UMass is leaving the MAC

UofMTigers · Post by **UofMTigers** » Wed Mar 26, 2014 3:26 pm

"While the report is not complete," McCutcheon said, "we believe full membership for all sports in the MAC is not a good fit for us. Because most of the MAC schools are in the Midwest, the additional travel would strain our athletic budget and pose considerable time management challenges for our student athletes. We are confident that, within the next two years, we will find a more suitable conference for our FBS football program."

http://www.umassathletics.com/sports/m- ... 14aaa.html

Travel costs in the AAC would be considerably more.

njumass08 · Post by **njumass08** » Wed Mar 26, 2014 3:26 pm

I forgot that Western Kentucky was leaving the Sun Belt for Conference-USA.

So take them out of my list.

Sorry.

Max11 · Post by **Max11** » Wed Mar 26, 2014 3:27 pm

lol well I'm not saying it isn't possible...just that I think it would be monumentally dumb. I would actually be embarrassed to tell my friends that we're playing some of those Sun Belt schools.

njumass08 · Post by **njumass08** » Wed Mar 26, 2014 3:40 pm

Luckily we have two full seasons to figure something out.

We're going to need the time.

We all knew this had been rumored to be happening since Temple left.

dingo38 · Post by **dingo38** » Wed Mar 26, 2014 3:40 pm

UofMTigers wrote:
Travel costs in the AAC would be considerably more.

Is that true though? So the expensive trips are Florida's (which baseball and softball do now anyway) Tulsa, Tulane, SMU and Houston. Cincy and Memphis are a wash with what we'd have in the MAC and UConn and Temple are closer. Baskeball goes everywhere as is so that's almost out of the equation. So while it probably is more expensive I would hazard a guess that the travel costs wouldn't be a hindrance.

that soundbite sounded more like political or coach speak to me than anything else.

Roadtrip · Post by **Roadtrip** » Wed Mar 26, 2014 3:45 pm

MAC-ee, we hardly knew ye! My hope is AAC.

BUMPA · Post by **BUMPA** » Wed Mar 26, 2014 3:47 pm

njumass08 wrote:Just FYI.

Sun Belt fans have been hearing rumors that we're heading to their conference for football only.

http://www.csnbbs.com/thread-683847.html

That's because you started the rumors!

njumass08 · Post by **njumass08** » Wed Mar 26, 2014 3:48 pm

Hahaha, no sir. I definitely don't have any contacts in the Sun Belt conference.

photoman · Post by **photoman** » Wed Mar 26, 2014 3:57 pm

I'm gonna miss our rivalry games with those directional Michigan schools

Rocks22 · Post by **Rocks22** » Wed Mar 26, 2014 3:59 pm

I'll take Directional Michigan over Directional Arkansas anytime.

photoman · Post by **photoman** » Wed Mar 26, 2014 4:01 pm

Rocks22 wrote:I'll take Directional Michigan over Directional Arkansas anytime.

touché!

...but I'm hoping for better than both of those options.

Miami (Oh) Yeah ! · Post by **Miami (Oh) Yeah !** » Wed Mar 26, 2014 4:11 pm

Miami (Oh) Yeah ! · Post by **Miami (Oh) Yeah !** » Wed Mar 26, 2014 4:14 pm

jjmc85 · Post by **jjmc85** » Wed Mar 26, 2014 4:27 pm

This is the email I got from UMass:

Hello Football Ambassadors!

The season preparation is underway, and we will certainly be relying on you again to help generate support, enthusiasm, and broadcast the messages of UMass football! In an effort to keep you informed and prepared for questions you may encounter, the university just announced a moment ago that they will be leaving the MAC conference after the conclusion of the 2015 season. Please see the attached talking points, and you can read an article about it at http://www.umassathletics.com/sports/m- ... 14aaa.html. Thanks for your work, and I look forward to working with you again for the upcoming season!

Thanks,
Kevin

I haven't been this worried about the football program since Northeastern and Hofstra cut football the same offseason. They damn well better have something up their sleeves, cause if not, I'm really worried that the UMass Field Hockey team will have a nice new 20+ million dollar training facility to use.

Mark W wrote: This is one of those issues that will get different responses based on what sport or group of sports one finds more important to UMass. For the football faithful, and I don't mean to be melodramatic, this could very well be the death knoll for that program. This University is in no position to attempt a run as an independent. Just look at what programs have been able to sustain that...Notre Dame (enough said)....Navy (going to the AAC for football)...Army. (they are a completely different animal than a state flagship university)...Temple( failed attempt)
I certainly hope for the sake of the program that something is in the works.
For basketball, hockey, and lacrosse going all-in with the MAC would have been disastrous. I'm glad that stood their ground.

This should be a very interesting 2 years for UMass. Two years that will have a long term affect on the athletic department for sure!

I agree with most of this post. However, I have no clue how hockey would be effected one way or the other. The MAC doesn't have hockey, so UMass would stay Hockey East. And unfortunately, UMass hockey has been just barely better than UMass football the last two years. It's not like if they got decreased funding due to increased travel expenses for other sports could make the team any worse. I mean, yeah, I guess they could finish last in Hockey East as opposed to 2nd to last like the last two years...

SJGMoney · Post by **SJGMoney** » Wed Mar 26, 2014 4:32 pm

I believe the buyout, if we had made the call instead of the MAC, was only $250k but I wouldn't bet my life on it (was that low because Temple backed out). I don't know anything in particular for those that were speculating, but I am giving our leaders (Swammy, McCutcheon and Whipple) enough credit so I trust what they are planning.

Some have asked, what would the AAC gain by adding Buffalo and UMass? All about TV markets and adding these two teams gives them TV markets from Boston, down the East Coast and over to Texas, while also making inroads to NY and Ohio. Remember what Buffalo is trying to do, rebranding themselves as THE state university of NY. They have bigger plans than the MAC and obviously so do we.

From a PR perspective I'm sure the AAC needs us to win some games this year, it certainly looks better if they add a "young, exciting, improving team" coming off a 4 or 5 win season than if we only win 1 game for the third year in a row so maybe we have to wait a bit. How about this daily double scenario: August 30th, big win over BC, August 31st announcement we are joining the AAC