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Topic: UMASS to make a decision in early march
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KyleWvr13
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Posted: 3/2/2011 1:55 PM
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Bobcatbob
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Posted: 3/4/2011 2:02 PM
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Here's an interesting observation by UMASS:

The status quo, remaining at the Football Championship Subdivision level and as part of the CAA is an option that has become less appealing over the past year. Division I-AA football may be on the decline as CAA rival Villanova is also considering a move up to the FBS level, possibly as soon as 2014. Additionally, UMass will continue to lose up to $3 million per year if it stays put.

Does that mean it's less expensive to be an FBS school or that the MAC is going to subsidize UMASS' football program with money the rest of the MAC can't afford to lose?

They're losing $3 mill now and they're going to increase travel costs, add some schollies, boost the staff, possibly relocate (rent) larger facilities, pay a 2nd conference fee and still come out ahead?  I'm a pretty good accountant but I can't make that plan work out.  We need to send Steve Hays out there to investigate.
KyleWvr13
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Posted: 3/4/2011 4:37 PM
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Yeah I don't really know how the numbers are going to crunch to have them gain (or at least loose less) money.

They may be looking at the long term idea of moving up to the Big East or ACC  and using the MAC as a stepping stone.  But even if they stay in the MAC for the long run, I can assume they'll upgrade their stadium and have higher attendance cause of the FBS status.  Last year they averaged higher attendance than Buffalo, Akron, Ball State, and Eastern Michigan (I don't believe in their reported numbers, 15k average attendance my ass).  Even with that one game played at Gillette Stadium, that's still pretty impressive for a middle-of-the-road FCS team.

Short-run costs will be big, but they think the long-term profits will offset them, somehow...
D.A.
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Posted: 3/4/2011 5:45 PM
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Here's the thread I started last fall on the topic, see recent pages for links to the UMASS message board if you want to read some thoughts of their fans:

http://bobcatattack.com/messageboard/topic.asp?FromPage=2&ForumPID=6&PID=14336

I have yet to understand the $3MM topic while doing a lot of reading/trolling their board's thread, and the UNH/UMASS game at Gillette last fall was the first in the series there and was so well received that it will be an annual staple as long as they are FCS.

They also hope to have a "home" in a 2 for 1 with BC at Gillette, and the MAC has already visited Gillette, I believe expecting it to be the UMASS home field until they can expand/improve their stadium in Amherst (assuming they get the invite and make the move up).

An interesting note on the UMASS FB thread which I hadn't really caught on to previously is that Army plays four MAC schools this season.  Playing the Academies has been a pretty hot topic here, and I would still love to see Ohio get in on that action.
Athens
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Posted: 3/4/2011 10:23 PM
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D.A. wrote:expand_more
An interesting note on the UMASS FB thread which I hadn't really caught on to previously is that Army plays four MAC schools this season.  Playing the Academies has been a pretty hot topic here, and I would still love to see Ohio get in on that action.


Yea and I've been one of the biggest proponents of getting a regular series going with the Naval Academy. Ohio with UMass in the league is really starting to get its name out on the East Coast with also Buffalo (NY), Temple (PA), Marshall (WV) on the schedule every year and Navy (MD) would fit right in with that strategy. To go with that strategy and to recruit better nationally I would like to see the Cats try and play BCS schools in CA, TX, FL. I know it may not be cheap and easy but the players deserve an exciting matchup every year.
Monroe Slavin
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Posted: 3/5/2011 12:15 PM
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The service academies would be great to have on the schedule.

Remember, you can't just go bigtime football and be assured of success.  That is, temple.
Pataskala
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Posted: 3/5/2011 10:56 PM
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Monroe Slavin wrote:expand_more
The service academies would be great to have on the schedule.

Remember, you can't just go bigtime football and be assured of success.  That is, temple.


I actually thought the MAC would have a shot at Army joining for football after they jumped from CUSA.  It's a real natural rivalry with Buffalo and Temps.  But since they moved the Navy game back deeper in December, I don't know.  They would have to play a regular season game after the MAC championship game, and I don't think that would sit well with the MAC higher-ups.

Anyway, CMU apparently is adamant that the MAC even up the divisions:

http://www.cm-life.com/2011/03/01/heeke-says-conference-i.../
Maryland Bobcat
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Posted: 3/7/2011 5:43 PM
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Wes wrote:expand_more
An interesting note on the UMASS FB thread which I hadn't really caught on to previously is that Army plays four MAC schools this season. Playing the Academies has been a pretty hot topic here, and I would still love to see Ohio get in on that action.


Yea and I've been one of the biggest proponents of getting a regular series going with the Naval Academy. Ohio with UMass in the league is really starting to get its name out on the East Coast with also Buffalo (NY), Temple (PA), Marshall (WV) on the schedule every year and Navy (MD) would fit right in with that strategy. To go with that strategy and to recruit better nationally I would like to see the Cats try and play BCS schools in CA, TX, FL. I know it may not be cheap and easy but the players deserve an exciting matchup every year.
Yes! As a Navy season ticket holder I'm tired of seeing MAC schools come through each year, and none of them are Ohio. It made my stomach turn to walk past the big CMU alumni party next to the stadium last year.
colobobcat66
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Posted: 3/7/2011 6:04 PM
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How about a roadtrip to Moscow, Idaho?  Huge crowds for sure.

Athens
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Posted: 3/7/2011 8:19 PM
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colobobcat66 wrote:expand_more

How about a roadtrip to Moscow, Idaho?  Huge crowds for sure.



