This is not intended to dump on UMass, I'm genuinely curious. With the Army/AAC news that's a fourth independent in this realignment cycle to join a conference. UMass has (or had) Army on their schedule for the next 5 years which you'd figure will be altered if not eliminated altogether (Army will have 8 AAC games, Navy, and Air force leaving only two additional non-conf games a year.) While BYU/Liberty/NMSU weren't annual foes they did play UMass multiple times which made sense to shore up their schedules. Logistically, it's looking like independence for anybody not named Notre Dame may become untenable soon.

Obviously UMass would prefer to be in the AAC but they haven't been a contender over any of the now three times that conference has lost one or multiple schools. Given that, the three options I can see are:

1) Join the MAC for all sports with another eastern-ish school, I guess Delaware has been floated. Pros, it provides for a permanent home for football, cons, you're in a midwestern league where your closest rivals are Buffalo and Delaware (or whoever) who aren't actually close and you have no significant history with.

2) Join CUSA as FB only. Pros, it's a home for football at least, and you keep your other sports in the A-10, cons, pretty much everything else.

3) Stay indy, stay A-10. Is this really sustainable at this point? Because it just seems like it's a path to the football program dying on the vine.

Interested in thoughts. I don't take any joy from you all being in this position either. Good luck whatever happens.

(10-25-2023 03:59 PM)Just Joe Wrote:  This is not intended to dump on UMass, I'm genuinely curious. With the Army/AAC news that's a fourth independent in this realignment cycle to join a conference. UMass has (or had) Army on their schedule for the next 5 years which you'd figure will be altered if not eliminated altogether (Army will have 8 AAC games, Navy, and Air force leaving only two additional non-conf games a year.) While BYU/Liberty/NMSU weren't annual foes they did play UMass multiple times which made sense to shore up their schedules. Logistically, it's looking like independence for anybody not named Notre Dame may become untenable soon.

Obviously UMass would prefer to be in the AAC but they haven't been a contender over any of the now three times that conference has lost one or multiple schools. Given that, the three options I can see are:

1) Join the MAC for all sports with another eastern-ish school, I guess Delaware has been floated. Pros, it provides for a permanent home for football, cons, you're in a midwestern league where your closest rivals are Buffalo and Delaware (or whoever) who aren't actually close and you have no significant history with.

2) Join CUSA as FB only. Pros, it's a home for football at least, and you keep your other sports in the A-10, cons, pretty much everything else.

3) Stay indy, stay A-10. Is this really sustainable at this point? Because it just seems like it's a path to the football program dying on the vine.

Interested in thoughts. I don't take any joy from you all being in this position either. Good luck whatever happens.

UMass is facing a very difficult decision, one that likely will come down to Options 1 and 2 that you list.

I definitely wish UMass well. The fans of the school who post on this board seem like a classy and likable bunch.

UMass is in a better position than Delaware since they are already FBS and by being in the A10 which doesn't have FB has flexibility.

Delaware I don't think could put FB in the MAC while having CAA membrership since the CAA has FCS FB.

If UConn wants to compete in the MAC FB then UMass FB only to the MAC sounds feasible as its a good rivalry.

We know we need to get into a conference, and right now the AAC is the goal. That's not at all likely though, but people seem to be holding out hope for it one way or the other. The irony is that had we stayed in the MAC and continued to improve like the signs were showing in our last 2 years we may have been considered for the AAC at this point.

The most likely thing that would happen, if we get into a conference, would be in the MAC with Delaware. Buffalo and Delaware are both fine permanent rivals for us, and some of the rest of us also enjoy playing Ohio. However I feel that this would still be viewed as a temporary stop, with the next goal ultimately being the AAC after we get our **** together. It's certainly been a tough ride for us of late, and those of us who still stick around tend to be the most insane ones who love the punishment. The only relief we get is from Hockey, and even that is only a recent change.


Independence it tough. It's about to get tougher. We still have UConn (and hopefully would after joining a conference), but that's one game a year.

I think they tried FB only with CUSA but got turned down. CUSA seems stable for now so they don’t need a member far from anyone else and isn’t very good.

(10-25-2023 04:40 PM)AssKickingChicken Wrote:  I think they tried FB only with CUSA but got turned down. CUSA seems stable for now so they don’t need a member far from anyone else and isn’t very good.

No one is going to take us football only at this point...at least not without something crazy happening.

