UMass > MAC for all sports in 2025-2026

[ZooCougar]

But you didn’t address that no MAC team will “fill hotels” in western MA for anything whether it’s on a Saturday afternoon or a Tuesday night. Try again

Of course. I’m not defending the dumb AD. But there is no universe where getting UMass into FBS all sports conference is inherently bad.

 

[Vuce]

Of course. I’m not defending the dumb AD. But there is no universe where getting UMass into FBS all sports conference is inherently bad.

It’s not “inherently” bad. They will just end up in a worse spot than they are now (and that’s hard to do). Less fans, less support in a conference no one in western MA cares about one iota. For them to gaslight everyone talking about filling up hotels by going to the MAC is so embarrassing and laughable shows how delusional they are about the move. No one is making their way to that high school stadium to see directional schools from Michigan and other awful MAC schools. It’s a move doomed to fail led by an AD who has proven over and over he has no idea what he is doing

 

[Bongo Fury]

But you didn’t address that no MAC team will “fill hotels” in western MA for anything whether it’s on a Saturday afternoon or a Tuesday night. Try again

They’ve had SEC teams play in Amherst. Doesn’t matter. Don’t worry about UMass. Go Huskies!

 

[Bongo Fury]

Of course. I’m not defending the dumb AD. But there is no universe where getting UMass into FBS all sports conference is inherently bad.

Have to imagine the AD from URI will take over.

 

[Vuce]

They’ve had SEC teams play in Amherst. Doesn’t matter. Don’t worry about UMass. Go Huskies!

Maybe they can get into the SEC then! But no one is heading to Amherst for Bowling Green and Kent State

 

[Bongo Fury]

They are not heading there because they are losing. Same with UConn and many places. I spent a good portion of my life on the campus last 20 years. Never heard anyone talk about who they are playing. Just man, they suck. If they are competitive, people show. Problem is with higher ups and lack of support within the university and lack of significant benefactors.

 

[ZooCougar]

No one said they were. But the clown AD at UMass think MAC schools are going to cram western MA hotels with fans who cannot wait to see Eastern, Western and Central Michigan when it will lead to less interest and support among the base. It’s hilarious to watch them desperately try to sell it

Maybe they can get into the SEC then! But no one is heading to Amherst for Bowling Green and Kent State

They aren’t going to see George Mason either!

 

[pepband99]

It’s two games a year.

so 1/2 of your home schedule ends up being midweek or FCS (at best). Certainly not driving the items I was actually referencing in the presentation. Is it physically impossible for you not to strawman everything?

 

[Vuce]

They aren’t going to see George Mason either!

No one said they were. But the clown AD thinks the MAC opponents are going to fill hotels - HAHAHAHAHA. They will end up with less fan interest and less donor support. It’s already happening. So it’ll essentially be the same as it is now except with less attendance and interest. But I will agree they will get to be like bcu “fans” and cheer for the check they will cash in the MAC. Wooooo Hoooooo!!!!

 

[Kolumbo]

I'm convinced. Massachusetts is a complete clusterfork. Massachusetts with over 7 million people can't figure out how to run its single flagship university fbs football program. The state won't fund it. The residents won't support it. Meanwhile Ohio has 8 fbs programs. Michigan has 5. Penn has 3. Mass should just drop to Division II and do away with the flagship title, join the NE10 with SCSU.

 

[Vuce]

Or they could go back to FCS where they had legitimate success and the stadium/facilities were fine for that level. Comparing the Midwest to the northeast for college football isn’t any surprise. It’s not just MA, it’s the whole region. College football is a different animal there compared to New England

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Or they could go back to FCS where they had legitimate success and the stadium/facilities were fine for that level. Comparing the Midwest to the northeast for college football isn’t any surprise. It’s not just MA, it’s the whole region. College football is a different animal there compared to New England

The problem there is that those who can make the decisions on it absolutely so not want to drop down to FCS football.

The argument as to whether their decisons do or do not make sense is a different one than whether they would or would not be better off of as a MAC member while attempting to compete as an FBS football program.

 

[Vuce]

The problem there is that those who can make the decisions on it absolutely so not want to drop down to FCS football.

The argument as to whether their decisons do or do not make sense is a different one than whether they would or would not be better off of as a MAC member while attempting to compete as an FBS football program.

No question on the dropping down thing. Too much pride for a lot of ADs who didn’t read the room UMass included.

They definitely can compete in the MAC, it’s just that no one around here will care. It’s a lower level example of what it was like when UConn was in the AAC for hoops.

 

[Kolumbo]

Or they could go back to FCS where they had legitimate success and the stadium/facilities were fine for that level. Comparing the Midwest to the northeast for college football isn’t any surprise. It’s not just MA, it’s the whole region. College football is a different animal there compared to New England

That's a cop out. Many programs moved up and succeeded including UConn. It's a Mass problem all around.

