(11-14-2021 11:36 AM)No Bull Wrote:  The MAC is the only path for UMass football. However, the MAC has zero interest, all sports or not.

You seem certain. I don't see this level of certainty in the MAC forum.

(11-14-2021 12:45 PM)Schadenfreude Wrote:  

(11-14-2021 11:36 AM)No Bull Wrote:  The MAC is the only path for UMass football. However, the MAC has zero interest, all sports or not.

You seem certain. I don't see this level of certainty in the MAC forum.

The MAC would want an all sports travel partner. Who would that be? WKU would already be a member if adding one team alone was acceptable.

Besides I am not sure that UMass would move their basketball to the MAC

Just go back to FCS. They are a bigger embarsssment than any other team in FBS.

Didn't the MAC just reject WKU & UMASS together? I definitely agree the MAC's not interested in UMASS at this time.

I wouldn't mind UMASS all-sports if we could find another New England area based team. But UCONN doesn't want all-sports & they'd be my pick. I think UMASS just needs to convince Delaware, Maine, etc. to go FBS.

I prefer WKU & MTSU in the MAC.

(11-14-2021 11:42 AM)bluesox Wrote:  U mass only goal should be to get into the big east. I think having no school in the Boston market is a huge void for the big east. It doesn’t really matter where their football program is if the get into the big east

Providence is closer to Boston than UMass.

(11-14-2021 02:01 PM)Bronco14 Wrote:  Didn't the MAC just reject WKU & UMASS together? I definitely agree the MAC's not interested in UMASS at this time.

I wouldn't mind UMASS all-sports if we could find another New England area based team. But UCONN doesn't want all-sports & they'd be my pick. I think UMASS just needs to convince Delaware, Maine, etc. to go FBS.

I prefer WKU & MTSU in the MAC.

If for no other reason than recruiting. Adding southern teams made senses. MTSU will regret their decision in a few years

(11-14-2021 01:28 PM)No Bull Wrote:  

(11-14-2021 12:45 PM)Schadenfreude Wrote:  

(11-14-2021 11:36 AM)No Bull Wrote:  The MAC is the only path for UMass football. However, the MAC has zero interest, all sports or not.

You seem certain. I don't see this level of certainty in the MAC forum.

The MAC would want an all sports travel partner. Who would that be? WKU would already be a member if adding one team alone was acceptable.

Besides I am not sure that UMass would move their basketball to the MAC

I think we know that the MAC isn't prepared to add Massachusetts in football only. If it was, the MAC would have made an announcement by now.

I'm not aware that Massachusetts is prepared to move all its sports to another conference, so it seems uncertain how the MAC would react to that.

(11-14-2021 02:01 PM)Bronco14 Wrote:  Didn't the MAC just reject WKU & UMASS together?

We can infer the MAC is not interested in UMass as a football affiliate. As far as all-sports, I'm not sure we know.

UMass does not need a P5 conference. Play as an independent and arrange a side-deal with the Fenway Bowl that gives UMass a bid if it is bowl eligible.

(11-14-2021 02:20 PM)No Bull Wrote:  

(11-14-2021 02:01 PM)Bronco14 Wrote:  Didn't the MAC just reject WKU & UMASS together? I definitely agree the MAC's not interested in UMASS at this time.

I wouldn't mind UMASS all-sports if we could find another New England area based team. But UCONN doesn't want all-sports & they'd be my pick. I think UMASS just needs to convince Delaware, Maine, etc. to go FBS.

I prefer WKU & MTSU in the MAC.

If for no other reason than recruiting. Adding southern teams made senses. MTSU will regret their decision in a few years

Would Central Florida sell their soul for 20 years to the MAC???

(11-14-2021 03:36 PM)All4One Wrote:  

(11-14-2021 02:20 PM)No Bull Wrote:  

(11-14-2021 02:01 PM)Bronco14 Wrote:  Didn't the MAC just reject WKU & UMASS together? I definitely agree the MAC's not interested in UMASS at this time.

I wouldn't mind UMASS all-sports if we could find another New England area based team. But UCONN doesn't want all-sports & they'd be my pick. I think UMASS just needs to convince Delaware, Maine, etc. to go FBS.

I prefer WKU & MTSU in the MAC.

