🗣 UMass to the MAC: Dedicated Thread

[ZooMass84]

I know this thread is about the MAC, but I think another G5 will take us football only if they are in a bind. Problem is, we have sucked and been a laughing stock since 2018 ended. So 2019 - 2022 is 4 years of pure misery. Gomer really killed us and I think DB turns this around this season. Once we get past Auburn, we have a decent shot at some wins. DB I think is the right guy for us right now: he's older, a ton of experience, Mass. native, etc.

[eldonabe]

I was looking up the 2023 preseason FBS Rankings and Umass is dead last at #133. That also means that there are 2 new teams (I am pretty sure it was 131 last year) and they are already ranked ahead of Umass....

Pathetic....


For what it is worth, that very first game of the year is a good barometer (i doubt we - as fans- learn anything at Auburn). NM St is a poorly ranked team but has a decent returning starting group on offense. If Umass can play reasonable defense against that and score in the 20's at the very least I will be a little optimistic.

[Steve81]

What has been, and hoping is no longer true, the athletic department thinks by waiting, we'll get into a better conference. It's been 7 years and the football only consistently failed. Basketball is a bit better but net rating #203 is not going to get us in. Don't remember the last time we finished with a rating inside 100, but 2014 would be a good guess. They had 7 years to figure it out and here we are without a football home and in a conference for over 40 years with only 1 true rival as the conference keeps changing and is no longer anything like we help found.

Footnote: Believe Rhody with our own Thorr Bjorn will continue to schedule us out of conference.

[Steve81]

Financials of the A10 and the MAC. The A10 is 9.3 Million LESS than the MAC and that gap will probably be 10.3M this year as these are 2021-2022 numbers. We had 1 bid in 2023 compare to 3 bids in the year rolling off.

The CFP expanded playoffs will generate more $$ and the MAC media contract will probably rise as well. The A10 not so much as not looking good.

2021-2022 June
Atlantic 10 ---- 26.0 million (14 teams)
Mid American --35.7 million (12 teams)

[inthescoop]

Financials of the A10 and the MAC. The A10 is 9.3 Million LESS than the MAC and that gap will probably be 10.3M this year as these are 2021-2022 numbers. We had 1 bid in 2023 compare to 3 bids in the year rolling off.

The CFP expanded playoffs will generate more $$ and the MAC media contract will probably rise as well. The A10 not so much as not looking good.

2021-2022 June
Atlantic 10 ---- 26.0 million (14 teams)
Mid American --35.7 million (12 teams)

Are you looking at only basketball numbers because as we all know, there is no A10 for football.

[Steve81]

Financials of the A10 and the MAC. The A10 is 9.3 Million LESS than the MAC and that gap will probably be 10.3M this year as these are 2021-2022 numbers. We had 1 bid in 2023 compare to 3 bids in the year rolling off.

The CFP expanded playoffs will generate more $$ and the MAC media contract will probably rise as well. The A10 not so much as not looking good.

2021-2022 June
Atlantic 10 ---- 26.0 million (14 teams)
Mid American --35.7 million (12 teams)

Are you looking at only basketball numbers because as we all know, there is no A10 for football.

Looking at conferences. It's only possible for this guy to look at media and CFP numbers to compare them. When doing this there was a 800k gross benefit but take it down to 500k for addition travel over the A10 for some olympic sports, but not all. The MAC does not have hockey, lacrosse, rowing, or soccer. Idk, if giving up a half a million is fiscally irresponsible, but do know that gap will increase.

[PreecherJenkins]

Financials of the A10 and the MAC. The A10 is 9.3 Million LESS than the MAC and that gap will probably be 10.3M this year as these are 2021-2022 numbers. We had 1 bid in 2023 compare to 3 bids in the year rolling off.

The CFP expanded playoffs will generate more $$ and the MAC media contract will probably rise as well. The A10 not so much as not looking good.

2021-2022 June
Atlantic 10 ---- 26.0 million (14 teams)
Mid American --35.7 million (12 teams)

since i am pissing in the wind i'll continue to piss in the wind...

Yes you will make conference revenues, but you lose revenue from your gur. payments. It is probably a slight net gain for UMass if you look at NCAA/confeence payments, Guranteed AR/AP. The real question is how much is the increaed cost of travel. Every sport away games would be flights (probably with the exception of Buffalo?) how much more is that going to cost. So while you are probably right there is a net gain to go to the MAC in the confernce payments but is it a net gain for the department?

[Steve81]

UConn with multiple National Championships, elite repeated basketball success is struggling to get into the ACC, B12 etc with limit football success. The A10 is no longer great and it's obvious we'd never make it to the ACC with basketball. We have to stop pissing and moaning about staying in a conference that does not have increasing revenue as G5 conferences. The A10 made so much more money than the MAC when we went FBS. Then the College Football Payoffs were born and a huge success. The playoffs will be expanding. The G5 conferences have gone from nothing to 10M at the low end. The MAC will not expand without a revenue increase.

[69MG]

I'll keep it real simple:

Win 4 games this year and 6 games next year.

