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Topic: TIme to change conferences?

Topic: TIme to change conferences?

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Wilson Hall Record Holder
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TIme to change conferences?

Posted: 3/29/2012 4:47:12 PM

Every beginning has an ending eventually.

If we are in a more highly respected conference in the eyes of recruits (even the powers that be at ESPN, tournament selection committee, et al) does Groce still feel that he would have to leave in order to have his opportunity of a lifetime?

Keep in mind that the football program also stands to benefit greatly just for starters since it's no secret that all of our athletic program would experience a upgrade in prestige.

Seems to me we can keep repeating the pattern of hoping we find an unproven head coach that becomes proven here only to leave for their "opportunities of their lifetimes" or we ourselves can become that opportunity of a lifetime.

but again, my saying it doesn't mean anything....the key is "how " does it get accomplished.

Ozcat
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RE: TIme to change conferences?

Posted: 3/29/2012 4:53:33 PM

Let's win the conference the next 3 years and then we can revist this thread.

Wilson Hall Record Holder
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RE: TIme to change conferences?

Posted: 3/29/2012 4:58:16 PM

So you would have us lose another coach who comes in and wins the conference in his 1st 2 seasons as a head coach here with someone else's players and THEN say what i'm saying right now?

or just to "consider" saying what I'm saying right now?

bostonbobcat
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RE: TIme to change conferences?

Posted: 3/29/2012 4:59:53 PM

Wilson Hall Record Holder wrote:

How has Marshall fared?

Wilson Hall Record Holder
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RE: TIme to change conferences?

Posted: 3/29/2012 5:04:16 PM

bostonbobcat wrote:

Wilson Hall Record Holder wrote:

How has Marshall fared?

Hence the importance of "how" being so important.

Live within the boundaries of your fear and you never get anywhere meaningful and be constantly made to feel a victim of your circumstances

Mark Lembright '85
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RE: TIme to change conferences?

Posted: 3/29/2012 5:06:22 PM

Wilson Hall Record Holder wrote:

Not to be a smart***, but that exact approach got Kent State to the Elite 8.

That being said, I think we can all agree Ohio wants and should be bigger and better. No dispute there. As you and everyone has said, the question is "how".

Last Edited: 3/29/2012 5:07:59 PM by Mark Lembright '85

Nash'Cat
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RE: TIme to change conferences?

Posted: 3/29/2012 5:11:09 PM

Wilson Hall Record Holder wrote:

Definitely a thought and possibility that has been running through my mind all season. Where could we go that would benefit us, how would we fare in that conference, etc. I tend to agree that we might need to wait it out a year or two, see how this transition goes. But...for the future, here are some of my thoughts on where we could go.

Conference USA we could easily compete with these teams, and have a good shot at making the tournament often.

A10 We could compete with the likes of Xavier and Dayton, but the issue is the lack of a football conference in the A10. Going independent wouldn't help our football program, and doubtful the MAC would keep us on in football and not basketball.

Big East Before I get the "are you kidding me?!" messages, lets think about this. Ohio went up against Louisville and almost won. After the game, Rick Pitino said Ohio had the caliber of a Big East team. We beat South Florida in the 2nd round of the NCAA Tourney. Admittedly, South Florida is a middle-of-the-road Big East team, but I assume if we made the move to the Big East, we would also start out middle-of-the-road, and look where that got South Florida. Football would be a no-brainer...UConn won their football title two years ago...should speak volumes for the football strength of conference (however, the Big East name still garners more respect than the MAC does). I honestly think we could regularly compete in the Big East in both football and basketball (especially with West Virginia leaving the conference)

Last Edited: 3/29/2012 5:12:10 PM by Nash'Cat

WE ARE OHIO
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OUcats82
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RE: TIme to change conferences?

Posted: 3/29/2012 5:11:14 PM

Marshall may not have fared all too well thus far..........but they never fared well in the MAC either in hoops-average at best.

If C-USA or another conference a rung or two up from the MAC comes knocking I think we would be wise to strongly consider it. No, C-USA is not the ACC or Big 11/12/10 but I think it is held in a higher esteem than the MAC. Perception is reality when it comes to recruiting 16-18 year old kids (whether it be to our athletic teams or general student enrollment).

Personally I think we have been in the MAC 60 years too long. While I do not necessarily think we are too good for the MAC, I would not shed a tear if we moved on to greener pastures.

Ohio-The State University

mcconnelsville
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RE: TIme to change conferences?

