Game 6, 2025: @ Kent State (10/11)

[minutefanjsf]

Title IX requires that opportunities for athletes accurately reflect the gender population of the school itself. According to the latest numbers I can find that is 47.7% male and 52.3% female. So, yes there would need to be financial accommodations made regarding female sports.

That said you state as a fact that the revenue from conference affiliation and guarantee games is a net positive for Football when accounting for all the other costs (including the proposed $25 million dollar stadium upgrade) like travel, facilities, equipment, coaching staff, etc. If those numbers (by a neutral source) have been shown before, I would love to see them. Because, in my mind, even with scholarships taken out of the equation, that math does not work.

Actually I didn’t state it was a net positive. It is the budget and spending that title ix addresses for opportunities. McGuirk is not considered part of the football program, just like the Bill is not part of either the hoops or hockey program. (The cage wasn’t either). The training facilities are, like the Kennedy performance center, etc. Taking away the amount of resources allocated for football, would mean either decreasing female programs or adding male programs to keep the female programs. My point about the conference money and pay games is no combination of new male sports or decrease in female sports will cover the losses in revenue that allows football to function at a lower subsidy at FBS than it did in FCS. So, dropping football would either require an increase (massive) in athletic spending on non revenue (or possibly men’s hoops and hockey) or dropping programs.

[Used to be VOR]

Steve, again i do not disagree that most sports at most colleges lose money. What i want clarified is what would the real monetary coat be if football was dropped. Not hypothetical scare tactics like decreased donations etc. but cold hard numbers. And if they show as some claim that football produces excess revenue to support the other sports, i would love to see that. My guess is, that it does not.

[Steve81]

Steve, again i do not disagree that most sports at most colleges lose money. What i want clarified is what would the real monetary coat be if football was dropped. Not hypothetical scare tactics like decreased donations etc. but cold hard numbers. And if they show as some claim that football produces excess revenue to support the other sports, i would love to see that. My guess is, that it does not.

To be perfectly clear, it is not a zero sum game. Personally the 2.9k that I gave to football would go away. The other $600 to other sports would be reduced. VOR, you are fine with your views, but my opinion, there could be a little more, but we are already paying the basketball head coach 2M. So not sure how much more it would be or enough to make us a sweet sixteen team every 4 or 5 years. Now we had men's soccer, women's field hocky, men's hockey in the NCAA elite 8. Hence thinking you were specifically talking about men's basketball. The women's basketball team rebuild looked great in the WNIT falling to the winner of the WNIT, Buffalo.

[Used to be VOR]

Steve, again i do not disagree that most sports at most colleges lose money. What i want clarified is what would the real monetary coat be if football was dropped. Not hypothetical scare tactics like decreased donations etc. but cold hard numbers. And if they show as some claim that football produces excess revenue to support the other sports, i would love to see that. My guess is, that it does not.

To be perfectly clear, it is not a zero sum game. Personally the 2.9k that I gave to football would go away. The other $600 to other sports would be reduced. VOR, you are fine with your views, but my opinion, there could be a little more, but we are already paying the basketball head coach 2M. So not sure how much more it would be or enough to make us a sweet sixteen team every 4 or 5 years. Now we had men's soccer, women's field hocky, men's hockey in the NCAA elite 8. Hence thinking you were specifically talking about men's basketball. The women's basketball team rebuild looked great in the WNIT falling to the winner of the WNIT, Buffalo.

Just to be clear, I applaud your support of the football program and UMass Athletics. That alone makes your opinion valid.

Personally, I have been mostly agnostic regarding whether football stays or goes. I simply want to know the facts on what the actual impact would be, and I dont think that number would be too hard to compute.

My worry, and you see some of this already, is that this additional investment in football will require cannibalization of other sports. Then I go from agnostic to vehemently opposed. Because there is ZERO guarantee that this investment will generate any kind of useful return.

[ZooMass84]

I'm a UConn fan so I have my own biases and motivations, but hear me out.

I do think UMass joining FBS has been an unmitigated disaster.

Here is what I would do:

1. Call the A-10 and beg to get back in

2. Can the football program

3. Reach out to the Big East and offer the following:

a. To take no TV money for the first TV contract
b. To agree to spend 6.5 million per year for revenue sharing on men's basketball
c. To agree to play 1 Big East game per year at TD Garden


Why?

It is unlikely UMass will ever be in the P4. Basketball, not football, is the best marketing avenue that the school has. Most people nationally have heard of UMass. This is not Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Football is not necessary for marketing.

The NCAA tournament is expanding to 76 from next season. The A-10 will very possibly be a benefactor of this (I also think the top third of the league greatly benefits from the revenue sharing cap which also helps the Big East).

If UMass is unable to get into the Big East, it can still be near the top of the A-10 (which will likely be the #7 or 8 league going forward).

It also cleans up your Title IX as you won't need as many women's teams any more which will save the school money.

