Apparently UMass may go to the Sun Belt. I think we C-USA should be making a move for these guys. Would rather have UMass than FAU for example.
http://www.masslive.com/umassfootball/index.ssf/2014/05/report_umass_sun_belt_in_talks.html
Football only, no thanks.
[quote=“Honest Niner, post:1, topic:28823”]Apparently U-Mass may go to the Sun-Belt. I think we C-USA should be making a move for these guys. Would rather have U-Mass than FAU for example.
http://www.masslive.com/umassfootball/index.ssf/2014/05/report_umass_sun_belt_in_talks.html[/quote]
For basketball purposes yes, for football purposes no.
So 1st AAC (formerly Big EAST) can’t read a map, now Sun Belt can’t.
If football only absolutely not. I think this is a bad move for the Belt too. If they wanted to come with all sports it would be worth a look, but don’t think that will be on the table unless the AAC wants them.
I get why the Belt doesn’t want Liberty but from money and facilities perspective they should be the top choice.
Just a side comment, I dont get bagging on FAU. Of the two FXU schools, they have the better facilities, have a decent football team, and seem committed to improving hoops. FIUs facilities suck for both sports and they are doormats.
I wouldnt do UMass for one sport only, which is why the MAC is giving them the boot. Poor minutement, they are on even more of an island than we were joining the A10. They have no shot at getting in either of the leagues that make geographical sense for them.
I get why the Belt doesn’t want Liberty but from money and facilities perspective they should be the top choice.[/quote]
I’m with you there. Just as an outsider looking in, Liberty seems to make sense (especially since JMU’s out of the picture). Shoot, Liberty’s attendance is already on par with UMASS’s, and they fit geographically.
[quote=“NinerAdvocate, post:7, topic:28823”]Just a side comment, I dont get bagging on FAU. Of the two FXU schools, they have the better facilities, have a decent football team, and seem committed to improving hoops. FIUs facilities suck for both sports and they are doormats.
I wouldnt do UMass for one sport only, which is why the MAC is giving them the boot. Poor minutement, they are on even more of an island than we were joining the A10. They have no shot at getting in either of the leagues that make geographical sense for them.[/quote]
Which two leagues? The AAC and? If the MAC, the MAC would have taken them for all sports.
The only reason either of them are semi attractive at all is potential and location. Of the two I think FIU has more because they are much bigger.
FIU 50k students…Miami
FAU 30k studetns…Bocca Raton
Facilities and support is about a wash.
I wouldnt do UMass for one sport only, which is why the MAC is giving them the boot. Poor minutement, they are on even more of an island than we were joining the A10. They have no shot at getting in either of the leagues that make geographical sense for them.
UMass has the best of both worlds. They got to move up from the FCS and now get to stay in the FCS as well as don’t sacrifice their basketball and can stay in a much better basketball conference. I’d take the Sun Belt for Football only and the A10 over MAC, Sun Belt, or CUSA for all sports.
Travel in football is no big deal because you are only playing 4 games away each year usually a couple weeks apart and can charter a plane and carry all your personal at once. There are non scholarship FCS conference that span the entire nation. Campbell plays in a conference with San Diego in football for example.
Even travel wise going from Mass to the south really isn’t much worse than most any other FBS conference travel wise. Hell in old CUSA we were in the same divison as teams from Wisconsin, Illinois, and Missouri and had to send all our sports there.
SBC not expanding in 2014, according to a media report from the conference meetings. UMass might not have been a bad add for the SBC, but it would have been short-term, likely a four-year deal similar to what was signed with Idaho.
[quote=“NovaNiner, post:9, topic:28823”][quote=“NinerAdvocate, post:7, topic:28823”]Just a side comment, I dont get bagging on FAU. Of the two FXU schools, they have the better facilities, have a decent football team, and seem committed to improving hoops. FIUs facilities suck for both sports and they are doormats.
I wouldnt do UMass for one sport only, which is why the MAC is giving them the boot. Poor minutement, they are on even more of an island than we were joining the A10. They have no shot at getting in either of the leagues that make geographical sense for them.[/quote]
Which two leagues? The AAC and? If the MAC, the MAC would have taken them for all sports.[/quote]
ACC. So they could play BC, Cuse, Pitt, and UConn if the Huskies ever get in.
Will never happen of course.
They’re royally screwed.
When Tulsa was added to the American, UMass, Army, and USM were the other names that came up to people in the know like Brett McMurphy. Personally I like UMass and think being a large State flagship school from a relevant State on the east coast with a 30+ million dollar budget overides a lot of negatives. I’d certainly rather go that direction than a school like USM on a 20 million budget in Mississippi. All it takes is one coach to turn the actual success around on the field. UConn football even had a nice run after they moved up, Temple when they had Golden etc. I think UMass is in good position to protect their basketball while still trying to improve their football in FBS.
[quote=“smarter than 98.8% of people on the planet, post:13, topic:28823”]When Tulsa was added to the American, UMass, Army, and USM were the other names that came up to people in the know like Brett McMurphy. Personally I like UMass and think being a large State flagship school from a relevant State on the east coast with a 30+ million dollar budget overides a lot of negatives. I’d certainly rather go that direction than a school like USM on a 20 million budget in Mississippi. All it takes is one coach to turn the actual success around on the field. UConn football even had a nice run after they moved up, Temple when they had Golden etc. I think UMass is in good position to protect their basketball while still trying to improve their football in FBS.[/quote]I agree that UMass would be better for the AAC than someone like USM.
That said, I don’t think they’d be a good addition for the AAC.
They really have very little fan support, a terrible stadium, and their basketball program is overrated by many.
If the AAC were targeting a school in the NE, I think Buffalo would be a better pick honestly. I know they had some ambitious plans for athletic facilities. Not sure where they stand on those though. They’re also an AAU school.