(03-29-2014 01:21 PM)johnbragg Wrote:  

(03-29-2014 12:51 PM)Steve1981 Wrote:  

(03-29-2014 09:58 AM)JMUsince89 Wrote:  Having played many times at UMass in Amherst their stadium really does suck ....Last game JMU played there in 2011,

Wow, you are a tool. Posting garbage about no hotels in the area and going on about a press box that no longer exists and team rooms that are gone as well. What do you think we just spent 38 million dollars on. Courtyard Hadley is the best hotel in the area, but there are many.

Google search Hotels near UMass

Assuming that Steve1981]JMUsince89 is truthful about who he says he is, he's a guy who's played in UMass' stadium, and in numerous other FCS stadiums. It's relevant information that UMass' stadium sucked by FCS standards as recently as three years ago.

Now maybe this has all changed since 2011. But 2011 is not that long ago. The fact that UMass' home field wouldn't pass muster for a practice field in the SEC is super-duper relevant.

With apologies for continuing a UMass-JMU feud on the AAC board, JMU's stadium was smaller than UMass's and as primitive until 2011, precisely the year being cherry-picked. JMU fans believe that UMass is located in Canada, and they're still traumatized by the Mud Bowl game. None of the complaints about the press box, coaches offices, locker rooms or field conditions hold true any longer. These are precisely the things that UMass has upgraded. The truth is nobody in the CAA had facilities worth a damn until Old Dominion showed up, and spooked JMU into building half of a nice stadium. Prior to that, UMass had the largest stadium in the CAA after Delaware, and UMass's facilities were still the best in the CAA North at the time it moved to FBS. They were never bad by FCS standards. They were very briefly bad by 2011 CAA South standards, where an arms race abruptly and unexpectedly took place. But UMass didn't make it to 3 times as many championship game appearances as JMU by having bad FCS facilities.

(03-29-2014 05:44 PM)LastMinuteman Wrote:  

(03-29-2014 01:21 PM)johnbragg Wrote:  

(03-29-2014 12:51 PM)Steve1981 Wrote:  

(03-29-2014 09:58 AM)JMUsince89 Wrote:  Having played many times at UMass in Amherst their stadium really does suck ....Last game JMU played there in 2011,

Wow, you are a tool. Posting garbage about no hotels in the area and going on about a press box that no longer exists and team rooms that are gone as well. What do you think we just spent 38 million dollars on. Courtyard Hadley is the best hotel in the area, but there are many.

Google search Hotels near UMass

Assuming that Steve1981]JMUsince89 is truthful about who he says he is, he's a guy who's played in UMass' stadium, and in numerous other FCS stadiums. It's relevant information that UMass' stadium sucked by FCS standards as recently as three years ago.

Now maybe this has all changed since 2011. But 2011 is not that long ago. The fact that UMass' home field wouldn't pass muster for a practice field in the SEC is super-duper relevant.

With apologies for continuing a UMass-JMU feud on the AAC board, JMU's stadium was smaller than UMass's and as primitive until 2011, precisely the year being cherry-picked. ...
They were never bad by FCS standards.... But UMass didn't make it to 3 times as many championship game appearances as JMU by having bad FCS facilities.

This sounds like a plausible argument. Let's consider the recent FBS callups: UTSA, Texas STate, South Alabama, Georgia State, Georgia Southern, Appalachian State, Charlotte, Old Dominion, UMass. 2.5 are using NFL or near-NFL stadiums, UTSA, Georgia State and UMass. Charlotte is building (has built?) a stadium from scratch. So having near- FBS-caliber facitilies in hand hasn't been a requirement to move up.

On the other hand, we're not talking about UMass moving from FBS to the AAC. We're talking about moving between conferences. And everyone who got a Big East/Conference TBA/AAC invite had far superior facilities who what UMass has, and in many cases had projects underway to improve those facilities.

I'm sure people will correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure Houston and Tulane were building their OCS's before their invites. SMU, UCF and UConn are in OCS's less than 20 years old, USF and Temple (and Tulane, for now) are in NFL stadiums, ECU has a very good stadium, the Liberty Bowl may be old but it's big and has history, etc. And Tulsa, well, Tulsa got picked last over UMass.

