KeaneyBlue - The URI Basketball Forum

Worth mentioning that the Boston Globe had an editorial in the January 11th Sunday edition titled UMASS SHOULD SHRINK OR SCRAP FOOTBALL.


Link (must register or pay):
http://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/edit ... story.html

Well, the Boston Globe, like Projo to URI, has never been an advocate of UMass. The big problem I see is that Gillette is so far away, and I don't know if people want to travel 90 miles to Amherst.
But I think UMass can compete and maybe aspire to be like a Marshall U. I like these comments.
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UMass officials argue that football spending is only a tiny fraction of its $1 billion operating budget and that revenues have increased with the move up to the FBS. For instance, university officials say the team will get $1 million for a trip to Notre Dame next season and $1.25 million to travel to Florida in 2016. It also said alumni donations to the athletic program, relatively low in the FCS, have already totaled $5 million in the FBS. They believe that with a couple more years, and a few more million dollars, a tradition can be built.

But that is still too little, too late. Football losses are nearing $10 million a year, an alarming note in an otherwise laudatory period for UMass Amherst. The school is enjoying one of the most dramatic rises in academic prestige in the nation, rising 22 spaces since 2010, into a tie for 30th place among public universities in the US News rankings. It is enjoying an unprecedented two-year freeze on tuition and fees, after winning renewed support from the Legislature.

But taxpayers can’t be expected to pay for an extravagant football program indefinitely, especially as the changing economics of college football make it even more expensive for UMass to stay competitive


I wonder why nobody in the Globe ever complained that the Yawkey Fund was used to pay for most of Boston College Athletic Center about 6 years ago. I thought the Yawkey Fund was to help under privileged kids.

There is NO way that UMass will ever make a nickel on football. No matter what level they play on.

Just depends on how much in the loss dept. they are willing to tolerate.

Just like URI on a lower level.

If you're not in the BCS cartel, you're guaranteed to lose big money with football.

This has been a total bust. Few cared about UMASs when they won titles. Why are they going to care about this losing outfit now. Playing Toledo at Gillette. Be still my heart.

Nice crowd.

They're getting that big time college football experience with the stadium, but just without anyone in the stands.

The game this past weekend against #19 Toledo at Gillette drew 12,793. The game was their annual Band Day game where many local high school bands are invited to participate in on field events at half time. This game usually gets several thousand that are there for the bands (band members and their families) that ordinarily would not attend.

UMass is averaging 12,919 which is below the FBS minimum required average number. Playing most all its games some two hours from campus along with little success (6-37 as FBS program) have really not helped attendance. The school would like to play more games at McGuirk Stadium in Amherst in future seasons. The plan is for about three games at Gillette vs higher profile teams and the rest on campus. This however is being made more difficult by the impending loss of conference affiliation (UMass turned down MAC ultimatum for all sports or no football). As an independent FBS team with little history at this level, UMass has little leverage in scheduling.


UMass Football Home Attendance
Games/Avg Per Game 4/12919

UMASS HOME ATTENDANCE
DATE |OPPONENT | ATTENDANCE
==============================================
Sep 19, 2015 | TEMPLE | 10,141
Oct 03, 2015 | FIU |13,525
Oct 17, 2015 | KENT STATE | 15,217 (HC @ Amherst)
Oct 24, 2015 | TOLEDO | 12,793

Old article but interesting.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/6351 ... ball-teams
http://www.masslive.com/umassfootball/i ... avera.html

Latest game attendance.
Date: Oct 22, 2015 • Site: Boone, N.C. • Stadium: Kidd Brewer Stadium • Attendance: 24121

I think this is what Umass, or any team, would love to see. They moved up to the Sun Belt FBS.

Appalachian State is Ranked about 33rd in country now.

TruePoint wrote:Nice crowd.

They don't sell tickets for those end zone seats. Someone that's anti-URI football could make the same point you are about our crowds by taking a picture of our end zone fans or lack thereof.

Actually, I think UMass, from what I saw of the ND game, is playing better. I am not sure how may they graduate this year, but UMass could be turning the corner.

They graduate their QB, so I don't think they're really turning a corner. I think their hope was to do well enough in the MAC to make a lower bowl and get momentum from that. And their schedules actually get tougher by going the independent route.

OBRAM wrote:Actually, I think UMass, from what I saw of the ND game, is playing better. I am not sure how may they graduate this year, but UMass could be turning the corner.

From what I have read, this was supposed to be the year they did well. I think the next few years were expected to be tougher.

UMass football sank to another low today. They lost 17-13 to Akron (4-5). The Minutemen are now 1-8 and 0-5 in the MAC. The announced attendance at the 66,829 seat Gillette Stadium for the game was 6,228.

The drumbeat against FBS football at UMass will only grow louder with results like this.

The game was on TV at the bar I was in this afternoon, and everyone was talking about how bad the stands looked. You could barely see any people.

The decimation of the former big east football caused UMass to be one of the biggest losers in college football......prior to the bigger football schools fleeing to bigger BCS conferences I believe UMass was angling to join a new big east football...timing is everything.

People in glass houses shouldn't be throwing stones

RhowdyRam02 wrote:People in glass houses shouldn't be throwing stones

Rhody football certainly has its issues. The difference however is that URI didn't dramatically increase funding and invest heavily in the program to get such dismal results.

The UMass attendance number (6,228) at Gillette was just about 100 more than what showed up at Meade (6,122) yesterday for a team with a similar record.

I give credit to UMass for being bold and wanting better for their football program (unlike the administration). I just don't think it was ever destined to succeed. You need to be in a high profile conference and win a number of games to have a successful program at the FBS level. Starting out in the MAC with dreadful season after season will not create the necessary momentum the program needs to jump start it. Playing some two hours away from campus in a stadium more than three times what is needed is not an ingredient for success. Having a rather apathetic fanbase does not help. New England, as a region, is probably the weakest supporter of college football in the nation. It is not the place where an upgrade to FBS would have a high rate of success.

Wow, who didn't see this coming.

ATPTourFan wrote:Wow, who didn't see this coming.

It is worth following how other New England schools are doing with football. The UMass situation is about to get much worse with no conference affiliation. BC had a really down year finishing 3-9 before their smallest home crowds in some time. UConn finished at 6-6 and will get a crappy bowl invite. UNH once again had a winning season at 7-5 and made it to the FCS playoffs. Maine finished 3-8.

College football in New England is far different than other parts of the USA. While URI football had another dreadful season, it was not alone. The only consolation is that URI didn't dramatically increase spending to be bad.


NEW ENGLAND FBS FOOTBALL HOME ATTENDANCE
BC | 30,179 | 44,500
UCONN | 28,224 | 38,066
UMASS | 11,124 | 68,756 (3) / 17,000 (3)

If UMASS had a campus stadium or even in the same town, the would have huge crowds. They compete better than we do with nationally ranked teams.

Rhodymob05 wrote:If UMASS had a campus stadium or even in the same town, the would have huge crowds. They compete better than we do with nationally ranked teams.

They played half their games (3 of 6) on campus this season (including Homecoming) and still had poor attendance. Fans in this region will not come out to see a crappy team play other crappy teams (MAC). College football on its own does not sell in New England.