A perfect Black Friday game to build the program.
LoganElm_grad09
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Posted: 3/11/2011 11:14 AM
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Hopefully we can bring Massachusetts into the fold.  The MAC getting exposure in Boston can't be overstated.
Bert Presley
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Posted: 3/11/2011 1:26 PM
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I can see it now, the Battle for the Cutler Trophy. The Bunches of Grapes Game.....
oubobcatjohn
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Posted: 3/11/2011 5:48 PM
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The TV exposure is where the FBS makes the money.  They would get a piece of the MAC BCS money. This is why football is the dominating decision and not hoops.    
Pataskala
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Posted: 3/11/2011 9:21 PM
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Bert Presley wrote:expand_more
I can see it now, the Battle for the Cutler Trophy. The Bunches of Grapes Game.....


The Cranberry Classic?  (We've got a bog up this way.)
OhioCatFan
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Posted: 3/13/2011 5:17 PM
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Bert Presley wrote:expand_more
I can see it now, the Battle for the Cutler Trophy. The Bunches of Grapes Game.....


Those are good ideas.  How about these The Battle for the Grapes or maybe The Battle of Old Manasseh for the Manasseh Cutler-Paul Revere Trophy?
Last Edited: 3/13/2011 8:51:50 PM by OhioCatFan
Terry Lee
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Posted: 3/13/2011 7:27 PM
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Robert Fox
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Posted: 3/14/2011 10:46 AM
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I can hardly wait for early March!
Bert Presley
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Posted: 3/14/2011 11:05 AM
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It is currently Mid-March here in Ohio.
D.A.
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Posted: 3/14/2011 1:42 PM
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I've been tracking this pretty close on the UMASS blog, and apparently there are a couple of things holding up the process/announcement:
  • 'Nova to Big East for FB, and whether or not they can get alumni/donors to pony up for the funds to support the move of their program from FCS.
  • Temple waiting to see what happens with 'Nova, hoping for a possible "sloppy seconds" invite to Big East if 'Nova can't come up with the money
  • And/or the MAC is revising Temple's contract which is still going through revisions.
The MAC wants to eliminate the 7/6 imbalance in East/West, so if Temple were to happen to leave, that would leave UMASS out.
Pataskala
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Posted: 3/17/2011 7:34 PM
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"Early March" has become "this spring."

http://www.gazettenet.com/2011/03/15/umass-sports-teams-s...
D.A.
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Posted: 3/19/2011 10:28 AM
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I had a dream last night that the MAC dropped Temple for App State, then took on UMASS and we lost that troll loser MH55 forever:

 http://timesfreepress.com/news/2011/mar/17/socon-waiting-app-states-decision/
Physicist MH55
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Posted: 3/19/2011 12:05 PM
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When you wake up you should have had your Mommy tell you Umass is not going to join the MAC until Temple tells them we are going to stay. Frankly, no one I know is interested in playing UMass in football and the Umass/Temple basketball series hasn't been relevant in this town for a decade. UMass considering joining the MAC just makes me more that interested in departing...
Last Edited: 3/19/2011 12:07:52 PM by Physicist MH55
Ohio69
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Posted: 3/23/2011 3:06 PM
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MH55 wrote:expand_more
UMass considering joining the MAC just makes me more that interested in departing...


To where exactly?
colobobcat66
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Posted: 3/23/2011 4:16 PM
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MH55 wrote:expand_more
When you wake up you should have had your Mommy tell you Umass is not going to join the MAC until Temple tells them we are going to stay. Frankly, no one I know is interested in playing UMass in football and the Umass/Temple basketball series hasn't been relevant in this town for a decade. UMass considering joining the MAC just makes me more that interested in departing...

Frankly, UMASS has a much better chance to making it to the big time than Temple does in my opinion even though they'd be starting later.  I don't see significant differences between UMASS moving up and UCONN moving up not so many years back.  They wouldn't be your mother's UMASS anymore so what they have done in the past tells you nothing about what they can become with a commitment to the FBS.
Physicist MH55
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Posted: 3/23/2011 6:16 PM
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When Temple entered into the MAC agreement, we passed on an offer to join CUSA for all sports. CUSA wanted $1,000,000. At the time, Temple didn't want to fork over 1 mill, didnt want to sever our ties w A10 nd very frankly, didnt even know if we had the ability to resurrect our FB Program. The MAC deal was good for us and as much as MAC'ers deny it, it wa for s a good deal for the MAC. (A commitment to play 8 BB games a year w NCAA Tourney Caliber teams , half in your building, in exchange for the opportunity to park our FB team in your conference and try to fix it. We have taken steps to fix our FB Program and our basketball teams have made the tourney and brought a tourney team to your Conference arenas 8 times since the agreement.)

Dont know why MAC fans get so bent out of shape when some of us talk about the MAC and defend what we brought to the MAC. Lets face it, the MAC is a Ohio Valley Conference, there's no interest in the East for the MAC. Its not an insult, its just the way it is, just like MAC'ers could care less about the A10, the Big Five and Villanova. Temple can't garner additional interest in the MAC short of winning the MAC FB Championship every year and obviously, we havent been able to do that. 

Im sorry but I have been an advocate of joining CUSA or even going independent. Our affiliation with the MAC for FB was a life preserver and I thank the MAC for that but afetr reading opinions of so many MAC fans they are either mad they didnt get the doormat they thought they were getting for FB or give absolutely no credit to our commitment from Temple's BB teams and/or our resurrection from the depths of the worst FB Program in USA. 

Maybe Ohio, et al doesnt want or like Temple in their conference. But I certainly dont see many impassioned threads about EMU, Buffalo or Ball St here. Isnt that what Chryst sought to do? Increase the MAC's profile, interest and breadth....

ps I see the same thing happening with UMass. Thats why I believe they are waiting for our decision. UMass/Buffalo isnt any more of a geographical rivalry than Temple/Buffalo.. I can drive to Montreal faster than I can drive to Buffalo.
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