The pattern for the AAC schools (and for schools looking to move up) is to gamble on building the shiny toys and then the invite comes. It paid off handsomely for Rutgers, less so for UConn.

Tulsa on the field success is very justified. We need to prove things this year and is why Charlie Molnar was fired and Mark Whipple hired. You guys probably do not care but going to throw this out there.

Our opportunity to go FBS after waiting far to long came as a surprise as stars aligned. We had upgrade the field to field turf and install HD quality lighting with buy game money. But 17k was the right size for FCS football team.

We did not have a strong negotiation position with the Kraft Group and needed Gillette to go FBS. In fact the Council of Presidents voted us in in February and we did not announce till April specifically because of the negotiations with the Kraft Group.

The Kraft Group got all our games the first two years and 4 games through 2016. It did not make a lot of sense to expand the stadium for one or two MAC games during week nights in November.

This is specified in the following link in Article II Terms, Use & schedule.

We need to prove something this year and expand the stadium. Get that and wish you guys the best and hope a scheduling alliance could form until we are worthy.

Gillette Contract with UMass

If UMASS can get Army to join with it, I see an invite in its future. A conference has made such a request before: The PAC 12 required OU to bring TX with it to get into the conference.

(03-30-2014 03:40 PM)Underdog Wrote:  If UMASS can get Army to join with it, I see an invite in its future. A conference has made such a request before: The PAC 12 required OU to bring TX with it to get into the conference.

Umass is not feasible until it can give us minimum of 30K seat stadium... otherwise We are sorry, we feel you but it's just not going to cut it. ECU, Tulsa, Tulane all worked hard and invested for the invite to bein AAC. IT wouldn't be fair if we don't bring equal caliber football teams in... Like I said BYU to match UCF, ECU, Cinncy, Houston

Wicita to match Uconn, Cinncy, Memphis, Smu

(03-30-2014 03:46 PM)AACtopER Wrote:  

(03-30-2014 03:40 PM)Underdog Wrote:  If UMASS can get Army to join with it, I see an invite in its future. A conference has made such a request before: The PAC 12 required OU to bring TX with it to get into the conference.

Umass is not feasible until it can give us minimum of 30K seat stadium... otherwise We are sorry, we feel you but it's just not going to cut it. ECU, Tulsa, Tulane all worked hard and invested for the invite to bein AAC. IT wouldn't be fair if we don't bring equal caliber football teams in... Like I said BYU to match UCF, ECU, Cinncy, Houston

Wicita to match Uconn, Cinncy, Memphis, Smu

I think the school would expand its stadium if given an invite that required such an upgrade....

(03-30-2014 03:53 PM)Underdog Wrote:  

(03-30-2014 03:46 PM)AACtopER Wrote:  

(03-30-2014 03:40 PM)Underdog Wrote:  If UMASS can get Army to join with it, I see an invite in its future. A conference has made such a request before: The PAC 12 required OU to bring TX with it to get into the conference.

Umass is not feasible until it can give us minimum of 30K seat stadium... otherwise We are sorry, we feel you but it's just not going to cut it. ECU, Tulsa, Tulane all worked hard and invested for the invite to bein AAC. IT wouldn't be fair if we don't bring equal caliber football teams in... Like I said BYU to match UCF, ECU, Cinncy, Houston

Wicita to match Uconn, Cinncy, Memphis, Smu

I think the school would expand its stadium if given an invite that required such an upgrade....

You upgrade to GET the invite...

(03-29-2014 08:36 AM)PurpleReigns2012 Wrote:  

(03-28-2014 10:49 PM)Pony94 Wrote:  People must be too young to remember the last time Army was in a conference

Agreed. I also see the same thing happening with Navy and hoping we can avoid it somehow yet every time I mention dropping Navy people give me **** for it. Brand doesn't mean **** if the brand can't win, rather have a 12th team all in than a 12th and 13th only half in.


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Navy's been to 10 bowls the last 11 seasons you dumb ****.

(03-30-2014 06:26 PM)blunderbuss Wrote:  

(03-29-2014 08:36 AM)PurpleReigns2012 Wrote:  

(03-28-2014 10:49 PM)Pony94 Wrote:  People must be too young to remember the last time Army was in a conference

Agreed. I also see the same thing happening with Navy and hoping we can avoid it somehow yet every time I mention dropping Navy people give me **** for it. Brand doesn't mean **** if the brand can't win, rather have a 12th team all in than a 12th and 13th only half in.


