UMass > MAC for all sports in 2025-2026

[Kolumbo]

I have a difficult time believing that Troy or Louisiana Tech are higher up than Villanova.

Leaving the A-10 became a far easier decision for UMass as their basketball program basically fell off the map this millennium, but if they had some reasonable success, the choice (leaving a number of longtime rivals to join a lesser basketball conference) would have been a difficult sell.

If they can't build the football program to at least the point where they are more often than not .500 in conference play and consistently sit in the top third of the conference in men's basketball, it will be very difficult to view the move as a success.

You are probably right and the Big East and Villanova in particular are the exceptions. Even with UMass falling off, it was still a difficult decision but I don't think the A-10 will ever be what it once was. Even the Big East may be at risk but that's a different debate. At least with FBS football the programs are part of the discussion.

Agreed, UMass has to improve or it will be viewed as a failure. It seems something very significant has to change up there for it to get better. Like landing a Jim Mora (in my opinion) and Jim Calhoun at the same time significant.

 

[Windham4th]

There is no Jim Mora out there willing to work with those facilities

 

[hardcorehusky]

When you kickoff a rivalry, you are fabricating one. Rivalries start after years of playing. Animosity is created organically with close wins and losses and fanbases needling each other. This could be as bad as Bob Diaco's ConFlict!!

 

[Windham4th]

When you kickoff a rivalry, you are fabricating one. Rivalries start after years of playing. Animosity is created organically with close wins and losses and fanbases needling each other. This could be as bad as Bob Diaco's ConFlict!!

Will it be in NCAA Football 2027 like the ConFlict though...

 

[ZooCougar]

Jim Mora came here because he was familiar with the program and saw the tremendous unfulfilled potential.

UMass doesn’t have that yet.

 

[temery]

When you kickoff a rivalry, you are fabricating one. Rivalries start after years of playing. Animosity is created organically with close wins and losses and fanbases needling each other. This could be as bad as Bob Diaco's ConFlict!!

The ConFlict thing was a great idea, poorly timed and poorly executed.

Had UConn won out and found a conference that would have shut the pie holes of the loudest people here, it would be thought of as a stroke of genius.

 

[noeynox]

There is no Jim Mora out there willing to work with those facilities

There is no way for anyone to know that. Harasymiak coulda probably gotten a better job had he waited. The facilities argument is so overplayed. It's about finding the right guy. Lance Leipold was a winner at the D3 level and Buffalo was the only one who gave him a shot when he was older. Cignetti didn't get an FBS HC gig til 60. Mora was a guy anyone coulda hired when he came here. UMass more than anything, has to get rid of Bamford. His track record on hiring coaches speaks for itself.

 

[cellocgg]

There is no way for anyone to know that. Harasymiak coulda probably gotten a better job had he waited. The facilities argument is so overplayed. It's about finding the right guy. Lance Leipold was a winner at the D3 level and Buffalo was the only one who gave him a shot when he was older. Cignetti didn't get an FBS HC gig til 60. Mora was a guy anyone coulda hired when he came here. UMass more than anything, has to get rid of Bamford. His track record on hiring coaches speaks for itself.

Harasymiak had one good season as HC at Maine. He was not a good hire imo, but I doubt UMass had many choices

I think they should've kept Don Brown for at least the inaugural MAC season. He got UMass to put up 20 pts on Georgia right around the time he was let go

 

[Kolumbo]

There is no way for anyone to know that. Harasymiak coulda probably gotten a better job had he waited. The facilities argument is so overplayed. It's about finding the right guy. Lance Leipold was a winner at the D3 level and Buffalo was the only one who gave him a shot when he was older. Cignetti didn't get an FBS HC gig til 60. Mora was a guy anyone coulda hired when he came here. UMass more than anything, has to get rid of Bamford. His track record on hiring coaches speaks for itself.

Agreed. UConn Basketball played in the Hugh S. Greer Field House when Jim Calhoun came here and said, "It's doable." Finding THE guy is not easy but UMass has to find the right people to turn things around. Very difficult, yes, but not impossible.

 

[Vuce]

The Calhoun comparison isnt even close. He said it's doable because UConn was playing in the best hoops conference in the country and while they were playing some games in Greer, Gampel was already planned but hadn't been built yet. UMass isnt playing in a great football league and has a dump for a stadium with nothing new planned. Add to it that football is tons more difficult to improve than college basketball, and the northeast just doesnt support college football, It will be at least a decade before UMass gets any traction and they've already aliened all but a handful of their died hard fans. It's all hopes and wishes at this point for UMass with very little chance of anything coming of this

 

[Kolumbo]

The Calhoun comparison isnt even close. He said it's doable because UConn was playing in the best hoops conference in the country and while they were playing some games in Greer, Gampel was already planned but hadn't been built yet. UMass isnt playing in a great football league and has a dump for a stadium with nothing new planned. Add to it that football is tons more difficult to improve than college basketball, and the northeast just doesnt support college football, It will be at least a decade before UMass gets any traction and they've already aliened all but a handful of their died hard fans. It's all hopes and wishes at this point for UMass with very little chance of anything coming of this

To clarify, we're not suggesting UMass Football win national championships. Just be decent enough to compete in the MAC. That is doable. And it's not too difficult to improve when the only place you have to go is up and leapfrog programs like Kent St, Akron, Ball St, and a few directional Michigans. They are making some improvements to McGuirk and probably too little, but it's a start. I know you refuse to see anything positive about the move to the MAC. No skin off my back.

 

[Vuce]

I think UMass football will improve because like you said, it's hard to intentionally be as bad as they have been the last 10+ years. McGuirk is a dump and short of a complete remodel, it wont make any difference. Also, I'm just saying that the MAC move will result in less interest and attendance at football and hoops for the forseeable future. Are they thinking about moving hoops games from Mullins back to the Cage? That would be a good move - better atmosphere and even if they get 1000 fans it'll look better

 

[Bongo Fury]

Curry Hicks is currently torn up and being re-purposed for something else. I think it’s doable to be competitive in the MAC. Not too long ago, many thought UConn couldn’t get Moorhead.

 

[noeynox]

Yeah we are talking about rising toward the top of the MAC. That shouldn't be insurmountable.

 

[Vuce]

Curry Hicks is currently torn up and being re-purposed for something else. I think it’s doable to be competitive in the MAC. Not too long ago, many thought UConn couldn’t get Moorhead.

That’s too bad. Mullins is gonna be a mausoleum.