True; but that is just the tip of the iceberg. Football has been bleeding money from UMass for decades and there is little support and almost not plan (see the half-arse attempt to join the MAC). UMass needs to decide if it wants to be playing BC, UConn, etc. every week or UNH, Maine, etc.
As for UMass overall, too many residents, especially around Boston where the money and power lie, view UMass as a back-up school for their aspirations for Harvard, BU, BC, Tufts, etc. In turn, their apathy towards UMass leads to no support on and no money from Beacon Hill. UConn has the same problem for decades; but, was able to turn the suddenly higher visibility with the basketball teams into UConn 2000 and successive projects. UMass needs its own ‘UConn 2000’ to catch-up; but, there is no plan, no will, and no budget to do so. It is feasible though. Just look what Meehan has been able to do with UMass Lowell over the last few years – new classroom building, more research, new dorms, and upgraded spots (II > IAA).
Could not agree more! In addition to your points above, the entire UMass system of one President with separate autonomous campuses each with their own Chancellor does not lend itself to Amherst ever being able to establish themselves as a flagship university.(Wow..that was quite the run-on sentence!) I've said before, UMass Lowell, with Meehan's political clout, may be the flagship before long.
The only way for UMass to pull off a "UConn 2000" is to establish a system much like UConn's. One university with satellite campuses. As long as the money from the state and endowment dollars are being split up like they are now, Amherst will never get the lion's share. Lowell and the Medical Center in Worcester will get preferential treatment. Heck, under our system we even recruit against each other now especially in hockey and lacrosse. That does not lend itself to ever accomplishing a "UConn 2000" of their own.