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Navy's been to 10 bowls the last 11 seasons you dumb ****.

He really is just an awful, awful poster. I wish we could banish him to CUSA boards forever.

(03-30-2014 06:26 PM)blunderbuss Wrote:  

(03-29-2014 08:36 AM)PurpleReigns2012 Wrote:  

(03-28-2014 10:49 PM)Pony94 Wrote:  People must be too young to remember the last time Army was in a conference

Agreed. I also see the same thing happening with Navy and hoping we can avoid it somehow yet every time I mention dropping Navy people give me **** for it. Brand doesn't mean **** if the brand can't win, rather have a 12th team all in than a 12th and 13th only half in.


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Navy's been to 10 bowls the last 11 seasons you dumb ****.

Yeah so what? They picked their own schedule those 11 seasons. They won't be able to compete in a conference setting.


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(03-30-2014 09:55 PM)PurpleReigns2012 Wrote:  

(03-30-2014 06:26 PM)blunderbuss Wrote:  

(03-29-2014 08:36 AM)PurpleReigns2012 Wrote:  

(03-28-2014 10:49 PM)Pony94 Wrote:  People must be too young to remember the last time Army was in a conference

Agreed. I also see the same thing happening with Navy and hoping we can avoid it somehow yet every time I mention dropping Navy people give me **** for it. Brand doesn't mean **** if the brand can't win, rather have a 12th team all in than a 12th and 13th only half in.


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Navy's been to 10 bowls the last 11 seasons you dumb ****.

Yeah so what? They picked their own schedule those 11 seasons. They won't be able to compete in a conference setting.


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Playing devils advocate In PurpleReigns defense one glance at Navy's last 3 schedules (including 14-15). They have played (or will play):

San Jose St. 3X
Texas St. 2X
Western Kentucky 2X
South Alabama 2X
VMI 2X
Deleware
Toledo
MTSU
Hawaii
ECU (Remember that 56-28 asswhipping they handed us)
Central Michigan
FAU
Troy
Temple
Ga. Southern

Their P5 opponents include
Ohio St.
Rutgers
Indiana 2X
Duke
Pitt
Penn St.
Arizona St. (Bowl Game)

Traditional Opponents
Army 3X
Air Force 3X
Notre Dame 3X

That is 8 out of 38 games against P5 schools, and they've still only managed a 17-9 record the last two seasons. Now I imagine they will want to continue the series with Notre Dame, and are required to play AF and Army. That just leaves one more slot for an OoC opponent, you know they are going to want an easy game. How does this help the conference?

Why all the fuss about UMass. They have 2 years to play in the MAC yet where they will receive TV and other conference pay out money until they leave and they have options when they leave if the American doesn't pick them up. First I'd be looking at is the Sun Belt for FB only for the million dollar pay out per team CF playoff pay out money. While there they only have to fly south 4 times a year. They can play a couple P5 teams one home and one away a year, and play NE G5 teams plus one FCS team to keep the travel to a minimum for the other games. UMass should get long term contracts with Army, Temple, and Buffalo for regional rivalries, and rotate Rutgers, BC, UConn, and Syracuse in with 2 year home and away contracts. UMass should also work on long term November contracts with BYU to help each other out in November for games.

If UMass has to go independent for a while use the same regional scheduling method above with NE teams and BYU in the west along with scheduling agreements with the American, MAC and Cusa for some bowl opportunities at the end of the year. They could be an opponent in the Miami Bowl if need be or help fill the obligations in the Bahama, Mobile, and Boca Raton Bowls that the American might not fill.

UMass is further ahead of Villanova for FB when the BE offered them an opportunity to move up. At least they have an on campus stadium that is large enough to meet the minimum 15k limit for D1 FB. Add more concession stands and rest rooms along with at least 5 to 7000 more seats in the end and they will be fine to get started with a conference like the American. Larger sell out games could still be move to the Patriots stadium until they could expand the stadium again.

Certainly agree that the American should pick them up for all sports only if they can be brought in with Army FB only or BYU FB only to round out the American FB teams at 14 while bringing Olympic sports up to 12. Also believe that UMass will be brought for a NE replacement if UConn finds another P5 home.