Posted: 3/29/2012 5:26:42 PM

In order to change to a more prestigious conference, that conference must be willing to be accepting. That presents a problem with Athens as our location. We would need more attendance, more TV and Radio and other media coverage. We would need more revenue and frankly selling tickets sometimes at $5.00 and $10.00 while offering students in free (or activities) would mean significant increasees in ticket prices. People just aren’t going to drive from Columbus to come and see the Bobcats play two and three times a week. Our area population can’t support the needed revenue. When the Convo is filled with13,000 people, that represents nearly 19% of the total population of Athens County.

I asked the question about changing conferences to the athletic director (Tom Beah sp) a few years back. He said “We’re just not sexy enough “to get their attention.

Gangsta Pete
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RE: TIme to change conferences?

Posted: 3/29/2012 5:26:44 PM

Ozcat wrote:

Let's win the conference the next 3 years and then we can revist this thread.

Agreed! Right now, our best move is to dominate the MAC in the money sports. In several years, the power-6 conferences will expand again, or the new CUSA-MWC super conference will self-destruct, leading to a new round of realignment. When that happens, if we have bunch of MAC titles under our belt, are drawing 8,000 to 10,000 per game in the Convo, and selling out Peden each weekend, we will be a much more attractive dance partner.

"There's a difference between knowing the path and walking the path." -Morpheus

OrlandoCat
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RE: TIme to change conferences?

Posted: 3/29/2012 5:30:02 PM

Ozcat wrote:

Let's win the conference the next 3 years and then we can revist this thread.

I'm so tired of this .... National Pestiege =/= ability to win the MAC. We could win the MAC 50 years running, and it's not going to matter. You have to show the ability to draw ratings, not win anything.

Jeff McKinney
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RE: TIme to change conferences?

Posted: 3/29/2012 5:34:02 PM

This subject has been discussed thoroughly ad nauseum on this board for years now. The consensus seems to be that we simply do not have the funds or media market to move to a conference above the MAC.

MonroeClassmate
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RE: TIme to change conferences?

Posted: 3/29/2012 5:53:59 PM

MAC will gain respect if Toledo, Akron and Buffalo field football and roundball teams year in year out like the Bobcats have the past 3 years. Then if two of those three keep it rolling than you go to the laggards and give them the boot and pick up 2-4 good fits from other conferences.

TheBikeman
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RE: TIme to change conferences?

Posted: 3/29/2012 6:35:45 PM

No, just convince the NCAA to let in at large teams from the MAC.

Wilson Hall Record Holder
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RE: TIme to change conferences?

Posted: 3/29/2012 6:55:56 PM

Jeff McKinney wrote:

Do we not have the funds or do we not have the funds "allocated" in a way that would allow a move to a larger conference?

Are you saying that the consensus is that this is just Ohio's lot in life so we should just accept it?

RSBobcat
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RE: TIme to change conferences?

Posted: 3/29/2012 8:11:09 PM

SonnyDrysdale wrote:

No, just convince the NCAA to let in at large teams from the MAC.

By continuing to build on the success of the major programs - football and basketball. Football Bowl game every year, Post Season BBall every year (read "real" post season i.e. NIT/NCAA). "Convince the NCAA" by winning - OHIO becomes the "anchor" program for the league - THE "go to" at large based on consistency of success whenever we don't happen to win the MAC Tourney. Other MAC programs have to step up as well, both football & basketball. Don't dump the MAC - dump a few of the "has been's/won't step up" schools, bring in a few "Wanna Be's/"Will Be's"...........

RS Bobcat

drinkmoxie
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RE: TIme to change conferences?

Posted: 3/29/2012 8:37:22 PM

mcconnelsville wrote:

I asked the question about changing conferences to the athletic director (Tom Beah sp) a few years back. He said “We’re just not sexy enough “to get their attention.

Being down in Raleigh now, I often listen to the ESPN radio down here and while it was fun listening to them freak out about Ohio almost beating UNC, they some times will talk to the coaches at ECU. ECU is in Greenville and consistently have sell out of 50,000 plus in their stadium and they can't get any of the bowl conferences to look at them because of the lack of tv exposure. Athens is definitely in this same predicament, whether we like it or not, if we want a bigger conference, we have to win the MAC without question and not lose the games we should win.

Every day at 1:10, my 6th period students and I say "HIO", yeah I am that crazy science teacher.

perimeterpost
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RE: TIme to change conferences?

