The UMass Minutemen will reportedly join the Mid-American Conference in 2025, sources reported to ESPN’s Pete Thamel Monday.
The sources indicate that MAC presidents voted earlier Monday to approve UMass’ addition, and that UMass would likely accept the invitation.
The Minutemen were prior members of the MAC from 2012-2015, amassing a combined 8-40 record (7-25 conference) during their time in the circuit. UMass went independent following the 2015-16 campaign, and has gone 16-72 in that period.
The proposed move would give the MAC 13 football-playing institutions. No further moves have been announced at this time.
Then-athletic director John McCutcheon defended the Minutemen’s decision to leave the MAC.
“We remain committed to FBS football,” UMass athletic director John McCutcheon said at the time. “Many institutions have successfully navigated this challenging period of conference realignment and we will do the same.”
McCutcheon departed the university shortly thereafter for another role.
More on this news as it becomes available.
Future UMass Football Schedules
View Comments (38)
Don’t see any benefit for MAC schools in adding UMASS. Travel increases will go up & no more revenue.
Agreed. Southern Illinois and Youngstown State would be better fits. YSU in particular has been waiting for that MAC invite for decades. With scheduling issues that come with an odd number of members YSU might actually get that invite now especially if MTSU and WKU say no again.
The MAC can lock down Northeast Ohio by adding Cleveland State as a non-football member, and Robert Morris would also bring their Olympic sports into the MAC, keeping football in FCS, so that the MAC can be in Pittsburgh where many of its teams have rivalries with teams from Ohio.
I see why UMass really wants this for football. The A10 is a better basketball league, but what does the MAC get out of this? Who is the 14th member?
Hope UMass second stint with MAC is much better than first.
Move in wrong direction for football. The experiment is over. They should go back to CAA. They can't generate the revenues to compete anywhere now in the FBS.
You can stop with that nonsense
Stephen J. Koreivo PLEASE give UMass a second chance.
It seems like UMass was competitive against some good teams before they made the transition. Once joining FBS, half of the wins over 12 years came against FIU, Akron, and FCS programs. Here's hoping that the Minutemen find some success this time around.
Would the MAC accept any football-only schools? It seems like UConn is just sort of hanging out as the last minor independent.
With my posts above advocating for Cleveland State and Robert Morris as non-football members, UConn and Richmond could be good as football-only members of the MAC. Richmond has a fairly new stadium that can be expanded to meet FBS standards.
The football rivalry pods would then be these:
Akron, Kent State, Northern Illinois, Youngstown State
Ball State, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Western Michigan
Bowling Green, Miami (Ohio), Ohio, Toledo
Buffalo, Richmond, UConn, UMass
These games would be played on Thanksgiving week:
Akron-Kent State
Ball State-Western Michigan
Bowling Green-Toledo
Buffalo-Richmond
Central Michigan-Eastern Michigan
Miami (Ohio)-Ohio
Northern Illinois-Youngstown State
UConn-UMass
For basketball the MAC would go to a 20-game conference schedule with each school having five opponents they play twice every year for half of their allotted conference games as follows:
Akron: Cleveland State, Kent State, Toledo, UMass, Youngstown State
Ball State: Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Miami (Ohio), Northern Illinois, Western Michigan
Bowling Green: Buffalo, Central Michigan, Miami (Ohio), Northern Illinois, Toledo
Buffalo: Bowling Green, Cleveland State, Ohio, Robert Morris, UMass
Central Michigan: Ball State, Bowling Green, Eastern Michigan, Northern Illinois, Western Michigan
Cleveland State: Akron, Buffalo, Kent State, Robert Morris, Youngstown State
Eastern Michigan: Ball State, Central Michigan, Northern Illinois, Toledo, Western Michigan
Kent State: Akron, Cleveland State, Miami (Ohio), UMass, Youngstown State
Miami (Ohio): Ball State, Bowling Green, Kent State, Ohio, Toledo
Northern Illinois: Ball State, Bowling Green, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Western Michigan
Ohio: Buffalo, Miami (Ohio), Robert Morris, Toledo, Western Michigan
Robert Morris: Buffalo, Cleveland State, Ohio, UMass, Youngstown State
Toledo: Akron, Bowling Green, Eastern Michigan, Miami (Ohio), Ohio
UMass: Akron, Buffalo, Kent State, Robert Morris, Youngstown State
Western Michigan: Ball State, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Northern Illinois, Ohio
Youngstown State: Akron, Cleveland State, Kent State, Robert Morris, UMass
Talk amongst FCS chat boards is that Richmond is readying for a jump. Would make for a landing spot, at least. My guess would be they wanna go Sun Belt with James Madison.
@James Groomes
Sun Belt would be a downgrade for Richmond basketball plus they want to stay in the same conference as crosstown rival VCU.
Eastern Kentucky and Stephen F. Austin are my picks for the next Sun Belt expansion so that these games can be played on Thanksgiving weekend:
Appalachian State-Coastal Carolina
Arkansas State-Southern Miss
Eastern Kentucky-Marshall
Georgia Southern-Georgia State
James Madison-Old Dominion
Louisiana-ULM
South Alabama-Troy
Stephen F. Austin-Texas State
ESPN wants every FBS conference to embrace Thanksgiving week as rivalry week.
Cleveland State, even as a non-FB member, is a no-brainer for the MAC to add. The CSU campus is literally just a mile away from conference headquarters in Public Square plus CSU and the MAC have co-hosted March Madness games on numerous occasions
Didn't we already do this? Should have added natural rivals MTSU and WKU a few years ago.
MTSU and WKU declined and instead choose to help "rebuild" C-USA.
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Yeah, that didn't work out so well. MAC should call them again, and consider UConn as football only. 16 football and 15 in all else is not a bad move.
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Don't need any FCS schools....
Youngstown State would be a excellent choice make it to MAC especially Football.
Look for the MAC to invite another school to join, maybe from C-USA.
Liberty would be a excellent choice for MAC.
I want Liberty to stay in C-USA and for McNeese to also join C-USA so that the divisions can be these:
East:
Delaware
FIU
Kennesaw State
Liberty
Middle Tennessee
Western Kentucky
West:
Jacksonville State
Louisiana Tech
McNeese
New Mexico State
Sam Houston
UTEP
These would be the Thanksgiving weekend games:
Delaware-Liberty
FIU-Kennesaw State
Jacksonville State-Sam Houston
Louisiana Tech-McNeese
Middle Tennessee-Western Kentucky
New Mexico State-UTEP
Outside if MTSU/WKU, Delaware makes more sense and could be the "natural rival" for UMass.
If I had a MAC game being played on Thanksgiving Weekend it would be Northern Illinois vs Bowling Green My co-favorites from Conference. UMass vs UConn would make a excellent Thanksgiving Weekend game even if UConn remains independent.
Moves that didn't need to happen for 500, Alex.
Z-Man I wish you would start liking Conference games more & more & more & Conference games are important in week 4 where it generally begins just as much on Thanksgiving Weekend.