It's exactly 90 miles downriver on the Monongahela River. That'll float you right to the stadium. And in case you weren't aware, WVU does play games in Pittsburgh - albeit every other year. But those are games in Pittsburgh, none the less.

Are you funny?.Why would a major state school want to play its home football games 93 miles away from campus.But since the suggestion came from you, bitless it makes perfect sense.

I'm glad you agree with me. That's a first.

Western Kentucky is renovating their stadium and expanding the capacity to FBS standards. If UMass were to make the move, they could very well take those steps.

Joining the MAC would kill any chance of UMass EVER being taken seriously as an athletic entity. Why aspire for mid-major status with EXTREMELY LIMITED REVENUES, when you can aspire for BCS and a shot at the national title? The MAC schools are content to be in the Big-10's shadow forever!!! I'm sure UMass thinks better of itself, and certainly thinks it could achieve bigger and better things for its football program.

Enlarging the umass stadium,putting up lights, a new scoreboard,building practice facilities(indoor and outdoor) weight rooms, cost a bundle(like 100million).Getting into the MAC would be a fraction of that.If they can find the money thats great.However,do they have a real promise to join the BE football?

Bitcruncher and that other dude are right, UMass would kill their program if they played home games against Ball State and Eastern Michigan. Home games vs. UConn, Syracuse, and WVU is a whole new ballgame. They can expand McGuirk and their basketball team could play in the Big East right now. By the way, they would never want a MAC all-sports membership, that's stupid. The A-10 gets way more basketball bids than the MAC ever got. UMass, Memphis, UCF, and Temple for all-sports sounds good to me with a championship game.

Louisville Memphis UCF USF Cinci WVU

UMass UConn Syracuse Pitt Temple Rutgers

WVU and Pitt could switch

tigersharktwo Wrote:Enlarging the umass stadium,putting up lights, a new scoreboard,building practice facilities(indoor and outdoor) weight rooms, cost a bundle(like 100million).Getting into the MAC would be a fraction of that.If they can find the money thats great.However,do they have a real promise to join the BE football?

That's stupid logic. The MAC has a horrible fan base, get no money from their T.V. revenues, get very little national exposure outside of a team or two making noise on the national level and are in the shadow of the Big Ten. How would that be a better move then going to the Big East where they would get a ton of money to improve their facilities and athletic department!?

Why do you think Marshall left for CUSA?

Clawless if you do not have 100 million for facilities needed for the BCS level conference ,than its perfectly logical to go to the MAC.Mass wants to go to 1A ,but does not have the funds to join a bcs league. MAC Schools in its area include Buffallo,temple as well as eatern Ohio.

tigersharktwo Wrote:Clawless if you do not have 100 million for facilities needed for the BCS level conference ,than its perfectly logical to go to the MAC.Mass wants to go to 1A ,but does not have the funds to join a bcs league. MAC Schools in its area include Buffallo,temple as well as eatern Ohio.

It is stupid to bring up a Division I-A program into a conference that can't financially support it. What makes more sense, bringing it into a conference that would allow it's athletic department to receiving millions of dollars in revenue and a chance to build a fan base with national exposure. Or start up in a conference where, at best, the programs are receiving 6 figures (lower 6 figures in most cases) in funding?

Clawless you should contact the umass AD and tell how to finance the 100million he needs for facilities.At Louisville,UConn,Wvu BCS league status costs lots money,but at umass it will be different.

Obviously, we think we know what BCS affiliation can do for UMass.

The question is, what would UMass do for the Big East?

The Big East, per their website, already have three stations in Boston - WVCB, WMUR, and WLVI that carry the Big East regional Football Game of the Week.

Unless the league is losing all three stations, the BE has media coverage (or market reach) in Boston without UMass. And Massachusetts, IS Boston.

So, other than being in the geographic footprint and being a lower level Tier 1 academic institution, what do the Minutemen bring to the league that would justify immediate entry into a BCS conference?

This seems to be a non-starter for me.

Cheers,
Neil

omnicarrier Wrote:Obviously, we think we know what BCS affiliation can do for UMass.

The question is, what would UMass do for the Big East?

The Big East, per their website, already have three stations in Boston - WVCB, WMUR, and WLVI that carry the Big East regional Football Game of the Week.

Unless the league is losing all three stations, the BE has media coverage (or market reach) in Boston without UMass. And Massachusetts, IS Boston.

So, other than being in the geographic footprint and being a lower level Tier 1 academic institution, what do the Minutemen bring to the league that would justify immediate entry into a BCS conference?

This seems to be a non-starter for me.

Cheers,
Neil

I think you have this one nailed. Is there enough talent in New England to support a third BCS school?

HS Players going out-of-state to 1-A schools.....

Maine 2
New Hampshire 2
Vermont 2
Massachusetts 9
Rhode Island 2
Connecticut 7
Total: 24

Lean pickings for UConn and Boston College

Now compare to some of the other states with CUSA left overs

Florida (UCF) 214
Ohio (MiamiU) 70
North Carolina (ECU) 39
Tennesse (Memphis) 33


I don't think UConn would want competition in the talent scarce New England area from UMass......students included as UConn would like to think of themselves as the top public school in New England.

