WKU? Temple? MTSU?

michhiker28 · Post by **michhiker28** » Fri Jan 07, 2005 3:51 pm

I'm only questioning why we would be interested in inviting a team that no one else wants, and can't play with ANYONE in the league now that UCF is gone. When we could go after the other two.

---MH

BGSU33 · Post by **BGSU33** » Fri Jan 07, 2005 3:57 pm

Add Western Kentucky? Isn't Western Kentucky already in the MAC? This might get confusing to the rest of the country, being that the team from Bowling Green, Kentucky is already in the MAC, right???? I'm joking of course!

kdog27 · Post by **kdog27** » Fri Jan 07, 2005 3:59 pm

I would like to see us get Temple and the Hilltoppers. I think bringing in Temple would be good just because most people have actually heard of them. I don't really know much about MTSU and that probably is not a good thing. WKU plays some good basketball and I personally would not mind seeing the battle of Bowling Greens.

Schadenfreude · Post by **Schadenfreude** » Fri Jan 07, 2005 4:24 pm

michhiker28 wrote:I'm only questioning why we would be interested in inviting a team that no one else wants, and can't play with ANYONE in the league now that UCF is gone. When we could go after the other two.

We hung 72 on Ohio U. two years ago, and that program is far from dead.

I think the Owls are capable of going .500 in the MAC East right out of the gate. They might not, but they have it in them.

And, look, don't forget basketball. Western Kentucky and Temple basketball could make us a multi-bid league, basically on a par with Conference USA (if not better).

That's good. There's money in that.

bgsuarkie · Post by **bgsuarkie** » Fri Jan 07, 2005 10:48 pm

kdog27 wrote:I would like to see us get Temple and the Hilltoppers. I think bringing in Temple would be good just because most people have actually heard of them. I don't really know much about MTSU and that probably is not a good thing. WKU plays some good basketball and I personally would not mind seeing the battle of Bowling Greens.

MTSU has actually had some almost decent teams this decade. By almost decent I mean they have a winning record and finish second in the sun belt all the time behind North Texas.

bobmo1 · Post by **bobmo1** » Sat Jan 08, 2005 1:41 am

Temple University has a Task Force (TF) on athletics which is initially focusing on football. The football aspect of the TF presented their proposal to Temple's Board in December. Temple's Board is expected to announce their action plan within the next 2 weeks.

Temple & the MAC rumors have been floating around since last spring. The Sun Belt & C-USA conferences made inquiries to Temple and Temple did not respond.

Temple announced an 11 game 2005 independent schedule in July, 2004. The schedule includes 5 ACC teams, 3 MAC teams, Arizona State, Navy & Middle Tennessee.

The rumors are:

1) Temple would enter the MAC as an football-only member starting in 2006. 3 of Temple's ACC scheduled games in 2005 would be transferred to the MAC and the MAC would provide 3 replace teams for Temple. I recall Temple is scheduled to play BG, Toledo & Miami in 2005.

Temple would be a football member until 2010. In addition, Temple would play 4 MAC schools annually in b-ball. Temple would have to make a decision to become a full MAC member for all seasons beyond 2010.

2) The Temple scheduling adjustments for 2005 would occur and Temple would become a full MAC member for the 2006 season.

FYI
Temple is no longer a " commuter school." 50% of the students now live on campus. Temple's enrollment is 30,000 + (undergrad, grad & professional schools)

Bill Cosby has no interest in the football program.

manager · Post by **manager** » Sat Jan 08, 2005 7:47 am

Bowling Green and WKU had a pretty good rivalry started in the late 50s- early 60s when Harold Anderson and Ed Diddle were coaching. It died out after Anderson retired from BGSU. The arenas of both schools are named after those respective coaches who put the programs on the map.

Schadenfreude · Post by **Schadenfreude** » Sat Jan 08, 2005 8:08 am

This is the Western Kentucky message board:

http://www.hilltopperhaven.com/

Some of the old timers over there can tell you quite a bit about that old WKU-BGSU rivalry.

I hope I'm not butchering this story too much but... I believe Hal Anderson and Bowling Green did a surprising amount to convince Western Kentucky fans that it was time to start integrating their teams.

