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UMass > MAC for all sports in 2025-2026

CL82 said:
People wrote off our football program as well after the trifecta of incompetence that was Pasqulone, Diaco and Edsall. And no, I'm not trying to equate our two programs. UMass has an unequal history of futility across all sports, except hockey.

They were a principal rival when I was in school, so it pains me to admit this, but I low-key want them to have some degree of success. It's good for New England sports and thus good for UConn. That said, being able to achieve that probably would require a massive in sustained investment by the school in Minuteman athletics. I don't see it happening.
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I remember when UMass and URI were our rivals. The Ramnapping Trophy against URI. Now, we shouldn't tell another school to drop Football or go back to FCS. I've heard that URI is rumored to upgrade (and UNewHampshire) and go into the MAC as a eastern partner for UMass. (Another rumor is Albany to MAC).

Not sure if those rumors are real (heard it on YouTube, so I take it with a grain of salt), but maybe the MAC will help UMass. I want them to be good ( better than BCU, not as good as us...)
 
UC1995 said:
Listen, teams like North Central and Mount Union might be able to beat UMass. Those WIAC teams are no joke either. If I was UMass I would stop playing FBS football. They are like many who will never get the call up to the P4. At this point they have destroyed generations of fans and have only hockey left to cheer on.
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I have to hit dislike because we shouldn't tell another school that they should stop playing FBS football. What they need is 3 things: 1) A DB type of guy who will reinvigorate the Athletic Department, 2) A Jim Mora type of coach to get Football reinvigorate and 3) A Dan Hurley type of coach for Basketball. If that happens, you might see energy in Amherst.

Who knows, maybe a College Game Day visiting the Rent for a unbeaten UConn (B12 Champion) versus an unbeaten MAC Champion UMass. 😀
 
Vuce said:
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
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As much as I see people calling for an on campus stadium for UConn, I have a solution for UMass stadium ordeal. The Rent! Ok, it might not be in Massachusetts, but it seats 40,000 people. 😀
 
huskymedic said:


“Bjorn started his professional career as an intern at the University of Connecticut before returning to UMass. He spent 15 years with the Minutemen in various roles, rising to associate athletic director for his last four. Bjorn was also the school’s interim athletic director for a few months from September 2003 to February 2004 and finished a master’s degree in higher education.”
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Spitballing that URI may look @ UConn to backfill AD opening.



Among others…

-> Jason Butikofer - Deputy director of athletics/chief operating officer, Connecticut

This might be toward the higher end of the curve for what URI can hire – Butikofer is listed at more than $250,000 annually per a public portal of school salaries – but it could be well worth a swing. Butikofer leads external relations, development, ticketing, social media and video services for the Huskies. He has experience with major markets like Purdue and Washington and is a leader with Huskies Sports Properties, the chief media and marketing arm with Learfield.

Annie Fiorvanti - Deputy director of athletics/senior woman administrator, Connecticut

Fiorvanti is a deputy director of athletics and the current senior woman administrator at the University of Connecticut, a place that knows how winning feels among major programs. Her background in compliance since being hired away from Hofstra stretches more than a decade, but Fiorvanti coming to URI would be like a homecoming – she was a women’s volleyball student-athlete and captain at Providence in the late 2000s.

Chris Grosse - Senior associate athletic director for external strategy, Connecticut

Grosse was hired back to his alma mater after a stint at Penn State, multiple years with the Nittany Lions that gave him a look at the highest level of college athletics and revenue generation. He’s a New Hampshire native who has worked closely in creative content, marketing, fan engagement, communications, multimedia, ticketing and promotions.
 
As far as McGuirk goes, I don't even know what they were thinking with the design. It looks like they built both ends of the stadium backwards, bowing in instead of out. what a disaster. I mean, how much can this place actually be worth. Level it and start from scratch

mcguirk.jpg
 
For the salary, can maybe this new guy also spend some time helping UMass-Lowell for basketball too?
 
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Kolumbo said:
As far as McGuirk goes, I don't even know what they were thinking with the design. It looks like they built both ends of the stadium backwards, bowing in instead of out. what a disaster. I mean, how much can this place actually be worth. Level it and start from scratch

View attachment 113045
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That’s the problem. Spending money on a new stadium now will be very expensive and not sure it’s worth it knowing that no one cares about MAC football in western MA. Their athletics are toast
 
Kolumbo said:
As far as McGuirk goes, I don't even know what they were thinking with the design. It looks like they built both ends of the stadium backwards, bowing in instead of out. what a disaster.
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What’s more bizarre is the structure behind the right endzone is only about a decade old. No BS, it serves as the Minutemen football performance center.
 
Kolumbo said:
As far as McGuirk goes, I don't even know what they were thinking with the design. It looks like they built both ends of the stadium backwards, bowing in instead of out. what a disaster. I mean, how much can this place actually be worth. Level it and start from scratch

View attachment 113045
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Some architect decided to give it curves so that it wouldn't be "boxy." He probably was inspired by the bowtie pasta he had for lunch. I also like the press box that needs to be reached by a ladder.

IMG_5218.jpeg


IMG_5219.jpeg


Still, I feel like it would be easy enough to increase capacity, if needed. Of course step one in that process is putting a product on the field that actually justifies in increasing capacity.
 
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CL82 said:
Some architect decided to give it curves so that it wouldn't be "boxy." He probably was inspired by the bowtie pasta he had for lunch. I also like the press box that needs to be reached by a ladder.

View attachment 113054

View attachment 113057

Still, I feel like it would be easy enough to increase capacity, if needed. Of course step one in that process is putting a product on the field that actually justifies in increasing capacity.
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This looks like that handheld football game from the 80s that you played with the dashes
 
Last edited:
It's a nice easy drive to Amherst if UConn plays up there... and the field on the South Loop is good for tailgating & easy in and out... that's the extent of the positives. The "stadium" is really more of a high-school field layout with concrete rather than aluminum supporting the bleachers. There's no concourse so the concessions are booths underneath or behind the stands. Bathrooms are detached buildings set back from the stands.

Its capacity is fine for MAC competition & comparable to the other schools... but it's really just a school field as opposed to a stadium; so when you compare it to other schools' football stadiums, it's extremely underwhelming.
 
It was good for Yankee Conference football. They would have to add another 7k seats to bring it up to the bottom of stadium capacities in the MAC. I don't know if the monies being talked about include seating expansion. Maybe under what's been called structural improvements?
 
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After another horrendous performance, I ask this (and I know this question will sound very familiar):

Should UMass can FBS football?
 
Gotta give the kids in attendance some props. Go have some fun!

It's sad that the Commonwealth of Mass hasn't done better by its flagship. McGuirk is a dump. If you are bad and you are trying to attract decent players, I don't know how you do it with their facilities. Just a bad job up there.

 
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It’s a statewide problem as evident by BCU as well. New England sans Connecticut doesn’t take care of its college programs
 
FightOnCT said:
After another horrendous performance, I ask this (and I know this question will sound very familiar):

Should UMass can FBS football?
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This was bad but wait two weeks when they have a home Tuesday night game two days before Thanksgiving. MACtion!!!
 
pepband99 said:
bUt ThEY ARe PlayING foR SOMethING!!!!! LOL - the "UConn needs to be a in conference" people are having quite the year.
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Absolutely. As are the folks at USF, North Texas, Tulane and JMU!
 
LBird33 said:
Gloating over UMass and its debacle just doesn’t feel right. We have been there. It’s just reinforcing the view “ New England schools in Football are joke “
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Nah, we haven't been this low. Like, our 2021 team would beat this UMass team by 20+
 
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