BrooklynBull Posted August 14, 2023 Share Posted August 14, 2023 The full article from the Toledo Blade is behind a paywall. But this is the gist of the artile: Quote The Toledo Blade’s David Briggs pens an appreciation piece for the MAC. “It is the port in the storm, the last island of sanity in the looniest of waters. Behold the Mid-American Conference. In an era when no TV buck has proven too quick to blow up college athletics as we know it, let us raise a glass. Remember the quaint old days when conferences featured like-minded universities concentrated in less-than-Shaq-sized footprints? The MAC is officially the last league of its kind.” Pointing out the travel distances now imposed on many schools in the future formations of the Power 5 conferences, Briggs adds: “The MAC carries on as something of a time capsule, bystanders to the madness around it. Its dozen full members have all been together since 1998 and its “Original” Six — Ohio (joined in 1946), Miami [OH] (1947), Western Michigan (1947), Toledo (1950), Kent State (1951), and Bowling Green (1952) — are well into their eighth decade of matrimony. Better yet, they all live in the same neighborhood, the league more compact than a Ford Fiesta. Consider: UT and BG are the only two schools in the 10 FBS conferences within 300 miles of every city in their league — no small luxury when you remember that, believe it or not, schools sponsor a lot of sports beyond football. All told, the MAC spans just 593 miles from DeKalb, Ill., to Buffalo. In no other conference is the longest trip less than 1,000 miles. The league makes too much sense.” Commissioner Jon Steinbrecher adds that the membership has done a “remarkable job” of being true to who they are. Lots more. (link) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UB92 Posted August 16, 2023 Share Posted August 16, 2023 This reads more like someone pushing all the benefits of a rotary phone relative to a smart phone. It reads like a justification for inaction. It’s a bit of an obituary. What if the MAC died and nobody noticed? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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