UMass is leaving

[jmiller2794]

Xitter is abuzz with the news that UMass is leaving for the MAC starting 2025.

[goramblers2011]

Short-sighted move. No one cares about MAC football and that will be even more the case as the 'power conference' pull away in football. Big step down for basketball.

Wonder if we stick with 14 or we look to add one or two. Rumors are the A10 is really interested in College of Charleston.

[RamblerRagas]

Really sad for Umass to chase that football money. Bad move, with basketball appearing to be on the upswing there again.

Hey guys, lets go watch Akron play Umass ...... said no one ever.

Charleston would be an amazing addition, and I have heard the same chatter from their people. But beyond them, best for the A10 to stay put, have its members schedule better non-con games, and for them all to continue improving their product.....

Umass will turn to junk like Temple did for chasing the football $$$

[JCT]

I don't know how many have noticed, but the MAC has dropped from ranking as the 10th to 14th best basketball conference for several decades to 20th, 19th, and 24th the last three years. Think Frank Martin signed up to coach in the MAC?

Going after that football money is like aspiring to become a crack addict.

[440Rambler]

This is awesome news, get all the schools with Football programs who want to be Ohio State or Alabama out of the conference.

[ToledoRambler]

It is a dark day if you are a UMass basketball fan. The A10 seems to hover around 8 to 12 as far as basketball conferences go, and the MAC is usually ranked in the 20s. Just to put things in perspective – that Central Michigan team that we dismantled by 38 this year (when we had not yet even hit our stride) is currently sitting in 3rd place, only 2 games out of first, with a 10-4 conference record.

On the surface, it would seem like going to the MAC would give UMass a better chance at earning the auto bid each year, but just as we wouldn’t have gotten our 2 recruits this year if we were in the MVC, they are going to have a tough time selling kids to come there to compete in a 1 bid league with weekly trips to Muncie, Indiana / DeKalb, Illinois / Kalamazoo and Ypsilanti, Michigan/ and Toledo and Bowling Green, Ohio. Long travel is one thing – long travel in a horrible league is another.

Short-term, the transfer portal screws them – I would predict a (u)Mass exodus of players at season’s end who don’t want to be on a lame duck team next year while they just sit there waiting to move down 10+ conferences. I also don’t know who they have recruited, but if they’ve got people who committed, I would assume this would really make them rethink their decisions.
It’s a shame because UMass seemed to at least be trending upward with the Martin hire, but I would presume this move will set basketball back severely.

I feel for their fans.. I know how I would feel as a Loyola fan if the administration told us we had to go back to the Horizon.

[goramblers2011]

It is a dark day if you are a UMass basketball fan. The A10 seems to hover around 8 to 12 as far as basketball conferences go, and the MAC is usually ranked in the 20s. Just to put things in perspective – that Central Michigan team that we dismantled by 38 this year (when we had not yet even hit our stride) is currently sitting in 3rd place, only 2 games out of first, with a 10-4 conference record.

On the surface, it would seem like going to the MAC would give UMass a better chance at earning the auto bid each year, but just as we wouldn’t have gotten our 2 recruits this year if we were in the MVC, they are going to have a tough time selling kids to come there to compete in a 1 bid league with weekly trips to Muncie, Indiana / DeKalb, Illinois / Kalamazoo and Ypsilanti, Michigan/ and Toledo and Bowling Green, Ohio. Long travel is one thing – long travel in a horrible league is another.

Short-term, the transfer portal screws them – I would predict a (u)Mass exodus of players at season’s end who don’t want to be on a lame duck team next year while they just sit there waiting to move down 10+ conferences. I also don’t know who they have recruited, but if they’ve got people who committed, I would assume this would really make them rethink their decisions.
It’s a shame because UMass seemed to at least be trending upward with the Martin hire, but I would presume this move will set basketball back severely.

I feel for their fans.. I know how I would feel as a Loyola fan if the administration told us we had to go back to the Horizon.

Cohen have any eligibility left!? Haha

[Rambler88]

It is a much needed move for them on the football front. It is impossible to survive as an independent. Football is where the money is and the MAC plays for money any day of the week.

For the A10, I am not sure which direction it would want to go, if at all.

Does it want to stay in New England, there is not much in the way of replacing UMass without a significant upgrade - other than Vermont.

From a basketball perspective, I think the MVC would be have a few teams that the A10 may be interested. - Belmont, Drake and Bradley. I think Belmont is the only one that would/could make the move, but I am not sure any of them can make the move.

[01grad]

Football is 100% headed for a split, and the MAC is not going to be on the positive side of that divorce. Just a really shortsighted move. Someone posted an analogy on Twitter that was pretty spot on: it’s like investing in the BlackBerry when the iPhone was released.

[goodknight]

That loud sound you hear is Frank Martin yelling as loud as he can out on his balcony.

I don't like this. UMASS is basketball reputable. Not easily replaceable with the same level of competitiveness.

I like us at 14 teams unless we can add one or two probable tournament teams.