First reaction: UMass to the MAC

[InnervisionsUMASS]

If we finish the year well, maybe the core group comes back for 1 more year (Josh and Matt in particular, who only have 1 year) to see if they can make a run for the A10 title? Probably wishful thinking on my part but I'm trying hard to find something positive.

You are assuming that we will be allowed to play in the 2025 A-10 tourney. It would not be the first time that a school leaving a conference was denied entry.

I initially had this concern but the A10's public statement has me feeling better about it. Sounds like everyone has been transparent from the jump.

https://x.com/atlantic10/status/1762463 ... 66960?s=20

[DanaDingle3]

Not a big fan.

While I appreciate the athletics dept made a bold move, this is an obvious step down in quality of competition in basketball.

A LOT depends on how the institution follows up on the move, specifically basketball-wise:

UMass can continue to support hoops at its current level, which would be a little disappointing given that we're now thrust into an inferior hoops league and otherwise maintaing the status quo;

UMass can start dialing down basketball support commensurate with its soon to be peer schools;

Or UMass can find a way to ramp up institutional support of basketball to become a mid major power.

There's a chance for the last option, but given its history of playing it safe, the most likely outcome results in hoops fan underwhelming. We'll see

[RageintheCage]

Don't like it. Tough to be excited about Buffalo and Western Mich as our natural rivals.

[Quann]

I'm hoping the MAC is a stepping stone to a better conference eventually in the next 5-10 years. Don't think that was going to happen with football staying indy. Now the football program has to win, no more excuses. Also, 1 NCAA tourney appearance which was a blowout loss in the last 25 years in hoops. We haven't exactly done anything with our A10 membership, maybe this change will allow us to get to an NCAA tourney every few years.

[Worcester_To_Amherst]

Very good comments throughout the thread. I've felt MAC All-Sports was our best realistic option for the entire department, but it feels worse now that it's a reality. I'm chalking that up to this being the first enjoyable A-10 season I can remember as a fan. Over the past 30 years, I think UMass would have made more tourneys in the MAC than the A10. The ceiling is lower in the MAC as both conferences currently stand. That said, would you rather have been Vermont or Umass for the past 20 years as a hoop fan? Consistently struggling with 1-3 good seasons sprinkled in? Or always contending for a conference title and having a memorable NCAA tourney win and many other appearances?

We won't know if this is a good or bad move for another 5-10 years. If UMass BBall comes into the MAC and is yearly contender, we'll feel better. If UMass bball and football struggle out the gate, watch out.

Let's win an A10 title before we're out the door.

[Uminuteman]

Maybe we can turn into the Gonzaga of the MAC. That was a nothing conference since Bill Russell left until Few and his boys got serious.

[sbloombe]

I am a hoops-first person but I support football as well.

Would I rather be in the A-10 for hoops? 100%. 100%. It's a league full of basketball-centric schools that are primarily located on the East Coast. The level of competition and the strength of the programs are way, way better than the MAC. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

BUT... I get the move. I understand why it had to be done. And I do think there is a universe where it ends up being a good thing for the basketball program. Three things will become essential to that success, in my view.

1. Our out-of-conference scheduling has to be strong. I can tolerate having to watch UMass play a bunch of Mid-West directional schools that I don't care at all about if, and only if, the other half of the season features strong opponents. I'm not asking for the moon here -- I don't need a bunch of P6 schools on the schedule. Fill most of our OOC schedule with A-10 schools (URI? Dayton? VCU?), sprinkle in a couple of AAC schools (Temple? Charlotte?), and give me one or two P6 schools (Providence? Creighton? BC?) and I'll be happy. That will also give us a shot at an at large bid if we do well in the OOC and then run through the MAC but lose the title game in a fluke.

Speaking of which...

2. We have to win the MAC tournament and make the NCAA's in year one, ideally with Frank here. We need to establish right away that we are going to effectively be the Gonzaga of this league and just freaking dominate it every year. That--combined with a strong OOC schedule--is the only way we can retain and attract talent. That is true for both coaches and players.

3. The MAC has to be a stepping stone. No disrespect to MAC schools, but UMass should (and I think does) have higher ambitions. I'm not deluded into thinking we'll ever join the Big 10 or the Big East, but the ACC is going to fall apart and some schools are going to be left in the cold. I can definitely see the leftovers forming a new conference with the Mountain West schools and some AAC schools... and UMass needs to position itself to be in that conversation too. We need football *and* basketball success in the MAC to get us there.

