great athletic team. Recruits want to be taken care of, and want to feel assured that in exchange for all the time they put into their sport, they'll have a positive and motivating environment to do that.
9. What one thing could the MAC do to elevate MAC student-athlete academic accomplishments?
Member schools could hand out stiffer penalties to "athlete-students" who don't take advantage of their situation by not putting the time into academics a normal undergrad does. I "shared" classes with many "athlete-students" at BGSU, only to see them actually show up to said class occasionally, while never seeming to miss a game or practice.
8. Would MAC-sponsored student-athlete Internet chat rooms be valuable?
Time spent on something like that could easily be better spent on turning some MAC football and basketball players into "student-athletes" instead of "athlete-students."
1. What should be the highest overall priority for the MAC office?
Shedding the label of "mid-major." I hate how that term has just gained an agreed upon definition in college sports. It's a put down, it's a pejorative. The way I see it is you are either in Division I-A, or you're not. Well, we are. We may never be the Big Ten; I understand that, accept it, and don't kid myself into thinking we'll ever be on that level. However, repeated use of the term "mid-major" just implies that MAC's best is no better than the BCS Conferences' worst. And that is simply not true, nor will it ever be.
In no specific order:
Focus on quality vs quantity in bowl games. We've let bowl bids become setups to be whipped by conferences with more money, and it makes the games less desirable.
Consolidate some bowls in a single location, such as Indianapolis vs. Detroit or Toronto. Two bowl games, in a single day, draws more incidental fans, has greater marketing value, and is in a city people don't make as many nasty jokes about.
Embrace the internet as the prime outlet for content. Put ever scrap of video, audio, media guides, archival, and other stuff up on the net. Leverage what the other MAC schools can contribute as well.
Embrace fan sites of a proper quality, look to them for insight as to how to get inside the minds of MAC fans.
Develop a Coaches Buyout Fund.......OK, I didn't suggest that, but I should have. Actually, there is some merit to that. Every school gets one buy-out per 10 years.
It isn't worth it to the MAC to have bowls where the MAC loses $200,000. I'd rather have the Buyout Fund.
Don't send all the teams to Cleveland for the basketball tourney. Keep the men and women's games separate until the finals.
Restore basketball double headers with men and women playing.
Stop trying to pretend to be a mini-Big Ten, stop pretending MAC fans don't have divided loyaties, and seek to find a niche in the hearts and minds of fans.
Either expand the conference to 18 teams, or downsize to 12 if divisions are a must.
Play the MAC Football Title game on a campus site of the division which has the best head-to-head record against its counterpart.
Do not assure a divisional winner a bowl game.
End divisions based on geography. Re-balance, which is to say, schedule divisions based on historical results, not unlike the NFL does with weaker teams.
End non-weekend football games.
Retain the means to switch TV game teams if their results leave them undesirable to see on TV.
Dump Temple and aggressively seek teams within our footprint with strong fan support.
Focus on quality vs quantity in bowl games. We've let bowl bids become setups to be whipped by conferences with more money, and it makes the games less desirable.
Consolidate some bowls in a single location, such as Indianapolis vs. Detroit or Toronto. Two bowl games, in a single day, draws more incidental fans, has greater marketing value, and is in a city people don't make as many nasty jokes about.
Embrace the internet as the prime outlet for content. Put ever scrap of video, audio, media guides, archival, and other stuff up on the net. Leverage what the other MAC schools can contribute as well.
Embrace fan sites of a proper quality, look to them for insight as to how to get inside the minds of MAC fans.
Develop a Coaches Buyout Fund.......OK, I didn't suggest that, but I should have. Actually, there is some merit to that. Every school gets one buy-out per 10 years.
It isn't worth it to the MAC to have bowls where the MAC loses $200,000. I'd rather have the Buyout Fund.
Don't send all the teams to Cleveland for the basketball tourney. Keep the men and women's games separate until the finals.
Restore basketball double headers with men and women playing.
Stop trying to pretend to be a mini-Big Ten, stop pretending MAC fans don't have divided loyaties, and seek to find a niche in the hearts and minds of fans.
Either expand the conference to 18 teams, or downsize to 12 if divisions are a must.
Play the MAC Football Title game on a campus site of the division which has the best head-to-head record against its counterpart.
Do not assure a divisional winner a bowl game.
End divisions based on geography. Re-balance, which is to say, schedule divisions based on historical results, not unlike the NFL does with weaker teams.
End non-weekend football games.
Retain the means to switch TV game teams if their results leave them undesirable to see on TV.
Dump Temple and aggressively seek teams within our footprint with strong fan support.
NWLB
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Oh, don't worry about you can't be right all the time!1987alum wrote:NWLB:
Interesting that I had the opposite position on a lot of these items.
As Audio Adrenaline once sang, "It's a big, big house, with lots and lots of rooms"
NWLB
*********************************
http://www.CruiseAficionados.com - A Community for Cruise Fans. (Try the mobile app "Cruise Aficionados)
*********************************
http://www.CruiseAficionados.com - A Community for Cruise Fans. (Try the mobile app "Cruise Aficionados)
I was actually expecting to quote a classic country song ... "Oh Lord it's hard to be humble when you're perfect in every way."NWLB wrote:Oh, don't worry about you can't be right all the time!1987alum wrote:NWLB:
Interesting that I had the opposite position on a lot of these items.
As Audio Adrenaline once sang, "It's a big, big house, with lots and lots of rooms"
