11-30-2010, 11:57 AM
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Hall Of Fame
OVR: 40
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 30,789
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UMass Eyes Move to FBS
http://bostonherald.com/sports/colum...rts&position=3
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In a move that would alter the college sports landscape in New England, UMass plans to upgrade its football program to Football Bowl Subdivision status.
Moreover, the Amherst school has had talks with the Patriots [team stats] about playing several home games each season in Foxboro at Gillette Stadium, which in effect would give Greater Boston two competing FBS programs, the other being Boston College.
According to several sources, UMass would take its program, currently in the Football Championship Subdivision, to the Mid-American Conference, whose football schools include Temple, Bowling Green and Miami of Ohio.
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.”
In what now appears to have been a dress rehearsal for future seasons, the Minutemen played New Hampshire at Gillette Stadium on Oct. 23. The game was billed as the “Colonial Clash,” with UNH rolling to a 39-13 victory before a crowd of 32,848. The two teams are scheduled to meet again at Gillette Stadium next season.
“But we’re interested in having additional games there — in whatever format or conference or alignment we may be in,” McCutcheon said. “It’s a great venue, it’s close to our alumni base, and for a number of our alumni it’s a great way to reach out to them by playing some games there.”
Patriots spokesman Stacey James would say only, “The Kraft family has been very supportive of football at all levels of competition throughout New England. They are proud to have hosted Pop Warner, high school and college football games at Gillette Stadium. College football has a rich history in New England, and I know that the Krafts would welcome the opportunity to celebrate the college game’s rivalries and traditions at Gillette Stadium.”
Though this was clearly a down season for UMass football (6-5, 4-4 Colonial Athletic Association), the Minutemen rocked the college sports world Sept. 18 when they nearly knocked off perennial national power Michigan.
Playing before a crowd of 110,187 at Michigan Stadium, the Minutemen jumped out to a 17-7 lead in the first half before losing 42-37. The Wolverines were ranked 20th at the time.
An upgraded UMass program would have the potential to establish a natural in-state rivalry with BC. The schools have played each other in football only twice since 1982, with the Eagles winning 29-7 in 2004 and 24-14 in ’07. Both of those games were played at the Eagles’ Alumni Stadium.
While the Minutemen would be competing with Boston College for the loyalties of Greater Boston sports fans if they were to play home games at Gillette Stadium, it’s possible that a UMass presence in the market would bring about a renaissance in college football in the area. Though the Eagles have had some strong teams over the years and have sent a number of players to the NFL, the area hasn’t really been college footballcrazy since the 1981-84 days of Heisman Trophy winner Doug Flutie.
The Minutemen currently play their home games at Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium. It seats 17,000 for football, which is fine for FCS but would be unacceptable for FBS.
McCutcheon said the school is evaluating a variety of options that include expanding or possibly replacing McGuirk Stadium. It remains unclear, however, just how many home games an upgraded UMass football program would play in Amherst and how many it would play nearly 95 miles away in Foxboro.
However this plays out, college football in Massachusetts would become a lot more interesting. |
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