Apparently, Bowling Green went down there one winter and Nate Thurmond just OWNED them. Some fans were talking about the idea on their way out to the parking lots.

1987alum · Post by **1987alum** » Sat Jan 08, 2005 9:32 am

bobmo1 wrote:FYI
Temple is no longer a " commuter school." 50% of the students now live on campus. Temple's enrollment is 30,000 + (undergrad, grad & professional schools)

Bill Cosby has no interest in the football program.

bobmo: Where did you get the enrollment info? Last thing I read in the Inky, there were only a few thousand on campus. Given the growth of the Temple-Ambler campus, I would think the percentage remains pretty low.

BGSU33 · Post by **BGSU33** » Sat Jan 08, 2005 12:29 pm

I just watched WKU in person in basketball lose to Virginia on the road in double overtime in a game WKU "should" and "could" have won. WKU lost by one point after 2OT and UVa was awarded a goaltending call at the buzzer at the end of regulation to send the game into the first overtime. WKU led almost start to finish until a few lead changes in the final two minutes of regulation.

bobmo1 · Post by **bobmo1** » Sat Jan 08, 2005 12:33 pm

Temple has 8,000 undergraduates living in dorms. These students are freshman & sophomores. When they become upper classmen they "transfer" to on-campus apartments.

The dorms are only for freshman & sophomores.

8,000 + 8,000 = 16,000 .... 16,000/ 30,000 = 50% +

I received this information @ a Temple alumni event held in December,2004. Temple's president attended this event.

redskins4ever · Post by **redskins4ever** » Sat Jan 08, 2005 3:34 pm

Temple also has announced games with schools that they dont have contracts with ie. Miami. I wouldnt hold my breathe for Temple football, they are way over matched in facilities, staff, money, they should go to I-AA or forget about football altogether. The MAC has enough dead weight as is, its time to lighten the load of those hangerson. If you can't put butts in the seats, and average a .450 winning percentage in football, get the hell out. Its embarassing watching the bottom feeders.

redskins4ever · Post by **redskins4ever** » Sat Jan 08, 2005 3:38 pm

Temple only has 24,000 students at its Main Campus and Im not sure what perecentage of those students are full time. Its like saying Miami has an enrollment of 28,000 students with Hamilton, Middletown, Lux, and the Wilmington branch campuses.

Plus who cares how big their student population is, if they aren't coming to the games, it doesnt matter.

NWLB · Post by **NWLB** » Mon Jan 10, 2005 11:27 am

If the MAC is to expand at all, lets get WKU and MTSU. I know MT isn't game just yet, but however we do it, we should avoid Temple. If the powers-that-be decide to roll the dice with Temple, I'll be disappointed, but the MAC will survive. My concern is that Temple will want to bolt as soon as they can, if they can, which isn't a given. I don't want the bolt-on teams constantly coming and going. With the next round of conference changes coming, inviting Temple doesn't help us a lot, and looks bad if they are invited elsewhere and accept.

WKU and MTSU would be nicer road trips, to more interesting parts of the region, and might help open up some conference PR in a generally new area for the MAC.

The MAC needs to really kiss-up to somebody at MTSU if expansion is on the table.

Schadenfreude · Post by **Schadenfreude** » Mon Jan 10, 2005 11:34 am

I appreciate the synergy that MTSU could bring with WKU.

But I still support Temple.

As crazy as it sounds, I wonder if there is a chance that our conference could continue to cherry pick the Atlantic 10.

Let me throw this out there: What would it take to interest Dayton and Xavier in the MAC?

The addition of Temple and Western Kentucky would help.

What about Massachusetts?

Yeah, I know the objections -- Dayton and Xavier don't have much in common with us, and suddenly this conference gets very big.

But we have to recognize the possibility of shrinkage, too.

I think Temple creates more possibilities than MTSU. Sure, it could end badly. But Temple may not have football options by 2010. At that point, either they pull the plug on football, or they bring basketball along... which would be huge.

And I think their football could grow in our league. They'll get more television right away, they'll win a few more games right away... and, hopefully, build from there.

Bottom line: Temple is a gamble, but I don't see a whole lot of risk compared to the possibilities.

If it isn't working, we move on.

WKU? Temple? MTSU?

Temple & The MAC

Re: Temple & The MAC