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InnervisionsUMASS Hall of Fame

Joined: 04 Apr 2003 Posts: 16407 Location: Milford, MA
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Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2012 1:22 pm Post subject: |
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Just in case some of you football folk who only read the football forum missed this:
| CrooksisRhyming wrote: | I'm going to go on record here and say that if Temple's departure causes any kind of shakeup in the A-10, there is no way that we just join a league with a bunch of private, non-football schools. We move, and we move big. Staying put or moving to a conference of private schools doesn't sound like it would benefit either party. For the private schools, do they really want to get burned twice if some conference comes swooping in (Big East please) and we leave and they have to figure this whole thing out all over again? For us, do we really want to be in a basketball conference as one of two or three state schools - especially if those other state schools are not at the same level that we're aiming for (sorry Rhody, Delaware)?
I think we have ridden this Eastern 8 train to its last stop. Let's not forget what this conference was SUPPOSED to be when it originally formed: powerful basketball schools in the Northeast. Then Penn State, WVU, Pitt, Rutgers and Villanova hit the road. Are we really going to sit here and wait? Are we going to wait until the Big East catholics (or another conference) come hunting for Xavier and St. Joes? UMass sat on its hands years ago, and now we are playing catchup. College athletics is shuffling, and we can't just sit around and wait for a full house - we need to work with what we have and aim for stability and success.
The A-10 was very good to us for years, and in turn we were good to it. In the past decade the conference has put itself on cruise control and we're just going along for the ride. The television contract is a joke, the exposure is non-existent, the conference waved at the station as football headed south and now one of the marquee schools is taking off. You don't stay on a sinking ship because you like the pool furniture - you look for a boat that floats.
We as a fanbase need to stop acting like we don't deserve better. We are an FBS school now, and we are trying to make our presence felt. We should not be hoping that random schools that we have no allegiance to come and save our conference. We should be proactive and act like the schools that we WANT TO BE. Our closest peer (Temple) is doing what it can, and I think we should take a page out of their playbook. If moving to the MAC provides us with a better future move, then we do it. If knocking on the Big East's front door with Gillette Stadium under one arm, and the Massachusetts market under the other, then WE DO IT.
I know this is coming off as a rant, but we need to kick ourselves in the ass as fans. We're not Alabama, but if we can be the best possible UMass we can be, then I will take that to the bank. You are who you hang out with - and with all due respect, we ARE NOT St. Bonaventure, Duquesne or (despite their success against us) LaSalle.
We are the UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS, and I think at times we forget that. Let's take what's ours and refuse to accept less. |
_________________ Stop waiting for UMass to do something big and help UMass do something big. - Shades |
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BUMPA Junior

Joined: 23 Apr 2008 Posts: 396 Location: 23 Philips Street
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Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2012 1:57 pm Post subject: |
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| FANTASTIC Crooks..thanks for dragging over IV..!!! |
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Rory Junior

Joined: 27 Mar 2005 Posts: 542 Location: Boston, MA
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Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2012 4:22 pm Post subject: |
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I have to say it -- great post Crooks. That stuff gets me fired up. _________________ Class of '08 |
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Jackman Senior

Joined: 02 Jun 2006 Posts: 1974
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Sheck Junior
Joined: 01 Oct 2004 Posts: 743 Location: Inside 128
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Posted: Wed Feb 29, 2012 1:50 pm Post subject: |
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What is the exit money though? Can't the MAC just refuse to let Temple leave without a 2 year notice, or at least make it very difficult by upping the exit fee to some very high number like $10 million?
I'm really hoping Temple stays in the MAC, the main draw about going to the MAC was getting to play our A10 rival. |
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Sam Minuteman Senior

