(01-23-2017 10:37 AM)Rich52c Wrote: Stony Brook,Delaware,James Madison,Old Dominion,Marshall,Buffalo,Richmond,Ohio U,U Mass
Apparently DavidSt's unique strain of Tourrette's is catching.
Where else are schools like Delaware&JMU going to move up for their football programs.
certainly not to the Sun Belt
Where else are...? They're not. Simple as that.
If they want FBS, they'd better take any offer that comes along. Delaware and James MAdison have been I-AA since there's been I-AA, no need to rearrange anything for their benefit.
The power conferences (and this would include the Big East) are very, very unhappy with the idea of fewer at-large NCAA bids and more automatic bids. The Big East got special treatment because most years, the Big East autobid isn't taking away an at-large spot from a bubble team; and because he had widespread sympathy. Plans for new conferences will not be taken well. Look at the story of the Great West conference, and think very hard.
The Catholic 7 had been together as part of the same conference for 8 years, so I believe they met the NCAA continuity requirements to receive an autobid from the outset. The AAC (as the legal continuation of the Old Big East) and the WAC were both existing conferences, and were not subject to the continuity requirement. They were subject to sports sponsorship and membership requirements, but had two years under NCAA rules to restore compliance after losing members.
That doesn't matter anymore. The rule was rewritten to save the WAC. Continuity means that the conference has been playing a sport for 6 or 8 years, regardless of who has been in the conference playing the sport.
We got a waiver for a small list of reasons.
1. We're special snowflake blue-bloods who got done wrong by the football schools in realignment;
2. Because the pre-nup was written under the assumption of the old continuity rules. Without the pre-nup, the C7 would have faced a real dilemma whether to continue the hybrid with a mid-major football league, or veto any expansion, killing the football league and let the football schools fend for themselves.
3. Because an autobid for the C7 league isn't taking away a bid from a bubble team--9 years out of 10 the C7 leagues' autobid would be an at-large even if they didn't win the BET.
Sad news in the UMass Football family. One of our 2016 captains has passed away.
Michael Boland, OL, died suddenly this past Saturday at his family home in Maryland.
Press Release from UMass:
Quote:AMHERST, Mass. – University of Massachusetts football alum Michael Boland passed away suddenly at his home in Maryland on February 4.
"We are extremely saddened by Michael's passing and send our heartfelt condolences to the Boland family," Director of Athletics Ryan Bamford said. "Michael was a special young man whose considerable success in the classroom, in competition and in the community positively influenced our football program and this University."
A four-year letterwinner and team captain, he earned All-Independent honors as a senior following the 2016 season. Boland played in 43 career games and started 32 of his final 36 contests at right guard.
"Michael was a very special person," Head Coach Mark Whipple said. "He was an offensive captain and a role model for the young people on our football team, on the field and in the classroom."
Boland is survived by his mother and father, Pamela and Michael, Sr.; brother, Kelsey; and sisters, Brooke and Maggie. The family will receive visitors on Friday, February 10, at 10 a.m., at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church (9200 Kentsdale Drive, Potomac, MD 20854). The Memorial Mass will follow at 12 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Michael M. Boland, Jr. Scholarship Fund at Georgetown Preparatory School (10900 Rockville Pike, North Bethesda, MD 20852).
(01-22-2017 09:02 PM)Carolina_Low_Country Wrote: UMass needs to try to create a new conference.
UMass
Buffalo
Marshall
James Madison
Old Dominion
WKU
Middle Tennessee
Appalachian State
Charlotte
Coastal Carolina
Georgia State
Georgia Southern
Florida Atlantic
FIU
And...... What exaclty does UMass bring that makes it worth while for all these teams to ditch their conference.
This arrangement is no better than the MAC in any competitive way but the travel budget would be brutal.
So the problem with UMass football is so huge that we need to blow up existing conferences to solve it?
UMass should just bit the Bullet and ask to join the MAC for all sports. Get the MAC to give them an entry date that works with their current contractual obligations (say 2021) and get a clause in the deal that says if they are invited by the AAC or a P5 conference before then that they can forgo the MAC with no penalty.
Gives the MAC a few years to find the right 14th to add should UMass come in and gives UMass the time to see if the AAC is a pipedream or not.
Quote:UMass will send a bus with players and coaches from its football program to Maryland, Thursday night to allow them to attend the funeral of senior offensive lineman Michael Boland, who died suddenly on Saturday.
The NCAA now allows athletic programs to help their athletes get to funerals.
“We’re very thankful to be able to do that for them,” said UMass athletic director Ryan Bamford, who said the school is offering access to counseling to any one affected by his loss. “Through our division of student affairs we’ve set up some opportunities and done some outreach.
