MAC Expansion?

[Sean Miller Fan]

UMass in. NIU out. They'll have 12 but should they expand? If its me, I add North Dakota State and South Dakota State. I realize the TV markets arent good but those 2 teams have Boise State-type potential and could elevate the league.

Also, what's up with the Dakotas/Montana dominance of FCS? The University of North Dakota doesn’t seem to ever be good but the other 3 Dakota schools plus the Montana schools make up most of the Final Four all the time.

 

[Upg bobcat]

Also, what's up with the Dakotas/Montana dominance of FCS? The University of North Dakota doesn’t seem to ever be good but the other 3 Dakota schools plus the Montana schools make up most of the Final Four all the time.

Those schools are like the 90s Nebraska. Get some big boys from the upper midwest and you can control the line of scrimmage. When you win in the trenches you give yourself a really good chance of winning the game.

As we saw with Pitt this year, when you have problems with your linemen, your whole team starts falling apart.

 

[steelcurtain55.]

UMass in. NIU out. They'll have 12 but should they expand? If its me, I add North Dakota State and South Dakota State. I realize the TV markets arent good but those 2 teams have Boise State-type potential and could elevate the league.

Also, what's up with the Dakotas/Montana dominance of FCS? The University of North Dakota doesn’t seem to ever be good but the other 3 Dakota schools plus the Montana schools make up most of the Final Four all the time.

I've been told NDSU probably will never make the necessary upgrades to move up to FBS. They are a middle of the pack FCS school when it comes to their football budget.

Why are they so dominant?

1. Elite Recruiting - they do a great job of identifying kids who have high ceilings but are late bloomers or were slept on in HS.

2. Player retention/development - they are willing to sit on a kid for 3-4 years and get him to physically develop. They're outstanding with OL/Fullbacks in this regard. They will take the 6'5 220 HS TE who isn't good enough to play TE at Wisky/Minny or Iowa, and let him develop for 2-3 years and line him up at Tackle and now they have a true athlete playing the position instead of some cement shoed 330lb tug boat that we've seen far too often at PITT.

3. Tremendous Coaching - year in and year out I think they're the best coached team in FCS and possibly FBS. Fundamentally speaking - they're aren't' much better.

4. Scheme wise - they believe in the "RPO" more then any team in football. By that I mean they're the kings of the A GAP POWER. "RPO" in Fargo means - "RUN POWER OFTEN!" Defenses that see Air Raid, Spread, etc really struggle vs. NDSU's pro-style scheme. The LB's have a hard time fitting against the physical nature of that scheme. The DL's aren't used to getting beat on the way NDSU plays.

 

[Las Panteras]

I've been told NDSU probably will never make the necessary upgrades to move up to FBS. They are a middle of the pack FCS school when it comes to their football budget.

Why are they so dominant?

1. Elite Recruiting - they do a great job of identifying kids who have high ceilings but are late bloomers or were slept on in HS.

2. Player retention/development - they are willing to sit on a kid for 3-4 years and get him to physically develop. They're outstanding with OL/Fullbacks in this regard. They will take the 6'5 220 HS TE who isn't good enough to play TE at Wisky/Minny or Iowa, and let him develop for 2-3 years and line him up at Tackle and now they have a true athlete playing the position instead of some cement shoed 330lb tug boat that we've seen far too often at PITT.

3. Tremendous Coaching - year in and year out I think they're the best coached team in FCS and possibly FBS. Fundamentally speaking - they're aren't' much better.

4. Scheme wise - they believe in the "RPO" more then any team in football. By that I mean they're the kings of the A GAP POWER. "RPO" in Fargo means - "RUN POWER OFTEN!" Defenses that see Air Raid, Spread, etc really struggle vs. NDSU's pro-style scheme. The LB's have a hard time fitting against the physical nature of that scheme. The DL's aren't used to getting beat on the way NDSU plays.

To your point, I am reminded of Brian O'Neill....a good athlete low star TE in high school that Chryst saw something...and turned him into a multi millionaire

 

[HailtoPitt]

 

[thebadby2]

To your point, I am reminded of Brian O'Neill....a good athlete low star TE in high school that Chryst saw something...and turned him into a multi millionaire

See also Central Michigan alums Eric Fisher, Joe Staley, Bernhard Rehmann, and Luke Goedeke, all good athletic H.S. TEs and basketball players when they came into college, all high draft picks at OT and year 1 NFL starters when they came out. Fisher was the #1 overall draft pick (Chiefs) in 2013.

As long as the player is willing to stay with the program, make the switch and learn the position, it's a proven way to develop O-tackles. Look for athletes with length, wingspan, good feet and a frame that can carry weight. Convince them that their best path to the NFL is at OT.

 

[steelcurtain55.]

JJ Watt went to CMU as a TE prior to transferring to Wisky.

 

[HailToPitt725]

UMass in. NIU out. They'll have 12 but should they expand? If its me, I add North Dakota State and South Dakota State. I realize the TV markets arent good but those 2 teams have Boise State-type potential and could elevate the league.

Also, what's up with the Dakotas/Montana dominance of FCS? The University of North Dakota doesn’t seem to ever be good but the other 3 Dakota schools plus the Montana schools make up most of the Final Four all the time.

I think the MAC would look at Middle Tennessee State and Western Kentucky before the Dakotas. The MAC was interested in those two before, and I still think NDSU (and especially SDSU) likes their current situation.

 

[AllegeneeGenacGenac]

Next up, Chicago State to the PAC-X.

 

[rmf05]

I've been told NDSU probably will never make the necessary upgrades to move up to FBS. They are a middle of the pack FCS school when it comes to their football budget.

Why are they so dominant?

1. Elite Recruiting - they do a great job of identifying kids who have high ceilings but are late bloomers or were slept on in HS.

2. Player retention/development - they are willing to sit on a kid for 3-4 years and get him to physically develop. They're outstanding with OL/Fullbacks in this regard. They will take the 6'5 220 HS TE who isn't good enough to play TE at Wisky/Minny or Iowa, and let him develop for 2-3 years and line him up at Tackle and now they have a true athlete playing the position instead of some cement shoed 330lb tug boat that we've seen far too often at PITT.

3. Tremendous Coaching - year in and year out I think they're the best coached team in FCS and possibly FBS. Fundamentally speaking - they're aren't' much better.

4. Scheme wise - they believe in the "RPO" more then any team in football. By that I mean they're the kings of the A GAP POWER. "RPO" in Fargo means - "RUN POWER OFTEN!" Defenses that see Air Raid, Spread, etc really struggle vs. NDSU's pro-style scheme. The LB's have a hard time fitting against the physical nature of that scheme. The DL's aren't used to getting beat on the way NDSU plays.

This nailed it. In addition, if you are going to FCS, they are THE destination program. So much so that some kids out west would actually rather play for them than a FBS mid-major. They've probably put more lineman in the NFL than some major conference teams.

 

[joeydavid]

To your point, I am reminded of Brian O'Neill....a good athlete low star TE in high school that Chryst saw something...and turned him into a multi millionaire

Narduzzi and staff are who "turned" Brian O'Neill into a multi millionaire.

 

[joeydavid]

JJ Watt went to CMU as a TE prior to transferring to Wisky.

JJ Watt had multiple P5 offers coming out of high school. The only school who was willing to take him as a TE was CMU. Everyone else saw him on the dline. Eventually, JJ started listening to better advice.

 

[Las Panteras]

Narduzzi and staff are who "turned" Brian O'Neill into a multi millionaire.

My point was taken, im quite certain

 

[steelcurtain55.]

JJ Watt had multiple P5 offers coming out of high school. The only school who was willing to take him as a TE was CMU. Everyone else saw him on the dline. Eventually, JJ started listening to better advice.

I thought the 2 P5 offers he had - Colorado and Minnesota wanted to convert him to an offensive tackle?

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

I think the MAC would look at Middle Tennessee State and Western Kentucky before the Dakotas. The MAC was interested in those two before, and I still think NDSU (and especially SDSU) likes their current situation.

Yea, they make look at WKU and MTSU again but CUSA seems like the better league now and you'd think those schools would rather be in a southern league than a rust belt league.

I think NDSU would move up with the right opportunity. They would have accepted a Mountain West bid. Is the MAC worth it to them? I dont know.

 

[HailToPitt725]

Yea, they make look at WKU and MTSU again but CUSA seems like the better league now and you'd think those schools would rather be in a southern league than a rust belt league.

I think NDSU would move up with the right opportunity. They would have accepted a Mountain West bid. Is the MAC worth it to them? I dont know.

We’ve touched on this before, but NDSU likes their current setup for two reasons:

• The Summit League revolves around the Dakotas (located in Sioux Falls), which means the shortest amount of travel for their athletic programs
• Obviously, they’re a “big fish” in a “small pond” at the FCS level

I think it’d have to be a big enough financial jump to move them up. Like you mentioned, I don’t think the MAC is worth it, and I’m not even sure the MWC in its future iteration. I would’ve said The American is a potential option, but they look like they’ll hold off on future expansion (for now).

 

[bayardstreet]

University of North Dakota is a hockey school. The biggest benefactor to UND played hockey there and has since past away but he became a multi millionaire construction type. He made a pile of money putting up buildings in Las Vegas. He gave a pile of money for their campus hockey arena. I have been to it and it’s fabulous. North Dakota State has an indoor stadium. It’s nothing special cosmetically but it really serves the well. They play football in it and they have a history of good football obviously.

The donor for UND hockey was Ralph Englestat. Check the spelling.

 

[joeydavid]

I thought the 2 P5 offers he had - Colorado and Minnesota wanted to convert him to an offensive tackle?

Dline from what I read and heard (interview) back in the day. Other P5 schools would have taken him as well but he was set on being a TE.

 

[Upg bobcat]

Narduzzi and staff are who "turned" Brian O'Neill into a multi millionaire.

It was Chryst who asked TJ Clemmings to switch from D line to O line.