MWC-CHI Wrote:Western Kentucky is renovating their stadium and expanding the capacity to FBS standards. If UMass were to make the move, they could very well take those steps.

Western Kentucky to the bowl series is a very similiar situation to this whole UMass move up thing

1.Both have almost identically sized 20 million dollar budgets on the high end of championship series.

2.Both are known primarly for accomplishments in men's basketball.

3.A primary reason both are wanting to move up to bowl series is to get into a better conference.

Western Kentucky wanted to upgrade to the MAC but didn't have enough votes from MAC university presidents. They are settling on the Sun Belt for the short term but with their basketball program the long term is to get into CUSA.

What about UMass? Are they going to get into the ACC, certainly not with Boston College there?

Are they going to get into the Big Ten? UConn would find a spot in the Big Ten before UMass......it isn't happening

The very best UMass could possibly hope for would be the Big East. Without a doubt, they would have a better chance at the Big East if they already played at the Bowl level.

The MAC will take UMass into its football league no strings attached.....no entrance fee......fb only is okay.....Temple & Buffalo are already there.....really its an ideal situation for UMass short of a Big East invite.

WKU has won a National Champion in 1AA football recently!

USM@FTL Wrote:Joining the MAC would kill any chance of UMass EVER being taken seriously as an athletic entity. Why aspire for mid-major status with EXTREMELY LIMITED REVENUES, when you can aspire for BCS and a shot at the national title? The MAC schools are content to be in the Big-10's shadow forever!!! I'm sure UMass thinks better of itself, and certainly thinks it could achieve bigger and better things for its football program.

I'm sure UMASS would like to think of itself as a player in FBS if they joined.....BUFFALO thought the same thing and lobbied unsuccessfully for the Big East, ended up in the MAC and basically has stunk.

I think the UMass study will find what the WKU study found is that these days in almost all cases it is better to be a FBS school than an FCS school even it means playing in a low level conference.

Hypothetical (UMass to the MAC)

1.UMass could go from 250k paydays @BCS schools to 800k paydays. Money games are much more money in the FBS than FCS.

2. Attendance in general at home will be better as you now play in FBS.....maybe not that much better than the MAC but still you will have alums that wouldn't support it before.

3.Scheduling. UMass even in the MAC could get FB 1 for 1's with Army, Navy, maybe even UConn.....this will increase revenue and attandance. Miami (Oh) even has a 1 for 1 with Syracuse so it can be done.

4.Recruiting. If UMass sits on its duff in FCS they won't build up FBS level talent they need for the Big East. FBS and the MAC would get them going.

5. The MAC has a TV package with ESPN, 3 bowls, and a championship game. That is more national TV than almost the entire FCS. Once again, the MAC beats FCS.

TV revenue in the MAC is now I believe greater than the A-10 including basketball.

6.Academically the MAC has some of the best graduation rates in the country. It has a storied 60 year tradition far older than the A-10 FCS conference.

7.Another great thing about the MAC is you don't need to spend a lot on coaching salaries either. 300k will land you a nice football coach. The MAC doesn't bring in huge football revenues but is very cost efficient for its members.

WacoBearcat Wrote:I've asked this question before, but how many teams can the MAC absorb if any? Instead of adding teams, it would make more sense for the MAC to cut the dead weight and develop into a solid 9-10 team league.

The MAC is not like the Big East.....they don't throw members out unless an extreme case (Marshall in the 60's).

In principal, 9-10 would be a good number but who do you throw out?

NIU-Chicago
Ball St-Indiana
WMU-Detroit
Toledo-Toledo
Miami-Cincinnati
Ohio-Columbus
Kent-Cleveland
Buffalo-Buffalo

That is your core there.......but cutting is stil a problem.

The two biggest football schools in the MAC are WMU and Toledo......the two biggest rivalry games in the MAC are WMU/CMU and Toledo/BG..........so they would probably want to keep CMU and BG in the MAC.

Akron is a big rival for Kent State and has decent football so not much interest in dropping them. EMU is very good at the non revenue sports.......

If the 12 teams in the MAC were as follows....

West
Northern Ill.
Ball State
Western Mich.
Central Mich.
Toledo
Bowling Green

East
Miami
Ohio
Kent State
Buffalo
Temple
UMass

Most everybody would probably be happy but losing Akron/EMU would not make that much of a difference.

The MAC has gone over 13 members with Temple to bolster their ranks in case somebody in the MAC leaves to CUSA or another conference in the next few years.

tigersharktwo Wrote:Clawless if you do not have 100 million for facilities needed for the BCS level conference ,than its perfectly logical to go to the MAC.Mass wants to go to 1A ,but does not have the funds to join a bcs league. MAC Schools in its area include Buffallo,temple as well as eatern Ohio.

I've been wondering where this arbitrary $100 million figure came from. This fool must think he's on the legislative finance committee with all the figures in hand for the folks at UMass.

A fourteen team MAC could look something like this:

EAST
UMass
Temple
Buffalo
Kent State
Akron
Ohio
Bowling Green

West
Eastern Mich
Central Mich
Western Mich
Northern Ill
Ball State
Miami (OH)
Toledo