Any space for UMass football in all this conference madness?

[Redding Husky]

UConn
UMass
BC
Army
Rutgers
Syracuse
Temple
Pitt
Navy
Maryland
Penn State
WVU

It would be a decent academic conference with minimal travel costs. Athletes would love it.

But it’s far more likely that I’ll be abducted by aliens this morning than that would ever happen.

 

[NowInStorrs]

There might be room in Conference USA or something. Idk.

 

[ScottVib]

There might be room in Conference USA or something. Idk.

CUSA has consistently told UMass they were not interested in adding the Minutemen for football only. UMass isn't willing to leave the A-10 for full membership in CUSA.. so the matchup between the sides isn't there.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

CUSA has consistently told UMass they were not interested in adding the Minutemen for football only. UMass isn't willing to leave the A-10 for full membership in CUSA.. so the matchup between the sides isn't there.

The leverage of the G5 conferences may be less in a streaming environment than it was in linear. The value of UMass and UConn to those leagues is probably quite a bit more than it was in linear. Worth talking about.

UConn and UMass should just go directly to the CFP board and demand a pro rata share equivalent to other G5 schools. I doubt the P4 commissioners would put up much of a fight. The whole CFP set up violates every antitrust principle, and the only reason the P4 get away with it is by buying the G5 off.

 

[KryHavok]

UConn
UMass
BC
Army
Rutgers
Syracuse
Temple
Pitt
Navy
Maryland
Penn State
WVU

It would be a decent academic conference with minimal travel costs. Athletes would love it.

But it’s far more likely that I’ll be abducted by aliens this morning than that would ever happen.

It's part retread of the old Big East, but it's not a bad slate. Need an act (or two) from God to get Penn State...I keep thinking how different could things have been for the Big East had Penn State been permitted to join all those years ago.

 

[Ha Who]

News Flash. Penn State ain’t leaving the Big

 

[Zissou]

UConn
UMass
BC
Army
Rutgers
Syracuse
Temple
Pitt
Navy
Maryland
Penn State
WVU

Army, Navy, Temple, UMass, and UConn are available from this list.

 

[Zissou]

Past Division 1 FCS Champions include Boise St, Marshall, App State, UMass, and JMU that are now FBS.

UMass has had a less advantageous FB path in FBS than UConn, but currently they are in a similar position. Both have potential greater than their current status.

 

[Tyler2Rings]

I would be in favor of adding UMass to the Big East, and figuring out a home for both of our football programs, maybe as football only within the AAC.

The primary mission of UConn's athletic program should be to destroy BCU's and Syracuse's athletic programs. There is no way into a P-Whatever unless those two programs are annihilated. UConn can lock down Connecticut and market into New York, and Syracuse has major problems both athletically and academically. Landing a death blow on BCU is going to be tougher. We could use UMass' help, and to make that help worth something, we have to help them. UMass has a lot more alumni in Massachusetts than BCU does, and probably a lot more alumni in Boston too.

There is basically no down side to this strategy. First of all, the status quo may be death. UConn can continue to do everything right, and we will continue to be boxed out because BCU and Syracuse are deemed to own the northeast. If we align with UMass, one of three things will happen:

1) UConn and UMass will eat away at BCU's fanbase, which will be easily measurable in a streaming world, and BCU will be weaker and weaker, and UConn and UMass will emerge as the premier programs in New York and New England. UConn and UMass become more viable as conference additions.

2) UMass continues to not be great, and is not viable as a conference addition, but UConn does become the most popular program in New England, by far, on streaming in part because UMass eats into BCU's fan base.

3) BCU and Syracuse continue to be viable athletic programs and none of the major conferences are interested in UConn as an addition. We are no worse off than if we did nothing with UMass.

I love this. If we add Duquesne and Marshall we can try to take out Pitt and WVU too

 

[nelsonmuntz]

I love this. If we add Duquesne and Marshall we can try to take out Pitt and WVU too

Or we could keep doing the same thing we have done for 20 years, including listening to the morons who think that if UConn goes 8-4 in football one year we will get a P4 invitation.

UConn has spent two decades listening to athletic department leaders and fans who have absolutely no idea why things happen, but get upset when we do exactly what they want and do not get invited into a major football conference. Maybe doing more of the same is a bad idea.

 

[huskymedic]

 

[ScottVib]

UMass' issue is it's unwillingness to leave the A-10. If they were willing to leave the A-10 they could've been WKU's partner to go to the MAC last year once MTSU got cold-feet. As it stands, WKU & Delaware could be the duo headed to the MAC (if the Blue Hens move up).

 

[Zissou]

The plan is coming together

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Why is Delaware considering moving up? Why have so many teams already moved up? The incremental guarantee game money a FBS gets does not come close to justifying the incremental cost of upgrading. How do they justify this financially? They aren't all stupid. These schools must think that incremental revenue will offset the incremental cost.

 

[billybud]

Why is Delaware considering moving up? Why have so many teams already moved up? The incremental guarantee game money a FBS gets does not come close to justifying the incremental cost of upgrading. How do they justify this financially? They aren't all stupid. These schools must think that incremental revenue will offset the incremental cost.

Has not been a successful move by UMass...

2013: 1-11
2014: 3-9
2015: 3-9
2016: 2-10
2017: 4-8
2018: 4-8
2019: 1-11
2020: 0-4
2021: 1-11
2022: 1-11

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Has not been a successful move by UMass...

2013: 1-11
2014: 3-9
2015: 3-9
2016: 2-10
2017: 4-8
2018: 4-8
2019: 1-11
2020: 0-4
2021: 1-11
2022: 1-11

UMass loses a lot. Thanks for that.

