It's MAC Season

[GOODY]

The boys can lose or beat anyone in the league ! Always close games

[chuff]

To be fair, the fans weren't really giving a shit about playing many of the A10 teams either. And I don't think the school has given up on playing in a top-tier conference - but due to ineptitude by multiple versions of the athletic department leadership, we are here with the hope this is a stepping stone rather than a landing spot.

I do agree that Regionalism counts to you and me. It doesn't count to college athletics anymore. That's a very unfortunate aspect of this, not that our last conference was keeping with the trend either.

I largely agree. I was one of the faculty members who encouraged the FBS move back when. At that time, I/we should've pushed administration to show the plan to achieve success. What they ended up doing, as you said, was inept. Our bad.

But to me, the MAC isn't much of a stepping stone. Hope I'm wrong, and that over the next couple of years we have great success in football and hoops, and we can move on to something better.

[InnervisionsUMASS]

To be fair, the fans weren't really giving a shit about playing many of the A10 teams either. And I don't think the school has given up on playing in a top-tier conference - but due to ineptitude by multiple versions of the athletic department leadership, we are here with the hope this is a stepping stone rather than a landing spot.

I do agree that Regionalism counts to you and me. It doesn't count to college athletics anymore. That's a very unfortunate aspect of this, not that our last conference was keeping with the trend either.

I largely agree. I was one of the faculty members who encouraged the FBS move back when. At that time, I/we should've pushed administration to show the plan to achieve success. What they ended up doing, as you said, was inept. Our bad.

But to me, the MAC isn't much of a stepping stone. Hope I'm wrong, and that over the next couple of years we have great success in football and hoops, and we can move on to something better.

Just so we are clear, when I say multiple versions of the AD leadership, I'm going much further back than the actual decision to move up by the McCutcheon admin. This should have happened decades ago.

Replace MAC with Sun Belt and we're still saying the same thing: stepping stone, assuming we can get out of our own way. I am with you, I am not pleased that this step is specifically the MAC, we could and should have done better - but this is what it took to finally move on from A10, which was needed.

[ZooMass84]

To be fair, the fans weren't really giving a shit about playing many of the A10 teams either. And I don't think the school has given up on playing in a top-tier conference - but due to ineptitude by multiple versions of the athletic department leadership, we are here with the hope this is a stepping stone rather than a landing spot.

I do agree that Regionalism counts to you and me. It doesn't count to college athletics anymore. That's a very unfortunate aspect of this, not that our last conference was keeping with the trend either.

I largely agree. I was one of the faculty members who encouraged the FBS move back when. At that time, I/we should've pushed administration to show the plan to achieve success. What they ended up doing, as you said, was inept. Our bad.

But to me, the MAC isn't much of a stepping stone. Hope I'm wrong, and that over the next couple of years we have great success in football and hoops, and we can move on to something better.

Let's get a couple MAC wins in football before "we can move on to something better". 0-8 last year; 0-5 in 2024; 0-3 in 2023; 0-3 in 2022.......

[Sheck]

I'm fine with the MAC. We didn't fit into the A10 anymore. Once Temple left we really lacked a peer institution that had a similar profile. At least we have that in the MAC with Buffalo. I wouldn't put URI in that category because they don't have FBS football.

I actually do like what the MAC does in basketball with respect to the MAC/Sun Belt challenge and with an 8 team conference tournament. The basketball games have been frustrating at times, but entertaining.

[NilesGold]

how do you all like the "top 8" format for the MAC tournament? Leaving out 5 teams is a lot, and it might be nice if they added a 9th or 10th team, giving the top of the league a bye, but I like it. It gives the regular season some added interest. We've been told all year, even by Frank, that it's a one-bid league so some fans are just sitting and waiting to see how we do in March, but I've been invested in watching the standings. I'm keen to see if we can get the 4/5 spot so we can avoid Miami, Akron, and Kent St until the 2nd round.

I like it