If for no other reason than recruiting. Adding southern teams made senses. MTSU will regret their decision in a few years

Would Central Florida sell their soul for 20 years to the MAC???

I don’t think that anyone has confirmed a twenty year GOR.

(11-14-2021 04:00 PM)No Bull Wrote:  

(11-14-2021 03:36 PM)All4One Wrote:  

(11-14-2021 02:20 PM)No Bull Wrote:  

(11-14-2021 02:01 PM)Bronco14 Wrote:  Didn't the MAC just reject WKU & UMASS together? I definitely agree the MAC's not interested in UMASS at this time.

I wouldn't mind UMASS all-sports if we could find another New England area based team. But UCONN doesn't want all-sports & they'd be my pick. I think UMASS just needs to convince Delaware, Maine, etc. to go FBS.

I prefer WKU & MTSU in the MAC.

If for no other reason than recruiting. Adding southern teams made senses. MTSU will regret their decision in a few years

Would Central Florida sell their soul for 20 years to the MAC???

I don’t think that anyone has confirmed a twenty year GOR.

This is true, however, this could be a reason MTSU said no without giving a list of reasons why. I give MTSU the benefit of the doubt. They could reach out again later after CUSA negotiates a new media contract and after exit fees have been distributed to see what monetary value is there compared to the MAC.

(11-14-2021 04:04 PM)All4One Wrote:  

(11-14-2021 04:00 PM)No Bull Wrote:  

(11-14-2021 03:36 PM)All4One Wrote:  

(11-14-2021 02:20 PM)No Bull Wrote:  

(11-14-2021 02:01 PM)Bronco14 Wrote:  Didn't the MAC just reject WKU & UMASS together? I definitely agree the MAC's not interested in UMASS at this time.

I wouldn't mind UMASS all-sports if we could find another New England area based team. But UCONN doesn't want all-sports & they'd be my pick. I think UMASS just needs to convince Delaware, Maine, etc. to go FBS.

I prefer WKU & MTSU in the MAC.

If for no other reason than recruiting. Adding southern teams made senses. MTSU will regret their decision in a few years

Would Central Florida sell their soul for 20 years to the MAC???

I don’t think that anyone has confirmed a twenty year GOR.

This is true, however, this could be a reason MTSU said no without giving a list of reasons why. I give MTSU the benefit of the doubt. They could reach out again later after CUSA negotiates a new media contract and after exit fees have been distributed to see what monetary value is there compared to the MAC.

Very true. I also think they did the math and wanted to collect money from the 9 teams that left. I am wondering if MTSU figured staying made more monetary since for the next few years.

(11-04-2021 02:06 PM)UConnHusky Wrote:  UConn and UMass both being successful strengthen both programs.

True.

But it’s going to very difficult for either to succeed as an Independent.

(11-14-2021 02:48 PM)DFW HOYA Wrote:  UMass does not need a P5 conference. Play as an independent and arrange a side-deal with the Fenway Bowl that gives UMass a bid if it is bowl eligible.

You are dead wrong, independence is a strong head wind a struggle program can not overcome. There is zero media money and the A10 only provides 0.55M.

We need a good coaching staff and recruits. UMass football fans have been very vocal despite the Administration above the AD seem to be against rocking the boat. The basketball fans are coming around. Realizing the MAC has good basketball and not that much difference than the A10. The A10 use to be the best league without football. It's now the Big East which has raided the A10 and may do so again. The A10 peaked in 2014 with 6 bids and now becoming a 2 bid conference. Not much difference in payouts especially the way the 2 conferences distribute the NCAA credits. Believe in some years the MAC had the same amount of NCAA credits as not being 1 and done teams as the A10 has been performing.

The CFP money would offset any travel and the A10 is spread-out with St Louis Missouri, Davidson in North Caroline. Two more teams on the North Carolina border, 2 teams around DC and the Dukes in Pittsburg. There are 2 teams in the MAC footprint with Dayton and St. Bonaventure. Yes there is our only natural rival of URI, but their AD was a UMass football player and acting AD for UMass. He would surely be fine with scheduling us. As far as alumni down the eastern seaboard, we'd have to schedule some OOC games in that area and locally. It's convincing the Marty Meehan the UMass president and Kumble Subbaswamy chancellor.

