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Umass_Minuteman wrote:I would be opposed to Umass moving up to division 1-A if it meant playing football games off campus. College football should be played ON CAMPUS. The best part about going to a college football game is enjoying the campus setting.

I believe (not 100% sure, someone correct me if I am wrong) that in 1980, when they were building the Carrier Dome for Syracuse University, it was originally supposed to be constructed at the nearby fair grounds (site of the big New York State Fair). This would have meant busing the Syracuse students in for games. I believe (again, not sure) the Syracuse students protested and the Dome was built right in the middle of campus ( after all aren't college sports mainly played for the entertainment of the students). As a result of the Dome being built on campus, the student section at Syracuse games is always packed and alumni, like my parents (both SU grads) get to walk through the campus to get to the games. My parents, and probably other Syracuse alumni enjoy doing this because they get a chance to see all the buildings on campus. My parents described the experience as a little homecoming for each game.

As a student at Umass I can say there is nothing better than looking out at the Umass skyline, while sitting at Alumni Stadium watching a football game. Im sure I will feel the same way when I come back for a game after I graduate.

I like the idea of an on-campus stadium however both on campus and off campus programs have been successful. We don’t need to build a $100M football stadium. I would prefer to see our seating capacity increase slowly as we gain additional fans.

I believe that I-A Football is played for the financial benefit of the University. Additional donations to the Academic Programs will increase. The question that needs to be answered is what is the corresponding net cost of a I-A football program at UMass. Folded into this question - how much additional revenue can we expect to receive? Alumni and business donations will increase. In addition we will receive alternate sources of revenue not available to I-AA teams.

Will a I-A football program at UMass break even, make a profit, continue to lose money at its current rate, or lose even more $?

As we heard from an earlier article about buffallo football, two or three buy games will cover a team for the season(possibly even bring in more). With all the tv coverage in major conferences now days, a conference affiliation would definitly turn a profit even with a losing season IMHO.

Once again, if anyone thinks we can compete even in the MAC with just small upgrades to our facilities, they are nuts. It would require a HUGE investment just to get on an equal playing field with those teams. The stadium is only a small part of what would need to get done.

And I still have not seen one shred of proof that fans would be any more willing to see us play Akron then they would for us to play Villanova. And even further no explanation of how (if we struggle for a few years which is likely) how we will handle the increased costs to the rest of our teams due to travel and Title IX implications.

Used to be VOR wrote:Once again, if anyone thinks we can compete even in the MAC with just small upgrades to our facilities, they are nuts. It would require a HUGE investment just to get on an equal playing field with those teams. The stadium is only a small part of what would need to get done.

What facilities do you think need to be upgraded to be competitive with the MAC schools - who are all Public Univiersities comparable in size to UM. Our program is stronger and facilities are comparable or better than some of the Sun Belt Schools. With Coach Brown and our present team we would be competitive in the MAC today, could probably win the Sun Belt and go to their Bowl Game.

Wow, are you out of touch. We would need MUCH better practice facilities... much better locker rooms and meeting rooms, and the stadium itself goes without saying.

The only thing we have now that is remotely on par is the wight room.

As far as where we would be in the MAC, I think you are reaching big time. Here are our results against 1A schools since 1999

1999- UMass lost to Toledo 24-3

2001 - UMass lost to Marshall 49-20

2002 - UMass lost to North Carolina State 56-24

2003 - UMass lost to Kansas State 38-7

2004 - UMass lost to Boston College 29-7

2005 - UMass lost to Army 34-27

2006 - UMass lost to Navy 21-20

Cummulative Scores - Opponents 227 UMass 108

Average Score - Opponents 32 UMass 15

Those scores aren't dissimilar to ANY I-AA team before they make the leap. You don't go from 1-AA to 1-A because you are already beating 1-A teams.

As for the facilities, I agree.....but as for game results, when you make the jump you do it expecting a transition period before you are truly competitive.

Chris,

I was responding to this little gem in the post above mine...

With Coach Brown and our present team we would be competitive in the MAC today, could probably win the Sun Belt and go to their Bowl Game.

Ahhh....I see. That would be a bit of a reach, I agree.

If you build it, they will come.

InnervisionsUMASS wrote:If you build it, they will come.

There is the problem, you have to build it. Right now they are having a problem getting funding for lights, and people expect donations to come to improve the other facilities?

My point is this... the university needs to come out and say "In 6 years, we will be a 1-A program." The reason, from what I have been told by numerous alum, there hasn't been a major flow of funds to the program is because the university does not want to make a decision. They come up with commissions to look at the issue and things like that.

The university needs to take a firm stance on the issue. They need to come out and say "By 2012 (or if you want, 2016, or whatever year) the University of Massachusetts will field their first 1-A collegiate football team in school history."

With that done, now the university can go to alum and other potential donars and say "we are doing this, we need your help" and the money will come. At the same time, our AD, Chancellor, and University President can lobby the state for more funding/bonding. Having a long timetable also allows for the university to lobby conferences and see what the next round of conference shake-ups is going to look like and what is open.

You need to set the wheels in motion. One thing about people from MA (and Western MA especially) is that they are apathetic to most things. If you set a goal, and get some momentum behind it, it will happen. Especially when you set a time table to 5+ years.

This will show the alum and donors that the university is serious in making this happen, and more likely to make them want to put money towards it. Personally, I don't want to donate money to the football program right now. Not as a 1-AA entity, which loses money like crazy. (This, is just me saying this, as I don't have money to donate to anything right now of course)

InnervisionsUMASS wrote:With that done, now the university can go to alum and other potential donars and say "we are doing this, we need your help" and the money will come. At the same time, our AD, Chancellor, and University President can lobby the state for more funding/bonding. Having a long timetable also allows for the university to lobby conferences and see what the next round of conference shake-ups is going to look like and what is open.

That is a huge assumption that once you state you are going D1A money will come. I remember back years ago when they tried a huge endowment push from the alumni, and it barely made what they target was. The fact is, UMass alumni do not have the connection or the bond to the school that other universities enjoy. And because of this lack of bond, alumni giving is lower than average. Of course among us here on the board, we all likely give and support the programs, but I'm talking about the other 99% of alumni.

Hell we can't even get a UMass license plate, and folks want enough donations to field a D1-A team. The math isn't there, as much as I would love to see us step up, the reality is the money isn't there and it would be followed by quite a few years of getting beaten like Temple or Buffalo with scores of 50-7.

I also would love 1A football but there is or has been no proof that our fellow alumni would donate "anything" to UM sports. The evidence of that happened last spring at a UM Sports luncheon when it was mentioned by one of the UM speakers that of the thousands of alumni contributions in '04-05 it was reported that only 1450 people contributed to UM sports. That my friends is APATHY in it's highest degree!

A little off topic......but I think UMass alumns in general are apathetic when it comes to donations and giving money back to the school. Just look at the license plate fiasco.......less then 500 or so signed up and sent in the measly $40 to get the UM plates. That's just ridiculous.

InnervisionsUMASS wrote:he university needs to take a firm stance on the issue. They need to come out and say "By 2012 (or if you want, 2016, or whatever year) the University of Massachusetts will field their first 1-A collegiate football team in school history." )

And what happens if we only raise enough money to barely scrape things together?... or if we do not raise enough at all?