What will it take in 2026?

[Steve81]

What will it take? Overpaying for some good players... 2 million?? Might have to spend 4-5 to try and flip this... dont go out and get ivy league lineman.. get some legit kids

I've heard both Temple and UConn spent 7M on NIL, not 2M. This not verified, but what I heard. 2M will not cut it. Neither will 3M if we want to win and overspend and compete with the middle G5 conferences. The absolute minimum for the AAC or very bottom of that league is 10M over 3 years. We want to be better than the absolute bottom of the AAC. That budget would be a joke to say it is overspending for the minimum requirement for any AAC member, 3.33M.

If the goal is the AAC, then spending at least the amount of a good AAC would be required and overspending for the MAC.

This year 4 to 5M would be an over spend. 4M for next year and 5M there after.

[TheInsider]

Agreed... unless the staff gets really lucky and hits on some gems, 2 mil will probably field a team at the bottom of the MAC again. We are starting from such a bad position they have to spend much bigger.

[eldonabe]

One thing i will say is that i disagree with the thought that people do not care about college football in this area. Sure, it isnt on a 50k in stadium level, but there is no doubt we could sell out our current stadium if the team was good. There is no doubt in my mind (assuming there isnt a WW3 or we wont have to be fighting robots by 2028 like in Terminator) that the stadium will be getting an upgrade to the 25k capacity with possibility of further expansion.

Next year I just want to see a semblance of a competitive team with wins over Sacred Heart and 2-3 in the MAC. 2027 bowl game. 2028 9 wins and 2029 12th seed...there is no ceiling

Steve any team even in the most remote area will sell out if the team playing there is good.

I am talking about the overall sports culture in this area. As well all know the northeast is a pro sports town…. That is the support I am talking about from the school and state…. They do not prioritize college spots at all. If we have a good season it is in spite of their lack of support not because of it, then if you manage a break out season they will all get their PR points in the moment.

That does not count.

The governor of Louisiana is doing the coaching search for the next FB head coach…. THAT is supports. Even if it is an overreach….

I would consider hiring me to develop a marketing plan based on shaming the sports fans of western mass..

Steve, I know you are somewhat trolling, but even you must understand what I am talking about.

Nobody is "shaming" the few real college sports supporters in this region.... the plain and simple fact is that there are not enough to pull Umass over the hump when they desperately need it - and especially in our state government. As someone pointed out, they are alll about Harvard, and MIT and the like.... AND there is more to it than $$$ THAT is the underlying MAJOR weakness.

Everyone knows that winning brings attention and attendance, that recipe is as old as time. The really long standing successful schools sustain a support system regardless of record (within reason). If Umass football was a .500 program next year, they still would not attract a significant increase in attendance or attention and that includes almost no additional attention from Beacon Hill.

I cannot stand the word Culture and how it has taken over everything from Corporate America to Schools, to everythign else, but it is a thing.... Umass / Mass does not have a good College Sports Culture..... except for Hockey... If we had Hockey's culture in Hoops and Football things woudl be significantly better right now. I do not pretend to know how to change that, but I can see the problem.

Does it help when people like me continue to spout off negative things like I do, of course not. This school continues to miss, over, and over, and over. Umass makes Wyle E Cuyote blush forfucksakes.....

UMass needs better/competent leadership or they will only contionue the wash / rinse / repeat cycle they have been stuck in for 30 years.

[Roadtrip]

Divine intervention, and that may not be enough.

[chapter 11]

Better strength and conditioning. I've been out of college long enough to know i dont have the appetite for another "rebuild" which hasn't occurred. My crew just laughs when each year I tell them we just landed a good class and we will turn heads next season.

[69MG]

TRENCHES! If we can't protect the QB, it won't matter who is back there. If we can't stop the run or pressure the QB, we will continue to give up 35+ almost every game.

[stevemaz]

Long winded rant aside, the question is inherently subjective. However there would need to be substantial improvement as a football team. to get there I submit a modest proposal:

1) replace Bamford w/an AD that has been an AD or AAD for a successful MAC program. 2) Give Coach H all the resources he reasonably needs to substantially improve the program. 3) select a good experienced QB to compete for the starting job. 4) Obtain and develop FBS players for OL, DL & LB... Not FCS transfers we tried that and they got run over. 5) Decide who the starting QB is instead of tinkering w/a rotation for the entire season. 6) beat Sacred Heart and win 2 other games MAC and/or OOC.

7) McGuirk renovation is important. Alot can be done to significantly improve the gameday experience. The sole focus s/b to develop and enable a fan friendly home field advantage.

Your #2 should be OL...QB doesnt matter right now..plenty of servicable guys out there (we had 3 this year)

[stevemaz]

Steve any team even in the most remote area will sell out if the team playing there is good.

I am talking about the overall sports culture in this area. As well all know the northeast is a pro sports town…. That is the support I am talking about from the school and state…. They do not prioritize college spots at all. If we have a good season it is in spite of their lack of support not because of it, then if you manage a break out season they will all get their PR points in the moment.

