UMass > MAC for all sports in 2025-2026

[Bongo Fury]

They should have dropped down. They have sold out their 17,000 seat stadium just 3 times in over 40 years and there is zero talent in Western Mass. The aspirational flagship quote is questionable because UConn is the only other flagship in New England in FBS.

I believe they have Missouri coming here. They like winners too. Their hockey team draws well.

 

[Bongo Fury]

This type of comment can cut both ways in the sense that others have said the same for our program. In the last 10 years we've not had the sellouts that early 00's had, though we know that with success we can pack a stadium. That said, I think UConn has put more investment into facilities, but the investment in coaching hasn't been on par with the peers we want to be associated with.

I think it’s been bad luck except for RE. We don’t know how these coaches are going to do.

 

[shizzle787]

This type of comment can cut both ways in the sense that others have said the same for our program. In the last 10 years we've not had the sellouts that early 00's had, though we know that with success we can pack a stadium. That said, I think UConn has put more investment into facilities, but the investment in coaching hasn't been on par with the peers we want to be associated with.

We average 25-27k a game (3x what they average). We are bad but we have a fanbase.

 

[GoConn]

Its time to join UMass and join football-only

 

[BugsyCT]

Its time to join UMass and join football-only

Doubt the MAC would take us football-only unless maybe the hoops teams scheduled a bunch of MAC teams annually and that's highly doubtful.

 

[Forte]

Its time to join UMass and join football-only

Salt in the wound.

 

[Vuce]

Its time to join UMass and join football-only

That's not a thing. UMass tried to do that the first time they were playing MAC teams and were told they had to move all sports there or no deal.

 

[dayooper]

That's not a thing. UMass tried to do that the first time they were playing MAC teams and were told they had to move all sports there or no deal.

Yeah, but there’s just a tiny bit difference between UMass and UConn basketball. It wouldn’t be permanent, but I think UConn football would have a decent base in the MAC and grow from there.

 

[Vuce]

Yeah, but there’s just a tiny bit difference between UMass and UConn basketball. It wouldn’t be permanent, but I think UConn football would have a decent base in the MAC and grow from there.

Doesn’t matter because it’s not happening.

 

[Sea Goat]

UConn=Notre Dame

More people are saying it

We have the same number of FB nattys as them over the last 25 years, but we have 6 BB nattys to their 0 during the same time...

 

[CashewCrew]

Its time to join UMass and join football-only

Thank you for your interest in UConn Football

 

[metsfan2323]

Last week's win was 1000 times more fun than the beat down from Maryland. It is dumb to keep playing 4 "Power" games a year. Last year Liberty made the Fiesta bowl playing zero P games in conference far worse than the MAC.

 

[KryHavok]

We should strive to be the best G5 team in the country and joining a G5 conference for football only would help us to achieve that goal. Last year Liberty made the Fiesta bowl playing zero P games.

We may be able to do that as an independent. Having gone from BCS to G5 to independent only to go back to G5 again is fairly convoluted when the goal is to join a Px conference. Joining a G5 is the last resort when all Px options have evaporated. Liberty, in contrast, is in a bit of ascendancy in terms of what their football is doing compared to UConn. Yes, our team beat them 2 years ago, but would they beat them now, who knows. I totally agree with you that at the very least, UConn needs to be among the better of the G5s but as an independent, because frankly, what conference is going to take our football in its current condition? That said, I've no qualms about some (loose) scheduling agreement with the MAC, Mountain West, PAC12, or SBC as these are the teams we need to beat to show we can hang as a middle team in a Px. Though, I think a G5 only slate doesn't help us as we do need a few high profile Px games too (for both the money they bring in and to show that UConn is not merely a G5 level team).

 

[Duncan Idaho]

Last week's win was 1000 times more fun than the beat down from Maryland. It is dumb to keep playing 4 "Power" games a year. Last year Liberty made the Fiesta bowl playing zero P games in conference far worse than the MAC.

They played the 120th schedule. Their entire season was a canard.

 

[metsfan2323]

They played the 120th schedule. Their entire season was a canard.

and they were rewarded big time for it, and they are perceived nationally as a decent football program. Remind me again, what is the perception of our football program?

If we had Liberty's success last year, we might be on our way to the B12 right now.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

and they were rewarded big time for it, and they are perceived nationally as a decent football program. Remind me again, what is the perception of our football program?

Thats true. And its all phony. We have the perception of barely beating and sometimes not, FCS teams on our schedule the last decade or so. Its not the P4 losses.

 

[metsfan2323]

Thats true. And its all phony. We have the perception of barely beating and sometimes not, FCS teams on our schedule the last decade or so. Its not the P4 losses.

our scheduling also makes it difficult to attract coaching talent, no rising coach will come near us anymore. Liberty attracted the East Carolina coach as he knew he could win there and advance his career, meanwhile Mora takes a beating from our fanbase after the loss to Maryland.

 

[Kolumbo]

Last week's win was 1000 times more fun than the beat down from Maryland. It is dumb to keep playing 4 "Power" games a year. Last year Liberty made the Fiesta bowl playing zero P games in conference far worse than the MAC.

I agree and point taken, but the site I viewed had CUSA #10 and MAC #11 in terms of rpi. Both bad conferences no doubt but all G5 are in roughly the same neighborhood.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

our scheduling also makes it difficult to attract coaching talent, no rising coach will come near us anymore. Liberty attracted the East Carolina coach as he knew he could win there and advance his career, meanwhile Mora takes a beating from our fanbase after the loss to Maryland.

Liberty gained its reputation under Freeze as an independent beating and being very competitive in games against the multiple P4 teams on their schedule the last 5 years prior to last. UConn would have an invite after that stint too if as successful. Prior to Freeze they were a .500 team in some conference with Campell and such under Turner Gill.

 

[Zissou]

Look at it this way: you don’t have to sue to get out of the ACC

 

[WestCoastHusky]

Liberty gained its reputation under Freeze as an independent beating and being very competitive in games against the multiple P4 teams on their schedule the last 5 years prior to last. UConn would have an invite after that stint too if as successful. Prior to Freeze they were a .500 team in some conference with Campell and such under Turner Gill.

In other words, coaching and institution support matter not just what conference you are in. The first 2 are within UCONN's control.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

In other words, coaching and institution support matter not just what conference you are in. The first 2 are within UCONN's control.

Managed bad right up to having Spanos paid for two years while Mora doing DC work.

 

[huskymedic]

 

[KryHavok]

There was probably a story in there, but I was too transfixed in watched all the shocked domer fans see their team lose to another set of Huskies on home field.

As far as losing impact players due to Px deals, that's our fate. We don't have college sports, we have minor league trade deadlines masquerading as academic transfers.

 

[huskymedic]

-> UMass spent some $58.44 million on athletics in 2023, including $11.22 million on football, according to Knight-Newhouse data. Bamford estimated his department will take in close to $2 million in profits during the first year of its MAC agreement, after making $500,000 as an Atlantic 10 affiliate (in non-football, non-hockey sports).

As an independent, UMass made $350,000 annually in trickle-down College Football Playoff payouts. That will rise to $1 million once it joins the MAC.

“Being an independent has been an absolute albatross for us,” Bamford said, pointing to challenges of scheduling and recruiting without a conference banner, and lack of shared revenue.

As a MAC member, Bamford expects to play one guarantee game annually (and it will be early in the season, with conference games down the stretch). Funds from buy-games are earmarked for football, Bamford said, but they create financial room elsewhere. <-