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Shuttering of UAB football gives UMass another league option in C-USA


Harry

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AMHERST – University of Massachusetts athletic director John McCutcheon may be in the process of looking for a new job, but for now, he's still at UMass.

And since announcing that UMass football would be leaving the Mid-American Conference following the 2015 season and play the 2016 and 2017 seasons as an independent, that means fielding a constant barrage of questions about when and where and how the school will find a new conference home.

The current flavor of the month is Conference USA, which earlier this week lost league member Alabama-Birmingham after UAB officials decided to kill the football program as a measure to help keep the athletic department financially solvent.

Naturally, many UMass fans immediately zeroed in on C-USA as a potential landing spot for the Minutemen. The league, which for the moment has an even 12 football members, will have 13 again beginning in 2015 when Charlotte makes its Football Bowl Subdivision debut and that makes for considerable logistical problems.

Read more: http://www.masslive.com/umassfootball/index.ssf/2014/12/conference_usa_umass_football.html

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Sun Belt looked at UMass and said no thanks.

Travel wise it's like going to Troy or AState. Fly in and bus an hour.

They are a traditional campus outside of the Boston market.

Stadium isn't close to being up to snuff so they play half their games at the Pats stadium which is 100 miles from campus.

Key to remember with UMass. The MAC was in the middle of their TV negotiation when they gave them the all or nothing ultimatum. That means they meant very little to the MAC's TV value compared to the issues of scheduling 13 in football.

CUSA enters this realignment issue presumably negotiating the next TV deal since it expires in 18 months. If CUSA doesn't take a team by June 30 that might not be a good sign. If adding is close to revenue neutral CUSA will expand because 13 is terrible for scheduling football and basketball. Even a near wash makes it worthwhile. If there is $14 million in TV on the table it keeps revenue near constant (hoops revenue is currently declining) and if less than $150,000 (difference per team in splitting current revenue 13 ways instead of 14) makes a difference to the membership there are programs in deep trouble. If there is more than $14 million on the table expanding is the only logical choice.

Edited by Arkstfan
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It will be someone in the West, and probably a travel partner for Southern Miss.

It will NOT be anyone in the northeast, including Army.

I would doubt it is any Texas or Louisiana school.

I see where you're going, and I don't like it...

Not just no, but hell no.

Let's stay at 13.

Not just no, but hell no.

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I don't know enough about UMass. Are they traditional dorm or suitcase college?

They are definitely not a suitcase college and they would be a great improvement from any Sunbelt team.

Their football stadium is an old stadium that was recently renovated, holds many more than Apogee and has much better attendance. The university itself is beautiful, especially with the lakes surrounding it. It would make a pleasant trip.

This video should help sum up their sports culture:

I would vote for them to join C-USA. It would pull us up.

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