Martin

I think people are underrating just how solid NIU was in the MAC, and the fact that they did have some west coast ties. Obviously the program has torpedoed since, but when they were added they were recently ranked coming off a Notre Dame win, and had won mac titles recently. As for UTEP, they’ve been out of place in CUSA and have always belonged in a west coast conference. They have the wrong coach right now (nothing new for that program), but as a full member, they were the most seamless add out of any school, including Hawaii. The MW made the right calls with those schools, has it worked out great no, but there is no rational case to trying to add the dakotas, or the montana schools unless those schools were ready to pay what NDSU did.