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Post by sader1970 on Oct 17, 2020 7:37:04 GMT -5
Bring back the Yankee Conference with the 6 state universities. Maybe add Bryant and Central Connecticut for a football conference.
Just spitballing here.
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Post by nycrusader2010 on Oct 17, 2020 7:38:50 GMT -5
Bring back the Yankee Conference with the 6 state universities. Maybe add Bryant and Central Connecticut for a football conference. Just spitballing here. The Yankee conference still exists. It has just re-badged twice in the last 25 years to the Atlantic 10 and now CAA.
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Post by sader1970 on Oct 17, 2020 7:41:52 GMT -5
UMass, UConn, CCSU in it?
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Post by nycrusader2010 on Oct 17, 2020 7:47:16 GMT -5
UMass, UConn, CCSU in it? My idea: America East Football UNH Maine UMASS URI Holy Cross Merrimack Albany Stony Brook And sure CCSU can maybe come play
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Post by hchoops on Oct 17, 2020 10:50:25 GMT -5
4 pages on UMass Football. Do they have this many alum followers ?
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Post by nycrusader2010 on Oct 17, 2020 10:58:11 GMT -5
Obviously, the move to the FBS by UConn & UMass is a marketing ploy designed to lift the profiles, provide a national footprint for these two state universities. I don't know the extent to which if any UConn's premier M&W basketball teams have enhanced the stature of the school and provided a national presence. I assume applications have increased, acceptance rates decreased and there are more students from a wider swath of the country. Has giving by proud alumni gone up considerably? Don't know. I agree with HC92. If I were a resident of either state I would be very annoyed if my state taxes increased to cover any increased expenses related to FBS football. The UCONN & UMASS FCS => FBS stories are a little bit different. UCONN's last season in the Atlantic 10 (formerly Yankee, now CAA) was 1998. They moved up to I-A the following year for a 4-year transition period as they were expected to join the Big East Conference. Obviously, UCONN was already a Big East member for all other sports. The CT taxpayer was also building them a 40,000 seat stadium with funds that they had previously dangled at the Krafts to try and bring the Patriots to Hartford. Remember that the Big East in football at that time was a conference that had 2 of its 8 members make it to the BCS National Championship Game over a 4 year period, including 3 appearances and 1 title. So UCONN was under the impression that they were entering into a stable conference with a BCS tie-bowl tie in. And then the first wave of conference expansion happened. All of a sudden, BC, Miami and Virginia Tech were gone and replaced with Louisville, Cincinnati and South Florida. Then in 2012, Big East Football imploded amidst the football/basketball split coupled with the defection of Pitt, Syracuse and Louisville to the ACC. This was the conference invite UCONN needed to stay relevant and they didn't get it. Then onto the AAC Conference, where UCONN basketball was all of a sudden held hostage to a bad FBS football program trying not to sink. And now the next chapter will be independence in football with the only possible lifeline a miracle decision by the ACC to expand to 16 teams. UMASS is more of a JMU type scenario where the school hired committees and did studies to weigh the pro's and con's of low-end FBS football versus high-end FCS. And they ultimately decided to move up and join the MAC as a football affiliate. Unfortunately for them, the MAC decided to hold UMASS' A-10 basketball program hostage and told them they were out unless they joined for all sports. So into the abyss of independence they went and remain today. Compounding this challenge has been the god-awful teams the Minutemen have fielded of late. Not to mention, the attempt to play home games at Gillette for a few years alienated the local fan base as well as potential student supporters who weren't going to make a 5-hour round trip bus ride to see Western Michigan. What makes FBS football at UMASS less sustainable than UCONN IMO is the fact that there is really zero hope of them getting invited to an existing conference, unless the MAC decided they wanted them back.
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Post by sader1970 on Oct 17, 2020 13:05:34 GMT -5
Maybe not for you but for me this topic makes more sense than people picking football winners every week for a conference that has zero to do with Holy Cross unless you want to stretch and say "well, BC used to be our arch-rival and we play them every 3 years or so and that's the conference they're in so . . . . . . "
UMass (& UConn) are at least New England schools who we used to play and still do (UConn every few years and maybe UMass in the future).
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Post by Pakachoag Phreek on Oct 17, 2020 15:14:25 GMT -5
Looks like a long day for Umass. Georgia Southern scores easily on its first drive.
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Post by thecrossisback on Oct 17, 2020 15:24:09 GMT -5
Touchdown 14-0!!!!!! Umass punter downed his own punt.
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Post by purplehaze on Oct 17, 2020 15:56:36 GMT -5
UMass wearing their home red uniform jerseys because they did not have a full complement of road whites - wow ! (ga southern cooperated and agreed to where their road unis)
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Post by thecrossisback on Oct 17, 2020 16:00:42 GMT -5
Maybe the MA governor is watching and sees fans at the game! Come on Georgia Southern run it up!!!!
