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Topic: Mountain West looking to poach NIU/Toledo as football-only members

Topic: Mountain West looking to poach NIU/Toledo as football-only members

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FormerMember
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Mountain West looking to poach NIU/Toledo as football-only members

Posted: 9/26/2024 9:22:48 PM

The craziness of conference realignment might have finally hit the MAC. With UNLV and Air Force saving the Mountain West for now, it's being reported that the league is pursuing Northern Illinois and Toledo as football-only members and has notified the MAC of their interest per Brett McMurphy.

https://x.com/Brett_McMurphy/status/1839466606831063438

M.D.W.S.T
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RE: Mountain West looking to poach NIU/Toledo as football-only members

Posted: 9/26/2024 9:44:46 PM

Nothing would surprise me, but what do the finances look like in the MWC?

Toledo going from taking a bus to BG to flying to New Mexico, San Jose, Wyoming�?

Keep your dirty hands off our MACtion!

FormerMember
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RE: Mountain West looking to poach NIU/Toledo as football-only members

Posted: 9/26/2024 9:54:30 PM

Would hate to see Toledo go so I'm hoping this doesn't happen but could care less about NIU. Their inept basketball program has been driving down the league metrics for a long time and I wouldn't miss them one bit.

M.D.W.S.T
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RE: Mountain West looking to poach NIU/Toledo as football-only members

Posted: 9/26/2024 9:59:21 PM

FormerMember wrote:

Toledo geographically poses a challenge for them to change leagues, but like I said - literally nothing would surprise me. Can�t wait for that Toledo - Nevada rivalry to heat up!

KyleWvr13
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RE: Mountain West looking to poach NIU/Toledo as football-only members

Posted: 9/26/2024 10:10:22 PM

I'm pretty sure NIU and Toledo would be kicked out of the MAC if they left their football programs for the MWC. They would have to go to the valley or some other non-FBS conference for the rest of their sports.

I see this more as a lateral move than any sort of upgrade. The increased conference revenue would need to be significant to entertain the idea.

colobobcat66
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RE: Mountain West looking to poach NIU/Toledo as football-only members

Posted: 9/27/2024 6:56:11 AM

KyleWvr13 wrote:

I think it is . The MAC payouts are rock bottom . The MAC should Drop them in everything else.

I always figured Toledo would move. Not so sure about reality of NIU helping them. I�d only take Toledo if I were the MW

SBH
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RE: Mountain West looking to poach NIU/Toledo as football-only members

Posted: 9/27/2024 8:25:30 AM

I'd rather have NIU than Toledo. Try to grab some attention from Chicago market, Central Time Zone.

Don't really see the upside for either school, to be honest.

GoCats105
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RE: Mountain West looking to poach NIU/Toledo as football-only members

Posted: 9/27/2024 10:23:49 AM

SBH wrote:

I'd rather have NIU than Toledo. Try to grab some attention from Chicago market, Central Time Zone.

Don't really see the upside for either school, to be honest.

Especially after the conference has lost 3 of their best schools (Boise, Fresno and SDSU) that they can present to media buyers when their new deal negotiations come up. This is a desperation move by the MWC and seems like an overreaction to the whole PAC saga.

GoCats105
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RE: Mountain West looking to poach NIU/Toledo as football-only members

Posted: 9/27/2024 10:26:08 AM

KyleWvr13 wrote:

When the MAC asked UMass to rejoin the league, there was a stipulation that they were either all-in or nothing at all. I can't imagine they'd be too lenient in this situation either.

Bobcat Love's Sense of Shame
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RE: Mountain West looking to poach NIU/Toledo as football-only members

Posted: 9/27/2024 10:56:32 AM

I'm curious if the UMass deal had any clauses in it that allowed them to leave/back out if the league lost members to realignment. Anybody know?

greencat
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RE: Mountain West looking to poach NIU/Toledo as football-only members

Posted: 9/27/2024 11:39:42 AM

If NIU and Toledo bolt, will the WKU/MTSU thing get a new visit?

M.D.W.S.T
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RE: Mountain West looking to poach NIU/Toledo as football-only members

Posted: 9/27/2024 11:52:33 AM

greencat wrote:

If NIU and Toledo bolt, will the WKU/MTSU thing get a new visit?

I think MTSU is a dead horse at this point, though it might be fluid now with weekly conference changes.

I feel like the door has been open for WKU for years and they haven�t jumped. Eastern KY as well.

Youngstown might be plausible(Again) and would be a nice add to basketball. Though the cost of moving up is now astronomical, right?

Bobcat Love's Sense of Shame
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RE: Mountain West looking to poach NIU/Toledo as football-only members

Posted: 9/27/2024 12:30:24 PM

M.D.W.S.T wrote:

Youngstown might be plausible(Again) and would be a nice add to basketball. Though the cost of moving up is now astronomical, right?

