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UMass to FBS (MAC) - another spot in the CAA?


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Now that it seems this is just a matter of time today before this announcement is official, I figured it deserved its own thread

 

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a MAC spokesman would say only that the conference is “exploring” the possibility of adding the Minutemen for football.

 

UMass would play a “provisional” FBS schedule in 2011 and ’12, and make the full jump to FBS status in ’13.

 

Athletic director John McCutcheon, while saying “it would be premature” to announce that the Minutemen gridders are moving up, noted that, “We continue to evaluate where we are with our program.”

 

http://bostonherald.com/sports/columnists/view.bg?articleid=1299775&srvc=sports&position=2

 

Multiple sources around the Colonial Athletic Association tell me UMass is going to MAC as football member. Announcement later today.

 

http://twitter.com/MikeABarber

 

Mike Barber is a CAA beat writer.

 

 

Sooo.................does UA make a move here? Seems like a golden opportunity to step up and make a move to either get a spot in the CAA or join together with UNH, Maine and Stony Brook to try and form something new.

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Now that it seems this is just a matter of time today before this announcement is official, I figured it deserved its own thread

 

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a MAC spokesman would say only that the conference is “exploring” the possibility of adding the Minutemen for football.

 

UMass would play a “provisional” FBS schedule in 2011 and ’12, and make the full jump to FBS status in ’13.

 

Athletic director John McCutcheon, while saying “it would be premature” to announce that the Minutemen gridders are moving up, noted that, “We continue to evaluate where we are with our program.”

 

http://bostonherald.com/sports/columnists/view.bg?articleid=1299775&srvc=sports&position=2

 

Multiple sources around the Colonial Athletic Association tell me UMass is going to MAC as football member. Announcement later today.

 

http://twitter.com/MikeABarber

 

Mike Barber is a CAA beat writer.

 

 

Sooo.................does UA make a move here? Seems like a golden opportunity to step up and make a move to either get a spot in the CAA or join together with UNH, Maine and Stony Brook to try and form something new.

 

Seems to me like CAA is at some sort of crossroad here.

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The CAA Football conference is at a huge crossroads. It could lose 5 teams in a matter of 3 years.

 

Northeastern - dropped

Hofstra - dropped

URI - downgraded to the NEC

UMass - FBS (MAC)

Villanova - FBS (Big East)

 

 

But they're also adding teams:

 

Old Dominion - Full CAA in 2011

Georgia State - Full CAA in 2012

 

Charlotte will be ready to join in 2014 too if the CAA wants them.

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So the CAA announcement had nothing to do with football. A stupid basketball ticket promo.

 

But the UMass to the MAC is expected to happen this week during the MAC championship game in Detroit.

 

Not a peep from the CAA as expected.

 

Maine, UNH and Villanova are now on the clock.

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Wow what incentive does UNH and Maine now have to stay with the CAA?

 

The CAA is the best conference in FCS by far for competitiveness and exposure (largest FCS tv deal and multiple espn playoff games). Other than that, there is none really.

 

The only problem is neither have the $$$ to go FBS and there isn't any other FCS conference to go to.

 

So essentially they're stuck.

 

The real question I have is what incentive does the CAA have to appease Unh and Maine? The CAA is a southern conference now and Maine is about as far North as you can.

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I think this has been talked about before but why doesn't the America East football with several northeast teams?

I guess there was one attempt in the late '90s but there was too much opposition from UVM, BostonU, and Hartford, so Delaware, Hofstra, Northeastern and Drexel left for the CAA. This created room for the SUNYs to join AE. Another try in 2004-6 included luring Hofstra and Northeastern back, but this also failed, and with HU and NU both dropping FB it looks dead again. Starting a league from scratch runs into an NCAA rule that the core of a league must play together for five years before they can earn an autobid to the playoffs.

 

I'm sure others can add more details/corrections.

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If the NEC were smart...they would stop dicking around and raise the limit to 56.7. Land UNH and Maine...be competitive on a national level.

 

Win-win.

 

Agreed! Also invite SB back to a North East based league. Could be interesting with the football rivalries renewing in addition to the basketball rivalries.

 

Would be a total of 12 teams, nice and tidy.

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If the NEC were smart...they would stop dicking around and raise the limit to 56.7. Land UNH and Maine...be competitive on a national level.

 

Win-win.

 

Agreed! Also invite SB back to a North East based league. Could be interesting with the football rivalries renewing in addition to the basketball rivalries.

 

Would be a total of 12 teams, nice and tidy.

i just cant see the NEC being successful. that name is just disgusting and there is no tradition in the NEC. When i hear NEC is just think of a terrible conference with small schools. I would take those teams but I'd like to see the conference name changed.

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