UMass Football Loaded with Financial Risks

[madDOG]

Interesting article in yesterday's Boston Globe regarding UMass' move to FBS. It will be interesting to watch over the next few years and hopefully provide some lessons to UA:

 

http://www.boston.com/sports/college...zIK/story.html

[danefan]

Updated link

 

http://www.boston.com/sports/colleges/football/2012/09/06/umass-football-move-loaded-with-financial-risks/6QxE869C33xr10SiKPKzIK/story.html

[danefan]

I think UMass is doing everything they can to make it a successful move. The thing that really hurts them is playing so far off campus. I know its not a financial risk, but it is almost impossible to build a student fan base playing 2 hrs away from campus.

 

They want alumni involvement, but the easiest way to get alumni involvement is to get students involved before they become alumni.

 

That's the same challenge we have, but on a smaller scale.

[jpg_91]

Good read. I have serious doubts as to whether it will work or not. The MAC is just not a strong enough conference to gain momentum in to eventually jump up to a BCS conference no matter how good UMASS looks over the next decade or so. Definitely be interesting to see how it plays out and hopefully gives us a roadmap of things to do and things to avoid if we ever contemplate a similar move.

[Michigan_Dane]

For our sake I hope their successful. Their failure at FBS would be used as a hammer against us if we ever tried to make the jump. I can already hear the malcontents complaining.

[Dane96]

No...their failure would be due to the fact they were not ready...AT ALL! I am not a proponent of FBS unless you have the cash and the conference. It's a loser.

 

As a former state political appointee, we would discuss this in circle after circle-- this being the potential move up. They needed $250mm according to the study done by UMASS itself. They will never ever get an on-campus FBS stadium until they build new roads.

 

NO MONEY WILL COME TO THEM FROM THE STATE AT THIS TIME.

 

Combine the UMASS and U Buffalo state funded studies...and both schools had no business moving up.

 

Now, we--ironically--are in a much better situation to move up SLOWLY. The difference b/w UMASS and Buffalo: Buffalo had the infrastructure but not the finances. UMASS has neither right now. At Albany, the infrastructure is there...maybe they have to widen the roads a bit...but not much...plus the use of Harriman would likely be the parking sitch.

 

If we moved up--in due time--and joined up with like minded institutions, e.g. Delaware, JMU, Buffalo, SBU, UMASS...etc...I'd be game. Otherwise...I would not.

[madDOG]

 

If we moved up--in due time--and joined up with like minded institutions, e.g. Delaware, JMU, Buffalo, SBU, UMASS...etc...I'd be game. Otherwise...I would not.

 

Amen brotha. Couldn't agree more.