2026 Season

[InnervisionsUMASS]

Well, might as well kick this one off. The 2025 season was lost weeks ago, time to look forward.


It starts with moving on from Ryan Bamford. Discuss.

[69MG]

Other than that, what steps can be taken to make us a destination that quality players will come to? I don't know if there is a quick fix to that and we need a VERY QUICK fix. Maybe it's money, so I hope there is a lot available for NIL.

[InnervisionsUMASS]

Other than that, what steps can be taken to make us a destination that quality players will come to? I don't know if there is a quick fix to that and we need a VERY QUICK fix. Maybe it's money, so I hope there is a lot available for NIL.

It's not a quick fix and cannot be look at as such with the hole the Department dug for the program. But the fix has to start at the top.

[Steve81]

Other than that, what steps can be taken to make us a destination that quality players will come to? I don't know if there is a quick fix to that and we need a VERY QUICK fix. Maybe it's money, so I hope there is a lot available for NIL.

It's not a quick fix and cannot be look at as such with the hole the Department dug for the program. But the fix has to start at the top.

Do agree it will take time to dig out.
These are my key items:

1. See the freshman commitments sign and how the freshmen class looks, size, needs, positions, and ranks.
2. Hear from Thorr on what he has heard about the 'Why' we have not been successful and how to address it.
3. The portal: how many leave and who we get.
4. Effectiveness of the execution of what needs to be changed/fixed.

[Berkman]

Other than that, what steps can be taken to make us a destination that quality players will come to? I don't know if there is a quick fix to that and we need a VERY QUICK fix. Maybe it's money, so I hope there is a lot available for NIL.

Well they certainly wasted a lot of money buying those black uniforms which are not school colors.

[Jack]

Agreed w/Berk as to the Black Uniforms. Yes they're better than the hideous grey uniforms. But the money spent on black uniforms could probably have been better spent w/in the program. Need to do much better job of recruiting FBS players and player development.

[eldonabe]

Other than that, what steps can be taken to make us a destination that quality players will come to? I don't know if there is a quick fix to that and we need a VERY QUICK fix. Maybe it's money, so I hope there is a lot available for NIL.

It's not a quick fix and cannot be look at as such with the hole the Department dug for the program. But the fix has to start at the top.

Do agree it will take time to dig out.
These are my key items:

1. See the freshman commitments sign and how the freshmen class looks, size, needs, positions, and ranks.
2. Hear from Thorr on what he has heard about the 'Why' we have not been successful and how to address it.
   
3. The portal: how many leave and who we get.
4. Effectiveness of the execution of what needs to be changed/fixed.

We are the WORST team in FBS. They all can go.

[stevemaz]

Put 75% of NIL money into fatties.. Our pathetic offensive line was one of the main reasons for our horrific season. The goal should be to have an offense that is going to score 5 tds and win the clock battle, which mitigates the need for a good defense. I just want my D to hold teams to 31 pts or less.

I doubt Bamford is going to get fired so no need to talk about it. He has at lease one more football season.

[minutefanjsf]

Put 75% of NIL money into fatties.. Our pathetic offensive line was one of the main reasons for our horrific season. The goal should be to have an offense that is going to score 5 tds and win the clock battle, which mitigates the need for a good defense. I just want my D to hold teams to 31 pts or less.

I doubt Bamford is going to get fired so no need to talk about it. He has at lease one more football season.

The OL needs a play caller who knows their strengths/weaknesses. The current OC continues to call plays where there are fewer blockers out in front, especially outside tackle runs, because the linemen are not fast enough….so if money is spent on fatties…they need to be fast…..

[Floyd]

^ so, fast fatties

[Steve81]

Went over to the Rhody board to see what they thought of Thorr's hire, which will be the focus of improvements for the 2026 season and beyond.

Steve,
I think it was a brilliant move by UMass to hire Thorr
The URI football program was in very bad shape before Thorr came on and before Thorr hired Jim Fleming. Even after the Fleming hire results were not immediate.

With NIL, no penalty transfer and being in a conference instead of being independent Thorr can more more quickly. Plus Thorr can 100% focus on Football instead of all sports.

Do you think UMass stays with their Head Coach? How is he thought of?

Look at UConn and what has happened so quickly with Mora at the helm. UConn has only lost 3 game with all 3 being on the road AND lost in Overtime. Not that much of a reach of imagination to be undefeated.

UMass has to be looking at UConn and URI to see how quickly and effectively programs can turnaround.

MAC is a good conference to be in now and it could always expand and improve as the split Thorr talks (from P4) about takes place.

[kd68]

Hopefully Thorr can help turn the football program around. It’s also interesting how UConn football is succeeding as an independent. I for one think we should have stayed in the A-10 for basketball. Time will tell if moving to the MAC for basketball was a good deal. Let’s hope so.

[doubledribble]

I’m sure there will be a 2026 season but am hopeful there will not be many after that.

16 years ago the Board of Regents approved the UMass “upgrade” to FBS under the pretext that UMass FBS would become “self-sufficient” in 5 years. That is, cash flow from football operations would be positive and NO SUBSIDIES would ever be required from the state and cash strained students after the first 5 years. 16 years and 6 coaching staffs later-some sources claim $250m has been spent on annual operating costs and capital investments during this time-the state and students are annually funneling millions to the UMass Athletic department to keep this debacle financially solvent. The UMass admin’s antidote to this fiasco? Let’s implement an “overspend” solution to get us out of this insanity. As if the last 10 years hasn’t been an “overspend” scenario of precious public funds given the fact that the board approved this initiative under the assumption that it would be self-sufficient in 5 years.

It’s time for Beacon Hill to step up and cut off the subsidies to UMass football. Time to shift the financial burden away from taxpayers to the UMass community and the boosters and alumnae groups who claim this non sense will be beneficial to UMass the brand and UMass the institution.

After 14 years of humiliating on-field defeats, massive infusion of subsidies and 6 coaching staffs, UMass Football is nothing more than a punchline to a national joke-a very expensive, damaging one at that. If the UMass community wants to continue this untenable situation then the “overspend” and all related operating and capital costs needs to be on your dime.

[JoleonLescottsHair]

Time will tell if moving to the MAC for basketball was a good deal.

It wasn’t.

…Cue Innervisions writing “it was the correct move.”

[TheInsider]

I really miss that battle for 8th place every year in the A10.. if we battle for 8th in the MAC.. then i really will miss it!! Lol