In order to get in a conference we'll need to go all in.

Why the MAC & C-USA don't take UMASS as FB only is beyond me
Massachusetts is the 13th most populous state,
given a chance to grow, UMass would be asset to both conf.
furthermore another school would help with burden of playing tues, & wed nights.

AAC another conf that could help UMass to grow
quaint frankley AAC is running out of options & should have money left from SMU leaving
Memph, USF, Tulane, Temple are mentioned as backfill for B-12 & ACC, MWC goes after Tex schools.
AAC loses any more schools, conf would be merging with C-USA

U Mass and UConn have 1 saving grace. With 5 ND game and 17 ACC members there will be 7ish weeks an ACC opponent will need an opponent in the middle of conference play. This could help them as Liberty is no longer available for buy games.

(10-25-2023 04:55 PM)templefootballfan Wrote:  Why the MAC & C-USA don't take UMASS as FB only is beyond me
Massachusetts is the 13th most populous state,
given a chance to grow, UMass would be asset to both conf.
furthermore another school would help with burden of playing tues, & wed nights.

AAC another conf that could help UMass to grow
quaint frankley AAC is running out of options & should have money left from SMU leaving
Memph, USF, Tulane, Temple are mentioned as backfill for B-12 & ACC, MWC goes after Tex schools.
AAC loses any more schools, conf would be merging with C-USA

I don't think they really want a "growth opportunity" of a team, especially when it should be obvious that their conferences aren't the goal.

We've got a very tough road ahead of us, unfortunately.

(10-25-2023 04:40 PM)AssKickingChicken Wrote:  I think they tried FB only with CUSA but got turned down. CUSA seems stable for now so they don’t need a member far from anyone else and isn’t very good.

Yeah, CUSA needed one more school to have the inventory for the October midweek games ... and picked Kennesaw State. So that's not a live option at this point in time.

(10-25-2023 05:02 PM)BruceMcF Wrote:  

(10-25-2023 04:40 PM)AssKickingChicken Wrote:  I think they tried FB only with CUSA but got turned down. CUSA seems stable for now so they don’t need a member far from anyone else and isn’t very good.

Yeah, CUSA needed one more school to have the inventory for the October midweek games ... and picked Kennesaw State. So that's not a live option at this point in time.

The CUSA also needed full members as opposed to Football only. We were only offering Football only.

There was no reason, after they got the numbers, to even look at us. It would be another mouth to feed that would then abandon the conference as soon as the AAC needed a backfill and we became at least a passable team.

with 7 schools, how on God's green earth did C-USA decline UMass
SHST located in 1 horse town
Jax St got nice program, there #6 in Ala and people think there in Fla
KSU sounds div1AA

C-USA had shot at ArkLR & Tex Arl
that's 8 FB, 9 BB, now you start chasing MVC schools

(10-25-2023 05:08 PM)templefootballfan Wrote:  with 7 schools, how on God's green earth did C-USA decline UMass

Because they suck.

Quote:SHST located in 1 horse town

They had just won a national championship.

Quote:Jax St got nice program, there #6 in Ala and people think there in Fla

They know the difference between “there” and “their”. And where is Temple supposed to be?

Quote:KSU sounds div1AA

They have never been in div1AA. They were in FCS and did well and earned a promotion. They are also in a major city and not in the backwoods of Massachusetts.

Quote:C-USA had shot at ArkLR & Tex Arl
that's 8 FB, 9 BB, now you start chasing MVC schools

They got kicked out of the Sun Belt for not having football. Kind of like Temple got kicked out of the Big East for not having football that didn’t suck.

CUSA doesn’t want to be a hybrid league like the one Temple was in that fell apart. Either play everything or get lost. Sponsoring football is a requirement for CUSA membership. Have fun with Army, who was once in CUSA but left because they sucked.

(10-25-2023 05:08 PM)templefootballfan Wrote:  with 7 schools, how on God's green earth did C-USA decline UMass
SHST located in 1 horse town
Jax St got nice program, there #6 in Ala and people think there in Fla
KSU sounds div1AA

C-USA had shot at ArkLR & Tex Arl
that's 8 FB, 9 BB, now you start chasing MVC schools

Football only doesn't help a conference that small. They needed full members in order to become somewhat stable.