Shizzle, I see your posts on CSN BBS. I will address your points:


1. Call the A-10 and beg to get back in no

2. Can the football program I agree to shutter it temporarily

3. Reach out to the Big East and offer the following: hard no

a. To take no TV money for the first TV contract
b. To agree to spend 6.5 million per year for revenue sharing on men's basketball
c. To agree to play 1 Big East game per year at TD Garden

[ZooMass84]

OMG, this whole FBS 'experiment' has been such a shit show. Most students and alums couldn't care less about FB, much less FBS ranking.

We are in the least competitive FBS league, with ZERO relevant competitors, and pull up the worst ranking in their league and in FBS, overall, as well.

UM is a great University in Academics. Rising in ratings annually.

Football is at best 'mild entertainment' at UMass, IFF the weather cooperates. We are always in the 8-12k range of attendance, FCS or FBS.

IMO, there should be a wide strategic study of UMass athletics as a whole, post the needed Radford firing,

FBS $$'s detract from, IMO, needed investments in the minor sports, like having a UMass Women's Varsity Hockey team, or reviving the Men's baseball team.

NIL and college funding to recruit paid players have made any aspirations in Men's FB in FBS a fever dream only. Let's apply some Tylenol.

ECON.

We have disagreed on FBS for years. I said that applications have doubled since the FBS move up. You said that it was a coincidence; it would have happened anyway. We had a USNWR ranking last year of #58. That is the highest it ever has been. Now we are #64.

UM is a great University in Academics. Rising in ratings annually. see my above comment.

this whole FBS 'experiment' has been such a shit show We are in total agreement.

FBS $$'s detract from, IMO, needed investments in the minor sports that is false: the finances are not zero sum. That fallacy is mentioned only at institutions that drop football like BU or Northeastern or Hofstra and the "money" is NEVER "re-distributed". It just goes away.

I think there is an NIL scandal. I would like to see the finances. How in God's name are we paying P4 benchwarmers and lower FCS players???

[ZooMass84]

Steve, again i do not disagree that most sports at most colleges lose money. What i want clarified is what would the real monetary coat be if football was dropped. Not hypothetical scare tactics like decreased donations etc. but cold hard numbers. And if they show as some claim that football produces excess revenue to support the other sports, i would love to see that. My guess is, that it does not.

To be perfectly clear, it is not a zero sum game. Personally the 2.9k that I gave to football would go away. The other $600 to other sports would be reduced. VOR, you are fine with your views, but my opinion, there could be a little more, but we are already paying the basketball head coach 2M. So not sure how much more it would be or enough to make us a sweet sixteen team every 4 or 5 years. Now we had men's soccer, women's field hocky, men's hockey in the NCAA elite 8. Hence thinking you were specifically talking about men's basketball. The women's basketball team rebuild looked great in the WNIT falling to the winner of the WNIT, Buffalo.

Steve, I'm in total agreement. The same argument was made at the Univ of Idaho. many donors said they would go away if Idaho dropped to FCS. I'm sure they did. I personally have stopped donating. I think there is a scandal concerning NIL funds.

I am making a little prediction: 0-12 this year (obvious) and if we lose to Sacred Heart next September 2026, I want an immediate halting to football. Forfeit all remaining games and shutter the program for a few years. I think the Bryant loss was not just a fluke. I think it was intentional. HOW THE FUCK do we lose to an FCS business school in Rhode Island that has been playing football for 29 years???? They are 2-5 this season.

[jjmc85]

Read on twitter that UMass is having nil issues and not paying the 2-3m that Bambi promised. Anyone have any insight if this is factual?

Coach Harasymiak said at his press conference Monday that everything that has been promised has been there since July 1.

I’m not on Twitter anymore but I’d be interested to know the source of the person who tweeted that.

[Steve81]

Steve, I'm in total agreement. The same argument was made at the Univ of Idaho. many donors said they would go away if Idaho dropped to FCS. I'm sure they did. I personally have stopped donating. I think there is a scandal concerning NIL funds.

I am making a little prediction: 0-12 this year (obvious) and if we lose to Sacred Heart next September 2026, I want an immediate halting to football. Forfeit all remaining games and shutter the program for a few years. I think the Bryant loss was not just a fluke. I think it was intentional. HOW THE FUCK do we lose to an FCS business school in Rhode Island that has been playing football for 29 years???? They are 2-5 this season.

The coach said the NIL has been in place since July 1 and everything is there. Seems people are trying hard to smoke screen their own stuff.
Starts at the 4:40 mark and will believe the coach over some random tweets.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oD16bvAXkg0

To answer your question, slow adjusting to the personal and coaching staff. Plus what we saw last Saturday. We've been losing so long, that the players have adversity affect them in a bad way. Hope it happens sooner than later. I'll look at things game by game and next season. But after seeing this stuff, do not have high expectations till 2027. Perhaps 2026 could surprise me in a good way. I do drink the cool aide every summer and hope. That is me.

