UMass football & MAC parting ways after 2015 season

[notkirkcameron]

UMass is most likely headed to the Sun Belt. That is where the homeless football programs go. Especially considering their horrid football situation 2-22 the last two years, a home stadium with porta johns and home away from home games over an hour away in Foxboro where they average 15,000 (highly inflated btw). That dumpster fire of a football program does not sound like AAC material.

The MAC has UMass football through 2015.

UMass' football contract with Gillette Stadium only requires them to play 4 games per year at Foxboro through 2016, and its on-campus football stadium is undergoing renovations which should be complete in 2018, and UMass already plays at least one home game on campus each year. It would be the smallest football stadium by capacity in the American, but when you consider the attendance of its other programs, it's not as big a disparity as you think.

UMass' on-campus stadium currently has capacity for 17,000.

AAC's average football attendance
East Carolina: 43,985
UCF: 42,084
South Florida: 34,702
Cincinnati: 31,771
Connecticut: 30,932
Memphis: 28,537
Houston: 24,256
Temple: 22,473
Tulsa: 19,893
SMU: 18,725
Tulane: 19,747

Even in the American, a sold-out on-campus UMass would have the lowest average attendance in the league.
However, their attendance would not be that different from Tulane, SMU, Tulsa, and Temple, four other schools the OBE/American added for football.

It wouldn't surprise me if UMass dropped down to FCS, but it also wouldn't surprise me if they went to the American.

[HoosierPal]

I visited the A-10 board. The consensus of the UMass fans is that their likely destination is the AAC. Sun Belt isn't a viable option nor is the CUSA. They also know that they could not survive as an independent. They will not be dropping down in football either. Too much $$ invested.

[notkirkcameron]

Worth pointing out the other threat is the ACC tournament at Barclays in 2017-18, posing direct competition to the Big East tournament. With an average of 14,500 in this year's tourney, the conference tournament needs bigger numbers and with 2 premium tournaments in the same week, attracting local fans will be a bigger challenge. One way to boost attendance is to add membership - perhaps growing even to 14. Dayton has to be considered a very viable candidate under these circumstances because they travel well and because their success in the next 2-3 years projects very well.

Madison Square Garden Capacity for Basketball (19,812). So despite a collection of small private schools, 5 of which are from west of the Alleghenys, roughly 3 out of every 4 seats at the Garden sold for the Big East Tournament.

I know the Sun Belt has been floated in a couple places as a potential landing spot for UMass, but holy crap. This program is already losing money hand over fist, and now you're going to throw in travel costs to get the Minutemen to Troy, Alabama, Las Cruces, New Mexico, Moscow, Idaho, and Monroe, Louisiana?

If UMass wants to stay in FBS, the American is their only port in the storm, and is the only conference that 1.) any UMass alum will give a damn about, and 2.) is realistic. If the American won't take them, then they have to drop down to FCS. It's tough to imagine a scenario where they're successful otherwise.

[Bill Marsh]

UMass is most likely headed to the Sun Belt. That is where the homeless football programs go. Especially considering their horrid football situation 2-22 the last two years, a home stadium with porta johns and home away from home games over an hour away in Foxboro where they average 15,000 (highly inflated btw). That dumpster fire of a football program does not sound like AAC material.

The MAC has UMass football through 2015.

UMass' football contract with Gillette Stadium only requires them to play 4 games per year at Foxboro through 2016, and its on-campus football stadium is undergoing renovations which should be complete in 2018, and UMass already plays at least one home game on campus each year. It would be the smallest football stadium by capacity in the American, but when you consider the attendance of its other programs, it's not as big a disparity as you think.

UMass' on-campus stadium currently has capacity for 17,000.

AAC's average football attendance
East Carolina: 43,985
UCF: 42,084
South Florida: 34,702
Cincinnati: 31,771
Connecticut: 30,932
Memphis: 28,537
Houston: 24,256
Temple: 22,473
Tulsa: 19,893
SMU: 18,725
Tulane: 19,747

Even in the American, a sold-out on-campus UMass would have the lowest average attendance in the league.
However, their attendance would not be that different from Tulane, SMU, Tulsa, and Temple, four other schools the OBE/American added for football.