Posted: 3/29/2012 9:36:15 PM

I think our best chance to move to another conference would be to go Basketball only, and the A10 is the only conf. I can see that would make since for that. Unless the Big Turdozen lets us ball with them, of course.

MY STATE. MY TEAM.

TUVideo Guy
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RE: TIme to change conferences?

Posted: 3/29/2012 9:45:40 PM

Beat Penn State this fall and the conferences will be interested.. Ohio's NCAA run was the first step...a win in Happy Valley is the next.

OhioCatFan
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RE: TIme to change conferences?

Posted: 3/29/2012 10:11:01 PM

TUVideo Guy wrote:

Beat Penn State this fall and the conferences will be interested.. Ohio's NCAA run was the first step...a win in Happy Valley is the next.

Thanks for the nice thoughts. We are planning a focus on the PSU game that will rival our usual focus on Temple!

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

Piney
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RE: TIme to change conferences?

Posted: 3/30/2012 9:33:57 AM

Jeff McKinney wrote:

This subject has been discussed thoroughly ad nauseum on this board for years now. The consensus seems to be that we simply do not have the funds or media market to move to a conference above the MAC.

When it comes to conference expansion I am kind of an expert as I am a hound for strategy type thinking and conference expansion (specifically the Big 10) got my juices flowing and got me involved in numerous boards and some in particular that specialized in conference expansion.

Conference expansion is led #1 by the biggest of margins media markets & TV ratings. Being 'good' enough doesn't really mean anything. Heck, just look at Temple going to the Big East for an example. If Temple was a rural PA university (ie Happy Valley) and not in Philadelphia it would still be in the MAC. They were a warm body in a major media market.

And unless Athens grows into a major city we are not going to be attractive for a long period of time. What hurts us even more is Ohio State can claim every major market we could think of. If Ohio was a 40,000+ strong campus with a loyal following we could claim Columbus as a major market. The problem would still be Ohio State monopolizing the ratings there.

So basically any BCS conference wouldn't touch us with a 1,000 foot pole.

But the rules are a little different for the next tier, ie CUSA. But would the additional money (still not much more) offset the additional travel costs? So FULL conference membership into CUSA could be a wash.

The Atlantic 10 is intriguing to me, but no football really hurts. Yes alot people want to drop football, but more people love it to stay. So maybe... maybe the best we could do is go to CUSA as a football only member and then go to the Atlantic 10 for the rest of our sports?

Even then... that's a stretch. We just have to realize we are who we are. So be the best Ohio we can, dominate the MAC and then let the chips fall where they be.

"If someone told me 20 years ago in my James Hall Dorm room that I would be the commencement speaker I would have told them to get out of here and make sure you put that towell back under the door"

- Matt Lauer '97 Commencement Speech

bobcat28
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RE: TIme to change conferences?

Posted: 3/30/2012 10:50:15 AM

Finally someone who gets it.

Chuck_IV
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RE: TIme to change conferences?

Posted: 3/30/2012 10:57:25 AM

mcconnelsville wrote:

I asked the question about changing conferences to the athletic director (Tom Beah sp) a few years back. He said “We’re just not sexy enough “to get their attention.

This is it exactly the issue. We are just in a poor geographical location, with no real TV market, not enough area population to support getting bigger and all that leads to a lack of money to put towards the teams.

Everyone wants to move to a better conference and I do too. But the bigger conference are after financial gain when they add schools. Our limitations make us unattractive to bigger conferences.

Class of 88

C Money
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RE: TIme to change conferences?

Posted: 3/30/2012 11:06:19 AM

Chuck_IV wrote:

I do not disagree, except to the extent that our geographical location is deemed to be Athens and the surrounding area. Someone raised an excellent point in another thread a couple days ago, in that we are a school named for the entire state with no directional limitation, and we therefore have a natural association with the entirety of the 7th largest state in the country. We need to stop thinking of ourselves as the alternative to osu in Southeast Ohio and start thinking of ourselves as the alternative to osu in Ohio. I love the "Bobcat State" and the "WE ARE OHIO" t shirts for that reason--that needs to be our mantra. Because WE ARE OHIO.

Also, new marketing slogan: "Let us OHIO you."

colobobcat66
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RE: TIme to change conferences?

Posted: 3/30/2012 12:20:39 PM

Ozcat wrote:

Let's win the conference the next 3 years and then we can revist this thread.

Did Temple do that? I must have missed something.

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