(04-17-2018 01:48 PM)Kruciff Wrote:  1. Convince UConn you are valuable as a regional partner

It hasn't been the most consistent rivalry (especially since UCONN went to FBS) but seeing how the U-Game goes back to 1897... if they don't see us a valuable regional partner, I don't even know what to say. And honestly the 31 years Temple spent in the A10 should probably mean something too, even if (maybe) that heat between Chaney and Calipari still means more to us than them.

(04-17-2018 01:48 PM)Kruciff Wrote:  2. Bring Army with you

It's like you're reading my mind.

(02-25-2018 12:35 AM)McKinney Wrote:  As a member of both a UMass and West Point family of course I'm biased, but I'd like to see Army (football-only), Dayton or VCU (basketball and olympics), and UMass (all sports) to join. That would solidify AAC's hold in the Northeast and The American would have (or have the possibility to develop) some great inter-conference rivalries: Army-Navy, War on I-4, U Game (or Temple, either would be good), and either Houston-Memphis (I understand this is always a close and emotional game) or Houston-SMU (geographic, but not a lot of history yet) come to mind.

(04-17-2018 01:48 PM)Kruciff Wrote:  3. Level McGuirk, and build anew on your own campus

We don't even have to level McGuirk to build anew. Land is not an issue on this campus, the issue is money. :(

(04-17-2018 01:48 PM)Kruciff Wrote:  4. Upgrade football and basketball facilities across the board

Basketball just got a new facility a couple years ago, it's still one of the best in the A10 and probably one of the best in the AAC as well. https://www.umass.edu/cp/champions-center
https://twitter.com/UKCoachCalipari/stat...8478667776

But yes football needs an IPF very badly, supposedly things are in the works for that.

(04-17-2018 01:48 PM)Kruciff Wrote:  5. Upgrade football and basketball staff across the board.

This goes back to the money issue, but I think basketball is in a good place under McCall. I don't know what to do about Whipple. Getting rid of him would mean getting rid of the third coach in six years (second in FBS)... every single one for performance. That could unravel a lot of instability, something we don't need more of while we're in independence. I'd love to see some coordinator and staff changes. IMO we need an offensive coordinator or co-OC and a new OLine guy. I think you could knock out both of those with one hire. Thankfully special teams coordinator was addressed at the end of the season, although they replaced him with an internal hire of the former linebackers coach. That's certainly not the craziest hire, but I think it does show a lack of money to "throw at the problem" so to speak. I do have confidence (despite lack of specific experience) he'll get the job done though. He appeared to be a good position coach and obviously a good bit of that will carry over. We'll just have see how he is in the coordinator role.

(04-17-2018 01:48 PM)Kruciff Wrote:  6. Win.

I think they're getting there. That's certainly the biggest part of the problem from a cultural as well as conference affiliation standpoint.

(04-17-2018 01:48 PM)Kruciff Wrote:  But then, these strategies aren't unique to UMass... all told they could be applied to USM, ODU, Charlotte, and a handful of others... and I'd say those programs are closer to those goals than UMass, albeit nowhere near complete.

UMass does have the advantage of being the institution that it is. While the AAC is probably the most competitive G5 (tweener) conference, it is also probably the most academically competitive G5 conference. The AAC has more nationally competitive institutions in its membership than any other G5 except for maybe MWC(?). Adding Massachusetts and Army West Point would only help to secure that.

UMass also taps into more TV sets than USM, ODU, and Charlotte with 185,526 system alumni in the #9 TV market, with a little more than a third of those being from the flagship. Of course there's still a lot of work to be done before anyone (even intrasystem alumni, let alone just regular folks from the Bay State) recognizes it as their team. But if we're still at a point where TV markets matter... the potential is huge. Compare that to ODU: 37,628 Norfolk (#42) and USM: 10,720 Hattiesburg (#168). Charlotte comes close with 62,481 in the Charlotte (#22) area, but potential system alumni seem less likely, although they they do have the leg up on being an urban campus (and the city pride that goes along with that). And of course all three have more established college football cultures (although I'd think that Charlotte probably suffers from similar pro-market competition).

While ODU and Charlotte may have more "public" plans available I'd think that their stadiums are just as bad as McGuirk, no? I will say that ODU is probably much closer in terms of being able to fund their stadium upgrade. They have crazy support. Southern Miss definitely is ready in terms of stadium and competition. ODU has proven itself on the field too (although we did rank higher than the Monarchs this year in FEI, S&P+, and Sagarin, despite losing to the Monarchs 17-7). Charlotte? I don't think so. They're either at our level (at least in terms of lack of wins) or below (they've never finished ranked higher than Massachusetts in FEI, S&P+, or Sagarin).

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