Massachusetts Daily Collegian

A free and responsible press serving the UMass community since 1890

A free and responsible press serving the UMass community since 1890

Massachusetts Daily Collegian

A free and responsible press serving the UMass community since 1890

Massachusetts Daily Collegian

Season-ticket holders excited to be a part of new era of UMass football

(Brett Reardon/Daily Collegian)
(Brett Reardon/Daily Collegian)

When fans pile into McGuirk Stadium on Saturday to watch the Massachusetts football team face Bowling Green, it will look significantly different since the last home game in 2011.

UMass made sweeping renovations over the past two seasons in an effort to accommodate the program as it jumped to the Football Bowl Subdivision. Since joining the FBS, the Minutemen called Gillette Stadium home on Saturdays. In the meantime, the program built a completely new press box, constructed a $35 million football performance center and replaced the field turf at McGuirk.

The improved amenities were built with the goal of making UMass a more competitive, attractive Division I football program. But UMass didn’t stop at only physical improvements – it gave its most devoted fans a fresh perspective as well.

According to a June press release and letter to season-ticket holders, UMass moved season-ticket holder seating to the east side of the stadium, moving both the home team sideline and the home fan seating across the stadium.

“After careful consideration, we feel this move will give us a competitive advantage by presenting our team and our great fans more visibly during nationally televised games,” UMass Athletic Director John McCutcheon said in the letter.

It’s a fresh change for fans with strong ties to the program and something that, combined with program improvements, was a welcomed addition.

“I’m excited that they’re doing it because it’s just the beginning,” season-ticket holder Zach Emery said. Emery owns six season tickets and commutes from New Jersey every week to watch the Minutemen. He graduated from UMass in 2008 and began attending games his freshman year in 2004.

“This is the first step,” Emery said. “This is the first step that had to happen if we were ever going to have games back (at McGuirk) to begin with.”

When UMass moved to the FBS, part of its contractual agreement with the Mid-American Conference stated the Minutemen could not play at McGuirk Stadium until upgrades were made to the press box and visitors’ locker room.

UMass agreed to a lease agreement with Gillette Stadium to play home games in Foxborough while construction progressed. The decision was made in an effort to increase program visibility throughout the state.

For season-ticket holder and UMass graduate Aaron Millman, the appeal of watching his alma-mater at an accessible location like Gillette persuaded him to give season tickets a chance. He is now entering his second year with season tickets.

“Now that I have tickets, I’m totally invested in the program,” Millman said. “I do think it’s actually a really good thing it’s going back to McGuirk.”

Millman graduated in 2005 and fondly recalled his experience as a student walking to McGuirk stadium from his dorm in the Southwest Residential Area. He pointed out how the program played competitive football and referred to his time as a student fan as a “fun experience.”

Both Millman and Emery enjoyed their respective time as students and noted that having football on campus is an important aspect of student life. Their passion as students continues to carry over and returning to McGuirk Stadium sparks that passion.

“Going to these tailgates and going to these games, it definitely has the camaraderie of the UMass fans and alumni,” Emery said. “I go to these games and met a lot of people I wouldn’t have had a chance to meet.”

Emery noted there’s a revitalized sense of optimism throughout the fan base this season after UMass hired coach Mark Whipple. Whipple is in his second stint with the Minutemen – he won a Division I-AA National Championship in 1998 as the coach – and is a familiar face within the community.

The culmination of change and the first home game at McGuirk Stadium in three seasons is the next step for UMass in its attempt to grow football in the community. Both Emery and Millman will be in attendance Saturday to usher in the new era.

“I think that’s where it starts – with McGuirk – that’s where your fan base lies,” Millman said. “The school is there, the people are there, the students, the faculty, the players.  Everything is made up in Amherst and grows out from there. So for me, I think that’s where the heart of the team lies. … I just think that’s where the team belongs.”

Mark Chiarelli can be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter @Mark_Chiarelli.

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