MAC tried to get MT and WKU when Cusa was on life-support just 3 (?) years ago. If they couldn't get them then it's unlikely they can get them now. Also, the MAC doesn't have much to offer them. MWC is offering NIU far more media money, better bowl games, better chance of CFP, better TV coverage, paying conference exit fees, and a recruitment incentive for joining. MAC can't offer any of that.

As an NIU fan I'm glad we are leaving. Tired of playing half our conference schedule on weekdays for terrible coverage. ESPN doesn’t even put the games on ABC or ESPN but delegates most of them to ESPNU and CBS Sports Network. Also, the conference keeps expanding far east with its last additions (Buffalo, Temple, and now UMass) further putting NIU on an island by itself. Glad we are moving to a strong conference with better locations (Hawaii, Colorado, California, Nevada, etc) for fans to visit than Muncie, Oxford, Mount Pleasant, etc. The TV coverage and media $$ is far and away better too.

The old SWC had heated & hated rivalries. I'm a UH COOGS Fan, and we hate everybody, because we were the last team admitted into the old SWC in '76. UH vs any of the Texas based teams is a rival and will continue to be. In the current makeup of the BIG12, we consider Baylor, TCU, and Tech as our main rivals. I've always said that Tech & OSU should play in the Cotton Bowl every year during the State Fair. They could play the weekend or two after OU-Texas; and both schools have large alumni bases in DFW. Also, in the current makeup of the BIG12, you have 5 of the old BIG8 teams, with a long history of being rivals. They should reignite those rivalries. Realignment has killed rivalries across the country!

For the record, Texas and Arkansas were supposed to go together when trying to join the SEC. Arkansas did not take our place.

The SWC died a natural death as it was way too regional. Also, 3 schools essentially carried attendance in the league. It was not unusual for UT, A&M, and Arkansas fans to outnumber the other schools' fans in their own stadiums. It was like Nebraska was with Kay State. in the old Big 8 days, Cornhusker fans would vastly outnumber Wildcat fans in Manhattan for many decades. Kay State fans should think about building a Herbie Husker statue outside their stadium as a sign of gratitude.

As some others have mentioned, Paterno's idea for an Eastern sports conference was Dead On Arrival because he wanted Penn State to take most of the revenue. There simply was no incentive for any school to join. The Big East took Pitt ahead of Penn State early on in the conference's existence because Pitt was more in touch with the member schools- urban, affiliated with a city instead of a state (UConn a notable exception). And the Big East wanted to get out of the crackerboxes- Pitt could offer select games played at The Civic Arena whereas Penn State had only Rec Hall at the time. Paterno's dream league was merely a hissy fit that Penn State got picked over- was never gonna happen. And Paterno was known for hissy fits.

The Big Ten would take University of Chicago back anytime. Chicago is the founding member of the Big Ten.

Tebow has 3 chips and is even more solidified as the College Football Goat 3 titles in 4 years and a Heisman 👀 My Gators probably win as many as Bama did too

Serious question are you going to the farmageddon in Ireland this year?

It's a power 2 and next iteration of conference realignment at the power 2 level will occur around the 2031 season with the next media rights deals. It will probably see top teams from the ACC going to the B1G and SEC; and the end of the ACC as a top conference.

Would the other schools have to harbor pedos too?

I really liked your video, wish you could have done all d1 football teams to show how far from the top conference’s they are as well as who should not be in d1 at all .

If Texas was in the SEC in the 1990s, they would never have lost at Home to UCLA 66-3.

Is Michigan-osu really even much of a "rivalry" anymore? I mean, osu on a 4-game skid including losing in '24 at home to a 6-5 Michigan whose QB was a walk-on who missed out on a high school career because of cancer.

The penn st and Maryland one is a good rivalry, just not in football lol

“Dollar dollar bills y’all”😂😂😂

They left the AAC so they made their bed. Maybe MAC Football only will work for them.

they really named a whole conference after a carti song 🙏🙏🔥😭

How is the Sun Better than the MAC?

No power 4 is taking Toledo or Buffalo and it would be pointless to join another mid major. The MAC needs to add UConn as football only and add some other FCS big names in the NE.

as a huge sun belt truther, it would be really cool if you made a sun belt expansion video on how they could become one of the premier group of five conferences

another fabulous piece of work although your consistent schilling for albany over stony brook kills me. :) great job, man.

Purdue/Indiana: the Old Oaken Bucket is ONLY football. The football rivalry is much more important than basketball but some will disagree.

They’re D2 but GVSU is a good sized school with a good football team and similar attendance to some MAC schools

I was a manager for Western Michigan Basketball in the 00's. The Proximity score makes sense. Anyone who says otherwise hasn't ever been on an 8 hr bus ride for a 1 night road trip to Buffalo NY in late January

Best Answer. ABSOLUTELY NOT. Who are you going to get? How would they CHANGE the MAC for the better? What would be the POINT? When is the MAC going to wake up and SEE ITSELF and know it is what it is? Where did you find this Music, and Elevator Catalogue? Have you ever seen the Rain coming down on a Sunny Day? I wanna know.

The blue hens are moving to. The fbs level so they could join the mac

College sports needs a pac12. I bet in about 10 years all this insanity ends and and the old pac12 reforms but with the other new additions.

How to get your teambuilt team a rival

Happy to see that you included Everett Case in this video. He was a legend in Indiana High School basketball as well and introduced Hoosier tradition and passion for b-ball to the football crazed South.🏀

Thanks for doing this. It's always blown my mind that there's never been a longform documentary about the full history of K-State. It might be the most interesting overall story in collegiate sports history. Sure teams have ups and downs, but to climb out of a nearly 100 year hole is miracle-level stuff.