Western Kentucky, Middle Tennessee State expected to join MAC

Kyle Rowland, The Blade, Toledo, Ohio
·3 min read
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Nov. 2—Who's ready for a trip to Nashville?

The Mid-American Conference is on the verge of expanding south, with two schools an hour's drive of the Tennessee capital expected to join the league, perhaps as early as this week, multiple sources told The Blade speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the discussions.

Western Kentucky and Middle Tennessee State, currently members of Conference USA, would expand the MAC to 14 schools and give the conference a southern footprint.

"They're like institutions, the brands are good, and maybe this helps in our effort to get more than one bid in the NCAA tournament," a source said.

Finances, however, will be the final decision point, the sources said.

Will Western Kentucky and Middle Tennessee State bring enough money into the conference to lift the bottom line of the other 12 schools? The thinking is yes.

"There's no urgency on our part. If we want to do something, we'll do so when it makes sense for us," a source said. "You expand for two reasons — to survive, and we're not in survival mode, and you expand to make yourself better and stronger."

Athletic directors from the MAC discussed adding the two schools during a lengthy call Monday. There was universal agreement from the 12 ADs that Western Kentucky and Middle Tennessee State should be extended invitations. MAC presidents, which meet on Monday evening, have the ultimate say in the addition of new member institutions, though it is thought to be a formality, one source said.

The expectation is that Western Kentucky and Middle Tennessee State would begin play in the MAC in 2023.

Their inclusion could be a death knell for Conference USA, which has already lost nine of its 14 schools in recent weeks to the American Athletic Conference and Sun Belt. Western Kentucky and Middle Tennessee State would become the 19th and 20th schools to change conferences since Texas and Oklahoma sparked a high stakes game of musical chairs by leaving the Big 12 for the SEC.

The addition of Western Kentucky and Middle Tennessee State would be a credibility boost in the two most valuable sports — football and men's basketball. (The MAC would maintain divisions in football.)

Western Kentucky has won two Conference USA championships since joining the league in 2014 and played in bowl games in six out of seven seasons. The Hilltoppers have been in seven of the last 20 NCAA tournaments, advancing to the Sweet 16 in 2008.

Middle Tennessee State joined Conference USA one year before Western Kentucky. In eight years, the Blue Raiders have won one division title in football and appeared in five bowl games. The men's basketball program has played in three of the past nine NCAA tournaments, upsetting No. 2 seed Michigan State in 2016 and fifth-seeded Minnesota in 2017.

This wouldn't be the first time the conference has looked outside its region for members. Marshall (1997 to 2005) was a member in all sports. Central Florida (2002 to 2004), Temple (2007 to 2011), and Massachusetts (2012 to 2015) all had stints as football-only members.

First Published November 1, 2021, 5:44pm