Association football, that is. Maybe those who follow the sport more saw this coming, but the West Virginia Mountaineers have become the eighth member of MAC men's soccer.
With West Virginia's much-ballyhooed move from the Big East to the Big 12, they need a home for their men's soccer team since their new conference doesn't sponsor it. And you know, the MAC is actually a pretty decent soccer conference, what with Akron's national championship run and Northern Illinois pecking its way into the tournament last year.
WVU also made the tournament last year, winning a first round game against Xavier 2-1. So that makes three teams in the MAC this coming calendar year that not only made the NCAA tournament but won at least one game.
Geographically it makes sense too. Then again compared to FAU everything makes sense geographically.
The teams are now:
Akron
Bowling Green
Buffalo
Florida Atlantic
Hartwick
Northern Illinois
West Virginia
Western Michigan
I don't know if soccer is the key to establishing the MAC as a sports powerhouse, but they do seem to be getting even stronger lately. Although with Akron coach Caleb Porter leading the U-23 team to elimination from the Olympics ... maybe not as much as we thought.\
And if you want to bring your other sports teams to the MAC in the future ... y'know, we're all for that.