[eldonabe]

I'll keep it real simple:

Win 4 games this year and 6 games next year.

Even just 3 wins this year....

[Quinn]

There have been some developments in the business that will impact UMass.

1 is the Big 12 expansion with 7 schools that don’t include UCONN.

Another is the impending ACC breakup, even if it’s 2036. The Big Ten and SEC will add some schools from the ACC and it will likely result in the Big 12 adding the others.

So there’s an argument that if the Big 12 adds Pitt, Syracuse and Boston College, then they might not take UCONN.

The same argument might be that if they get those 3 regional schools, they would add UConn to solidify the region.


So for a potential UCONN and UMass MAC football-only option, it’s highly unlikely given that UCONN has had a taste of being wanted by a P5 conference. And it goes without saying that should the ACC lose any schools, UCONN will be high on the replacement list.


So that leaves us again talking about the MAC for UMass all-sports.

And a Delaware upgrade is about the only option. That said, there are those in the Sun Belt that might want to include them to really lock in that general region with JMU, ODU and Marshall.

But perhaps Delaware needs to prove their value first in the MAC.



Then there is CUSA.

Sadly, they are not an option at all for UMass.

There was that same thought that UMass and Delaware could go together for all-sports.

I do feel like CUSA has done something proactive with their expansion and GOR: they’ve basically blocked the FBS UAC from happening.

Now, any of those UAC schools that want to upgrade will choose CUSA. With a Virginia to Florida to Texas to New Mexico footprint, really all UAC schools would fit in CUSA.

And given all the UAC schools fall into the existing CUSA footprint, they will be higher targets than UMass.

[Quinn]

There have been some developments in the business that will impact UMass.

1 is the Big 12 expansion with 7 schools that don’t include UCONN.

Another is the impending ACC breakup, even if it’s 2036. The Big Ten and SEC will add some schools from the ACC and it will likely result in the Big 12 adding the others.

So there’s an argument that if the Big 12 adds Pitt, Syracuse and Boston College, then they might not take UCONN.

The same argument might be that if they get those 3 regional schools, they would add UConn to solidify the region.


So for a potential UCONN and UMass MAC football-only option, it’s highly unlikely given that UCONN has had a taste of being wanted by a P5 conference. And it goes without saying that should the ACC lose any schools, UCONN will be high on the replacement list.


So that leaves us again talking about the MAC for UMass all-sports.

And a Delaware upgrade is about the only option. That said, there are those in the Sun Belt that might want to include them to really lock in that general region with JMU, ODU and Marshall.

But perhaps Delaware needs to prove their value first in the MAC.



Then there is CUSA.

Sadly, they are not an option at all for UMass.

There was that same thought that UMass and Delaware could go together for all-sports.

I do feel like CUSA has done something proactive with their expansion and GOR: they’ve basically blocked the FBS UAC from happening.

Now, any of those UAC schools that want to upgrade will choose CUSA. With a Virginia to Florida to Texas to New Mexico footprint, really all UAC schools would fit in CUSA.

And given all the UAC schools fall into the existing CUSA footprint, they will be higher targets than UMass.

Also worth noting that the other school connect to the MAC, WKU, is not locked into a GOR. So since the MAC is a mi or upgrade over CUSA, there’s not revenue to offset exit fees. So WKU is out.

[stevemaz]

If only UMass had done the right thing the early 2000s and made the move then along with spending what was needed to be a viable program..Its not over though. The under the radar solution is a Eastward expansion of the Mountain West or Pac 12. Oregon st, Wash St, San Diego St, Boise St and a few others. In the East UMass, Temple, East Carolina, USF, and others. Maybe have a three division set up with Memphis, La Tech, and others. TIme to think out of the box on this. I dont think the AAC is a lock to survive as is and I dont think the ACC is going to fold either although they are likley to lose 4-6 schools.

[jjmc85]

Yes you will make conference revenues, but you lose revenue from your gur. payments. It is probably a slight net gain for UMass if you look at NCAA/confeence payments, Guranteed AR/AP. The real question is how much is the increaed cost of travel. Every sport away games would be flights (probably with the exception of Buffalo?) how much more is that going to cost. So while you are probably right there is a net gain to go to the MAC in the confernce payments but is it a net gain for the department?

I question if it would be an increased travel budget. Does it cost more to fly to Miami OH as opposed to Dayton? Are Toledo flights more expensive than St. Louis? Is it really that much more costly to travel from Amherst to Michigan as opposed to Amherst to Virginia?

It’s not like the A-10 is some nice compact low travel conference like Hockey East…

[stevemaz]

I was looking up the 2023 preseason FBS Rankings and Umass is dead last at #133. That also means that there are 2 new teams (I am pretty sure it was 131 last year) and they are already ranked ahead of Umass....

Pathetic....


For what it is worth, that very first game of the year is a good barometer (i doubt we - as fans- learn anything at Auburn). NM St is a poorly ranked team but has a decent returning starting group on offense. If Umass can play reasonable defense against that and score in the 20's at the very least I will be a little optimistic.

Hop aboard the Bowl bound train buddy..