Why are so many teams upgrading?

 

[CL82]

The plan is coming together

Now all we need is for nova to commit to FBS football. Sure, it's over a decade late to save the Big East, but better late than never right?

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Why is Delaware considering moving up? Why have so many teams already moved up? The incremental guarantee game money a FBS gets does not come close to justifying the incremental cost of upgrading. How do they justify this financially? They aren't all stupid. These schools must think that incremental revenue will offset the incremental cost.

While this may be real, I'll need to see it before I believe it. Three different times over the past quarter century (the most recent about a decade ago) there were public comments made by the school in response to rumors/speculation that they were considering moving up in football. The basic response was always along the lines of 'we are very happy with the success we've enjoyed at this level' and 'we don't believe the potential benefits of upgrading are worth the costs/risks'.

My guess is that this is merely wishful thinking on UMass' part.

 

[huskymedic]

While this may be real, I'll need to see it before I believe it. Three different times over the past quarter century (the most recent about a decade ago) there were public comments made by the school in response to rumors/speculation that they were considering moving up in football. The basic response was always along the lines of 'we are very happy with the success we've enjoyed at this level' and 'we don't believe the potential benefits of upgrading are worth the costs/risks'.

Its a process From within the Delaware article:

-> But Delaware does seem closer than ever to ditching its long association with the NCAA’s Division I Football Championship Subdivision.
You are, as the saying goes, who you surround yourself with. The Coastal Athletic Association’s recent addition of Bryant University, who’ll come in next year in the wake of Campbell and other recent expansion newcomers, further distances Delaware from its alleged athletic and academic peers. The behind-the-scenes effort by Delaware to raise money for a pricey project to enclose the north end of Delaware Stadium attached to a massive indoor practice structure with locker rooms and offices for several teams is ongoing. Delaware has still not announced it publicly as it pursues large financial promises to cover a significant portion of what might be a $100 million undertaking. <-

-> As we reported last fall, the sentiment is it only makes sense for Delaware to commit to such an expenditure if it includes a move up to the Football Bowl Subdivision, the college game’s highest level. The FCS has long been appealing because of six-time national champion Delaware’s historical prominence at such a level. But the FCS’s status has seemed to wane in recent years, with a slew of departures by its foremost members. The NCAA even seemed to demonstrate dwindling dedication to FCS by moving its title game last season to Sunday, where, up against NFL games, it had its second lowest fall-season TV viewership over 10 years despite a switch from ESPN2 to ABC.

In the meantime, Delaware athletic officials have been given approval by the UD Board of Trustees to more closely examine a move up to FBS and entertain possible conference destinations. That is a bold blessing, and a further signal of a potential climb.<-

 

[king conn]

Its a process From within the Delaware article:

-> But Delaware does seem closer than ever to ditching its long association with the NCAA’s Division I Football Championship Subdivision.
You are, as the saying goes, who you surround yourself with. The Coastal Athletic Association’s recent addition of Bryant University, who’ll come in next year in the wake of Campbell and other recent expansion newcomers, further distances Delaware from its alleged athletic and academic peers. The behind-the-scenes effort by Delaware to raise money for a pricey project to enclose the north end of Delaware Stadium attached to a massive indoor practice structure with locker rooms and offices for several teams is ongoing. Delaware has still not announced it publicly as it pursues large financial promises to cover a significant portion of what might be a $100 million undertaking. <-

-> As we reported last fall, the sentiment is it only makes sense for Delaware to commit to such an expenditure if it includes a move up to the Football Bowl Subdivision, the college game’s highest level. The FCS has long been appealing because of six-time national champion Delaware’s historical prominence at such a level. But the FCS’s status has seemed to wane in recent years, with a slew of departures by its foremost members. The NCAA even seemed to demonstrate dwindling dedication to FCS by moving its title game last season to Sunday, where, up against NFL games, it had its second lowest fall-season TV viewership over 10 years despite a switch from ESPN2 to ABC.

In the meantime, Delaware athletic officials have been given approval by the UD Board of Trustees to more closely examine a move up to FBS and entertain possible conference destinations. That is a bold blessing, and a further signal of a potential climb.<-

ESPN/ ACC has given them the go ahead for the next invite

 

[billybud]

UMass loses a lot. Thanks for that.

Why are so many teams upgrading?

Why did UMass upgrade...not for football success, anyway.

Teams upgrade for several reasons...prestige, more revenue, scheduling (may find it easier to schedule FBS teams than as an FCS), fan base building, ticket sales, etc.

What do you think ?

 

[billybud]

The Topic is about there being any space for UMass in all of this conference madness...

UMass is a horrible football program.....maybe a minor conference with schools in the east might take them as filler.

 

[billybud]

Delaware just got pasted 7-63 by Penn State.....and Penn State only scored 7 in the 4th qtr with scrubs..

 

[Kolumbo]

Why is Delaware considering moving up? Why have so many teams already moved up? The incremental guarantee game money a FBS gets does not come close to justifying the incremental cost of upgrading. How do they justify this financially? They aren't all stupid. These schools must think that incremental revenue will offset the incremental cost.

Delaware has an almost $2 billion endowment, much more than neighbor Maryland. Maybe moving up to FBS is more about the front porch of the University and less about trying to make money in sports. At this rate, UMass and Delaware could be in the Sunbelt, a conference we are not worthy of at the moment.

 

[Zissou]

Now all we need is for nova to commit to FBS football. Sure, it's over a decade late to save the Big East, but better late than never right?

It would probably need UConn and others to put together the makings of a northeastern alliance to show Nova the way. Leadership isn’t there to initiate change within the program.