I listened briefly to a UMass Spaces last night. Their fans are irate and dumbfounded by what the AD did. It's a fan created trophy and until recently they had buy in from UMass and UConn reportedly. If the school had just let us take the trophy, they would have been happy because the whole idea was to create a little tradition.
Also if they just let us take it, they just avoid yet another public relations debacle. The fired a popular coach who many felt was on the right track even if the results weren't evident yet, the senior day thing, cutting ties with a collective that was the only bright spot in a moribund program.... I don't know how this AD keeps his job, I guess the Admin just doesn't care at all. The football program is 8-56 under this AD.