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Umass_Minuteman · Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2011 1:19 am Post subject: Syracuse and Pitt to the ACC?

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/6980644/pitt-syracuse-apply-join-acc-ranks-florida-state-official-says

UConn and Rutgers are also mentioned in this article as possible additions to the ACC.
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Jack · Hall of Fame Joined: 23 Aug 2006 Posts: 3030

Pitt and Syr are headed to the ACC it will be interesting to see whether this has any implications for UMass.

harper31 · Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2011 11:07 am Post subject:

photoman · Senior Joined: 26 Apr 2003 Posts: 919 Location: Attleboro

I'm starting to think that the MAC is the better, more stable conference. Not sure a move to the crumbling Big East is even a worthwhile thought.

MajBugman · Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2011 11:28 am Post subject:

Jackman · Senior Joined: 02 Jun 2006 Posts: 1974

Why couldn't these bastards just wait another year or two? This move puts us one step away from the worst case scenario. If Rutgers and UConn are also invited to the ACC, that not only closes our door to the BCS for good, it also sets up the probability that the Big East becomes a Catholic-only basketball conference that will raid the A10 for Xavier, Dayton and maybe other teams we'd rather not lose. And we would have nowhere upward we could move ourselves.

If, on the other hand, Rutgers and UConn don't get that invitation, maybe there's still an opportunity for us. Here's to hoping that BC's grudge against UConn is as petty and ruthless as possible.

sleepy sheep · Senior Joined: 01 Dec 2007 Posts: 939 Location: Boston

I would be surprised if UConn doesn't get an invite. They offer more than Pitt does and about the same as Syracuse

Rutgers athletics offers about the same as UMass does. They will probably join us in the MAC soon.

MaxPower · Sophomore Joined: 11 Apr 2003 Posts: 162

Yeah this definetly sucks but maybe we could somehow land with some of the other teams left out. If the Big East goes basketball only teams like Cincy, Louville, WV, USF, TCU etc. would need to do something. Add us and Temple and it could be a pretty good league.

I have no idea how this will shake out but we are going to need some luck and could end up getting screwed. Hopefully the idea of us at Gillette will help.

Go Umass!

sleepy sheep · Senior Joined: 01 Dec 2007 Posts: 939 Location: Boston

I forgot to add that we just have to bang out Gillette @ 68,000 for a couple seasons and that B1G invite will be coming since everyone's gone to the ACC. Crying or Very sad

InnervisionsUMASS · Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2011 5:22 pm Post subject:

DrG · Hall of Fame Joined: 02 Apr 2003 Posts: 2171 Location: MA

I agree. Let's worry about establishing ourselves in the MAC first. Whatever else happens down the road will take care of itself.

sleepy sheep · Senior Joined: 01 Dec 2007 Posts: 939 Location: Boston

DEM · Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2011 11:26 pm Post subject:

Jackman · Senior Joined: 02 Jun 2006 Posts: 1974

We need a BCS conference left alive in the northeast. Move Rutgers and UConn from the Big East to the ACC, and there will be no more BCS conferences in the northeast, while the ACC will be full at 16. What's left of Big East football will be West Virginia and the former CUSAs. They'll either find new homes, work with the Big 12 leftovers, or work with their CUSA buddies. Why would they look northeast at a fledgling UMass program when West Virginia is the most northeastern member left (and is possibly moving to the SEC)? They'll shift to the Mississippi River vicinity and write-off the northeast.

Rutgers and UConn are the last remaining staples barely holding the Big East together, IMO. Remove them, and how are a bunch of former CUSAs going to negotiate with the majority Catholic basketball schools about new members? The Catholic schools never wanted most of those football teams in their conference in the first place. That was to keep the original Big East football schools happy. I can't see those two groups staying together so that academically prestigious Georgetown and Villanova can share a conference with ECU as a new member. At that point they may as well ditch football, part ways with the CUSAs, and invite Xavier, Dayton, and maybe some non-religious private universities like Richmond. Temple probably still won't get in, thanks to Villanova. I don't think they'd invite us either. We wouldn't fit their new culture, and we're not all that great at basketball at the moment.

sleepy sheep · Senior Joined: 01 Dec 2007 Posts: 939 Location: Boston

http://www.boston.com/sports/colleges/football/articles/2011/09/19/acc_additions_pitt_syracuse_give_bc_some_northeast_rivals_again/?p1=Well_MostPop_Emailed4

"UConn officials also want to contact BC about playing the Huskies in both football and basketball, with games at Alumni Stadium, at UConn, and at Foxborough, and basketball games at both campuses and at TD Garden."

Wishful thinking on my part, but I hope we have some sort of agreement with the Kraft's that teams wishing to play at Gillette have to play us.