From Wed, Nov 10th.

Quote:Regarding MAC basketball tonight
Akron lost with no time left against #17 Ohio State
Miami(OH) beat Georgia Tech.
Ohio beat an experienced Belmont team.
Toledo beat Valparaiso
Northern Illinois beats Washington

Basketball fans:

Quote:by TheInsider » Wed Nov 10, 2021 11:15 am

I agree with Steve's main point.. I don't care if the A10 is an 8 bid league if we finish 9th every year. When you look at the other sports, the MAC on average is just as good or better than the A10.. We wouldn't be sacrificing the competition level across the board for football.

Quote:by 69MG » Wed Nov 10, 2021 2:48 pm

I don't think I have commented on this subject, maybe once? I am not a big fan of the MAC as we don't have natural or regional ties with any of the schools. However, times have changed. When we declined to go all in, the A10 was a very strong BB conference and it would have been a major downgrade for BB to go there. There isn't nearly as much difference now in the 2 leagues for BB and the other sports are also relatively equal.

So as painful as it is for me to say this, if going to the MAC in all sports saves football I guess we should do it. I am a BB person far more than football and I will miss the A10. What I see, though, is the A10 losing some of the top teams to other conferences and that will hurt BB as well. That's my rationale for grudgingly saying yes to the MAC.

I understand the concern about independence - it's a topic that comes up at Georgetown, too. Playing in a football league, no matter how poor, beats the uncertainty of 11 new opponents every year.

UMass is not going to grow its fan base playing Northern Illinois or Western Michigan. Building some regional series with UConn, Army, Temple, and even Buffalo would allow UMass to get to a point where they are more attractive to a conference while still enjoying the benefits of the A10.

(11-14-2021 11:45 PM)DFW HOYA Wrote:  I understand the concern about independence - it's a topic that comes up at Georgetown, too. Playing in a football league, no matter how poor, beats the uncertainty of 11 new opponents every year.

UMass is not going to grow its fan base playing Northern Illinois or Western Michigan. Building some regional series with UConn, Army, Temple, and even Buffalo would allow UMass to get to a point where they are more attractive to a conference while still enjoying the benefits of the A10.

Fans care about good competition and winning! Agree to disagree with you. GW and UMass are the last continuous members left in the A10. Every other founding member is way better leaving the A10. We will be better as well. Having both sports on national television, ah, fans care about that.

Here's the issue with your argument that "the A-10 is spread out, so the travel in the MAC won't be an issue." The UMass Olympic sports teams rarely go to St. Louis, Dayton, or Davidson. And every other trip in the A-10 is closer than the nearest MAC school, excepting Buffalo. So all but one MAC trip will be a flight. Here's every UMass Olympic sports program's A-10 trips to Davidson, Dayton, or St. Louis in the last six years:

Baseball (3): Dayton 2019, St. Louis 2018, Davidson 2016
M Cross Country (1): Dayton 2021 (A-10 Championships)
M Soccer (6): Davidson 2021, Dayton 2019, Davidson 2019, St. Louis 2017, Dayton 2017, Davidson 2016
M Swimming: none
M Track: none
W Cross Country (1): Dayton 2021 (A-10 Championships)
Field Hockey (6): Davidson 2021, St. Louis 2021, Davidson 2019, St. Louis 2019, Davidson 2017, St. Louis 2017
W Lacrosse (2): Davidson 2019, Davidson 2017
W Rowing: none
W Soccer (7): St. Louis 2021, St. Louis 2020 (A-10 Championships), St. Louis 2019 (A-10 Championships), Davidson 2018, Dayton 2018, St. Louis 2017, Davidson 2016
Softball (1): St. Louis 2019
W Swimming: none
W Tennis (1): Davidson 2018. *full disclosure, the A-10 plays its tournament in Orlando at the USTA national tennis center
W Track: none

Of UMass' Olympic sports, only one team (Women's Soccer) needed to travel as far as the second closest trip in the MAC more than once per year on average. And in that case, two of the trips were solely because St. Louis was the regular season champ and hosted the league tournament. These teams would be trading one long trip inside the conference per year for six or seven.