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Post by A Clock Tower Purple on Oct 17, 2020 16:22:58 GMT -5
Obviously, the move to the FBS by UConn & UMass is a marketing ploy designed to lift the profiles, provide a national footprint for these two state universities. I don't know the extent to which if any UConn's premier M&W basketball teams have enhanced the stature of the school and provided a national presence. I assume applications have increased, acceptance rates decreased and there are more students from a wider swath of the country. Has giving by proud alumni gone up considerably? Don't know. I agree with HC92. If I were a resident of either state I would be very annoyed if my state taxes increased to cover any increased expenses related to FBS football. What makes FBS football at UMASS less sustainable than UCONN IMO is the fact that there is really zero hope of them getting invited to an existing conference, unless the MAC decided they wanted them back.
Trust me- there isn't a single 1A conference that wants anything to do with equally horrendous UConn FB as a stand-alone member either.
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Post by nycrusader2010 on Oct 17, 2020 19:50:16 GMT -5
Maybe the MA governor is watching and sees fans at the game! Come on Georgia Southern run it up!!!! 41-0. Compared to last year, Minutemen defense looking borderline impenetrable. May have been posted already but this was a rematch of the 1998 I-AA National Championship won by UMASS 55-43. That team was led by tailback Marcel Shipp whom I had the pleasure of getting to watch live a couple times during his college career. The win over Georgia Southern was a pretty big upset at the time, at least in my opinion. I remember being very surprised back then that UMASS was able to not only make the final but then go out and win. Back then the A-10/Yankee champs were rarely considered I-AA title contenders.
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Post by A Clock Tower Purple on Oct 17, 2020 20:45:04 GMT -5
^ You followed 1AA FB enough when you were no more than 10 years old to be "surprised" by an outcome?
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Post by bfoley82 on Oct 18, 2020 2:52:53 GMT -5
Maybe the MA governor is watching and sees fans at the game! Come on Georgia Southern run it up!!!! 41-0. Compared to last year, Minutemen defense looking borderline impenetrable. May have been posted already but this was a rematch of the 1998 I-AA National Championship won by UMASS 55-43. That team was led by tailback Marcel Shipp whom I had the pleasure of getting to watch live a couple times during his college career. The win over Georgia Southern was a pretty big upset at the time, at least in my opinion. I remember being very surprised back then that UMASS was able to not only make the final but then go out and win. Back then the A-10/Yankee champs were rarely considered I-AA title contenders. Wasn’t legendary Navy and eventual Ga Tech head coach Paul Johnson the head coach of that Georgia Southern squad? Anyways, 98.5 had the UMass game on the radio today over Notre Dame football so yes, UMass is getting publicity from playing. A UMass vs JMU game at McGuirk isn’t getting that treatment.
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Post by cmo on Oct 18, 2020 8:08:33 GMT -5
Maybe the MA governor is watching and sees fans at the game! Come on Georgia Southern run it up!!!! 41-0. Compared to last year, Minutemen defense looking borderline impenetrable. May have been posted already but this was a rematch of the 1998 I-AA National Championship won by UMASS 55-43. That team was led by tailback Marcel Shipp whom I had the pleasure of getting to watch live a couple times during his college career. The win over Georgia Southern was a pretty big upset at the time, at least in my opinion. I remember being very surprised back then that UMASS was able to not only make the final but then go out and win. Back then the A-10/Yankee champs were rarely considered I-AA title contenders. Fun team. Was Whipple the head coach and Don Brown the DC?
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Post by HC92 on Oct 18, 2020 8:37:52 GMT -5
41-0. Compared to last year, Minutemen defense looking borderline impenetrable. May have been posted already but this was a rematch of the 1998 I-AA National Championship won by UMASS 55-43. That team was led by tailback Marcel Shipp whom I had the pleasure of getting to watch live a couple times during his college career. The win over Georgia Southern was a pretty big upset at the time, at least in my opinion. I remember being very surprised back then that UMASS was able to not only make the final but then go out and win. Back then the A-10/Yankee champs were rarely considered I-AA title contenders. Wasn’t legendary Navy and eventual Ga Tech head coach Paul Johnson the head coach of that Georgia Southern squad? Anyways, 98.5 had the UMass game on the radio today over Notre Dame football so yes, UMass is getting publicity from playing. A UMass vs JMU game at McGuirk isn’t getting that treatment. Definitely have to file this under “any publicity is good publicity” because otherwise getting your *** handed to you 41-0 by a 2-1 team coming off three games decided by 5 or fewer points against Campbell, Louisiana (not State) and Louisiana Monroe could definitely be considered bad publicity.
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Post by newfieguy74 on Oct 18, 2020 8:54:26 GMT -5
4 pages on UMass Football. Do they have this many alum followers ? One of my sons went to UMass Amherst. He loved the school and felt he got a very good education (he then got an MBA from Carnegie-Mellon), but he's angry and depressed at the inability of the flagship school of MA to consistently field decent athletic teams (yes, he knows they've had a good hockey team and some other good teams). The move to FBS has been an unmitigated disaster. Why they thought it was a good idea to play home games at Foxboro is anyone's guess. There's been a real failure of leadership.
