Unfortunately, UMass is in a terrible location given the population center of Massachusetts is in Eastern Massachusetts almost 2 hours away. And, the politicians in Massachusetts, unlike in Connecticut, do not care about UMass athletics.
Not many land grant state universities are in big population centers.
Nope, that's incorrect. He said he based his picture of a husky using his Samoyed as a model. In fact, we have had a Samoyed husky mix as our actual mascot.
UMass is in a great location. Penn State is at least 2.5 to 3.5 hours away from Pittsburgh and Philly and does great. Yeah, the politicians suck but the location is a plus.
Can you next wonder about how many NFL/NBA/MLB teams are located in SC and AL?
Penn St. football was a decent program before Joe Paterno arrived in 1966, but his success built the fanbase over decades. Beaver Stadium had a capacity of 46k until 1972 when they expanded to 57k. Winning builds fanbases, not location.
Interesting Forbes take on the local economic effect of a team moving "up conference" in realignment...
How College Sports Realignment Can Create Hidden Real Estate Opportunities
When a college changes athletic conferences, headlines usually focus on sports. But seasoned investors know another storyline is unfolding: new real estate opportunities.www.forbes.com
That's a different and relevant issue. His main argument was proximity to a major city which doesn't matter. The number of pro teams in the Northeast certainly affects the college game.
Correct, winning builds fanbases, not location. You claimed the location hampered UMass's success because it was too far from Boston, and now you acknowledge UMass's location is not the issue. Well done. I think UMass is in a great location. The Pioneer Valley, close to I-91, easy to get to for all New Englanders, and plenty of room to expand.
How far do fans go to support a pro football team?
I love Clemson and Greenville both. The Clemson convention center is a great place to stay with the exception of football weekends when it is fully booked I am sure. And Greenville has a decent FCS team in Furman. A more beautiful campus you will not find.
My point about Boston is not just physical distance, but emotional distance. Massachusetts is dominated by really good private colleges like MIT, Harvard, BU, BC, Northeastern, Holy Cross, Wellesley, Amherst, Williams, Tufts, Babson,.... If you lived near Boston, you might understand how few state politicians care about UMass athletics. In fact, no UMass grad has ever been governor of Massachusetts. When was the last time a Massachusetts governor showed up to a UMass football or basketball game in Amherst?
When was the last time a CT governor showed up at a UConn football game? Genuinely interested in the answer, not trying to make a point.
If that is the case, then the UMass politicians are simply shooting themselves in the feet. All of those exceptional privates will continue to thrive, I would think. Growing the flagship U really benefits the state. Of course I have no doubt that politicians may be mucking things up.
And on top of this, most Bostonians don't give a rat's ass about anything outside of 128. Even Worcester is an afterthought, to say nothing about Springfield and Amherst. Greater Hartford has more in common with Massachusetts' I-91/CT River cities and towns.
So forget Boston. Massachusetts is the 16th largest state with over 7 million people. Western Mass with Springfield, Amherst, even Worcester is more than large enough to support an FBS program. Delaware has 1 million people. West Virginia 1.8 million. Nebraska 2 million. The other MAC programs are dwarfed by other P4 and pro programs. Heck UMass is in a better situation than many G6 programs. Mass has no excuse.
Though central/western Mass has some population, there just aren't enough college football fans to create enough momentum/attention from eastern Mass where the vast majority of the population and affluence is.
Nah. What was UConn's average attendance before it went 1-A. Mass has no excuse.