Basically, the argument that travel in the MAC would not be worse is bunk. UMass football fans pushing for full MAC membership are basically saying "Our team sucks, and because of that, we need to join the MAC. And we don't care that it will adversely affect almost every other athletic program on campus."

(11-15-2021 09:48 AM)ccd494 Wrote:  Here's the issue with your argument that "the A-10 is spread out, so the travel in the MAC won't be an issue." The UMass Olympic sports teams rarely go to St. Louis, Dayton, or Davidson. And every other trip in the A-10 is closer than the nearest MAC school, excepting Buffalo. So all but one MAC trip will be a flight. Here's every UMass Olympic sports program's A-10 trips to Davidson, Dayton, or St. Louis in the last six years:

Baseball (3): Dayton 2019, St. Louis 2018, Davidson 2016
M Cross Country (1): Dayton 2021 (A-10 Championships)
M Soccer (6): Davidson 2021, Dayton 2019, Davidson 2019, St. Louis 2017, Dayton 2017, Davidson 2016
M Swimming: none
M Track: none
W Cross Country (1): Dayton 2021 (A-10 Championships)
Field Hockey (6): Davidson 2021, St. Louis 2021, Davidson 2019, St. Louis 2019, Davidson 2017, St. Louis 2017
W Lacrosse (2): Davidson 2019, Davidson 2017
W Rowing: none
W Soccer (7): St. Louis 2021, St. Louis 2020 (A-10 Championships), St. Louis 2019 (A-10 Championships), Davidson 2018, Dayton 2018, St. Louis 2017, Davidson 2016
Softball (1): St. Louis 2019
W Swimming: none
W Tennis (1): Davidson 2018. *full disclosure, the A-10 plays its tournament in Orlando at the USTA national tennis center
W Track: none

Of UMass' Olympic sports, only one team (Women's Soccer) needed to travel as far as the second closest trip in the MAC more than once per year on average. And in that case, two of the trips were solely because St. Louis was the regular season champ and hosted the league tournament. These teams would be trading one long trip inside the conference per year for six or seven.

Basically, the argument that travel in the MAC would not be worse is bunk. UMass football fans pushing for full MAC membership are basically saying "Our team sucks, and because of that, we need to join the MAC. And we don't care that it will adversely affect almost every other athletic program on campus."

Oh you missed the MAC. Women's field hockey last week lost in OT to #3 in the sweet sixteen
The men and women's team have made deep runs in the NCAA with Kent State elite 8 and multiple teams with the sweet sixteen.
The Akron men's soccer have been National Championships.
The MAC pays 2 MILLION more than the A10 and is on ESPN for both football and basketball.

Did you really have to pad your post with conference championships lol

Plus you are dead wrong with travel. URI and Fordham are bus trips along with 2 trips to Philly. Now the 2 DC teams are 8 hours and not that much more than the MAC. The rest are MAC like as noted earlier and some having a longer distance.

(11-15-2021 12:19 PM)Steve1981 Wrote:  

(11-15-2021 09:48 AM)ccd494 Wrote:  Here's the issue with your argument that "the A-10 is spread out, so the travel in the MAC won't be an issue." The UMass Olympic sports teams rarely go to St. Louis, Dayton, or Davidson. And every other trip in the A-10 is closer than the nearest MAC school, excepting Buffalo. So all but one MAC trip will be a flight. Here's every UMass Olympic sports program's A-10 trips to Davidson, Dayton, or St. Louis in the last six years:

Baseball (3): Dayton 2019, St. Louis 2018, Davidson 2016
M Cross Country (1): Dayton 2021 (A-10 Championships)
M Soccer (6): Davidson 2021, Dayton 2019, Davidson 2019, St. Louis 2017, Dayton 2017, Davidson 2016
M Swimming: none
M Track: none
W Cross Country (1): Dayton 2021 (A-10 Championships)
Field Hockey (6): Davidson 2021, St. Louis 2021, Davidson 2019, St. Louis 2019, Davidson 2017, St. Louis 2017
W Lacrosse (2): Davidson 2019, Davidson 2017
W Rowing: none
W Soccer (7): St. Louis 2021, St. Louis 2020 (A-10 Championships), St. Louis 2019 (A-10 Championships), Davidson 2018, Dayton 2018, St. Louis 2017, Davidson 2016
Softball (1): St. Louis 2019
W Swimming: none
W Tennis (1): Davidson 2018. *full disclosure, the A-10 plays its tournament in Orlando at the USTA national tennis center
W Track: none

Of UMass' Olympic sports, only one team (Women's Soccer) needed to travel as far as the second closest trip in the MAC more than once per year on average. And in that case, two of the trips were solely because St. Louis was the regular season champ and hosted the league tournament. These teams would be trading one long trip inside the conference per year for six or seven.

