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Q: Are there any plans to rearrange the concession areas in The Doyt? With these areas right near the entrance tunnels, there seems to always be traffic jams with people trying to get up to the seats. Also, are there plans to have TV monitors under the stands so fans can watch the game while getting concessions? I know Miami and Western Michigan, among others, have TV's away from the seating areas.
Michael in Akron
Concessions in all of our venues will undergo significant changes this year as we move to a new partner, V/Gladieux out of Toledo. V/G handles several athletic accounts, most notably in this area the Toledo Mud Hens. While the permanent concession areas in The Doyt aren't easily moved, V/G is upgrading the areas with new signage and equipment among other things. We'll take some pressure (and crowds) off the stands by adding several roving carts and stands with specialty items like ice cream and an on-site grill.

As for TV's, they would be a nice addition, but they aren't high enough on our priority list right now to allocate resources in that direction.



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Q: I noticed that Army is playing three MAC teams in football this year. Has there been any discussion by conference officials to invite Army to join the MAC? This would appear to be an excellent move for several reasons: it would bring the conference to 14 teams; allow BG to move back to the west and provide more exposure for BG and the conference in the east.
Ron in Parsippany
Regarding Army, there have not been any conversations about inviting West Point into the MAC. Regarding expansion, yes, it has been a recent topic at MAC meetings - although no specific institutions were discussed. The conversation centered on a handful of points: (1) tracking what happens with Temple over the next few years related to football and their other sports; (2) the same point made in your question - an even number of schools would be helpful with two divisions; (3) any talk of expansion needs to be centered on finding an institution that is a "right fit." The MAC was used as a stepping stone by a couple of schools and nobody wants a repeat of that.

My understanding is that the MAC and Western Kentucky engaged in discussions about the Hilltoppers joining the conference a couple of years ago. In the end, WKU joined the Sun Belt as a full member. Ultimately, I don't think you will see anything related to expansion occur in the immediate future. It's prudent for the conference to be ready, though, for opportunities that arise from the changing landscape and have a set of options ready if certain scenarios play out. A number of factors will play into potential expansion, including actions by other conferences, TV contracts and the NCAA's stance on schools migrating to I-A football.

Michael in Akron...is that you, freak?

by adding several roving carts and stands with specialty items like ice cream and an on-site grill.

Excellent. Over/under on a drunken hammb shoving someone out of the way and taking over behind the grill... 12:42 left in the 2nd qtr vs. Temple.

Oh, and don't forget to donate your old TV's to the Athletic Department, apparently.

I REALLY, REALLY hope we do NOT move back to the MAC West. After watching the conference expand years ago, I was happy to see us placed in the East from the start, especially because of our ties with schools Miami, Kent State and Ohio. But then we were sent to the West, before later returning back to the East again. I felt enough was enough already and with the topic now a good possibility of happening again with Temple on board and a possible 14th team joining for football (which is way too many anyway, IMO) and possibly from the east, I say move someone else. Anyone! Technically, Miami’s farther “west” than BG is, Oxford’s like five miles from Indiana, move them. They haven’t been bounced around yet like we have. Or better yet, move Temple into the West if we add another eastern team. Yeah, that’s right, Temple. Why the heck not, they’re the newcomers without any MAC history and they aren’t even a member of the MAC in ANYTHING else but football!!! Many feel it didn’t make sense to begin with to even add Temple to the MAC for football, why would it make any less sense for the Owls to be in the West. Why do we need to accommodate them so much, the MAC lsaved them from likely falling into I-AA.

I’m being facetious about putting Temple in the West, but damn, I’m just tired of teams coming into the MAC and bumping us, especially if it’s just in one sport. It’s just like when UCF came on board for football. Marshall was a full-time MAC member and it made sense to put them in the East. UCF is in Orlando, as in Florida! Why the heck couldn’t they be “placed” in the West? Any MAC team going to UCF or any road trip to a MAC school for UCF was far away. Put Marshall in the East, UCF in the West, and bingo, you’re balanced. But no, BG was moved and UCF and Marshall eventually used the MAC as a stepping stone, and the rest is history. Now with Temple sending the conference unbalanced again, and only for football like UCF was, you know unless we add a team from out west and we expand we’re headed back there again. It just burns me up because if Temple were an all-inclusive MAC member, it would be easier to accept if it happens again. But because they aren’t, some other MAC team, like BG, will likely grab its ankles to help the MAC out again. Maybe it’s just me, but it seems like we (BG) are always the one getting pushed around when it comes to topics like filling MAC non-conference schedules, or figuring out divisional alignment, etc.

