UMass to MAC in 2025-26

[hnk373431]

Understand the move for their football team but sorry to see them leave. Leaves GWU as the only original Eastern 8 team left. Duquesne was also an original member but had a hiatus when they joined the Midwest City.

[chrismoses]

They should have dropped their football program down to FCS a decade ago.

All of this to make a whopping $670K per season to be in the MAC? If you combine UB and UMass's CFB fanbases, they probably couldn't fill a 15,000 seat stadium most games. MAC MBB is pretty rough outside of the top 2-4 teams and the football is totally irrelevant.

[kccgold]

Wow that's pathetic

giving up the Atlantic 10 to play a bunch of directional michigan schools

smell ya later (d)Umass

[Sipowicz]

Maybe the BONNIES beating the Minutemen twice this year convinced UMass to leave A10, LOL!

[ceharv]

Today isn’t April 1, is it? I cannot believe Martin is very happy about this move. I wouldn’t think he made the move to coach a team in the MAC at this stage of his career. It wouldn’t surprise me to see a bunch of their roster enter the portal this year or next or if Martin makes a move also. This isn’t what he signed up for and now his program is being placed secondary to a very middling football program. He just got downgraded big time.

[maplehurst]

Tough for the A-10 to lose one of its state universities. The league gets worse. UMass had some SEC teams, Missouri and Mississippi State, scheduled for home games in future years. I wonder if they will keep them. Not sure those games would not be played at Fenway Park.

[Dunga]

This is a really bad decision for basketball and perhaps some other sports. A huge downgrade from the #8 conference to #24. Limited national TV exposure. Increased travel time/expense. No (or limited) prime TV markets like the A10 has. Puzzling. I would be very upset if I were a UMass fan. I had thought this might be possible for football, but not all sports.

www.warrennolan.com/basketball/2024/net-conference

BOSTON -- UMass is heading back to the MAC. The Mid-Atlantic Conference board voted Monday to add the University of Massachusetts as a full member and the school is expected to accept, according to multiple reports.

UMass, whose football program spent 2012-15 in the MAC after the school made the jump to the FBS level, will return to the conference to begin the 2025-26 school year.

The Minutemen football team went 8-40 over their four seasons in the MAC under Charlie Molnar and Mark Whipple, including just 7-25 in conference action. UMass announced plans to leave the MAC in 2015 after the school declined to become an all-sports member, and the football program began life as an FBS independent.

This will mark a big move for the UMass basketball program, which has played in the A-10 since 1982. UMass was a founding member of the A-10, and the school was reluctant to leave the conference in 2015.

The UMass men's basketball team, which currently sits at 17-10 on the season and 8-7 in conference play, has made the NCAA Tournament just once since its trip to the Final Four in 1996.

The UMass men's hockey program, which won its first-ever NCAA hockey title in 2021, will remain in the Hockey East.

www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/umass-mac-mid-atlantic-conference-university-massachusetts-minutemen-ncaa-football-basketball-college-sports/
www.gazettenet.com/UMass-athletic-director-Ryan-Bamford-says-finding-a-conference-for-football-program-remains-a-priority-53268622

[marylandbonnie1]

The real question is, will the A10 fill just the spot UMass leaves or will they fill a total of two schools?

[ceharv]

Good question mb1. I wonder whether the league will just stand pat in order to have an even number for tournament purposes, although 26 also works nicely in that regard. I am also okay with the league being predominantly private schools with fewer state schools, although a Boston/New England area school might be a positive.

[tomgleason]

Feb 26, 2024 19:38:10 GMT -5 ceharv said:

Good question mb1. I wonder whether the league will just stand pat in order to have an even number for tournament purposes, although 26 also works nicely in that regard. I am also okay with the league being predominantly private schools with fewer state schools, although a Boston/New England area school might be a positive.

My guess would be College of Charleston and UNC Greensboro. Moving south some, and staying “Atlantic”

[agoo]

MAC is worse than the MAAC this year?

[kccgold]

I think we will see a bunch of transfers abandoning that sinking ship

When that happens Schmidt should reach out to that Curry kid. He’s an impressive PG that could take right over here for 3 years now that MAW is graduating

[buffalo]

Feb 26, 2024 14:59:32 GMT -5 chrismoses said:

They should have dropped their football program down to FCS a decade ago.

All of this to make a whopping $670K per season to be in the MAC? If you combine UB and UMass's CFB fanbases, they probably couldn't fill a 15,000 seat stadium most games. MAC MBB is pretty rough outside of the top 2-4 teams and the football is totally irrelevant.

I disagree FBS football is more important than an Atlantic 10 Conference basketball game that doesn’t bring the television viewership. I am a fan of both UB and the Bonnies but UB Bulls football importance wise is just behind the Buffalo Bills. What about the Buffalo Sabres? What about the Buffalo Sabres? Too many games. If the Buffalo Sabres are playing the same night as UB Bulls football regardless of the record I am watching the UB Bulls play football as a Canisius College alum. I am just telling it how it is for me personally. UB Bulls on Saturday and Buffalo Bills on Sunday during the football season. If UB or UMass ever made the College Football Playoff all of Western New York would be talking about it because football drives the numbers and fan interest I would guess that is the case for UMass fans in my opinion. Go Bonnies! Let’s Go Buffalo

[bigcat]

2023 MAC football attendance averages with rank among D1 schools. Most MAC stadiums have a capacity of 20,000 to 30,000.

97 Toledo 19,675
99 Ohio 19,005
105 Western Michigan 17,619
109 Eastern Michigan 16,882
113 Central Michigan 16,350
121 Bowling Green 13,462
123 Miami (OH) 13,395
125 Buffalo 13,142
128 Ball State 10,771
129 Massachusetts 10,598
130 Kent State 9,511
131 Northern Illinois 9,456
133 (and last) Akron 7,235

[coach]

Feb 27, 2024 2:30:51 GMT -5 bigcat said:

2023 MAC football attendance averages with rank among D1 schools. Most MAC stadiums have a capacity of 20,000 to 30,000.

97 Toledo 19,675
99 Ohio 19,005
105 Western Michigan 17,619
109 Eastern Michigan 16,882
113 Central Michigan 16,350
121 Bowling Green 13,462
123 Miami (OH) 13,395
125 Buffalo 13,142
128 Ball State 10,771
129 Massachusetts 10,598
130 Kent State 9,511
131 Northern Illinois 9,456
133 (and last) Akron 7,235

I really don't think it's a good move for Umass. The attendance will be less than Akron b/c we all know how Patriot territory fans act. Half their die hard fans followed Brady at tampa and then had to fall back to Mac Jones. LOL