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Post by nycrusader2010 on Oct 18, 2020 12:50:35 GMT -5
41-0. Compared to last year, Minutemen defense looking borderline impenetrable. May have been posted already but this was a rematch of the 1998 I-AA National Championship won by UMASS 55-43. That team was led by tailback Marcel Shipp whom I had the pleasure of getting to watch live a couple times during his college career. The win over Georgia Southern was a pretty big upset at the time, at least in my opinion. I remember being very surprised back then that UMASS was able to not only make the final but then go out and win. Back then the A-10/Yankee champs were rarely considered I-AA title contenders. Wasn’t legendary Navy and eventual Ga Tech head coach Paul Johnson the head coach of that Georgia Southern squad? Anyways, 98.5 had the UMass game on the radio today over Notre Dame football so yes, UMass is getting publicity from playing. A UMass vs JMU game at McGuirk isn’t getting that treatment. Paul Johnson was the HC on those GSU teams. They ran the spread option and had a slot-back named Adrian Peterson (not the one still playing in the NFL) who ran for 2,000+ yards for three seasons IIRC.
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Post by bfoley82 on Oct 19, 2020 1:16:37 GMT -5
41-0. Compared to last year, Minutemen defense looking borderline impenetrable. May have been posted already but this was a rematch of the 1998 I-AA National Championship won by UMASS 55-43. That team was led by tailback Marcel Shipp whom I had the pleasure of getting to watch live a couple times during his college career. The win over Georgia Southern was a pretty big upset at the time, at least in my opinion. I remember being very surprised back then that UMASS was able to not only make the final but then go out and win. Back then the A-10/Yankee champs were rarely considered I-AA title contenders. Fun team. Was Whipple the head coach and Don Brown the DC? Whipple was the head coach when they won the national championship. Brown was his DC. Don Brown did amazing work at Northeastern when I was in college and after before going back to UMass as the head coach.
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Post by bfoley82 on Oct 19, 2020 1:17:49 GMT -5
Wasn’t legendary Navy and eventual Ga Tech head coach Paul Johnson the head coach of that Georgia Southern squad? Anyways, 98.5 had the UMass game on the radio today over Notre Dame football so yes, UMass is getting publicity from playing. A UMass vs JMU game at McGuirk isn’t getting that treatment. Paul Johnson was the HC on those GSU teams. They ran the spread option and had a slot-back named Adrian Peterson (not the one still playing in the NFL) who ran for 2,000+ yards for three seasons IIRC. The other Adrian Peterson had a decent nfl career also playing eight years. Also a much better guy as he helps out kids with speech impediments which he suffers with and was on the Georgia Southern football staff.
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Post by Tom on Oct 19, 2020 8:54:45 GMT -5
What were the options while their home stadium was being upgraded? It was pretty messed up, but I'm not sure where else they could have played that was suitable for I-A football. There might be closer places than Foxboro, but I can't think of any. I suppose they could have been road warriors and played zero home games
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Post by nycrusader2010 on Oct 19, 2020 9:58:22 GMT -5
What were the options while their home stadium was being upgraded?It was pretty messed up, but I'm not sure where else they could have played that was suitable for I-A football. There might be closer places than Foxboro, but I can't think of any. I suppose they could have been road warriors and played zero home games Continue to play at McGuirk during renovations. Plenty of schools have upgraded their stadiums without having to play elsewhere. JMU added about 10,000 seats to Bridgeforth, William & Mary just recently added an upper deck to one side of Zable Stadium.
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Post by Tom on Oct 19, 2020 14:51:51 GMT -5
What were the options while their home stadium was being upgraded?It was pretty messed up, but I'm not sure where else they could have played that was suitable for I-A football. There might be closer places than Foxboro, but I can't think of any. I suppose they could have been road warriors and played zero home games Continue to play at McGuirk during renovations. Plenty of schools have upgraded their stadiums without having to play elsewhere. JMU added about 10,000 seats to Bridgeforth, William & Mary just recently added an upper deck to one side of Zable Stadium. Possibly. I don't know that much about the renovations, but could they have had sufficient capacity for FBS football during renovations? I thought the need for the upgrade was to make it FBS compliant. It's hard to imagine having FBS required capacity while expanding to meet FBS required capacity I don't think James Madison or William & Mary are good analogies. They're both FCS and didn't have to deal with the 15K minimum during renovations.. Maybe UMass could have asked for some sort of waiver during the upgrade
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Post by purplehaze on Oct 20, 2020 16:00:03 GMT -5
UMess just arranged a 2nd game - at no.22 Marshall on Nov 7th with a check for $100,000 included - I wouldn't bet on them scoring in this game either
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