Joined: 09 Apr 2003 Posts: 1164 Location: Tampa, FL
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Posted: Wed Feb 29, 2012 1:52 pm Post subject: |
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Sounds like this is happening and the only penalty for leaving 2 years early will be 1 Million for a total of 3.5 Million to the MAC.
Seems like the MAC is rolling over here and could/should have gotten a lot more for the membership considering how in the big scheme of things this is a very late departure, the BE & Temple were both desperate and the payout the BE is getting from WV for leaving "early" even though the BE had more notice than the MAC.
Not being a negative Nilly here, but this could have more repercussions for UMass than originally thought.
There is a smattering of talk about the MAC pushing for UMass to go all in or nothing, doubt that will happen but the conversation is out there.
Also talk of bringing in another team in to balance things out and who it might be.
Umass would do well to find out what schools will be dropped from BE schedules due to them having to rearrange for Temple. _________________ UConn girls are........................... Huskies!! |
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UMass'96 Junior

Joined: 02 Apr 2003 Posts: 541 Location: Back in the good 'ole US of A not some 3rd world shithole
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mdogt12 Junior
Joined: 03 Jan 2011 Posts: 406 Location: maine
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mdogt12 Junior
Joined: 03 Jan 2011 Posts: 406 Location: maine
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Refuse2Lose83 Senior

Joined: 01 Sep 2008 Posts: 1790 Location: Western Mass
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Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2012 4:11 pm Post subject: |
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Temple to Big East in football for 2012 (paying 6million to MAC for moving), 2013 for all other sports (1 million for the A10) per Espn _________________ Any team, any time, any place |
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Sheck Junior
Joined: 01 Oct 2004 Posts: 743 Location: Inside 128
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Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2012 4:23 pm Post subject: |
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Can't blame the MAC at all for letting Temple go, $6 million is a very good buyout.
I really hope we're going to be in the Big East with them in a couple of year. If either UConn and/or Rutgers jumps to the ACC we're going to be a very good candidate to replace them. The support is getting there for basketball and with football we're going to need to make a splash right away but we have the right coach who is capable of selling the program and building excitement across the state.
GO UMASS! |
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InnervisionsUMASS Hall of Fame

Joined: 04 Apr 2003 Posts: 16407 Location: Milford, MA
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Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2012 4:28 pm Post subject: |
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If UCONN and/or Rutgers leaves, I don't know if I'd want to be part of the new Big East. _________________ Stop waiting for UMass to do something big and help UMass do something big. - Shades |
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Chris20 Hall of Fame

Joined: 18 Mar 2005 Posts: 7359 Location: Springfield
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Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2012 4:34 pm Post subject: |
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I'm worried about basketball. I think we've put ourselves in the right place in football, aligned ourselves with the right people (Krafts).
But it appears that the strength in basketball that will be left behind are mostly non-football schools, and those schools will align at some point in a very strong, non-football conference...and they'll become what the Big East used to be in basketball back in the day.
i don't see where we'll go if/when UConn, Rutgers, etc. go to one of the developing "Super Conferences". The new big East, which appeals to nobody, will be the only option outside of the MAC.
I was and still am pumped for the move to FBS, but I fear we're too late.....we're just not in the club. |
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sleepy sheep Senior
Joined: 01 Dec 2007 Posts: 939 Location: Boston
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Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2012 4:48 pm Post subject: |
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| InnervisionsUMASS wrote: | | If UCONN and/or Rutgers leaves, I don't know if I'd want to be part of the new Big East. |
I posted this in another thread, but this would be the BE if UCONN and Rutgers left:
Cincinnati
Louisville
South Florida
Central Florida
Houston
Memphis
Southern Methodist
Boise State
United States Naval Academy
San Diego State
Temple
I don't think there's anyone where who will argue that in FOOTBALL, being in a league with any of these teams will raise the interest of the casual fan more than being than the MAC. I mean I would be thrilled to play half these teams but SMU and UCF? Come on.
Even if UMass joined the Big East at the same time as UConn football, I fear we would currently be in the same position as UConn and Rutgers will arguabley less to offer than either school: (multiple bball championships @ UConn; and NYC metro area/AAU academics at Rutgers. |
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InnervisionsUMASS Hall of Fame

Joined: 04 Apr 2003 Posts: 16407 Location: Milford, MA
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Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2012 4:51 pm Post subject: |
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^
Name recognition is solid with that league you presented, but that league wouldn't have a BCS auto-bid, which is what most people are dreaming of when we talk about UMASS and the BE together as one. _________________ Stop waiting for UMass to do something big and help UMass do something big. - Shades |
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