UConn to Big East 2020

[MJatUM]

Now JMU has been very competitive at the FCS level, so they might be able to do it... but UMass was pretty damn competitive too and, well...

Not at the time we moved up we weren't... Maybe the worst couple year stretch in the previous 20 years of the program right before the move. Kind of the reason why Molnar is not fully to blame.

[MajBugman]

^
Yup, as was the norm, UMass struck while the iron was cold. Under Morris they were barely competitive in the CAA, let alone taking that roster to FBS.

[Jack]

I think it's pretty unlikely. That's a pretty big jump for an FCS school. Now JMU has been very competitive at the FCS level, so they might be able to do it... but UMass was pretty damn competitive too and, well...

You are confused McKinley. Under Don Brown UMass was outstanding and competitive. Then in 2009 Brown resigned and Umass foolishly promoted Kevin Morris to HC and the program began a long painful slide into suckdom. When UMass moved up to FBS the program was not pretty darn competitive at all - the program was pretty darned craptacular which continued under Molnar and only began to improve under Whipple 2.0.

[McKinney]

I think the rumors of ODU, UAB, etc. hold more water than JMU.

But if they can get away with it I can also see the AAC just sticking at 11.

[ZooMass84]

AAC is not taking 1AA moveups like the MAC or Sun Belt or CUSA did. I still think UConn made a big mistake tearing down their on-campus stadium and building one 30 miles away in East Hartford. People are delusional to think CT is like Iowa or Alabama or someplace where they travel hours to watch football. Maybe they can cobble together a schedule for 2020, by playing teams twice; and 2 or 3 FCS teams. I can't see fans filling the Rent to see Charlotte or Akron. I don't see FBS independence working for them, unlike UMass where we actually get 10,000 fans (although they are gone by halftime).

[ZooMass84]

Now JMU has been very competitive at the FCS level, so they might be able to do it... but UMass was pretty damn competitive too and, well...

Not at the time we moved up we weren't... Maybe the worst couple year stretch in the previous 20 years of the program right before the move. Kind of the reason why Molnar is not fully to blame.

Charlie Molnar was a f-ing joke as a HC. Only reason he got the job was McCutcheon (who was on his way out and could've cared less) hired him when he heard "I'm OC at Notre Dame." Molnar is a position coach at 1AA Idaho now (where he belongs).

[minutefanjsf]

Now JMU has been very competitive at the FCS level, so they might be able to do it... but UMass was pretty damn competitive too and, well...

Not at the time we moved up we weren't... Maybe the worst couple year stretch in the previous 20 years of the program right before the move. Kind of the reason why Molnar is not fully to blame.

Charlie Molnar was a f-ing joke as a HC. Only reason he got the job was McCutcheon (who was on his way out and could've cared less) hired him when he heard "I'm OC at Notre Dame." Molnar is a position coach at 1AA Idaho now (where he belongs).

While I know KMO was detrimental to the program, they were inconsistently competitive in his tenure. Couldn’t show up when expectations were there, BC for example, but almost beat Michigan. Molnar crushed the program.

[ZooMass84]

Back to back 1-11 seasons, thanks to Molnar, and those were really tough to take. Granted we had a lot of 1AA players, but our offense was horrible. We got shutout numerous times.

[Sheck]

So let's see:

-Program had a successful run and reached its peak or close to it.
-Coach left, hired a bad replacement, set the program back.
-Fired that coach, made another bad hire, set the program back even further.
-Previous coach becomes available again but can't repeat the success in tenure #2.

Amazing that UConn and UMass both have this in common.

[minutefanjsf]

Back to back 1-11 seasons, thanks to Molnar, and those were really tough to take. Granted we had a lot of 1AA players, but our offense was horrible. We got shutout numerous times.

Correction. We did not have a lot of 1AA players. Molnar cut them or got them to leave. We played true freshmen and transfers from the get go. That was one of the biggest mistakes he made.

[ZooMass84]

Back to back 1-11 seasons, thanks to Molnar, and those were really tough to take. Granted we had a lot of 1AA players, but our offense was horrible. We got shutout numerous times.

Correction. We did not have a lot of 1AA players. Molnar cut them or got them to leave. We played true freshmen and transfers from the get go. That was one of the biggest mistakes he made.

My bad: are you saying 25-35 kids played the entire 2012 season instead of 85 players? Aren't you limited to 25 scholarships per year?

[KahunaK]

I am surprised at the lukewarm of response to the UCONN decision to leave the AAC on this board. It could be the canary in the coal mine for UMASS. If a northeastern school that has a reasonably successful athletic program cannot support itself is a G5 conference then where does UMASS go from here? If they received an invite from the AAC, one wonders whether they should accept it. Does northeast football go the way of BU and Northeastern? OR is there a northeast conference developed by ESPN get created (UMASS, UCONN, Buffalo, Army, Navy etc)? Looks like being in the ACC is the only thing saving BC. How does Temple survive in the AAC? Would love to hear Bamford's and Swami's thoughts on this. It could be the fork in the road for UMASS athletics.

[69MG]

It could be the fork in the road for UMASS athletics.

I think it was Yogi Berra who once said, "If you come to a fork in the road, take it".

[ZooMass84]

I am surprised at the lukewarm of response to the UCONN decision to leave the AAC on this board. It could be the canary in the coal mine for UMASS. If a northeastern school that has a reasonably successful athletic program cannot support itself is a G5 conference then where does UMASS go from here? If they received an invite from the AAC, one wonders whether they should accept it. Does northeast football go the way of BU and Northeastern? OR is there a northeast conference developed by ESPN get created (UMASS, UCONN, Buffalo, Army, Navy etc)? Looks like being in the ACC is the only thing saving BC. How does Temple survive in the AAC? Would love to hear Bamford's and Swami's thoughts on this. It could be the fork in the road for UMASS athletics.

No canary in a coal mine..........UConn was poorly led and made terrible decisions. UMass actually is well financed now, Mass is twice as big as CT, and its economy is booming. CT has lost a lot of Fortune 50 businesses to Mass and now with Encore, Foxwoods is toast. Don't be surprised if UConn cannot put together a 12 game schedule in 2020 (even with playing 2 or 3 FCS and playing the same teams twice). Honestly, UConn could drop football in the next few years. Don't know if anybody will go to East Hartford to see Texas State or FAU. UConn has been exaggerating about its attendance for years by putting zeros on the end of the real attendance. Tearing down their crappy little 16,000 seat stadium will prove disastrous.

[minutefanjsf]

Back to back 1-11 seasons, thanks to Molnar, and those were really tough to take. Granted we had a lot of 1AA players, but our offense was horrible. We got shutout numerous times.

Correction. We did not have a lot of 1AA players. Molnar cut them or got them to leave. We played true freshmen and transfers from the get go. That was one of the biggest mistakes he made.

My bad: are you saying 25-35 kids played the entire 2012 season instead of 85 players? Aren't you limited to 25 scholarships per year?

We didn’t have 85 scholarship players year one. Also, in the two deep, very few 1AA holdovers were listed and or played. Rob Blanchflower was the exception to the rule. We had a lot of PWO and true walk ones as well. https://umassathletics.com/roster.aspx? ... h=football Give the roster a look.