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AAC may be trying to gobble up the remaining Big XII schools (with ESPN's help it looks like). If that happens we can forget about ever joining that league.

econalum wrote: ↑Wed Jul 28, 2021 1:46 pm Superleague(s) will basically outlaw pay-for-play games as each game will mean a lot for eligibility to the inevitable expansion of playoffs. Many colleges, including UMass, will need to meet and discuss ways to cut expenses, be it some sort of regional leagues and/or cuts in scholarships, and/or coaches. IMO, AAC type arrangements will be unaffordable for many. How NCAA even fits into this mess moving forward remains a mystery.

If buy games go out the window with all of this realignment, there's no way UMass can remain an FBS program. Definitely not as an independent anyway and I don't see us getting an invite from any conference at this point.

It's never over with conference realignment. Our interest in the AAC dropped to near nill after UConn left. There is always a chance that we could become an affiliate FB member. Remember COVID strained athletics budgets, especially in mid west universities with declining enrollments.

Open to anything, including some movement out of the massive CUSA to a new conference. There is also this scenario, a MAC team as Kent or Akron drop out or merge, thou unlikely. UMass could take a half share* of CFP and media making it financial positive to MAC members and the MAC could play round robin in bb with 11 teams.

* A half share is 500k, which is more than the entire media and NCAA credits we get from the A10 as our 2014 NCAA appearance has rolled out of the payout. Not sure if we are currently getting or an addition 300k from the NCAA for making the APR.

MAC wants full participation across sports and would lock us into Tues/Wed night games with little roi. Yech.

IMO, MAC becomes part of a 'Champions league(s)' in college football, using the analogy of the English professional soccer system where there is the Premier League, and under it the Champions League.

Some realignment/merger of lesser FBS and FCS seems inevitable if this major power consolidation occurs among the top 32-50 teams, as lesser FBS would be locked out of the expanded big bowl/playoff games and the majority of TV monies.

The MAC wanted full participation. We have no clue what the MAC wants now or will want moving forward.

Wouldn't rejoining the MAC - in any form - be the last nail in our big boy football aspirations? My belief is that the alums with enough $$$ to support our overall athletic program (I mean the season ticket folks and others that give, not the megabucks guys) had no interest in watching us play those teams. Someone convince me that I am wrong about that.

^

I suspect the same... but times they are-a-changin, so who knows?

This has happened before. UMASS is now part of FBS-AA. Who knows what all that means and what happens next. Once Texas and Oklahoma resolve the monetary consequences of leaving the Big 12, then all the other dominos will start falling. It seems to me that there will be less money for the MAC and schools like UMASS. Football is forever changed for the worse.

It seems like 4 super conferences of 16 teams, but who makes sense for the Pac 16.. Baylor, TCU, Oklahoma State, and Houston.. maybe Nebraska moving there? Kansas and either Kansas st/Iowa St to Big Ten, ND commits to ACC and they take Cincy. WV, Texas Tech, and loser of Kansas St/Iowa State are left out.

That said, I would want UMass to push hard to get into Big East and find a conf to be football only member or be part of a new Conference

WV
Temple
UMass
Buffalo
East Carolina
Liberty
UCF
USF
Navy FB only
Army FB only.. army navy game is not a conference game
UConn FB only or get them to join
Coastal Carolina maybe..

all other sports options.. Dayton, Butler, Rhody, VCU,

^^^^^^^
That would be an awesome conference but don’t know how realistic it is. A few thoughts, I think Notre Dame stays independent, I can’t see them giving it up, they seem to be pretty stubborn about it. If they ever do join a conference I think it’s the big 1g in all sports as long as Michigan and Ohio State don’t flee. I highly doubt Nebraska leaves the big 1g for a new pac 16. They have way more in common with the big 1g schools. I also think WV gets into an expanded ACC, it makes all the sense in the world for the school and the conference.

ND has a long term contract - like 15 more years - to be in the ACC for all sports except FB. ACC does not have Mhockey, so Big10 works.

InnervisionsUMASS wrote: ↑Thu Jul 29, 2021 1:05 pm The MAC wanted full participation. We have no clue what the MAC wants now or will want moving forward.

When UMass originally signed to enter the MAC, Temple was also in the league as a football only member. Apparently the contract with UMass stipulated that if Temple were to leave MAC football, then the MAC had the right to remove UMass.
Perhaps the MAC will want a package of UMass and UConn in the future, depending on future realignment and current MAC members dropping football.

The MAC may not be glamourous, but it would provide conference affiliation and schools with similar stadiums and football budgets. I had hoped that UMass could become a power in the MAC. But it was not to be.... Perhaps if they were winning football games in the MAC from 2012-15 then the conference would have seen UMass as an asset and not demanded all-sports membership.

scorpio wrote: ↑Fri Aug 06, 2021 8:24 pm

When UMass originally signed to enter the MAC, Temple was also in the league as a football only member. Apparently the contract with UMass stipulated that if Temple were to leave MAC football, then the MAC had the right to remove UMass.
Perhaps the MAC will want a package of UMass and UConn in the future, depending on future realignment and current MAC members dropping football.

The MAC may not be glamourous, but it would provide conference affiliation and schools with similar stadiums and football budgets. I had hoped that UMass could become a power in the MAC. But it was not to be.... Perhaps if they were winning football games in the MAC from 2012-15 then the conference would have seen UMass as an asset and not demanded all-sports membership.

The agreement was that UMass joined as a football only member in addition to Temple already being one. It tied UMass and Temple together: if Temple or UMass left, the MAC could then require the remaining school to become a full member, or leave the conference altogether. They didn't need to trigger that clause, but had every right to do so.

In our situation, Temple left, the MAC triggered said clause, UMass said no and here we are.

InnervisionsUMASS wrote: ↑Thu Jul 29, 2021 1:05 pm The MAC wanted full participation. We have no clue what the MAC wants now or will want moving forward.

Jon Steinbrecher, MAC commissioner was asked when UConn went independent. He said it would have to be financially positive to the MAC.

ACC, Pac 12 and Big 10 in talks. Might suck up non-conference schedule games.

https://www.espn.com/college-football/s ... scheduling

This could be another blow to 'payday games' for those colleges outside this realm.

Not to concerned about it since we do not schedule PAC-12 teams and infrequently BigTen teams. The SEC numbers are growing and have schedule them for payday games. The ACC teams could affect us to some degree, but realistically we only need 2 games a year. More concerned about the new transfer rule than anything else. The BigXII and what happens will be interesting. There are several media contracts that will expire in the next 5 years. Will see how it shakes out. But more importantly will have to see how Football and Basketball develop and how UConn football and it's attendance do in the next two years for any educated guess on potential conference affiliations.