 

[Vuce]

That's a cop out. Many programs moved up and succeeded including UConn. It's a Mass problem all around.

Then it’s even more foolish for UMass to double down on this. Should have stayed at FCS where they were good and not done this at all. To think moving to the MAC in all sports with one of the worst stadiums in the country is truly laughable

 

[Kolumbo]

Then it’s even more foolish for UMass to double down on this. Should have stayed at FCS where they were good and not done this at all. To think moving to the MAC in all sports with one of the worst stadiums in the country is truly laughable

This is like groundhog hour. It's a Mass problem all around. Make the commitment and do it right. No reason a state the size of Mass can't figure out how to run a successful fbs program. Let's just agree Mass and UMass suck.

 

[Vuce]

So they decided to move up knowing there was no commitment from the state. Seems like a really bad plan and are doomed to fail - which will happen as I’ve said all along. The MA legislature is corrupt as it is and loaded with bcu supporters. They look down on the western part of the state and always have. No reason for them to have moved up under those circumstances

 

[ZooCougar]

Then it’s even more foolish for UMass to double down on this. Should have stayed at FCS where they were good and not done this at all. To think moving to the MAC in all sports with one of the worst stadiums in the country is truly laughable

It doesn’t matter if UMass is playing in the NEPSAC with AOF and Salisbury. They will suck arse as long as that idiot is in charge.

I think they are even paying the basketball coach $2M a year.

 

[ScottVib]

The conference move is about chasing the athletic dollars...

From the latest filings -
MAC revenues - $37.7M // the distribution to the 12 members was between 2-2.5M
A10 revenues - $19.1M // the per school distribution was not released; but doing the math with a 14-way split it would average about 1M per (I may be, being overly generous here). Keep in mind the A10 also does not share the basketball units evenly.

The biggest difference was of course football revenues offset slightly by an increase number of tournament revenue for the A10.

The MAC TV deal should be increasing about 3x (800k per team per year in the old deal to 2-2.5k per team per year in the new one). Even before the new TV deal UMass projects to more than double their conference related revenues. Which will more than offset the lost basketball attendance; of course winning.. will also offset the lost basketball attendance going from the A10 to the MAC.

Revenue/Distribution Sources


The arguments being made here about UMass are very much the same arguments that have been made about UConn. Only recent on the field success in football has quieted those arguments... if UMass manages to win games in basketball or football, the same thing will happen there. (The AD well I absolutely agree he's an idiot and that pamphlet is silly)

 

[Bongo Fury]

The state of Mass only cares about the Boston metro area. The BB team just beat an ACC team.

 

[Vuce]

It doesn’t matter if UMass is playing in the NEPSAC with AOF and Salisbury. They will suck arse as long as that idiot is in charge.

I think they are even paying the basketball coach $2M a year.

Right - so there’s no reason to move up at all. It’ll be a failure from the start and they will have less fan and donor support which is already happening. They don’t have the support in the legislature either so a new stadium is out of the question too

 

[Vuce]

The conference move is about chasing the athletic dollars...

The arguments being made here about UMass are very much the same arguments that have been made about UConn. Only recent on the field success in football has quieted those arguments... if UMass manages to win games in basketball or football, the same thing will happen there. (The AD well I absolutely agree he's an idiot and that pamphlet is silly)

Yes! They will be able to say “hey non existent UMass/MAC fans, look at this HUGE check we’re cashing! We know no one is watching but go us!” It is def about chasing the dollars.

It’s similar to UConn in that our fans hated the AAC and their fans will hate the MAC. The main difference is that the MAC is the basement of football and hoops and won’t lead to anything save for less fan interest and donor support

 

[Forte]

Can anyone please explain why we care about and are talking about UMASS football so much? This thread seems a little over the top and pointless ... unless I am missing something

 

[whiffnutmeg]

Can anyone please explain why we care about and are talking about UMASS football so much? This thread seems a little over the top and pointless ... unless I am missing something

Some combination of 1) fear that we end up the same spot as the future of high-level college athletics looks murky and the regional/demographic issues affecting UMass also impact UConn, 2) the need to feel superior to someone amidst the persistent struggle to secure a P4 invite, and 3) perhaps a tiny bit of hope a desirable regional rival gets their stuff together.

But I imagine more of the first two.

 

[shizzle787]

Can anyone please explain why we care about and are talking about UMASS football so much? This thread seems a little over the top and pointless ... unless I am missing something

Because their mere presence in FBS hurts us. New England can barely support two FBS programs let alone three. They siphon players that would be good bench players for us. Them being good or bad hurts us either way. Good because we have to deal with them and BC; bad because they are still recruiting FBS players shrinking the pool.