(01-22-2017 11:06 PM)billybobby777 Wrote:  

(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

It won't work unless they snag an obvious choice....that a choice a lot AAC fans (and Uconn fans) wouldn't like: Uconn. They are the flagship of any true New England conference.
Uconn, UMASS, Buffalo, Army, James Madison, Old Dominion. Delaware, Maine They'd have to get 2 FCS schools to move up. Delaware and Maine and James Madison have a lot of history, and Uconn, UMASS. Buffalo, Old Dominion have paved the way. I think that's what's hurting UMASS and even Uconn: not enough geographic rivals. That's what college football is all about. JMHO.
Cheers!

I agree with the lack of local rivals hurts college football and is one of the reasons that the AAC is a clear first hope for UMass with longtime football rival UConn and longtime basketball rival Temple. The distant chance of plan B, CUSA with and Eastern Division of UMass, ODU, JMU, Charlotte, Marshall, Western Kentucky, Middle Tennessee, and a Florida team contain some elements of rivals. But not to the extend of and success of the AAC. The AAC is the only one that is in the same range of quality as the A10 BB.

We have some history with JMU with football and a tiny bit with ODU, A10 history with Charlotte and several BB series with Marshall as we both shared Bob Marcum as an AD. Believe neither universities were thrilled with him as an AD.

Ironically in 2019 we have 7 games scheduled and 3 are with CUSA teams. If we did go that route, the 4 remaining games would fill the schedule and three of those teams could be consider local with UConn, Maine and Army. Two of those would be old Yankee Football longtime rivals.

http://www.fbschedules.com/ncaa-19/2019-...hedule.php

A new conference is just fantasy and not worth discussing, even thou it's been done a number of times.