(10-25-2023 04:55 PM)templefootballfan Wrote:  Why the MAC & C-USA don't take UMASS as FB only is beyond me

In the MAC's case, 13 is not a great number. That's why the affiliation was disbanded some years ago. And some ADs or presidents may have been tired of the affiliation merry go round. We had Central Florida for a few years, then Temple. Neither stayed long.

I see an opportunity here for the MAC, but my opinion doesn't matter much. It comes down to ESPN. The numbers have to work. If ESPN isn't willing to pay enough $1 million a year more for a MAC TV contract that includes Minutemen football, then the MAC may be best standing pat.

(10-25-2023 05:25 PM)AssKickingChicken Wrote:  

(10-25-2023 05:08 PM)templefootballfan Wrote:  with 7 schools, how on God's green earth did C-USA decline UMass

Jax St got nice program, there #6 in Ala and people think there in Fla

They know the difference between “there” and “their”. And where is Temple supposed to be?

[quote]

Some of them even know the difference between "they're" and "their".

(10-25-2023 05:38 PM)Schadenfreude Wrote:  

(10-25-2023 04:55 PM)templefootballfan Wrote:  Why the MAC & C-USA don't take UMASS as FB only is beyond me

In the MAC's case, 13 is not a great number. That's why the affiliation was disbanded some years ago. And some ADs or presidents may have been tired of the affiliation merry go round. We had Central Florida for a few years, then Temple. Neither stayed long.

I see an opportunity here for the MAC, but my opinion doesn't matter much. It comes down to ESPN. The numbers have to work. If ESPN isn't willing to pay enough $1 million a year more for a MAC TV contract that includes Minutemen football, then the MAC may be best standing pat.

Temple leaving gave the MAC the right to give us the ultimatum, and other options. But the new media contract and CFP made it a no brainer to jettison UMass and not share another cut. Plus we did not come up to speed.

While a lot of UMass fans are dreaming of the AAC and even higher, this fans wants to go to the MAC. Be competing for a bowl, championship, and NCAA bid. Tired of losing and have like the MAC. Not nearly as bad as UConn, but UMass has an ego problem as our performance does not justify that type of ego with men's basketball and football. Women's sports are great, men's lacrosse and hockey as well. If the UMass goes to the MAC, the MAC should up the termination fee. The MWC up theirs and perhaps 5M for the MAC

Back to the options,
3 Indy is unsustainable as all we are doing is surviving off of multiple buy games and some CFP revenue.
2. Nobody wants FB only and heard the president will not support the CUSA all sports because some of the recent adds profiles. This was a donor about the president and not directly from the Athletic Department.
1. The MAC - Ding Ding Ding - we have a winner!

(10-25-2023 05:33 PM)e-parade Wrote:  

(10-25-2023 05:08 PM)templefootballfan Wrote:  with 7 schools, how on God's green earth did C-USA decline UMass
SHST located in 1 horse town
Jax St got nice program, there #6 in Ala and people think there in Fla
KSU sounds div1AA

C-USA had shot at ArkLR & Tex Arl
that's 8 FB, 9 BB, now you start chasing MVC schools

Football only doesn't help a conference that small. They needed full members in order to become somewhat stable.

Everything I am going to say below is a moot point, because Kennesaw was clearly a better add for CUSA than UMass, so it wasn't a line-ball call.

But while I might not put it as strongly as you, I would say that if it had been a line-ball call, you'd have to give the nod to Kennesaw anyway.

First, while I would say that when they were at 9 and had just signed a midweek in October media deal, 10 all-sports schools was not as urgent a need as "any 10th FB school" ... still, in a basketball environment where a Go5 program can struggle to fill out their OOC schedule, having a basketball round robin of 18 is indeed preferable to having a basketball round robin of 16.

And with 8 FB schools needed for FBS status, and 9 FB schools needed to have an eight game conference schedule, then taking the possibility of being hit by further conference realignment into account says that 10 all-sports schools is more prudent than a 10FB/9Olympic structure.

So to get the nod, UMass FB-only couldn't just be an equally good FB add ... it would have had to be a clearly superior one.

I've said it on a few threads on this board, but I'd be ok with the AAC adding UMASS if UMASS makes a strong commitment to investing in both basketball and football. They fir the AAC profile and would give us another NE school, which is nice.

Correct me if I’m wrong, and/or if I’m oversimplifying, but it sounds like it’s MAC All Sports or bust based on the feedback from UMass supporters.