Last Chance for UMass Football With Return to the MAC

[@johnshaw7562]

One difference this time around is that UMass has made a much larger financial commitment to their football program.

[@ChloeHotline]

As a Bowling Green/MAC fan i don’t like an unbalanced east division but I hope they can actually be competitive this time around (in football), if not it’s a free win for whoever plays them kinda like how it was before lol

[@Phoenix-pm2qr]

Makes you wonder... WKS has tried to enter the MAC the past few years but wasn't allowed as Middle Tennessee State didn't want to move, and the MAC wanted 14 teams instead of an unbalanced 13. They could be next.... or the MAC will add a powerhouse FCS school to move up

[@trevinschaerr3732]

The simple thing to do would be to add Youngstown State and move Bowling Green to the West, but realignment has only made sense money wise so they’ll do something odd.

[@robserrano8971]

Hopefully, UMass can last in da MAC for more than a minute... man.😂😂😂

[@Phoenix-pm2qr]

Maybe Last more than the trial run of 2012 - 2015 this time lol

[@TraJonR3D]

😒

[@abakella]

I always feel happy for schools when they move up to better athletic conferences. It allows them to receive better payouts and therefore upgrade their programs, even if they play tougher competition

[@willbygosh4887]

Hire Neal Brown who just got fired from WVU.

[@PaulyC8879]

Excellent video, thanks so much for the history and perspective!

[@MikeF-op4gs]

For the UMass football team it's a move up but for the UMass basketball team it's a move down having to leave the better A10 conference !! But the great hockey program, national champs in 2022 , will stay in the very competitive big east and the Very good UMass lacrosse team will stay in their current colonial League!!!

[@connoromelia4176]

I know they get overlooked in all of this cause they aren’t the big money sports, but I appreciate you recognizing that UMass is a hockey school and should place more focus on that team. It may not bring in football or basketball money but it’s a huge boost to visibility being a top hockey program. Same can be said about lacrosse, the team may not bring in money but UMass has a strong history and in recent years has been on the edge of breaking through as a top program. Would love to see the school real embrace these programs and focus on making them national powers. They seem so set on forcing basketball to be the school’s identity but yet the dwindling attendance shows that’s not what UMass fans want.

[@marclefebvre7071]

UMass is not going back to 1AA football. People outside the state don't understand the history of UMass and its roll in higher education in Massachusetts. Until Calapri, UMass was not a destination spot for Massachusetts high school seniors who preceived UMass as a safety school. Calapri's success changed that with both students and alumns aligning themselves with out of staters who saw UMass as a gem, with a reputatation globally in polymer science and its Five College Consortium with Amĺherst, Smith, Mt Holyoke, and Hampshire College. This new enthusiam would eventually penetrate the atate capital in Boston resulting in the state legislature committing itself to the growth of UMass as a hedge against the rising costs of private education. The support is permanent but the building of a state of the art football stadium will require some level of private financing, which will take time but regardless of the team's struggle so far in 1A football there is no turning back to 1AA as the school is a major land grant university with a national reputation which is growing and 1A sports fit its profile.

[@alec1115]

As a UMass alum, going to FBS was a massive mistake.

[@M_11_m41n]

For the football program and for taking away its rivals? Yes. But I think they feel like they're okay with getting more money from getting blown out by other teams than going back down to FCS.

[@StatsMass]

Molnar is not only a terrible football coach, he is most certainly not a "nice enough guy". There was a bit of a scandal of him running practices where players were boxing outside in the snow. He also ran football donors and alumni out of town with some of the comments he made about the FBS transition and degrading the historical success of the FCS years. He ran an absolute clown show that UMass still has yet to recover from.

[@thetouchback]

Fair enough. There were complaints that I heard of when he was at Idaho nor was any of his run ins with players at UMass mentioned when he was hired. Also, compared to our HC at time, Paul Petrino, just about anyone seemed like a nice guy by comparison.

[@damascuslutin3956]

So who joins the MAC next

[@wafflesingsong6715]

WKU is likely

[@reverend_wintondupree]

​@@wafflesingsong6715And break up Middle Tennessee rivalry? That's precisely the reason why they didn't leave back in 2021-22.

[@wafflesingsong6715]

@@reverend_wintondupree As a WKU fan I really don't care for the rivalry as much. I'd much prefer either Marshall or Eastern Kentucky maybe than routinely seeing MTSU. I can't wait for the Rivalry of the Two Bowling Greens if we do end up at the MAC

[@s98247]

Temple and UConn should join for football only

[@M_11_m41n]

I still don't understand why didn't the MAC just bring UConn as well.

[@nikolascinicola9660]

UConn isn’t gonna leave the Big East

[@M_11_m41n]

@@nikolascinicola9660 It just has to be for football, not basketball.

[@cmaskdabeatgawd2247]

Being a UMass fan is hard man

[@supersasukemaniac]

in every other sport it's UMASS in football it's UM ASS.

[@johnphipps3287]

Actually, the leading sports program at UMass is ice hockey, then comes basketball, however there are many who want football to be a winner here, but who knows what the future is for football.

[@boyfromboston2469]

Crazy how many people hating on umass for getting money 🤡☠️

[@yorkqueer]

UMass has historically been a hockey school.

[@StatsMass]

Not really. Toot Cahoon and John Quick had some good years. But it's really only recently under Greg Carvel that UMass has become a player on the national stage in hockey.

[@ftwsam2246]

Return of the MAC!! Still gonna lose to NIU.

[@lorenzohaynes3886]

It sucks for Umass basketball. The 10 is by far better than the Mac in basketball.

[@alexsabs6431]

At least the hockey team is good

[@murkrow2316]

WKU up next for The MAC The Battle of Bowling Green Kentucky vs Bowling Green Ohio who is the True Bowling Green? Tho neither team has Green in their uniforms 🤔

[@thetouchback]

I am all here for the Battle of Bowling Green.

[@reverend_wintondupree]

Not without Middle Tennessee they aren't.

[@AHomelessShoe]

The MAC is definitely the right move for football. But it's a big step down for every other sport.

[@minipicc95]

Independent was too tough for UMASS to play in!!! I think MAC will be a better conference for the Minutemen!!!

[@mikewalsh1189]

Yes the conference will be better… because now every MAC football team now has another guaranteed win

[@ternedo6074]

@@mikewalsh1189Kent state and buffalo: “hold my beer”

[@anthonytitone]

I agree, it might be too late for them either way but they’ve needed to be in a conference for a long time

[@trevinschaerr3732]

They need to pull an Idaho and go back to the FCS same goes for UConn.

[@thetouchback]

As an Idaho alum, I would not wish the return to FCS route on anyone, not even our greatest rival Boise State who is fairly responsible for putting us there.

[@usarugbyleagueunionfan]

Ball State 💪🏻