“There’s a grieving process for everybody,” he continued. “We want to respect the family and make we support them in every way. We want to be certain the 120 guys on the roster, who built a relationship with him in different ways have all the abilities to manage this moving forward.”
Bamford said Boland was an example of how the athletic department wants it athletes to represent it.
(02-09-2017 02:51 AM)Bull_Is_Back Wrote: So the problem with UMass football is so huge that we need to blow up existing conferences to solve it?
UMass should just bit the Bullet and ask to join the MAC for all sports. Get the MAC to give them an entry date that works with their current contractual obligations (say 2021) and get a clause in the deal that says if they are invited by the AAC or a P5 conference before then that they can forgo the MAC with no penalty.
Gives the MAC a few years to find the right 14th to add should UMass come in and gives UMass the time to see if the AAC is a pipedream or not.
UMass has done burned that bridge. Also to add UMass in 2012 they would need another add for that year to go to 14 just for scheduling and a keep the conference Football title game. Would be hard to have a title game with uneven divisions.
Quote:UMass at Temple Moved to Friday Night
February 09, 2017
AMHERST, Mass. – University of Massachusetts football's 2017 contest at Temple will move to Friday night, it was announced by the American Athletic Conference on Thursday.
Originally scheduled for Sat., Sept. 16, the Minutemen and the Owls will now play Fri., Sept. 15. Game time and TV info (ESPN family or CBSSN) will be announced at a later date.
The Minutemen return nine student-athletes who earned 2016 Phil Steele All-Independent honors, including senior tight end Adam Breneman, senior linebacker Steve Casali and junior running back Marquis Young. In December, Breneman was named a Campus Insiders Second-Team All-American, an ECAC First-Team All-Star and winner of the Harry Agganis Award (outstanding player in New England).
The Minutemen will play the first game of the FBS season, hosting the University of Hawai'i, on August 26. Nine of UMass' 12 2017 opponents played in 2016 bowl games with one American Athletic Conference Championship Game team (Temple) and the Sun Belt Conference Champion (Appalachian State).
2017 Schedule
Aug. 26 Hawai'i (Youth Sports Day)
Sept. 2 at Coastal Carolina
Sept. 9 Old Dominion (Hometown Heroes)
Sept. 15 at Temple
Sept. 23 at Tennessee
Sept. 30 Ohio (2017 UMass Hall of Fame, Faculty/Staff Appreciation Day)
Oct. 7 Bye
Oct. 14 at South Florida
Oct. 21 Georgia Southern (Homecoming, Breast Cancer Awareness)
Oct. 28 Appalachian State (Band Day, Senior Day)
Nov. 4 at Mississippi State
Nov. 11 Maine (Fenway Park)
Nov. 18 at BYU
(02-08-2017 03:22 PM)EmeryZach Wrote: Sad news in the UMass Football family. One of our 2016 captains has passed away.
Michael Boland, OL, died suddenly this past Saturday at his family home in Maryland.
Press Release from UMass:
Quote:AMHERST, Mass. – University of Massachusetts football alum Michael Boland passed away suddenly at his home in Maryland on February 4.
"We are extremely saddened by Michael's passing and send our heartfelt condolences to the Boland family," Director of Athletics Ryan Bamford said. "Michael was a special young man whose considerable success in the classroom, in competition and in the community positively influenced our football program and this University."
A four-year letterwinner and team captain, he earned All-Independent honors as a senior following the 2016 season. Boland played in 43 career games and started 32 of his final 36 contests at right guard.
"Michael was a very special person," Head Coach Mark Whipple said. "He was an offensive captain and a role model for the young people on our football team, on the field and in the classroom."
Boland is survived by his mother and father, Pamela and Michael, Sr.; brother, Kelsey; and sisters, Brooke and Maggie. The family will receive visitors on Friday, February 10, at 10 a.m., at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church (9200 Kentsdale Drive, Potomac, MD 20854). The Memorial Mass will follow at 12 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Michael M. Boland, Jr. Scholarship Fund at Georgetown Preparatory School (10900 Rockville Pike, North Bethesda, MD 20852).
Quote:As first reported by Matt Vautour of the Daily Hampshire Gazette, citing several UMass sources, the Minutemen are reportedly set to name former Western Michigan defensive coordinator Ed Pinkham to the same position.
Pinkham joins the Minutemen after four years in Kalamazoo, where he was part of the complete turnaround of the Bronco program under head coach PJ Fleck. Pinkham was a candidate to replace Fleck at Western when Fleck took the HC job with the Minnesota Golden Gophers, but Pinkham was not selected as Fleck's replacement and was subsequently not retained by new head coach Tim Lester. Pinkham's name was also floated to potentially follow Fleck to Minnesota as well.
Pinkham's defense over the last several years has been stout, particularly last season as the Broncos represented the Group of Five in the Cotton Bowl. WMU was ranked 26th in total defense last season in FBS, giving up an average of 353.6 yards per game. In contrast, the Minutemen ranked 99th, giving up 452.7 yards per game.
