2025-26 schedule

[SignMan]

Are you bringing your signs???

They are in storage in MA.
No room for them here now with no cellars in FL, tiny attic. Maybe could store some in garage, now that we put in a mini to airco it, and will be installing storage including a power 6×8 ceiling drop down unit.
Easier alternative...make a couple of new ones for t game.

[MikeUMA]

Was looking at the MAC to see when they've announced conference schedules in years past
2024: Aug 14
2023: ?
2022: Aug 24
2021: Aug 27
2020: COVID weirdness
2019: Sept 4
2018: Aug 1
2017: Sept 7
2016: Sept 6
2015: Aug 28

Over a month of variances in there. Be patient.

[MikeUMA]

Because of course the schedule came out while I was out of town AND the site was having a technical error. Anyway...

MAC slate released.
Official: https://getsomemaction.com/news/2025/8/ ... edule.aspx
UM's version: https://umassathletics.com/news/2025/8/ ... e-schedule

Observations...

• UM's first ever meetings with Bowling Green, Central MI, Western MI.
• Will be the last time we'll see Northern IL for a while, as they're moving out of the MAC after this season.
• Earliest start in conference play in a while, with Kent State visiting Mullins on 12/20 (Sat).
• UM goes back to non-conf play for a game on 12/22 (UMB, which we knew about already).
• Clear your Tuesdays and Saturdays. All conference games (for us anyway, more on that later) are either Tue or Sat, no exceptions.
• Home & Homes with 6 teams, then alternating with the other 6. H&H with Ball State, Bowling Green, Buffalo, Eastern MI, Ohio, and Miami. Buffalo makes sense as it's our closest (but still far) geographical opponent. No apparent reason for the others.
• First MAC road trip: Ypsilanti MI for Eastern MI.
• First 2-game road trip on Jan 13 and 17 for Western MI and Northern IL. With the charters we've been taking over the last few years, I bet we go back and forth in between.
• Another 2-game road trip on Jan 27 and 31 for Miami and Eastern MI.
• Road game in Amherst. Buffalo's Alumni Arena is technically in Amherst, NY.
• Mini-byes on 2/10, and the end of the season. The rest of the league closes out on Friday, March 6, but with the uneven number of members, someone had to be off that last day, and it's us.
• Gotta finish in the top 8 to make the MAC Tournament. If we do, we'll play again on Thursday, March 12. (We also had a long layoff in 2024, and were rusty to start that first tourney game against VCU.)

https://umasshoops.com/wiki/doku.php?id ... 6#schedule

[Juice Stand]

[*]Clear your Tuesdays and Saturdays. All conference games (for us anyway, more on that later) are either Tue or Sat, no exceptions.

I kind of like this. I feel like the schedule used to be loaded with Wed/Sat games but recently had become more unpredictable, probably due to TV. I'd prefer a Wed/Sat setup, but I like the predictabity of Tues/Sat.

[bobolink]

Not knowing much about the MAC, it's hard for me to say whether the conference schedule brings good or bad news. Akron and Miami seem to consistently be the best MAC teams, followed by Kent State, Toledo and maybe Ohio. Our guys only see Akron once, an away game, something like game 25 and just after the second Sun Belt game (a road game). We get 2 cracks at Miami, a road game when the season is well along, and a home game just after the Akron trip. Only 1 vs. Kent State, crazy early on 12/20. Toledo also just once, out there. So only 5 games against the usual top 4, 2 at home and 3 on the road. A winning record in those 5 is likely necessary for a good season.

A good season, as usual, requires winning consistently at home. For the non-con schedule add some success at the Paradise Jam to very consistent winning and home and you've there. Almost always beating the lesser MAC teams is required too. Challenging weeks are 12/10 BC in Springfield followed by Florida State on the road, and 2/14 at Akron followed by Miami at home. As usual, there will some home games with no students on campus (if only more would come anyway). Perhaps some of those MAC away games will lack students too.

[DoctorJ]

Brown will host UMass for an exhibition (Oct. 19) at 4 p.m. inside the Pizzitola Sports Center. Details will be provided leading up to the contest.

[MikeUMA]

Brown will host UMass for an exhibition (Oct. 19) at 4 p.m. inside the Pizzitola Sports Center. Details will be provided leading up to the contest.

^ That's per Brown's schedule announcement
https://brownbears.com/news/2025/8/20/m ... 6-schedule

[MikeUMA]

Our guys only see Akron once

There's a ~25% chance we'll see them twice. We're both in the field for the Paradise Jam, and could end up playing them on November 24.
https://www.basketballtravelers.com/mensparadisejam

[MikeUMA]

Home game times announced. I've posted 'em, with some notes, on my site:
https://umasshoops.com/wiki/doku.php?id ... 6#schedule

Some noteworthies...

• No double-header days with football or hockey
• 11/8 (Sat) - Women's BB plays Siena at 2:00, then we face Albany, but at 6:00. With the gap in between, seems like they'll clear the crowd and reset, for a separate admission day.
• 12/22 (Mon) - A 12 noon tip for UMass Boston. I get the Christmas getaway, but yikes, against a D3 team, that's almost certainly going to set a record low for actual attendance.
• 1/10 (Sat) - WBB vs Central Michigan at 1:00, then MBB vs Ball State at 3:30. That seems like a single-admission setup.
• 1/20 (Tue) - A little early, 6:00, start for Toledo. Maybe that ends up on TV? Otherwise why go that early on a weeknight?

[InnervisionsUMASS]

[*]12/22 (Mon) - A 12 noon tip for UMass Boston. I get the Christmas getaway, but yikes, against a D3 team, that's almost certainly going to set a record low for actual attendance.

Yeah, not great... hopefully they are undefeated or close to that by the time this one rolls around, otherwise you're probably right.

[JoleonLescottsHair]

Remarkably shitty schedule. The collapse continues.

[DoctorJ]

I like the schedule. It's pretty decent for a mid mid major.

Hopefully we win a lot of games. We are going to find out what this new approach to recruiting will yield.

If the Red Sox keep losing, I'll give the season more thought. I'm just looking forward to a new season and new team.

[inthescoop]

Pumped for the MAC vs Sun Belt challenge versus Marshall. The A10 never had a conference challenge, there were only rumors that one time about a potential challenge versus MWC.

A 3-1 start is acceptable; a 2-2 start is not. 1-3 would be a failure.

Anyone going down to the Virgin Islands?

[Juice Stand]

[*]12/22 (Mon) - A 12 noon tip for UMass Boston. I get the Christmas getaway, but yikes, against a D3 team, that's almost certainly going to set a record low for actual attendance.

Yeah, not great... hopefully they are undefeated or close to that by the time this one rolls around, otherwise you're probably right.

I went to the UMB game last year, which I think was on a Sat or Sun, and I spent the entire time wondering why I even bothered.

Pumped for the MAC vs Sun Belt challenge versus Marshall. The A10 never had a conference challenge, there were only rumors that one time about a potential challenge versus MWC.

Same. Marshall was pretty good last year at 20-13. We need to get off to a strong start to lock in a top team for the second game. Who would you all like to see in the 2nd Sunbelt Challenge game? I'd like to play App St because of our 1-AA history with them, but they were middle of the pack last year. Old "friend" Robert Davis plays at ODU, so that's a possibility.

[InnervisionsUMASS]

They need to win a lot this season to help folks get over this OOC schedule filled with UMass Boston, LeMoyne, and the first MAC go-around. My hope is that for season 2 of the MAC, they replace the UMB and LeMoyne type games with another P5 and G5 games.