UMassHoops.com

DrG · Hall of Fame Joined: 02 Apr 2003 Posts: 2175 Location: MA

Rivalry to resume on gridiron.

http://ht.ly/kmc5K

Hopefully this means we'll continue to play them in basketball as well.

Steve81 · Posted: Tue Apr 23, 2013 8:50 pm Post subject:

Very nice news, it would be nice to have UConn for the other open date in 2015. If a local FBS team is not possible, perhaps UNH or HC.
_________________
Collection of Sports links

InnervisionsUMASS · Posted: Tue Apr 23, 2013 9:03 pm Post subject:

Great news. Rivalry renewed! Sorta..
_________________
Stop waiting for UMass to do something big and help UMass do something big. - Shades

Jackman · Senior Joined: 02 Jun 2006 Posts: 1978

^^I think we can expect more FCS opponents starting 2015 or 2016. We're very fortunate to be playing 6 home games each of these next 2 seasons, but there's just no way to maintain that pace given all the guarantee games and 2-for-1s we've scheduled unless we start buying FCS opponents.

DrG · Hall of Fame Joined: 02 Apr 2003 Posts: 2175 Location: MA

That's assuming there is an FCS in two years.

SJGMoney · Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2013 12:06 pm Post subject:

UMass2FBS · Sophomore Joined: 02 Jan 2010 Posts: 217

InnervisionsUMASS · Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2013 12:42 pm Post subject:

FCS games are going to be part of this. They are part of it for major BCS schools as well. I'd prefer all FBS games, but I know how the system works.
_________________
Stop waiting for UMass to do something big and help UMass do something big. - Shades

MajBugman · Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2013 12:52 pm Post subject:

So are we paying Maine to play. How much is that payout? A box of snow caps and a soft pretzel?
_________________
Raise the bar, do the minimum.

SJGMoney · Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2013 1:02 pm Post subject:

The good news (for people who feel like I do) is that there won't be any FCS by 2015 or 2016. FBS or D3, nothing in between, the handwriting and lack of money is on the wall. Maybe we can schedule Amherst, that will be neat-o!!
_________________
UMass '87

BUMPA · Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2013 4:00 pm Post subject:

..you do UNH if it helps the gate reciepts..

Otherwise, it's worse for the program at that stage. A loss to an FCS team is no beuno.

MajBugman · Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2013 4:25 pm Post subject:

Please don't schedule Delaware, please don't schedule Delaware.
_________________
Raise the bar, do the minimum.

Big10Land · Sophomore Joined: 07 Jul 2003 Posts: 101 Location: Chicago

If you are going to schedule FCS, let it be UNH or Maine. What was the attendance for the UNH game at Gillette a couple years ago, 30k? Better chance of putting butts in the seats and help out the local programs.

With the CAA shaking a little bit, you would think the America East would jump on scooping football like the CAA did to the A10. They already have Maine, UNH, Albany, and Stony Brook. Convince URI to go with them and all they would need is Villanova or Delaware to jump ship.
_________________
Oh my god, they love state schools out here.

Jackman · Senior Joined: 02 Jun 2006 Posts: 1978

There are only 3 options:

1. Schedule FCS teams.
2. Stop scheduling the biggest name teams, like Notre Dame and Michigan.
3. Play only 5 home games in a 12 game season.

It's simple math. If we schedule the biggest name opponents, it's only going to be as road games without return games, or at best a two-for-one. Every road game without a return game and two-for-one needs to be offset by a home game without a return game, or a 5 game home season becomes mathematically unavoidable. And the only opponents that will play us without a return game for any sane amount of money are FCS teams. Especially local FCS teams, because they're willing to take less since their profits won't be eaten by travel costs.

We can't even schedule Sun Belt teams without a return game, because we'd be bidding for those games against all these BCS teams looking for 7+ home games per season. They fill 100k capacity stadiums at higher ticket prices than ours, so they'll obviously outbid us. And after that the Sun Belt teams have to find their own home games.

Going with only 5 home games (like last year) is actually the most profitable way to run this program right now, at least until we start averaging crowds in the 40k to 50k range. You just have to factor that against the damage that does to us competitively and to building local interest.

Think of it as a credit card. We're already on the hook for 7 road-and-nones and 2 two-for-ones between last season and what we know about our future schedules. To balance that, so far we've scheduled 1 five game season (2012) and 1 FCS team (Maine). That means we need either 7 more FCS opponents, 7 more five game seasons, or a combination of the two just to balance the scheduling obligations we've already taken on.

Which do we prefer?

photoman · Senior Joined: 26 Apr 2003 Posts: 932 Location: Attleboro

^Not sure how big a factor this is, but if you're trying to build up season ticket sales, wouldn't it be better to offer a six game home package than a five game? Percentage-wise it's huge to offer that extra game.