UMass Get Series with Mississippi State

[gwhuskyfan]

http://collegefootball.ap.org/article/umass-mississippi-state-announce-3-game-football-series

A nice 3 game series for them, including 1 at home at Gilette. Interesting to see UMass loading up their schedule

 

[weyuo]

That's a good thing for UMass. Hope they make it into the AAC one of these years. UConn could use a real rival. As much as some might want to crap on UMass they are probably UConn's most natural rival. Distance, history. UMass, UConn, Temple, Cinci.. I could see some nice basketball rivalries growing from that group. Add Navy, ECU and eventually Army and you have a decent football Northern Division of the AAC that fans of UConn could actually travel to. I know it's not the ACC or the B1G but do the best with what you've got(at the time) and good things will eventually happen.

 

[whaler11]

That's a good thing for UMass. Hope they make it into the AAC one of these years. UConn could use a real rival. As much as some might want to crap on UMass they are probably UConn's most natural rival. Distance, history. UMass, UConn, Temple, Cinci.. I could see some nice basketball rivalries growing from that group. Add Navy, ECU and eventually Army and you have a decent football Northern Division of the AAC that fans of UConn could actually travel to. I know it's not the ACC or the B1G but do the best with what you've got(at the time) and good things will eventually happen.

A common ground. I'd gladly trade Tulsa or Tulane for UMass.

 

[BlueDogs]

That's a good thing for UMass. Hope they make it into the AAC one of these years. UConn could use a real rival. As much as some might want to crap on UMass they are probably UConn's most natural rival. Distance, history. UMass, UConn, Temple, Cinci.. I could see some nice basketball rivalries growing from that group. Add Navy, ECU and eventually Army and you have a decent football Northern Division of the AAC that fans of UConn could actually travel to. I know it's not the ACC or the B1G but do the best with what you've got(at the time) and good things will eventually happen.

Only a matter of time before UMass joins. The one good thing I see is maybe UMass sucks away more talent and eyes from BC and their decline to irrelevance continues. Still think the master stroke for the B1G is grabbing BC and Connecticut. That would lockup the Northeast Market from Boston, NY Metro, NJ and Pa pretty nicely.

 

[whaler11]

Only a matter of time before UMass joins. The one good thing I see is maybe UMass sucks away more talent and eyes from BC and their decline to irrelevance continues. Still think the master stroke for the B1G is grabbing BC and Connecticut. That would lockup the Northeast Market from Boston, NY Metro, NJ and Pa pretty nicely.

UConn can't take a player from BC - UMass has no chance.

 

[UConnJim]

http://collegefootball.ap.org/article/umass-mississippi-state-announce-3-game-football-series

A nice 3 game series for them, including 1 at home at Gilette. Interesting to see UMass loading up their schedule

2 for 1s are good series? Not really. UConn could get a 2 for 1 with most P5 schools if they wanted, but we are going for home and homes.

 

[John]

That's a good thing for UMass. Hope they make it into the AAC one of these years. UConn could use a real rival. As much as some might want to crap on UMass they are probably UConn's most natural rival. Distance, history. UMass, UConn, Temple, Cinci.. I could see some nice basketball rivalries growing from that group. Add Navy, ECU and eventually Army and you have a decent football Northern Division of the AAC that fans of UConn could actually travel to. I know it's not the ACC or the B1G but do the best with what you've got(at the time) and good things will eventually happen.

UMass in the same conference, good God. Why not go for CCSU too?

 

[Stainmaster]

UMass in the same conference, good God. Why not go for CCSU too?

UMass and CCSU are nowhere near comparable. Good grief.

 

[whaler11]

UMass and CCSU are nowhere near comparable. Good grief.

I know. The last time they played basketball Central beat them by 30.

 

[John]

UMass and CCSU are nowhere near comparable. Good grief.

maybe we can add UMass, URI, UNH and Maine. We could call it....ahhhhh.....how about the "Yankee Conference"?

 

[Stainmaster]

I know. The last time they played basketball Central beat them by 30.

http://www.umassathletics.com/sports/m-baskbl/recaps/123011aaa.html

CCSU has been in the top half of the NEC standings once in the past 5 years. UMass has at least been competitive in a much better conference.

 

[Stainmaster]

maybe we can add UMass, URI, UNH and Maine. We could call it....ahhhhh.....how about the "Yankee Conference"?

I made no comment on whether any of those schools should be added. I simply pointed out that if you equate UMass and CCSU, you have no understanding of collegiate athletics.

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

A nice 3 game series for them, including 1 at home at Gilette. Interesting to see UMass loading up their schedule

After Tulane and Louisiana Tech canceled or moved games to future years, the AD for Mississippi State (not Ole Miss) refers to needing to fill 2016 scheduling holes. From a Miss State perspective, he plugged one hole with an opponent desperate for home games. Grabbing a game in Boston is attractive for both traveling Miss State alumni and expats in the northeast, and a likely miniscule pay out to umess and 2 future home games is a financial win fall for the Bulldogs.