Basically, the argument that travel in the MAC would not be worse is bunk. UMass football fans pushing for full MAC membership are basically saying "Our team sucks, and because of that, we need to join the MAC. And we don't care that it will adversely affect almost every other athletic program on campus."

Oh you missed the MAC. Women's field hockey last week lost in OT to #3 in the sweet sixteen
The men and women's team have made deep runs in the NCAA with Kent State elite 8 and multiple teams with the sweet sixteen.
The Akron men's soccer have been National Championships.
The MAC pays 2 MILLION more than the A10 and is on ESPN for both football and basketball.

Did you really have to pad your post with conference championships lol

Plus you are dead wrong with travel. URI and Fordham are bus trips along with 2 trips to Philly. Now the 2 DC teams are 8 hours and not that much more than the MAC. The rest are MAC like as noted earlier and some having a longer distance.

What are you talking about? My list was of the number of times that UMass's non-football, non-basketball programs had to travel farther than the closest game they will have in the MAC. The A-10 Championships listed above were for travel- the cross-country championship was in Dayton and UMass had to go there.

ccd494 The three you featured the most are the furthest A10 universities and most MAC teams are closer than those 3 teams.

Football travel cost will be 100k less plus we'd have 2 Million towards flights, which would be less time for the students.

We'd have football on prime time ESPN and good ESPN coverage as the A10.

It's a better long term benefit for UMass Athletics.

What is the definition of an unstable conference. One with lots of membership changes as the A10 or CUSA, both have been weaken by conference realignment.

The MAC is a very good stable conference and nice home for UMass and the ONLY conference that makes sense with football.

Yes the travel is more but time wise no for the student athletes. OOC scheduling would have to be more local to compensate for the travel as OOC schedules have a lot of travel.

Driving Distance from UMass
16 hr 47 min (1,123.8 mi) via I-90 W and I-70 W St. Louis
12 hr 38 min (796.8 mi) via I-81 S Davidson
11 hr 31 min (776.1 mi) via I-90 W Dayton
8 hr 34 min (505.8 mi) via I-95 S Richmond
8 hr 34 min (520.3 mi) via I-84 Duquesne
8 hr 31 min (505.3 mi) via I-95 S VCU

Cut off of 8 hours for a bus trip.
7 hr 6 min (411.6 mi) via I-95 S George Mason
6 hr 53 min (394.7 mi) via I-95
6 hr 19 min (405.3 mi) via I-88 W and I-86 St Bonaventure
4 hr 58 min (264.6 mi) via I-95 St Joesph
4 hr 49 min (265.1 mi) via I-95 LaSalle
2 hr 44 min (152.7 mi) via I-91 S and CT-15 S Fordham
2 hr 9 min (115.6 mi) via I-90 E Rhode Island


MAC
5 hr 40 min (379.4 mi) via I-90 W Buffalo

Cut off of beyond 8 hours for a bus trip.
8 hr 48 min (591.5 mi) via I-90 W Akron
9 hr 24 min (579.8 mi) via I-84 and I-80 W Kent State
10 hr 20 min (687.1 mi) via I-90 W Toledo
10 hr 21 min (691.8 mi) via I-90 W Boland Green
10 hr 21 min (671.9 mi) via I-90 W Eastern Michigan
11 hr 16 min (696.3 mi) via I-68 W Ohio
11 hr 35 min (744.4 mi) via I-90 W Central Michigan
12 hr 19 min (822.0 mi) via I-90 W Miami
12 hr 34 min (828.0 mi) via I-90 W Western Michigan
12 hr 41 min (828.4 mi) via I-90 W Ball State
14 hr 48 min (975.3 mi) via I-90 W Northern Illinois