WKU Athletics: With MAC Movement Talks, How Could WKU Fit In? Featuring Q&A with Hustle Belt

We’ve heard from a few different sources that WKU (along with long time rival MTSU) could potentially become members of the Mid-American…

We’ve heard from a few different sources that WKU (along with long time rival MTSU) could potentially become members of the Mid-American Conference with talks within the MAC beginning today.

As far as moving to a new conference is concerned, the MAC is WKU’s last realistic hope so seeing this happening is definitely a good sign but if you’re like us, you’re probably wondering about the MAC.

To help us understand the MAC, we got Steve Helwick at Hustle Belt to answer some questions for us. Hustle Belt covers MAC sports as a part of SB Nation so be sure to follow Steve on Twitter as well as check out the Hustle Belt website and Twitter account.

The Towel Rack: For fans who may not be too familiar with the MAC, how well would you say things are currently going for the conference overall?

Steve Helwick: I’d say things are going, or at least were going… stable. The MAC often maintains its identity in an ever-changing college football landscape. Ten of the current twelve teams were members of the league in 1975. Each of the 12 active members has been a conference staple since the 1990s. In terms of the competitive product on the field, there’s more parity than ever in this conference. In the last non-pandemic season, eight teams attained bowl eligibility and no team in the conference finished with a better overall record than 8–5. After a wacky 2020 which featured two MAC teams in the final AP Top 25, parity reclaimed its reign. Now, picking winners in this conference oftentimes feels like throwing a dart while blindfolded.

And the MAC is still making noise in non-conference play. Excluding a 2020 season which featured adjusted schedules, the conference has recorded a Big Ten win in 15 consecutive seasons. This year, Minnesota currently leads the Big Ten West and Pitt currently leads the ACC Coastal. Both of those programs fell to MAC opponents in September.

TTR: A lot of us know that the last time the MAC tried to expand in 2011, things didn’t exactly go well. Do you think now, ten years later, would be a good time to try again?

SH: The MAC maintains such a strong brand as a conference due to its midweek #MACtion branding and its stability. Even the most casual football fans can identify which programs belong to the MAC. The two most recent “expansion” scenarios didn’t last long and neither felt like natural fits, especially when factoring in geography. Temple joined the conference from 2007 to 2011 before moving to the Big East for the 2012 campaign. Then, UMass resided in the conference for four years and compiled an 8–40 record before settling on independence. After witnessing these teams’ brief diversions into the conference, I’ll say the 12-team stable MAC just gives off a better vibe.

TTR: Geographically speaking, do you think there are any hesitations from any of the current schools in the MAC on potentially adding WKU and MTSU?

SH: The MAC has the least variability in geography of any conference. Still, I don’t think geographic concerns really matter in the business of college athletics at this point. In recent seasons, we had not only a conference matchup, but an annual division matchup between a team from Annapolis, MD and a team from Houston, TX in the AAC. Cincinnati and BYU are slated to share a conference as well… Anyway, there are two sub-5 hour drives from Bowling Green, KY to MAC locations — Muncie, IN and Oxford, OH. For Middle Tennessee, those locations are the only sub-6 hour drives throughout the league. It’s not ideal for fans in search of a road trip, especially for weeknight environments, but those drives aren’t completely unattainable.

TTR: How strong of a candidate would you consider WKU for being a potential member of the MAC?

SH: WKU is definitely the most intriguing candidate for MAC expansion. The Hilltoppers’ run as one of the younglings of the FBS produced magnificent results in instant fashion. WKU claims an AP Top 25 finish, four bowl victories, two conference championships, and two double-digit win seasons since 2014. Not many expansion targets for the AAC or Sun Belt can tout a similar résumé. Also, the Hilltoppers just have a cool identity. They’re renowned for trotting out one of the most beloved mascots in college athletics, their signature chrome dome helmets provide a unique branding aspect, and they produce quarterbacks that light up defenses for 400 yards on a regular basis. Although stability seems to be the preference in the MAC, all of these aspects make WKU the strongest addition the conference could pursue.

TTR: WKU’s football program has had some very exciting bowl games against MAC opponents in the past. Do you see the Hilltoppers being instant competitors in the conference if they were to join?

SH: The 2014 Bahamas Bowl is seriously one of the greatest football games of all-time. I’ve never seen anything like it. Central Michigan was a fade route decision away from tying the greatest comeback in college football history, and it was set up by the most impressive Hail Mary + lateral combination the sport has ever seen. The end of the 2019 First Responder Bowl was off the rails too, with Western Michigan’s mass substitutions drawing a penalty to set up Cory Munson’s 52-yard game winner. That being said, I guess this is the madness we should expect on a weekly basis if WKU joins the MAC.

Most WKU teams in recent years would have contended for MAC championships. The Hilltoppers often run an entertaining, explosive offense with a statistically-absurd quarterback like Brandon Doughty, Mike White, or Bailey Zappe — and producing flashy numbers is more than welcome in the MAC. For instance, Buffalo running back Jaret Patterson produced 409 rushing yards in a single outing and Kent State averaged an FBS-best 49.8 points per game in an abbreviated 2020 season. However, the league is very cyclical. Six different teams have won the last six MAC titles. All but two teams in the conference have punched tickets to Detroit for the conference championship game since 2015. So, it’s an expectation for MAC teams to operate as another spoke on an ever-turning wheel.

We’d like to thank Steve for his time answering our questions! Be sure to follow him as well as Hustle Belt as we continue to wait and see how this potential move plays out.