Let's hear the early predictions for the MAC cross country.
Eastern and Akron battle it out on the men's side.
Miami and Toledo battle it out on the women's side.
What say you?
Let's hear the early predictions for the MAC cross country.
Eastern and Akron battle it out on the men's side.
Miami and Toledo battle it out on the women's side.
What say you?
I heard from one of my running buddies that Miami has cut scholarships from their men's team and they are now only allowed to give out a few partial distance scholarships only. He sounded pretty sure that the administration was taking away money from cross country and track to give to the new football staff. Seems like most of the MAC programs have had this happen to them by AD's. Didn't about 5-6 MaC men's programs get whacked? And the funny part is that MAC football is a joke.
The MAC is a D2 conference
So what you are saying is you don't think the Miami men will win.
more destruction of MAC wrote:
I heard from one of my running buddies that Miami has cut scholarships from their men's team and they are now only allowed to give out a few partial distance scholarships only. He sounded pretty sure that the administration was taking away money from cross country and track to give to the new football staff. Seems like most of the MAC programs have had this happen to them by AD's. Didn't about 5-6 MaC men's programs get whacked? And the funny part is that MAC football is a joke.
Rumor isn't true and Miami pulled in a solid recruiting class. Not saying they will win but they'll be up there in the top 2-3.
brings up a good question. what kind of recruits did everybody get? any big impact newcomers?
CMU returns everyone from last year on the mens side. If all their guys are healthy i dont see why they couldnt compete with akron and eastern. The women should be strong as well. I dont know if either can win but they should gove a good showing, especially with the MAC meet at home
RIP MAC wrote:
The MAC is a D2 conference
Good one and so original to call anything outside of the five major conferences "D2".
BG could be a sleeper pick on the mens side. Not that they'll win, but they picked up a couple of low 16/high 15 5k guys. They could be up there
A sleeper pick to not get last?
I mean they won't get last this year, haha an improvement from last year, but they define try have some solid talent in the works that in the next few years could make some moves. But personally I think that no one can touch eastern. I swear they import Kenyans
When you put teams in order, you get Toledo last, BG 8th, Buffalo 7th, Ohio 6th, Kent St 5th, and Miami 4th. After that anything can go
It has nothing to do with being outside of the 5 majors and everything to do with the cutting of men's programs and lazy recruiting and a total lack of development of the shoddy recruits the schools do get. Eastern's men are so over reliant on international talent and still can't do anything team-wise.
For what it's worth, I ran in the conference when it was relevant and competitive on the "major" D1 level and all I see is a shell of what it used to be. Go ahead and tell yourself that I'm using a cliche, but really what's going on here is the continued regression of a once great conference.
And the answer to your post is that the MAC WAS a great conference until these young AD's came in and started trying to make a name for themselves by cutting men's track/reducing men's track budgets to give to football. Please don't get me started on that. When you slash men's track it does have an effect on recruiting, and ones ability to have competitive teams. One team that I know of has a budget in 2014 that is LOWER than in 1999. How are they supposed to survive. You can blame the coaches all you want, but when a coach wins the conference and goes to the NCAA, then 5-7 years later is trying to keep the program afloat and has no support that is not his/her fault. The MAC is not what it used to be, but that in large part is due to the reckless manner in which the AD's have focused on putting all resources toward football.
You boys should make it clear that you're talking about the men's side of the MAC. The women's side is up there with any mid-major conference in the country right now.
its great that we are reminiscing on the good old days but how about we get back to the predictions.
Perhaps it was better in the old days, but it's not like there aren't funding cuts in a lot of other conferences too. Aside from the ACC, SEC, BIG 10, BIG 12, PAC 12 and Ivy League what other conferences are significantly better?
Anyways
I think Miami can compete up in that top group which is a toss up. On the track side of things, it looks like Akron pulled in two really talented freshman (3:44, 3:48 1500 guys). And it looks like Miami has some solid freshman/underclassmen for a nice mid-distance core down the line as well. We'll see if Akron can continue to develop those two freshman and take the next step to be national contenders.
Anybody hear Croghan is no longer at Kent?
OU was 4th last year and has everyone back, they comin for scalps this year!
EMU returns the following from the MAC meet last season:
8, 11, 15, 16, 37
CMU returns:
4, 7, 17, 33, 43
Akron: