171 replies to this topic

[WayBackVazquez]

OK....why is BC playing USC at Alumni Stadium? Why did they play tOSU and Michigan and Texas at Alumni Stadium? I fully understand how much revenue is generated at Michigan. Revenue generated for Michigan football in 2009 I beleive was $63M....just football. Football operations cost them $24M. The football profit at Michigan was ~$40M. I fully understand that. I also see the difference between a MAC team and a BCS level team. You missed my ealrier point in that they will be in the BE by 2016. The MAC is a landing pad while they ramp up the program. According to the press reports, they will be in the MAC full time in 2012. By the time my "dream" becomes reality it will be 2016 (only 5 years from now). About 7 years ago UCF was in the MAC. They were a low end D1 program, used it as a launching pad and got into C-USA. Once they got to C-USA they built an on campous stadium and played Texas at home on campus in Orlando, about 5 years from the time they started to really ramp up the program.

And the fact that they are going to have 2 games at Gillette as home games...no 2020 is way too far out. IF, and I say If, they put the $$$$ committment into this, they will be in the BE as its 11th or 12th team. They will play all home conference games in Amherst (as I think you will see the BE either play an 8 or 9 game schedule at that point) and they WILL play 2 games in Foxboro, against BC every other year, perhaps one of the service academies and a yup Way Back, big name BCS school...starting in about 2017 or so. In the meantime, they will play 3-4 MAC games in Amaherst and maybe one game in Foxboro for the firswt couple of years. But this will ramp up fast if they have the financial commitment and get a coach who wants to win.......hmmmm, Mark Whipple is available!

As others have said above, of course these things can happen if the money is there, but there is simply no way the money is going to be there for UMass. "IF, and I say If, they put the $$$$ committment into this..." Where do you think the money is coming from? You make these vague pronouncements about "privatization" of the program, but what do you mean by that? And not to mention that whether these games that will be held at Gillette are under a sweetheart deal or not, they are still going to be subject to some kind of deal that requires some part of the gate to go elsewhere, that is, to Mr. Kraft.

Why did Michigan play BC 15 or 20 years ago? I don't know what the terms of the deal were, but I do know that those series with BC and Colorado were the end of Michigan playing regular road NC games against anyone other than Notre Dame. It simply doesn't make financial sense, and it make even less sense for the foreseeable future, having just spent a truckload of money renovating the stadium. Michigan agreed to play Alabama for a couple of reasons. First, the split of the money from Texas Stadium was going to be near the amount it would get from a home game at the Big House; second, the exposure to Texas, Alabama, and the SEC is valuable for recruiting; and finally the national exposure of this game against a national power is big for the program in a variety of nonmonetary reasons. None of those motivations will be present when UMass asks people to come to Foxboro or Amherst to play a MAC or even a newbie Big East team.

UCF got Texas to come much the same way as Bama got Michigan. From what I understand, UT got more than half of the proceeds from the first game at the new stadium, and then got 2 home games against UCF (an FBS opponent) in which it didn't have to give up any appearance fee. Additionally, it helps its recruiting presence in FLORIDA. There is no recruiting draw in Massachusetts. So if UMass wants play Michigan at Gillette, it would probably have to guarantee about $4 or $5 million, and agree to play 2 or 3 games in Michigan for no fee. Otherwise, the money doesn't work out for Michigan, which makes at least $6 million a game at home, and would rather just pay somebody the $1 million to show up. Needless to say, this deal would be a big financial loser for UMass, and I simply question whether hemorrhaging money is the way they plan on growing the program with the state of the economy being what it is.

Edited by WayBackVazquez, 20 April 2011 - 09:09 AM.

[berniecarbo1]

As others have said above, of course these things can happen if the money is there, but there is simply no way the money is going to be there for UMass. "IF, and I say If, they put the $$$$ committment into this..." Where do you think the money is coming from? You make these vague pronouncements about "privatization" of the program, but what do you mean by that? And not to mention that whether these games that will be held at Gillette are under a sweetheart deal or not, they are still going to be subject to some kind of deal that requires some part of the gate to go elsewhere, that is, to Mr. Kraft.

Why did Michigan play BC 15 or 20 years ago? I don't know what the terms of the deal were, but I do know that those series with BC and Colorado were the end of Michigan playing regular road NC games against anyone other than Notre Dame. It simply doesn't make financial sense, and it make even less sense for the foreseeable future, having just spent a truckload of money renovating the stadium. Michigan agreed to play Alabama for a couple of reasons. First, the split of the money from Texas Stadium was going to be near the amount it would get from a home game at the Big House; second, the exposure to Texas, Alabama, and the SEC is valuable for recruiting; and finally the national exposure of this game against a national power is big for the program in a variety of nonmonetary reasons. None of those motivations will be present when UMass asks people to come to Foxboro or Amherst to play a MAC or even a newbie Big East team.

UCF got Texas to come much the same way as Bama got Michigan. From what I understand, UT got more than half of the proceeds from the first game at the new stadium, and then got 2 home games against UCF (an FBS opponent) in which it didn't have to give up any appearance fee. Additionally, it helps its recruiting presence in FLORIDA. There is no recruiting draw in Massachusetts. So if UMass wants play Michigan at Gillette, it would probably have to guarantee about $4 or $5 million, and agree to play 2 or 3 games in Michigan for no fee. Otherwise, the money doesn't work out for Michigan, which makes at least $6 million a game at home, and would rather just pay somebody the $1 million to show up. Needless to say, this deal would be a big financial loser for UMass, and I simply question whether hemorrhaging money is the way they plan on growing the program with the state of the economy being what it is.

Read this article...and watch what happens over the next couple of years

http://www.boston.co...ll_to_join_mac/

My last comment on this whole thing is never say never, and BC WILL be playing UMass on a yearly basis once all this shakes out. Unfortunately for me, my Syracuse Orange may be the victims of all this as to the BC angle. BC will play UMass as a non conference FBS school, will start playing the service academies again, play Notre Dame and leave one game open for home/homes like USC, Texas A&M, Penn State, etc. I don't see any room for the Orange in that scenario.

As to UCF-Texas, et al...UMass wouldn't do the same thing? Guys, you have to look at UMass in a slightly different light here. It is a D1 (albeit low end) football program, that is playing the game in an NFL stadium in the 8th largest market in the country. They will play a Texas, Michigan, etc. on the road on a 3-1 basis if they can get them to come to Foxboro once on the rotation. They will take the hits but slowly build it up. Stop being so literal about the opponent OK? So Michigan and Florida don't travel...Tennesee does, Michigan State does, Colorado does, UCLA does, Auburn does....there are plenty of schools that will come to Foxboro on a 2-1, 3-1 rotation and UMass will find them.


Infield-UMass will be an FBS school. BC needs 6 wins to qualify for a bowl. They play MAC teams now to get the "6th win". BC-UMass works for both schools on a lot of levels. BC and UMass don't have the animosity of BC-UConn. Plus UConn-UMass isn't exactly rainbows and roses either. What is the old saying....the enemy of the enemy is my friend. That fits BC-UMass perfectly.

Edited by berniecarbo1, 20 April 2011 - 10:59 AM.

[Bdanahy14]

Email sent to Umass faculty and staff:

I am thrilled to inform you of an exciting new development in our
athletics program: We are announcing today, at a news conference at
Gillette Stadium, that the University of Massachusetts Amherst football
program has accepted an invitation to join the Mid-American Conference
(MAC) and, as a result, is moving to the Football Bowl Subdivision
(FBS). This move is made possible in part due to the support of the
Kraft family, who have offered use of Gillette Stadium for the majority
of our home games – and marks our entry into the premier subdivision in
college football.

The news conference can be watched live at www.umassfbsfootball.com as
well as on Comcast channel 293, Charter Cable channel 230 and channel
79 on the UMass campus cable network.

Our decision to elevate Minuteman football to the FBS is consistent
with our status as the flagship campus, and a reflection of our mission
to achieve excellence in all that we do.

Beginning with the 2012 football season, UMass will play a full FBS and
MAC schedule. By 2013, the year of our sesquicentennial, the Minutemen
will be eligible for the MAC conference championship and bowl
participation. In 2011 UMass will continue to participate in the
Colonial Athletic Association (CAA), but will not be eligible for
championships or NCAA post season play.

Joining the MAC and the FBS generates enormous opportunities for UMass
Amherst:

1. Participation in FBS football is consistent with our role as
the flagship campus of the Commonwealth. We are the largest public
research university in New England, with an expansive alumni base.
Playing in the FBS is a more accurate reflection of our presence in
Massachusetts and New England.

2. This move advances our aspirations to join the upper echelon of
national public research universities: most such institutions
participate in FBS football, and all flagship institutions in the
prestigious Association of American Universities (AAU) play FBS
football.

3. We seek greatness in all we do at UMass. We promise national
excellence and prominence to the citizens of the Commonwealth, and we
deliver on that promise. Our professors compete for and earn top
national research awards. We are a top producer of Fulbright scholars,
and last fall UMass undergraduates were again among the most successful
in earning Gilman Scholarships for study abroad. Moving to FBS is
consistent with our upward trajectory, as Minuteman football now
becomes part of our overall move towards national prominence.

4. The timing is opportune: two teams in the Colonial Athletic
Association (CAA), where we currently play football, recently dropped
their football programs and other schools are exploring departing the
league. Joining FBS allows the university to take control of its own
destiny and ensures continuity of a strong, competitive football
program.

5. The move makes financial sense for the campus:

• The MAC’s national television package with ESPN is far more
expansive than the CAA’s regional television contract, and will ensure
vital national television exposure for UMass. The contract runs through
2016-17 with at least 11 nationally televised games for the league each
season.

• Based on projected estimates of revenues and expenses, we
calculate that after a transition period we will reduce the general
campus support for the Athletics Department. As an example of one
revenue generating opportunity as a Football Bowl Subdivision school,
we will attract far more lucrative guarantees for games with non-league
opponents and anticipated higher attendance.

6. Moving to the FBS in football will significantly enhance
women’s athletics on the campus: several women’s programs will become
fully funded in terms of scholarships, which should increase our
competitiveness in the Atlantic 10 Conference.

7. The universities in the MAC are large state schools with strong
academic reputations. Buffalo, for example, is in the AAU. Miami of
Ohio is frequently regarded as “a public Ivy.” Temple, already one of
our greatest rivals in basketball, is one of the preeminent urban
universities in the country. Toledo and Ball State have been cited by
the Chronicle of Higher Education, along with USC, NYU, and TCU,
as “hot” schools that have significantly improved their reputation in
recent years.

8. Playing at Gillette Stadium benefits the extended UMass Amherst
community:

• The Minutemen will be playing closer to a concentrated fan base
of alumni living in the Boston metropolitan area.

• Playing in such a well-known stadium places UMass in the
national spotlight, with televised games providing exposure in major
markets.

• With its many amenities, Gillette Stadium provides greater
opportunities for the campus to connect with alumni, donors, potential
students, and influential friends in the state and across the country.

• Our nationally acclaimed marching band will have a major venue
for performance, and school spirit will increase as our students board
buses carrying them to Gillette Stadium.

We are excited about moving to the Football Bowl Subdivision and the
tremendous opportunities it offers for the university. We are
particularly grateful to the Kraft family and their support in using
Gillette Stadium for the majority of our home games.

It is certainly fitting that the initial season of Minutemen FBS
football coincides with the UMass Amherst sesquicentennial anniversary.

Please join us as we kick off our celebration on campus at the
Founder’s Day “Celebrate UMass” cookout on the Goodell Lawn from 11
a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday, April 29, with special appearances by Coach
Kevin Morris, Sam the Minuteman, and the UMass Cheerleaders.

GO UMASS!

Robert C. Holub
Chancellor

For more information, please visit www.umassfbsfootball.com

To register for the Celebrate UMass cookout on Founder’s Day, please
visit www.umass.edu/foundersday

[Corsi]

[LoneWarrior1]

Cool logo, lousy spelling.

[WayBackVazquez]

Cool logo, lousy spelling.

Just appalling. And they have the uncorrected version up on the MAC website, too. Way to bring the UMass academic prestige to the new league.

[axx]

That's funny. To be fair, it did take a bit for me to see the typo.

[Infield Infidel]

Read this article...and watch what happens over the next couple of years

http://www.boston.co...ll_to_join_mac/

Infield-UMass will be an FBS school. BC needs 6 wins to qualify for a bowl. They play MAC teams now to get the "6th win". BC-UMass works for both schools on a lot of levels. BC and UMass don't have the animosity of BC-UConn. Plus UConn-UMass isn't exactly rainbows and roses either. What is the old saying....the enemy of the enemy is my friend. That fits BC-UMass perfectly.

That article is just wishful thinking. The problem is, UMass won't be a guaranteed win. BC needs six wins, one of which can be a an FCS school. so they go 4-4 or 5-3 in conference, schedule an FCS school and someone like Kent St or Akron for the guaranteed wins and out-of-state exposure. I think UMass will do well in the MAC. That conference has been a jumping point for Marshall, UCF, and perhaps Temple (all pretty big state schools like UMass).

While dominant big-time flagship schools like Michigan, UF, OSU, LSU and Texas regularly play in-state non-BCS schools, there are many situations where a mid-level BCS team (like BC) doesn't want to play a non-BCS team that is nearby.

USF refuses to play UCF anymore. They played 4 games because C-USA stipulated it when USF left to the Big East
Ole Miss never plays Southern Miss. (Miss St has a home/home with them 2014/15, but it's been awhile)
The West Virginia governor had to mandate WVU-Marshall to keep WVU in that game.
Cincy plays Miami (Oh.) mainly because of history, and the RedHawks usually stink (sorry Red(s)HawksFan).
Penn St plays Temple regularly, but Pitt hasn't played Temple since Temple left the Big East.
Cal and Stanford don't normally play Fresno. (Cal is only playing them this year because stadium renovations made their schedule inflexible.)
NC State/UNC/Duke/Wake hate playing East Carolina. East Carolina regularly beats those schools for recruits.
Arkansas doesn't play Arkansas St, and they suck.
Boise isn't scheduling Idaho in a non-conf now that they are out of the WAC
When was the last time your Syracuse played Buffalo?

The profiles in these situations are too close. Look, I'd like to see BC play UMass. I won't say they won't ever play, and a one-off once in awhile might happen, but a BC/UMass series is a bad idea for BC, unless UMass becomes a Boise or TCU-esque mid-major juggernaut, or gets to the Big East. It's a lose-lose. BC gets nothing if they win, and cede credibility with recruits if they lose. They'll end up like Indiana who for some reason plays Ball St regularly and sometimes loses. I wouldn't put that scenario passed Gene DiFilippo though.

Edited by Infield Infidel, 20 April 2011 - 10:29 PM.

[Infield Infidel]

Question for the locals - Has Springfield been floated as stadium location? Is it a bad idea if they can't get something on campus?

Edited by Infield Infidel, 20 April 2011 - 10:26 PM.

[gmogmo]

Fantastic article in the Globe today. Very excited with the games in Foxboro as an alum living on the South Shore. Will absolutely be buying season tickets and going to a couple games a year, and I know lots of my friends feel the same way.

http://www.boston.co...o_climb_to_fbs/

[Corsi]

Fantastic article in the Globe today. Very excited with the games in Foxboro as an alum living on the South Shore. Will absolutely be buying season tickets and going to a couple games a year, and I know lots of my friends feel the same way.

http://www.boston.co...o_climb_to_fbs/

My folks (both alums with two children that went/are attending UMass), who live next to Foxboro in Sharon, are pumped. They had a blast at the UMass/UNH game at Gillette, and even took a couple trips to Amherst to watch them play. This is perfect for them, and I really hope there's a groundswell of support in the eastern Mass area.

[Corsi]

This should be pointed out from the article:

Kraft is smart enough to know that MAC games against Central Michigan or Akron in October and November won’t draw half that. But he also knows that schools such as Michigan, which hosted the Minutemen last year, might come here to play a UMass team at the FBS level.

Sure, the deals will be on a two-for-one basis in term of home dates. But the big schools are looking for paydays against competition they can beat — which should be the case against a UMass team that will be in a transitional stage for a few years. Schools such as Virginia Tech, Washington, and Texas A&M have already talked to UMass about possible dates in Foxborough.

Kraft knows that UMass-Boston College would be a decent draw in Foxborough, if BC agrees to play. So would UMass-UConn. McCutcheon has reached out to BC and UConn.

[jsinger121]

I'm surprised nothing has been mentioned on the UMass end about a new stadium or upgraded McGuirk in Amherst. The long term success of the program hinges on that.

[Infield Infidel]

I'm surprised nothing has been mentioned on the UMass end about a new stadium or upgraded McGuirk in Amherst. The long term success of the program hinges on that.

This is all I've seen

UMass will also spend money to upgrade its training facilities. The press box at the 17,000-seat, on-campus stadium will be renovated, and plans have been drawn up to add additional seating. But McCutcheon said they want to wait and see how it goes at Gillette before making a decision on whether to expand the stadium.

http://espn.go.com/b...move-to-the-mac

[Vinho Tinto]

Question for the locals - Has Springfield been floated as stadium location? Is it a bad idea if they can't get something on campus?

No. The city is shockingly broke and they couldn't get a lousy AA baseball stadium built 15 years ago. A useless football stadium would be better than mile after mile of abandoned property.

Unless Baystate Medical or the Hall of Fame is behind a project, it seems like next to nothing gets done there.

[Rossox]

This is all I've seen


http://espn.go.com/b...move-to-the-mac

The wait and see approach, eh? Hmm, not a fan of that. They need to think long term here, otherwise, the best they can hope out of this program would be the football equivalent to Tulane. Short term, I will definitely make the trip to Foxboro but long term they will need an on-campus facility.

[jsinger121]

Well they need to raise the money first. They are only going to get a certain amount of state funds. What they need are big time donors to give to the program to finance a new stadium or a major renovation to McGuirk. UMass is lucky Kraft is giving them Gillette at rent free although they have to split some of the gameday cash flow.

Edited by jsinger121, 21 April 2011 - 10:41 AM.

[StuckOnYouk]

As a UConn fan, I'd love to see some kind of football rivalry within New England. With nothing shaking on the BC front, I'd def. sign up for UConn/UMass and maybe even make it an annual Thanksgiving day game.

[berniecarbo1]

That article is just wishful thinking. The problem is, UMass won't be a guaranteed win. BC needs six wins, one of which can be a an FCS school. so they go 4-4 or 5-3 in conference, schedule an FCS school and someone like Kent St or Akron for the guaranteed wins and out-of-state exposure. I think UMass will do well in the MAC. That conference has been a jumping point for Marshall, UCF, and perhaps Temple (all pretty big state schools like UMass).

While dominant big-time flagship schools like Michigan, UF, OSU, LSU and Texas regularly play in-state non-BCS schools, there are many situations where a mid-level BCS team (like BC) doesn't want to play a non-BCS team that is nearby.


When was the last time your Syracuse played Buffalo?

The profiles in these situations are too close. Look, I'd like to see BC play UMass. I won't say they won't ever play, and a one-off once in awhile might happen, but a BC/UMass series is a bad idea for BC, unless UMass becomes a Boise or TCU-esque mid-major juggernaut, or gets to the Big East. It's a lose-lose. BC gets nothing if they win, and cede credibility with recruits if they lose. They'll end up like Indiana who for some reason plays Ball St regularly and sometimes loses. I wouldn't put that scenario passed Gene DiFilippo though.

You can only use an FCS win as your 6th win once every two years. So, to say just grab a win against URI or Maine and we're good is not totally accurate.
I agree its been a number of years that SU has played Buffalo. I believe the Bulls actually beat Syracuse the last time they played. Syracuse plays its BE scheule this year and then plays USC, followed by URI, Wake, Toledo and Tulane...not exactly a wow schedule outside of the Trojans.

Bob Kraft is on the Board of Trustees at BC and a BIG donor to the school. He also now has a vested interest in UMass football principally because he can get 40-50,000 peopel to mull around Patriot Place on days when no one wuld be down there. Plus, for BC, playing a "road game" in Foxboro is about a 35 minute ride and not a big deal for its fan base. UMass will give BC the same guarantees it will give to Washington, Texas A&M and the other schools that are reaching out to them to play games. The back room stuff going on here is a lot closer than you think and with the $$$ BC makes on the game, the $$$ Kraft makes, the $$$ and prestige this game gives to Umass, it makes all the sense in the world to play on a regualr basis. BC has been craving for a "rival" sincxe Holy Cross deemphasized sports 40 years ago. They have a perfect one right here. This is like the Ky-Louisville thing that went on for years. Once it was resooved, they have played every year in football and hoops since. BC plays UMass in every sport on a yearly basis. They also play football on a 3-4 year rotation. By ramping up to FBS, and playing at Chestnut Hill 2 years and Foxboro every third year, this should be a no brainer. If they don't play, then BC will have a hard time explaining this away.

Fantastic article in the Globe today. Very excited with the games in Foxboro as an alum living on the South Shore. Will absolutely be buying season tickets and going to a couple games a year, and I know lots of my friends feel the same way.

http://www.boston.co...o_climb_to_fbs/

It is only a matter of time till UMass goes to the BE.

[Dan Murfman]

You can only use an FCS win as your 6th win once every two years. So, to say just grab a win against URI or Maine and we're good is not totally accurate.

If I'm not mistaken that rule has changed and you can use one every year.

[Domer]

If I'm not mistaken that rule has changed and you can use one every year.

You are not mistaken

18.7.2.2.1 Exception—Football Championship Subdivision Opponent. [FBS]
Each year, a Football Bowl Subdivision institution may count one victory against a Football Championship Subdivision opponent toward meeting the definition of a “deserving team,” provided the opponent has averaged 90 percent of the permissible maximum number of grants-in-aid per year in football during a rolling two-year period.
(Adopted: 10/28/97 effective 8/1/98, Revised: 4/28/05, 12/15/06, 4/29/10 effective 8/1/10, 7/30/10)

Edited by Domer, 21 April 2011 - 02:04 PM.

[mabrowndog]

Steve Buckley also has a write-up on the move. While moving ALL the UMass home games to rent-free Gillette instead of the rumored two games a year is a far more favorable situation for the school, I think Buck and others are really blowing the positive potential out of proportion.

If Michigan Stadium is The Big House, McGuirk Stadium is The Little House on the Prairie. But by moving up and moving out — that is, from Amherst to Foxboro — UMass gets to play in a first-class facility. And if the Minutemen can establish a program good enough to dominate the MAC and they can bring in the occasional Michigan or Texas A&M for non-conference games, there's no reason why UMass can't match the 44,500 Boston College gets for its home games.

The confidence seems to be based on the assumption that last year's UMass-UNH crowd in Foxboro (32,000+) is some sort of bellwether of future expectations. While that was indeed a nice showing, the lofty total owed a lot to the novelty factor. The allure of games 90 miles away from campus will fade unless the team builds a winner and does so early on. Getting into one of the MAC's three guaranteed bowl slots would certainly be a nice insurance policy. But if the Minutemen flounder at or below .500 for the first two or three years of the Kraft deal, they won't come close to matching BC's attendance levels.

[RedOctober3829]

They need a facility that is on-campus or closer than Foxboro. It's going to be a stale environment at Gillette as there won't be enough people there to generate a real home-field advantage. 30,000 people in a 68,000 seat stadium is not going to be very loud(especially in a stadium that isn't known for generating a lot noise even when full). Sure, it's a good temporary solution but it better not be their long-term plan. Playing games 2 hours from campus is unheard of.

[Domer]

They need a facility that is on-campus or closer than Foxboro. It's going to be a stale environment at Gillette as there won't be enough people there to generate a real home-field advantage. 30,000 people in a 68,000 seat stadium is not going to be very loud(especially in a stadium that isn't known for generating a lot noise even when full). Sure, it's a good temporary solution but it better not be their long-term plan. Playing games 2 hours from campus is unheard of.

Arkansas plays some home games three hours away in Little Rock. UConn plays all of its home games closer by in Hartford. The only issue with Foxboro is the distance from the student body, who pay the least amount of money to attend. To nearly all alumni and paying fans, Foxboro is a better location than anywhere in western Massachusetts.

[RedOctober3829]

Arkansas plays some home games three hours away in Little Rock. UConn plays all of its home games closer by in Hartford. The only issue with Foxboro is the distance from the student body, who pay the least amount of money to attend. To nearly all alumni and paying fans, Foxboro is a better location than anywhere in western Massachusetts.

Arkansas also has an on-campus facility that is one of the best in the country. UConn only has a 30-40 minute drive from it's campus. Alabama also plays one game a year in Birmingham but has a tremendous on-campus facility. Foxboro might be a better location, but for the long-term a stadium near campus needs to be built. Football home games are used by every other sport as recruiting weekends. How can you use football games to get people to campus when your stadium is 2 hours away? Sure, playing one or two games a year at Foxboro is fine but if that's going to be your home for the long-term then I don't think they are going about it the right way.

[jsinger121]

Alabama has not played at Legion Field since 2000. They have no reason to anymore with Bryant-Denny over 100,000. Arkansas plays 2 games a year at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock one of them being an SEC game.

UMass is going to need an on campus facility and one within 5 years if they want to compete. They can still play 1-2 games a year in Gillette even with a new facility in Amherst.

Edited by jsinger121, 21 April 2011 - 03:10 PM.

[berniecarbo1]

You are not mistaken

18.7.2.2.1 Exception—Football Championship Subdivision Opponent. [FBS]
Each year, a Football Bowl Subdivision institution may count one victory against a Football Championship Subdivision opponent toward meeting the definition of a "deserving team," provided the opponent has averaged 90 percent of the permissible maximum number of grants-in-aid per year in football during a rolling two-year period.
(Adopted: 10/28/97 effective 8/1/98, Revised: 4/28/05, 12/15/06, 4/29/10 effective 8/1/10, 7/30/10)

I was wrong....I am sorry. BUT.....UMass does fill that BC-MAC game that is on the schedule every year. And it is a better draw for all concerned...so there!

UMass is going to need an on campus facility and one within 5 years if they want to compete. They can still play 1-2 games a year in Gillette even with a new facility in Amherst.

Isn't this the ultimate end game for this whole thing after all? A 35,000 seat revamped McGuirk that UMass will play 4 conference home games in, and 68,000 Gillette where they will play 2-3 non conference games in every year. While they are playing all the games in Foxboro in 2012 and 2013, they are either razing McGuirk and rebuilding on that footprint, or they are expanding it with some upper decks or something like that?

The other theory, although a bit out there is that UMass Football becomes the major marketing tool of the state university system and they embrace all the UMass campuses with tickets, buses, etc to Foxboro. They turn Patriot Place into a mini UMass campus for all UMass students and alums (Boston, Lowell, Dartmouth) and incorporate the student bodies behind the football team. If they did that and embraced the alumni, then they might get 40,000 a game. The Pats can put their marketing team on it and it might work. Unlke some of the other stadiums mentioned in this thread (Legion Field, The Superdome, The Meadowlands) those are facilities that are run by the city or state they are located in. Gillette is a private deal so you have a business man backing this venture who likes to succeed. He will do what it takes to make this work. Don't discount it. One thing about the Krafts, they are vewry good business people and they know how to market their products.

Edited by berniecarbo1, 21 April 2011 - 05:22 PM.

[MarcSullivaFan]

I'd advocate annihilating Shutesbury and building a 70,000 seat modern football stadium that's full of 3-D LED screens and fireworks in its rubble.

Demo southwest on a Sunday morning while all those Jersey Shore fuckers are sleeping off their jager bomb hangovers.

[Infield Infidel]

Didn't see this earlier http://www.masslive...._play_on_c.html

Whether the team plays future games on campus will depend on how well it does at Gillette Stadium, the site of all UMass home games in 2012 and 2013.

"The more success we have in Foxborough, ironically, the less chance there would be of returning to McGuirk,'' McCutcheon said.

But the option will exist, if current renovation plans come to fruition. McCutcheon said UMass is committed to the plan, but that it is in the preliminary phase.

"We are in a transitional period. By 2014, the plan is to have an upgraded campus facility that could host some games,'' he said.

UMass is undertaking a $20 million McGuirk improvement project. Seating will be expanded from 17,000 to 25,000, with a comprehensive training facility built at the stadium's north end.

McCutcheon said a major fundraising effort is aimed at paying for the project. If the full amount is not raised, "some debt service'' will be incurred by the university, he said.

He called the project essential.to the upgrade to the Football Bowl Subdivision, and especially necessary for any games to take place on campus in 2014 or beyond.

The current seating could technically adhere to the FBS requirement of a 15,000 average attendance per game, but trying to do so would be impractical.

One reason is that UMass is exploring options to bring several high-profile, non-conference opponents to Gillette, either for single appearances or as part of home-and-home series.

None of those teams would consider playing at McGuirk. McCutcheon says those games, which figure to draw the Minutemen's biggest crowds and produce the most revenue, will always be staged at Gillette, even after 2014.

But playing a MAC game or two per season at McGuirk is possible after the stadium is renovated, he said.

"The MAC has a tradition of playing late-season, midweek games (for TV). I can see possibly moving that type of game on campus, so that people don't have to make the longer trip in the middle of the week,'' McCutcheon said.

This link has artist's renderings of potential stadium renovations
http://www.gazettene...ew-look-mcguirk

Edited by Infield Infidel, 13 May 2011 - 06:22 AM.

[mabrowndog]

Didn't see this earlier http://www.masslive...._play_on_c.html

This link has artist's renderings of potential stadium renovations
http://www.gazettene...ew-look-mcguirk

Yeah, that makes total sense. Launch a major fucking fundraising campaign to beg your alumni and corporate donors for $10 million to pay for press box renovations because the football team might -- MIGHT -- play one game a year on campus in what amounts to the same crappy fucking molded cement shithole of a stadium.

Edited by mabrowndog, 13 May 2011 - 07:30 AM.

[BigMike]

Yeah, that makes total sense. Launch a major fucking fundraising campaign to beg your alumni and corporate donors for $10 million to pay for press box renovations because the football team might -- MIGHT -- play one game a year on campus in what amounts to the same crappy fucking molded cement shithole of a stadium.

Especially true where there will never (*short term at least) be marquee game on campus. So maybe someday you get to see the games against Temple, Buffalo, etc moved to campus, as those game almost certainly will make the soccer crowd look big at Gilette

[Doug Beerabelli]

Why don't they play at the Rent in E.Hartford? I forget if the Rent is owned by MSG, or just run by MSG, but it would be a shorter drive from UMass than Foxboro, cozier but legit BCS size, and the State of CT would reap a windfall from all the DUI and speeding arrests on 91.

[Franklin Fanatic]

First home game in 2012 at Gillette will be vs. Indiana. Umass will go to Bloomington in 2017.

[gmogmo]

First home game in 2012 at Gillette will be vs. Indiana. Umass will go to Bloomington in 2017.

Also playing @uconn, @vandy (signed 4 game deal with them to play 2 there and 2 here), and rumor of @ Michigan next year. Very exciting year one schedule, can't wait to hit up a few games.