[jjmc85]

]


I am making a little prediction: 0-12 this year (obvious) and if we lose to Sacred Heart next September 2026, I want an immediate halting to football. Forfeit all remaining games and shutter the program for a few years.

Only because it seems like this is going to be posted nonstop until the Sacred Heart game occurs, will you please elaborate on what the point of a temporary shut down is? How would that help? What conference would they possibly get into after being dormant for a few years? If they aren’t in a conference, how would that be any different than being independent the better part of the last decade? What possible benefits might there be to shutting down the program for a few years only to bring it back?

[Jack]

Making foolish and unsubstantiated allegations on the internet is idiotic. Put up or shut up.

The real NIL scandal was exposed in 2024 by Coach Brown's feisty wife Deborah who infamously posted the following after Don was let go:

UMASS roster NIL valuation: 36k
Liberty 1.3 mil
Mississippi state : 6 mill
Buffalo 690k
Eastern Michigan 582k
Miami Ohio 577k
Northern Illinois 512k
Toledo 1.4 mil
Georgia 16.7 mil
Missouri 11.3 mil
UConn 1 mil
Gap: 40 million 25k


I thought that Mrs. Brown made an excellent point: Bamford is incompetent. This is all comes down to recruiting - it's not complicated. Either you have the NIL budget to be competitive in the MAC or you don't. What is the budget for 2025? What is the budget for 2026? If it isn't at least $750K then the program is not going to be competitive in the MAC. I'd NIL is funded appropriately the program will improve.

[minutefanjsf]

Read on twitter that UMass is having nil issues and not paying the 2-3m that Bambi promised. Anyone have any insight if this is factual?

Coach Harasymiak said at his press conference Monday that everything that has been promised has been there since July 1.

I’m not on Twitter anymore but I’d be interested to know the source of the person who tweeted that.

Both can be true. The NIL issues are not that the players aren’t being paid. The issue is that prior to July 1 the 2-3 million wasn’t secured, so when that money was not going to materialize and some were not getting their money prior to July 1, the money needed to recruit and retain MAC level players was not there when needed. The current roster is not being paid 2-3 million dollars. There were multiple people who tweeted it, who are fairly connected and knowledgeable. I retweeted. I do not have first hand knowledge. I trust those who posted. It also makes a ton of sense when you see we signed a bunch of FCS players from lower level schools, like Davidson, Georgetown, and the Ivies.

[minutefanjsf]

Steve, I'm in total agreement. The same argument was made at the Univ of Idaho. many donors said they would go away if Idaho dropped to FCS. I'm sure they did. I personally have stopped donating. I think there is a scandal concerning NIL funds.

I am making a little prediction: 0-12 this year (obvious) and if we lose to Sacred Heart next September 2026, I want an immediate halting to football. Forfeit all remaining games and shutter the program for a few years. I think the Bryant loss was not just a fluke. I think it was intentional. HOW THE FUCK do we lose to an FCS business school in Rhode Island that has been playing football for 29 years???? They are 2-5 this season.

The coach said the NIL has been in place since July 1 and everything is there. Seems people are trying hard to smoke screen their own stuff.
Starts at the 4:40 mark and will believe the coach over some random tweets.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oD16bvAXkg0

To answer your question, slow adjusting to the personal and coaching staff. Plus what we saw last Saturday. We've been losing so long, that the players have adversity affect them in a bad way. Hope it happens sooner than later. I'll look at things game by game and next season. But after seeing this stuff, do not have high expectations till 2027. Perhaps 2026 could surprise me in a good way. I do drink the cool aide every summer and hope. That is me.

Most of the players on the field have not been here to experience the losing. Almost none of the coaching staff was here either. That is a smoke screen. UMass signed 42 new players for this current season. Yes, there are some scout team players leftover and some starters.

[Steve81]

I may have embellished "losing so long" and would need to listen to the video again. But anyone who plays a team sport, there is a mental, chemistry aspect that goes beyond skill. The injuries are real and would reduce that 42 number you used. But back to the mentality issue is one of the many reasons. The video of the noon press conference is worth a listen if you want to know the issues and how they are handle it.

[minutefanjsf]

I may have embellished "losing so long" and would need to listen to the video again. But anyone who plays a team sport, there is a mental, chemistry aspect that goes beyond skill. The injuries are real and would reduce that 42 number you used. But back to the mentality issue is one of the many reasons. The video of the noon press conference is worth a listen if you want to know the issues and how they are handle it.

I watched the press conference. The injuries are hitting all over. I completely understand the chemistry issue and believe coach H may finally be getting it, too. His comments about AJ today point to that. Until now he has been all about metrics and numbers. The team chemistry has been crap as a result. He finally is talking about passion and leadership. To me that is the only way to turn this ship around. The effort or lack of it is directly related to the passionless leadership that has dominated this season.

This situation reminds me about Walt Bell and he had no idea about this either. The only win Bell had with Mike Curtis who had a fire and led and then he went back to his metrics and jargon.

Hopefully coach Joe can do this right.