Is this referring the revenue share?

stout76
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RE: Mountain West looking to poach NIU/Toledo as football-only members

Posted: 9/27/2024 12:53:05 PM

KyleWvr13 wrote:

Maybe move to the Horizon for non-FB? In their backyards. I don't think either would bite on the move to the MW, but nothing makes sense anymore.

M.D.W.S.T
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RE: Mountain West looking to poach NIU/Toledo as football-only members

Posted: 9/27/2024 1:22:15 PM

Bobcat Love's Sense of Shame wrote:

M.D.W.S.T wrote:

Youngstown might be plausible(Again) and would be a nice add to basketball. Though the cost of moving up is now astronomical, right?

Is this referring the revenue share?

No, I think it literally costs $5M in us currency

GoCats105
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RE: Mountain West looking to poach NIU/Toledo as football-only members

Posted: 9/27/2024 1:48:31 PM

M.D.W.S.T wrote:

Bobcat Love's Sense of Shame wrote:

M.D.W.S.T wrote:

Youngstown might be plausible(Again) and would be a nice add to basketball. Though the cost of moving up is now astronomical, right?

Is this referring the revenue share?

No, I think it literally costs $5M in us currency

That's correct, the NCAA raised the FCS->FBS transition fee from $5K to $5 million in 2023. They also need to offer a minimum of 210 scholarships per year across the entire athletic department.

OhioCatFan
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RE: Mountain West looking to poach NIU/Toledo as football-only members

Posted: 9/27/2024 6:26:42 PM

I feel fairly confident in saying that this ain't gonna happen.

The only BLSS Certified Hypocrite on BA

"It is better to be an optimist and be proven a fool than to be a pessimist and be proven right."

Note: My avatar is the national colors of the 78th Ohio Veteran Volunteer Infantry, which are now preserved in a climate controlled vault at the Ohio History Connection. Learn more about the old 78th at: http://www.78ohio.org

colobobcat66
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RE: Mountain West looking to poach NIU/Toledo as football-only members

Posted: 9/27/2024 6:37:50 PM

OhioCatFan wrote:

I feel fairly confident in saying that this ain't gonna happen.

I�m not so sure. Do you think they would have offered without some kind of idea that it may work? I don�t think the deal will be for just football but who knows .

Bobcat Love
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RE: Mountain West looking to poach NIU/Toledo as football-only members

Posted: 9/27/2024 7:08:36 PM

I've predicted this scenario since day 1. NIU could go, I don't see Toledo going. I'm personally surprised Buffalo isn't in the mix yet.

As evidenced in my constant discussions about breach of fiduciary responsibility regarding away football scheduling, the MAC has left itself open to poaching because they have clearly under leveraged their ESPN deals. Once a mark, always a mark.

Is anyone suprprised this school and this conference can't negotiate a fair wage for services rendered?

If Cromer and Gonzalez get caught without a backup plan - I will demand the trustees immediately clean house. Loudly and vocally. I've seen the football contracts, and it's clear we are getting destroyed in the negotiations on that front.

If my name is Lori Gonzalez, I would damn sure be on the phone with my peers at Miami and Buffalo to lock up some kind of safe haven or alliance. The 3 of us (plus Toledo and NIU) are the only ones with any kind of brand value, national appeal, halfway decent academics, and acceptable athletics infrastructure.

I'm not saying this becomes a jungle, but someone better be damn sure Ohio is ready if that does happen. There is no shame in having a Plan B or Plan C.

Demand accountability from Gonzalez if you see her tomorrow. There is no hiding now.

Pete Chouteau
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RE: Mountain West looking to poach NIU/Toledo as football-only members

Posted: 9/27/2024 7:08:59 PM

In a fit of drunken pragmatism...

TV revenue is what drives Toledo and NIU out of the conference. What are we getting per school? Is it $1M? Current MWC gets $15M-ish. AAC gets $7M-ish.

What if the MAC rented out 2 teams, football only, for 1 share of TV revenue to be divided among MAC members? That could theoretically increase our payout by 50%-100%.

What if those 2 teams rotated among the highest ranked? That would leverage sending the MAC's finest to improve the MWC's likelihood of being the #5 conference champion and that's a playoff spot. And there. We invented promotion and relegation in American college football.

Maddog13
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RE: Mountain West looking to poach NIU/Toledo as football-only members

Posted: 9/27/2024 7:36:41 PM

Pete Chouteau wrote:

I think that we just found our new Athletic Director.

Last Edited: 9/27/2024 7:37:08 PM by Maddog13

Bobcat Love
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RE: Mountain West looking to poach NIU/Toledo as football-only members

Posted: 9/27/2024 7:56:31 PM

The weakness is palpable.

The G5 Commissioners JUST had a meeting in Dallas 3 weeks ago to strategize together.