Living in Ohio, I strongly disliked the move to the West because of the number of road games we then played in all sports – not just football - that used to be relatively close when we were in the East. Those games become much farther away in general when we went to the West. Instead of many of our road games vs teams such as Ohio, Miami, Kent State & Akron right here in-state, we were then playing all over Michigan and into Indiana and Illinois. Not to mention, not only were the games against West farther away, we were also playing fewer MAC East schools because we were in a different division. I guess if you are a BG fan in Michigan, Indiana or Illinois, you’d like the move better. But I believe we have many more BG alums in places like Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati where they can get to more MAC East games for various sports than they can MAC West contests.

The bottom line is, all this griping means next to nothing - and I know that. And if I don’t want to see BG in the West if the MAC expands, then I’d better hope we add a team from out west. Then again, a team or two could leave the MAC in the near future and we could move because of that too. What can you do but voice your concern?

It's sweet that they're upgrading the concessions this year!

I suppose it's possible that I could get wasted and do some grillin' for them, but not real likely...I won't wanna miss any of the game. Unless of course it's a blowout like every game against Temple SHOULD be

I usually get plenty of food pregame before the football gams, so I can honestly say I've never bought a food item from the concession stands. Still the selection looked pretty terrible, and it's nice to see them branching out...hoops games are another story though, I oftentimes eat my dinner there. In past years that has been just a box of popcorn, because that's been about the only thing edible they sold.

Honestly though, is ice cream the best thing to serve at football games? When our first game is 9/22? Whatever, just seems like ice cream is more of a baseball food, than a football food, but I guess I don't know much about running concessions...

Still, it's good news!

I still think geographic based divisions is a mistake.

Lots of reasons to argue against it, but I'd rather we had the conference spread out across the board.

But lets really talk about important things....FOOD!

Gladieux does good stuff, and they a professional company running things. I'd hope and expect faster service, better food, etc. I am sure somebody is going to lament the possible loss of fund raising chances for some groups, and its a shame if that is the case. But modern equipment, good food, faster service, mmmmmmmm.

EMU and UT are the closest MAC schools to us and they are in the west. Buffalo and Temple are pretty far from us and they are in the east.

NWLB wrote: But lets really talk about important things....FOOD!

Gladieux does good stuff, and they a professional company running things. I'd hope and expect faster service, better food, etc. I am sure somebody is going to lament the possible loss of fund raising chances for some groups, and its a shame if that is the case. But modern equipment, good food, faster service, mmmmmmmm.

Agreed. It's great that they gave a shot for local organizations to make some cash, but honestly it was very HS-ish to me. Professional food services is a step towards looking like a real D1-A institution.

Flipper wrote:Michael in Akron...is that you, freak?

Tis me.

As far as moving back to the West Division....NO. Period. At least there won't be any expansion in the next few years but being biased, and living close to Akron and Kent State, I want BG in the East. We have a much stronger tradition with Kent, Miami and Ohio than Ball State, EMU or NIU.

And hammb would definitely be taking over the on site grill...they better get an on site deep fryer as well.

Personally, I preferred the West division. I liked playing NIU, EMU, & UT every year. But tradition has us in the East, and I like getting to play Miami every year.

In the end I guess we may as well stick with tradition, but I did like the West. Especially with hoops where we were guaranteed easily makable road games at EMU & UT every season. From the East there aren't any guaranteed road games that are easy trips for the weeknight games. Grant & I did head to UA once, in the snow, but that was a long trip for a weeknight, IMO.

the SMART move would be to just remove temple...but that will be hard esp after they throttle us this year.
the MAC w and e should honestly be separate entities with one being the more original MAc schools the other being the new comers.

MACMAN,

Are you coming to any football games this season? Just wondering...

528 hours...

Why do we need east and west or North adn South?

Why can't it be the Black Division and the Blue Division? You keep rivalries and then slide schools into two divisions... the East West crap is always such nonsense.... it isn't as if we are spread out from cost to coast.

How about the ORANGE and BROWN divisions!!!

We could divide us up by "Love Boat" characters. We could be in the "Isaac" division and UT could be in the "Gopher" division.