That does not count.

The governor of Louisiana is doing the coaching search for the next FB head coach…. THAT is supports. Even if it is an overreach….

I would consider hiring me to develop a marketing plan based on shaming the sports fans of western mass..

Steve, I know you are somewhat trolling, but even you must understand what I am talking about.

Nobody is "shaming" the few real college sports supporters in this region.... the plain and simple fact is that there are not enough to pull Umass over the hump when they desperately need it - and especially in our state government. As someone pointed out, they are alll about Harvard, and MIT and the like.... AND there is more to it than $$$ THAT is the underlying MAJOR weakness.

Everyone knows that winning brings attention and attendance, that recipe is as old as time. The really long standing successful schools sustain a support system regardless of record (within reason). If Umass football was a .500 program next year, they still would not attract a significant increase in attendance or attention and that includes almost no additional attention from Beacon Hill.

I cannot stand the word Culture and how it has taken over everything from Corporate America to Schools, to everythign else, but it is a thing.... Umass / Mass does not have a good College Sports Culture..... except for Hockey... If we had Hockey's culture in Hoops and Football things woudl be significantly better right now. I do not pretend to know how to change that, but I can see the problem.

Does it help when people like me continue to spout off negative things like I do, of course not. This school continues to miss, over, and over, and over. Umass makes Wyle E Cuyote blush forfucksakes.....

UMass needs better/competent leadership or they will only contionue the wash / rinse / repeat cycle they have been stuck in for 30 years.

I dont think it will all that hard to get 15k to games once the team shows they are worthy

[doubledribble]

Divine intervention, and that may not be enough.

Agreed. You said it succinctly as opposed to others who blah blah blah.

[inthescoop]

If we need more NIL money, cut Bamford. That’s another $800k for the players.. easy peasy.

[jjmc85]

I dont think it will all that hard to get 15k to games once the team shows they are worthy

Obviously it’s the team showing it is worthy that is the hard part.

[minutefanjsf]

I dont think it will all that hard to get 15k to games once the team shows they are worthy

Obviously it’s the team showing it is worthy that is the hard part.

The only game they (players and coaches on the whole, some individuals worked hard all year) showed fight or any will at home was Buffalo.

[eldonabe]

I would consider hiring me to develop a marketing plan based on shaming the sports fans of western mass..

Steve, I know you are somewhat trolling, but even you must understand what I am talking about.

Nobody is "shaming" the few real college sports supporters in this region.... the plain and simple fact is that there are not enough to pull Umass over the hump when they desperately need it - and especially in our state government. As someone pointed out, they are alll about Harvard, and MIT and the like.... AND there is more to it than $$$ THAT is the underlying MAJOR weakness.

Everyone knows that winning brings attention and attendance, that recipe is as old as time. The really long standing successful schools sustain a support system regardless of record (within reason). If Umass football was a .500 program next year, they still would not attract a significant increase in attendance or attention and that includes almost no additional attention from Beacon Hill.

I cannot stand the word Culture and how it has taken over everything from Corporate America to Schools, to everythign else, but it is a thing.... Umass / Mass does not have a good College Sports Culture..... except for Hockey... If we had Hockey's culture in Hoops and Football things woudl be significantly better right now. I do not pretend to know how to change that, but I can see the problem.

Does it help when people like me continue to spout off negative things like I do, of course not. This school continues to miss, over, and over, and over. Umass makes Wyle E Cuyote blush forfucksakes.....

UMass needs better/competent leadership or they will only contionue the wash / rinse / repeat cycle they have been stuck in for 30 years.

I dont think it will all that hard to get 15k to games once the team shows they are worthy

15K is still not a great number. I undewrstand the barn can only hold about 18K but that is still not a big number at all in the FBS College Landscape.

[eldonabe]

It seems (maybe I am wrong) that there really is not a resounding backlash looking for Bamford's head. There are maybe 8 or 10 vocal posters, but the rest still seem somewhat content?

I just don't get it - he should not still have a job here? Am I misreading this?

The only possible reason I can think of is money - Umass does not want to pay more for an AD??? That theory got me to do some digging.

If I recall our deadbeat AD is making roughly $800K:

I believe the info below is a year old (2024 data) but the report is not clear on dates:

The average AD Salary of all FBS schools is $605K
The average of the G5 is $320K
The average for the P5 is $876K
The average for Indy is $717K

The average tenure is right around 6 years for all FBS


I am not going to lie - I am shocked that Bamford is making as much as he is - not just due to poor performance, but given the fact the he is paid in line with P5 schools. That is a very Un-UMass thing to do. He is one of the highest G5 ADs in pay....

I will ask again, does anyone in this M-F'ing University care that he has been such a failure and his ROI is one of the lowest in the country?

[69MG]

^ People care, Eldon, we're just sick of talking about what is so obvious. At least, that's the way I feel.