[runner_bric]

I do actually wonder about the financials here, as what I have read about league payouts varies a lot.
A quick google search showed $600K per school in the MAC for all sports and that the A10 was giving around $500k
A reddit user on the college basketball board ( I know, I know, not a reliable search) mentioned the A10 was giving $870K vs $670 from the MAC*.
If it's the latter, is it worth the loss in money just to have a football conference? You would think they could make more being a cupcake like they do now.
On the other hand, maybe the upside for the MAC is higher since football is now king.

I'm certainly sad to leave the A10, as I think it is a better league for everything but football. If it actually means less revenue for the Athletic Department, I hate it. Hopefully that is incorrect.

[thecaptain]

The WCC is clearly a superior conference, and in the years Gonzaga found success (mid to late 90s), you had BYU and St Mary’s there to pick up at-large bids. In other words, the competition improved. The MAC hasn’t had an at-large bid since 1999, and I doubt any other team in that conference was close to snagging an at large bid over that time. Sure you can win the MAC, but your reward is a 13 seed and a likely first round exit. I agree the only way out of that pigeon hole is if the non conference is strong.

[natwam2547]

Honest question. Would you rather be 6-6/7-5/8-4 in football in the MAC and make bowl games and be a top 4 team in the MAC year in and year out in basketball or would you rather be at best a 3-9 independent football team and a top 8 A-10 basketball team? There are reasons to dislike the move, especially if you are a basketball first fan. But football drives the bus and the basketball team wasn't making enough consistent progress to keep getting stuck in the Bermuda triangle in football. Now, if you hated the D-1 football move from the beginning and would rather just be an FBS football team and an A-10 basketball team, you have an argument. But they weren't going that route.

I voted that I'm basketball first and "don't like the move". But the fear-mongering going on right now has made me play Devil's Advocate so many times I'm starting to twist my thinking around.

[bunkerhill87]

Honest question. Would you rather be 6-6/7-5/8-4 in football in the MAC and make bowl games and be a top 4 team in the MAC year in and year out in basketball or would you rather be at best a 3-9 independent football team and a top 8 A-10 basketball team? There are reasons to dislike the move, especially if you are a basketball first fan. But football drives the bus and the basketball team wasn't making enough consistent progress to keep getting stuck in the Bermuda triangle in football. Now, if you hated the D-1 football move from the beginning and would rather just be an FBS football team and an A-10 basketball team, you have an argument. But they weren't going that route.

I voted that I'm basketball first and "don't like the move". But the fear-mongering going on right now has made me play Devil's Advocate so many times I'm starting to twist my thinking around.

Certainly i understand the logic above But here it is. what makes us think we will be at the top of the MAC in football? there seems to an assumption that the football team is going to be competitive right out of the gate. our history at this level says otherwise. recruiting good talent in both sports is going to be extremely hard.
I hope and wish the football team all the success now that they have stability. the college landscape is not done blowing up. We will just have to wait and see how we can manage the downgrade in basketball. and for those saying it will be easier to reach the NCAA tourney read some of the posts above. At best a Mac team will be a high seed and will essentially get pounded first round. its a1 bid league as well

[Floyd]

All the good vibes I had about the hoops revival have suddenly made me nauseous. If we can't hold on to Frank and recruit the better players moving forward, and resort to DK 2.0, I'll never go out there again for hoops

[BR72]

I understand all of the reasons why this may be the best move for the school. But if you are primarily a hoops fan, ask yourself how many of the current scholarship basketball players would be at UMass if it was in the MAC. I would guess it is pretty close to zero. And how many recruits will now have second thoughts? It's fair to say that we haven't been very good in a while but we have attracted plenty of talented players. After having been a season ticket holder for 30 years and a financial supporter of the program, I expect that next week's game will be my last trek to the Mullins Center, especially if we see significant departures in the portal. If not, I might hang around for one more year but then I'm out.

[Sheck]

Players are here for the coach and for the bag. The conference is a tertiary consideration in today's landscape.

[BR72]

Players are here for the coach and for the bag. The conference is a tertiary consideration in today's landscape.

So the reason that the MAC doesn't get a lot of 3, 4 or 5 star recruits is that they have bad coaches?