Conference realignment

[Steve81]

We use to play UConn regularly years ago in both football and basketball. Hard to keep these regional things going.

UConn was a different issue. They refused to play us and then agreed with Steve Lappas. But sins of all sins, we beat them and never played us again. Think URI will be an easier sell as they are not elite blue bloods in basketball and one of our own is the AD. Seems like schedules barely get done for the current year. So we'll have to wait and see.

DoctorJ, yes they plan on competing for the the championship and increase funding for basketball. It was covered in the Press conference. Mentioned multiple times. Unapologetic ambitions etc, but with Frank at the 1:06:20 mark (1 hour and 6 minutes). The investment whether in the A10 or the MAC needs to keep happening.

https://youtu.be/-JfAb831NyY

[InnervisionsUMASS]

We use to play UConn regularly years ago in both football and basketball. Hard to keep these regional things going.

UConn was a different issue. They refused to play us and then agreed with Steve Lappas. But sins of all sins, we beat them and never played us again. Think URI will be an easier sell as they are not elite blue bloods in basketball and one of our own is the AD. Seems like schedules barely get done for the current year. So we'll have to wait and see.

Timeline is just a touch off re: UConn and basketball. They stopped playing UMass early in Cal's tenure. They were forced back into playing us starting in the 96-97 season by the MA and CT state governments for the U-Game. That was supposed to be Cal vs Cal, but we know what happened there, and it ended up being with Bruiser at the UMass helm. Lappas inherited the rivalry, though it wasn't much of a rivalry anymore with UConn mostly kicking our asses every game. Then the 2004 upset happened, Calhoun got upset again, and stopped scheduling us once Lappas was not renewed here. The last game vs UConn was December 8, 2005 with Ford as our new coach.

[Quann]

I hope we keep playing URI every year. Our oldest rival and always fun games for both fan bases.

[Juice Stand]

I would assume we can make that work, especially with Thorr Bjorn being the AD over there. The two rival teams that come to mind for me when I think about UMass basketball are Temple and URI. We might have a game against Temple next year at the Mohegan event depending on results, but I've missed that rivalry tremendously, it would be a drag to lose URI.

[eldonabe]

I would assume we can make that work, especially with Thorr Bjorn being the AD over there. The two rival teams that come to mind for me when I think about UMass basketball are Temple and URI. We might have a game against Temple next year at the Mohegan event depending on results, but I've missed that rivalry tremendously, it would be a drag to lose URI.

I would not assume anything for the moment. Common sense should prevail, but following common sense seems to be out right now (everywhere not just at Umass).

[LS71]

We use to play UConn regularly years ago in both football and basketball. Hard to keep these regional things going.

UConn was a different issue. They refused to play us and then agreed with Steve Lappas. But sins of all sins, we beat them and never played us again.

FWIW, UMass played them during Cal's first two seasons here, and unfortunately lost both games.

[UMass'96]

I would not assume anything for the moment. Common sense should prevail, but following common sense seems to be out right now (everywhere not just at Umass).

I don't know if a more astute observation can be made about the current world environment. I am seeing things internally within my employer that are absolutely head scratching and unconscionable, all in the name of money.... and at the absolute sacrifice of people.

[Juice Stand]

I would assume we can make that work, especially with Thorr Bjorn being the AD over there. The two rival teams that come to mind for me when I think about UMass basketball are Temple and URI. We might have a game against Temple next year at the Mohegan event depending on results, but I've missed that rivalry tremendously, it would be a drag to lose URI.

I would not assume anything for the moment. Common sense should prevail, but following common sense seems to be out right now (everywhere not just at Umass).

Right, but you know what I mean. Maybe better wording would be "I could see mutual interest between UMass and former UMass football player and administrator Thorr Bjorn".