[Franklin Fanatic]

I got season tickets this year so I could have priority status for next year. I'm really looking forward to 2012.

[Franklin Fanatic]

Solid win last night on the road vs. Holy Cross. Defense got better as the game went on and Pagel looked good in relief at QB. Bye week, then the last home opener on campus vs. Rhody on 9/17.

[Franklin Fanatic]

Another solid game for UMASS last night. It was the Hernandez and Tally show. Nelms stepped up with the huge pick 6 in the 4th. Decent crowd for the home opener in spite of the cold(although a lot of students left at the half). Really looking forward to how they do at BC. I'm hoping BC will be tight. If UMASS gets a early lead the BC crowd could get ugly.

[kenneycb]

This implies that there will be a crowd. There better be a Groupon or something because I'm guessing there are going to be a lot of empty seats. This isn't even a Parents' Weekend game like in years past.

[Infield Infidel]

UMass will play a full MAC schedule in 2012 and will be eligible for the MAC Championship Game and bowls beginning with the 2013 season.

The Minutemen open the 2012 season on Thursday, Aug. 30 at the UConn Huskies. UMass will then host Indiana on Sept. 8, travel to Michigan on Sept. 15 and to Vanderbilt on Oct. 27.

UMass will play their 2012-13 home games at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, the home of the NFL’s New England Patriots.

http://www.fbschedul...tball-schedule/

All AQ schools. That is a pretty tremendous first-year non-conference slate

[jsinger121]

http://www.fbschedul...tball-schedule/

All AQ schools. That is a pretty tremendous first-year non-conference slate

Something you won't see Boston College do either.

[Dave Stapleton]

Something you won't see Boston College do either.

Or any other BCS school for that matter. It would be a bad idea for any BCS school to schedule like that given the conference slate.

Edited by Dave Stapleton, 28 September 2011 - 10:01 AM.

[PC Drunken Friar]

LSU begs to differ...

http://espn.go.com/c...d/99/lsu-tigers

[BigA27]

This is impressive and ambitious. Good for the AD for scheduling so aggressively. It will probably result in some disastrous beatdowns, but bodes well for the future. That they finally agreed to a three game slate with BC also is a yet another good sign. After the ass whupping BC put on us last week I am not sure how well they will do with this schedule, but I really like how seriously and aggressively they have approached their scheduling.

[WayBackVazquez]

I don't know if I'd call it ambitious as much as a money grab. UMass is getting $650,000 to go to the Big House and get buttraped. Ambition is taking a game because you think you can win, not because it guarantees you your biggest payday ever as you try to fund a basically new program.

[BigA27]

As they are getting home and homes with the other teams I see that as rather ambitious. Yes they are the weakest teams in their conference, but they are still AQ conferences. They could be padding things out with other FCS teams or Sun Belt and WAC teams. Instead they went for brand name conferences. I am pleasantly surprised.

Michigan is a straight cash grab, which they need to do. Part of the reason they moved up was so that they could fund the program with the higher fees an FBS team can command for the scheduled ass whuppings. I figured they would get one buyout game against a big name team every year to help fund the jump.

[Dave Stapleton]

LSU begs to differ...

http://espn.go.com/c...d/99/lsu-tigers

Northwestern State? Western Kentucky?

Edited by Dave Stapleton, 28 September 2011 - 03:08 PM.

[jsinger121]

Northwestern State? Western Kentucky?

Western Kentucky is D1. They had the balls to play Oregon this year and go on the road against West Virginia.

[Dan Murfman]

Western Kentucky is D1. They had the balls to play Oregon this year and go on the road against West Virginia.

But the BC fan's point is that all BCS teams like BC play non BCS teams. Then someone suggested that LSU and he was pointing out that they played Northwestern St and WKU which aren't in AQ BCS conferences.

[Domer]

USC is playing only BCS teams this season, assuming Notre Dame counts. USC has also never played an FCS team.

Edited by Domer, 28 September 2011 - 04:31 PM.

[Infield Infidel]

USC is playing only BCS teams this season, assuming Notre Dame counts. USC has also never played an FCS team.

Hey Domer, what's the other team that's never played an FCS team

I don't think there's a non-AQ school out there that doesn't have a cash grab game. Heck, even some AQ teams have them. That they got home-and-homes with two AQ-teams Indiana and Vandy before they even start FBS play might be unprecedented. I have a perverse attraction to teams making the jump, and in recent years I can't remember any (WKU, Buffalo, FAU/FIU/USF, UConn) getting those kinds of home-and-homes this quickly.

Edited by Infield Infidel, 28 September 2011 - 06:42 PM.