For scheduling purposes, umess is now an independent. With minimal time and what had been a pretty empty 2016 schedule, especially for home games, umess' negotiating position leaned heavily on the side of any school open to playing a 2016 away game. To their new AD's credit, Mississippi State, Tulane, and Louisiana Tech are good gets and more attractive than MAC conference opponents.

With 2-for-1 contracts, no marquee sports as negotiating fodder, and a very weak negotiating position, the sustainability of umess football is dubious to highly questionable at best. As bad as being in the AAC is, imagine actually hoping and praying for an AAC invitation ...

 

[Northbound]

i hope to hell we know the difference between the Rebels and the Bulldogs. One is in Oxford and the other is in Starkville. UMass doesn't have a series with Ole Miss hey have a series with Mississippi State coached by Dan Mullen who went to HS in Nee Hampshire.

 

[uconnbill]

Please stop with the UMass coming to the AAC already. Geez some of you like misery don't ya.

Once and for all, NO UMass

 

[whaler11]

http://www.umassathletics.com/sports/m-baskbl/recaps/123011aaa.html

CCSU has been in the top half of the NEC standings once in the past 5 years. UMass has at least been competitive in a much better conference.

Don't worry I know all too well.

I should have said the last time UMass came to NB.

 

[weyuo]

Who's gonna bring a bigger crowd to the Rent or the XL Center, UMass or Temple? UMass or South Florida? UMass or either of the Texas teams? If it's about fannies in seats for the beginning of a televised event maybe proximity should be considered. The games will be high spirited even though it's not a Texas v Oklahoma or Bama v Auburn caliber event. You can pound your fists and say "No UMASS in the AAC" all you want but my bet is their fans would outnumber at least 3/4's of the AAC teams UConn faces each year. And for UConn fans Gillette or McGuirk is a lot closer to travel to than Tulsa or Houston(although I would love to go to a game in Houston so that I could spend a little time visiting NASA's Space Flight Center there).

 

[DoctorWho85]

Please stop with the UMass coming to the AAC already. Geez some of you like misery don't ya.

Once and for all, NO UMass

I have to agree. If we're stuck in this conference for the time being, the goal should be to improve the AAC, not water it down by adding a school that adds absolutely zero in terms of athletics, television sets or academics. Plus the UCMB is infinitely better than Umass's marching band and would very much not like to see that garbage at The Rent (My time in UCMB has greatly influenced my viewpoint )

 

[junglehusky]

If UMass had put their flagship campus in Boston instead of Amherst aeons ago, they'd be in the ACC with or instead of BC. Just like if the Storrs brothers had bought land in Stamford instead of Storrs, UConn would be in the B1G with or instead of Rutgers.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

2 for 1s are good series? Not really. UConn could get a 2 for 1 with most P5 schools if they wanted, but we are going for home and homes.

I would hope that mindset has changed with us stuck in AAC purgatory. I'd take a 2 for 1 with Ole Miss in a heartbeat.

 

[gwhuskyfan]

Sorry-- if mods can update the title to Miss St. My bad in posting quickly!

 

[UConnJim]

I would hope that mindset has changed with us stuck in AAC purgatory. I'd take a 2 for 1 with Ole Miss in a heartbeat.

Thankfully it hasn't! We are UConn and can get 1 for 1s. We have with Michigan, Missouri, Syracuse, Illinois, Indiana, Virginia, BYU, Boise St. (and maybe Tennessee) Once you start scheduling 2 for 1s, you will never get a decent home and home with any P5 school. Isn't the point to try to have good OOC opponents at the Rent to drive fan interest? Do you want to be a MAC schools that have only 5 home game in some years?

 

[UMass]

Ouch...some of the comments are pretty harsh regarding my old alma mater. But it's your board so I will grin and bear it!! At least Whipple didn't call the game with Miss. St. a rivalry !

 

[Dooley]

Ouch...some of the comments are pretty harsh regarding my old alma mater. But it's your board so I will grin and bear it!! At least Whipple didn't call the game with Miss. St. a rivalry !

Well, if you need a trophy made for the game, I know a guy...

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

Thankfully it hasn't! We are UConn and can get 1 for 1s. We have with Michigan, Missouri, Syracuse, Illinois, Indiana, Virginia, BYU, Boise St. (and maybe Tennessee) Once you start scheduling 2 for 1s, you will never get a decent home and home with any P5 school. Isn't the point to try to have good OOC opponents at the Rent to drive fan interest? Do you want to be a MAC schools that have only 5 home game in some years?

So you advocate that Warde shut down any talks with Auburn, Florida, Ohio St, etc. if they insist on 2 for 1 deals? Because "we are UConn". Do I have that right?