The Broncos scoring defense was also very good, allowing 19.5 points per game over their 14 games, including the MAC Championship and the Cotton Bowl. In 12 games the UMass defense gave up 35.5 points per game.
...
Pinkham has a tall task in front of him to get this Minutemen defense on the road to respectability. There is a good deal of talent on the defensive side of the ball for UMass, but it is fair to say that those talented players were lacking a clear direction over the past several years. An improvement defensively is critical for the UMass program across the board. 2017 is a year where the Minutemen need to start winning games on a far more regular basis, and a defense that doesn't impede that goal is a necessity.
In the author's opinion it is also nice to see a hire made from outside the program. We have no doubt that there are numerous quality and qualified coaches currently on staff with the Minutemen, but sometimes it is a good thing to go outside the box to look for a fresh perspective and some new ideas. Pinkham was in charge of a championship-caliber defense over the past several seasons, and his addition to the Minutemen staff will hopefully be a positive one.
(02-09-2017 02:51 AM)Bull_Is_Back Wrote: So the problem with UMass football is so huge that we need to blow up existing conferences to solve it?
UMass should just bit the Bullet and ask to join the MAC for all sports. Get the MAC to give them an entry date that works with their current contractual obligations (say 2021) and get a clause in the deal that says if they are invited by the AAC or a P5 conference before then that they can forgo the MAC with no penalty.
Gives the MAC a few years to find the right 14th to add should UMass come in and gives UMass the time to see if the AAC is a pipedream or not.
UMass has done burned that bridge. Also to add UMass in 2012 they would need another add for that year to go to 14 just for scheduling and a keep the conference Football title game. Would be hard to have a title game with uneven divisions.
The MAC had 13 for a while when Temple left but UMass was still around, so it can be done for a short period, but I agree the MAC would not do that unless there was a definite 14th. But I'm sure UMass would rather sputter and die on the FBS football vine rather than send their basketball to the MAC.
(02-09-2017 02:51 AM)Bull_Is_Back Wrote: So the problem with UMass football is so huge that we need to blow up existing conferences to solve it?
UMass should just bit the Bullet and ask to join the MAC for all sports. Get the MAC to give them an entry date that works with their current contractual obligations (say 2021) and get a clause in the deal that says if they are invited by the AAC or a P5 conference before then that they can forgo the MAC with no penalty.
Gives the MAC a few years to find the right 14th to add should UMass come in and gives UMass the time to see if the AAC is a pipedream or not.
UMass has done burned that bridge. Also to add UMass in 2012 they would need another add for that year to go to 14 just for scheduling and a keep the conference Football title game. Would be hard to have a title game with uneven divisions.
The MAC had 13 for a while when Temple left but UMass was still around, so it can be done for a short period, but I agree the MAC would not do that unless there was a definite 14th. But I'm sure UMass would rather sputter and die on the FBS football vine rather than send their basketball to the MAC.
It will be interesting to see where we are in 2021. While that large pool of basketball first fans are there, there is a slow sea shift towards football. If we start winning and are not in the AAC by then, think the MAC or CUSA eastern division is not as far off the table as you think.
(This post was last modified: 02-18-2017 07:12 PM by Steve1981.)
Not really, it could be helpful in the future with flexible scheduling but not exciting. We have one slot left for 2018, assumed a regional FCS game. We have not scheduled out 2019 and will probably wait until the final fours next year. It's a delicate balancing act of not scheduling too far out in case a conference home becomes available.
Quote:Pinkham is a smart guy, no question. Most WMU fans wanted him to stay on as DC when PJ Fleck left.
You got a good one
Quote:I think most WMU fans wanted him to stay as DC after the coaching change. The one major strength he brings as a DC is halftime adjustments. He also has a lot of coaching experience.
Quote:He is OUTSTANDING!
I would have been pleased if WMU hired him for head coach.
You got a good one!
Quote:He was the best available hire for DC at the time, IMO. He was a good one. He left because he didn't get the HC position -- and came from a G5 Ranked Team, which is about as good a source as you can get. Feel blessed having got him.
Quote:I predict that UMass fans will like him. Good coach.
(This post was last modified: 02-19-2017 01:59 PM by Steve1981.)
(02-18-2017 06:39 PM)Erictelevision Wrote: Would the AAC make sense, would they want each other?
UMASS would love to invited to the AAC. In fact, I think that's what they are actively campaigning for. Doesn't make much sense for the AAC though. The only school it may benifit is Uconn, and I don't hear Uconn saying they want UMASS in at this point. Good school, State flagship with some good history in basketball, but football is so far behind that I don't even know if they'll survive as FBS. JMHO.
Cheers!
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