It wouldn't surprise me if UMass dropped down to FCS, but it also wouldn't surprise me if they went to the American.

I think the American should take UMass, but so far they have shown absolutely no interest. The football team is bad, which means there will continue to be no interest from the AAC.

[HoosierPal]

Madison Square Garden Capacity for Basketball (19,812). So despite a collection of small private schools, 5 of which are from west of the Alleghenys, roughly 3 out of every 4 seats at the Garden sold for the Big East Tournament.

I'm not sure if you consider 75% good or bad. The Big 10 here in Indy pretty well was a 100% sellout, averaging 18,599 in a building that seats 18,165.

[notkirkcameron]

Madison Square Garden Capacity for Basketball (19,812). So despite a collection of small private schools, 5 of which are from west of the Alleghenys, roughly 3 out of every 4 seats at the Garden sold for the Big East Tournament.

I'm not sure if you consider 75% good or bad. The Big 10 here in Indy pretty well was a 100% sellout, averaging 18,599 in a building that seats 18,165.

Remember, Northwestern is the smallest school in the Big Ten, with an enrollment of 14,988. If Northwestern were in the Big East, it would be the fourth-largest school in the league, behind only DePaul, St. John's, and Georgetown.

So with that in mind, a centrally-located conference tournament in a league with 12 teams, 11 of which are giant state schools with large enrollments vs. a conference tournament in the second-easternmost city in the league made up of 10 teams, all of which are private schools with small enrollments?



The real story there is that the Big Ten, despite having all those advantages, only outdrew the Big East by what amounts to, in-stadium, a couple sections.

[HoosierPal]

Madison Square Garden Capacity for Basketball (19,812). So despite a collection of small private schools, 5 of which are from west of the Alleghenys, roughly 3 out of every 4 seats at the Garden sold for the Big East Tournament.

I'm not sure if you consider 75% good or bad. The Big 10 here in Indy pretty well was a 100% sellout, averaging 18,599 in a building that seats 18,165.

Remember, Northwestern is the smallest school in the Big Ten, with an enrollment of 14,988. If Northwestern were in the Big East, it would be the fourth-largest school in the league, behind only DePaul, St. John's, and Georgetown.

So with that in mind, a centrally-located conference tournament in a league with 12 teams, 11 of which are giant state schools with large enrollments vs. a conference tournament in the second-easternmost city in the league made up of 10 teams, all of which are private schools with small enrollments?



The real story there is that the Big Ten, despite having all those advantages, only outdrew the Big East by what amounts to, in-stadium, a couple sections.

So I am STILL not sure if you consider 75% good or bad.

You showed me two pieces of fruit, both grow from trees, both have high nutritional value, and both are good for you.

[notkirkcameron]

So I am STILL not sure if you consider 75% good or bad.

You showed me two pieces of fruit, both grow from trees, both have high nutritional value, and both are good for you.

All things considered, the Big East has to look at it's first Tournament as a success considering the distance the schools' main fanbases have to travel (UConn and Syracuse really helped fill up the building in the OBE years), the overall down year for the conference, and frankly, the fact that we do have basically a little CYO league of private schools. To fault the Big East Tournament for not being like the Big Ten Tournament is like faulting an apple for not being a good orange. They're just different creatures.

But ultimately, to get back on topic, the Big Ten Tournament in Indy has just as much of an impact on the Big East Tournament as UMass getting their affiliate membership in the MAC getting revoked does.

[Jet915]

Madison Square Garden Capacity for Basketball (19,812). So despite a collection of small private schools, 5 of which are from west of the Alleghenys, roughly 3 out of every 4 seats at the Garden sold for the Big East Tournament.

I'm not sure if you consider 75% good or bad. The Big 10 here in Indy pretty well was a 100% sellout, averaging 18,599 in a building that seats 18,165.

Big 10, ACC and Big XII are a different ballpark when it comes to attendance. The Big East is more in line with the Pac-12, SEC and AAC.

[LeMoyne00]

Have you ever been to UMass' McGuirk Stadium? It is PATHETIC!

I saw my cousin play there when he played for New Hampshire. It has porta johns and folding tables as concession stands. All I'm seeing is a new press box facility and a new training center on the end. THAT is NOT going to make that AAC quality.