STEINBRECHER sat across from Navarez (Barzini) and tried to align.

Once that idiot (Navarez) lost half her conference - she was backed into a corner and turned the gun on the MAC.

We have no Vito or Michael, thus we deserve what we get. You Dewine hacks can blame your clown car of Trustees also. Weakness from top to bottom.

Weakness. Never been so on display.

Bobcat Love
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RE: Mountain West looking to poach NIU/Toledo as football-only members

Posted: 9/27/2024 8:32:30 PM

Let�s take this a step further�.for the critical thinkers.

Read McMurphy�s tweet again. It�s clear his source from the MWC or MAC mentioned the on-field competitiveness of Toledo and NIU as reasons they are attractive for expansion.

Remember that this season when Albin puts up performances like he did last week @ UK. What NIU and Toledo did against Miss St and ND respectively, and their performance in the conference, MATTERS.

�But we are 2-2 as expected and we are in a good spot�..�

�Nobody expected us to beat Kentucky or Syracuse�

- so lazy and repetitive. Now it will cost us millions because of the nonchalant attitudes of this group.

Receipts everywhere when this goes off the rails. Expect better.

Maddog13
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RE: Mountain West looking to poach NIU/Toledo as football-only members

Posted: 9/27/2024 9:52:11 PM

I want to help out, Bobcat Love. Seriously. Let's see if I got this straight:

1.) Keep bringing up the breach of fiduciary responsibility regarding away football scheduling, because once a mark, always a mark. In other words, know our worth, and we should be able to demand more than just a million dollars, which is a chump change portion of what these big time programs are getting.

2.) If Comer and Gonzalez get caught without a backup plan concerning this current environment of realignment, demand that the trustees immediately clean house, which I assume includes them and their staff.

3.) Insist that Gonzalez lock up some kind of safe haven or alliance with some of the other MAC teams of value, so we don't get screwed during this process. In other words, there is safety in numbers.

4.) If that doesn't work, we need a Plan B and even a Plan C or know why it is that we don't have one. I guess too that it would be good to know why they don't seem concerned at all that the current situation in College Football might threaten the MAC and the Ohio Bobcats directly.

5.) Demand accountability from Gonzalez now, because there is nowhere to hide. In other words, the best defense is a good offense.

6.) Albin better figure out the transfer portal/NIL and NOW or he and his staff are GONE. No more excuses. No more riding on the coat tails of Solich. Dominate the regular season, win the MAC, or get out.

7.) No more 2 - 2 records coming into the MAC, and if we play a Power 4 Conference Team, we better hang with them at the very least and win more than we lose, or, at least, die trying.

It sounds like you are suggesting too that the only disconnect here is that we are far too passive of a fan base and not demanding better. Do I understand that correctly or am I missing something?

Bobcat Love
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RE: Mountain West looking to poach NIU/Toledo as football-only members

Posted: 9/27/2024 10:33:33 PM

Maddog13 wrote:

Pretty close, but a few corrections.

1.) Keep bringing up the breach of fiduciary responsibility regarding away football scheduling, because once a mark, always a mark. In other words, know our worth, and we should be able to demand more than just a million dollars, which is a chump change portion of what these big time programs are getting.

- This requires the conferences work together to increase the minimum demands. This should have been a topic at the G5 "summit" in Dallas a few weeks ago. Frankly it's more on the conference commissioners, but I don't hear a peep from the University AD's or Presidents.

2.) If Comer and Gonzalez get caught without a backup plan concerning this current environment of realignment, demand that the trustees immediately clean house, which I assume includes them and their staff.

- Incorrect. I would only hold the higher Executives responsible. The staff's of Julie and Lori are great. It's the top tier decision making that I'm calling into questions.

5.) Demand accountability from Gonzalez now, because there is nowhere to hide. In other words, the best defense is a good offense.

- Shouldn't this be in effect at all times??? Does anyone go into work with no accountability from Stakeholders??? Seems weird for that not to be a requirement.

6.) Albin better figure out the transfer portal/NIL and NOW or he and his staff are GONE. No more excuses. No more riding on the coat tails of Solich. Dominate the regular season, win the MAC, or get out.

- It's broad, but put a better product on the field. This program should never get boat raced by Kentucky and look like they don't belong on the same field. It's not happening with Toledo, NIU, or BG - so why us?

7.) No more 2 - 2 records coming into the MAC, and if we play a Power 4 Conference Team, we better hang with them at the very least and win more than we lose, or, at least, die trying.

- Incorrect. I would be damn proud if I were Bowling Green and my school had put a scare into Penn State AND Texas A&M. You can bet my head would be held high. We don't have to go 2-2, but we shouldn't embarass ourselves like we did last Saturday.

Everything seems pretty intuitive to me. I'm not sure what I'm missing.

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