The chain reaction of college football is substantially more prevalent than meets the eye.
When the University of Oklahoma and the University of Texas were reported to leave the Big-12 conference to join the SEC, independent schools such as the University of Massachusetts, Liberty, New Mexico State and the University of Connecticut were not even remotely considered to be affected by the move.
The American Athletic Conference then lost three of its most prominent members in Cincinnati, Houston and the University of Central Florida to the Big-12 in light of the latter losing two of its own most prominent members.
This forced the AAC to react, adding six of its own schools to the conference, all of which came from the Conference-USA. The C-USA also reportedly lost Southern Mississippi, Old Dominion and Marshall to the Sun Belt Conference..
Group of Five reporter Chris Vannini reported that independent schools New Mexico State, Liberty and UConn are in talks with the C-USA.
SOURCE: Conference USA is in negotiations with New Mexico State, Liberty and UConn (football only), @TheAthletic has learned. https://t.co/GIMg72PKKM
— Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) October 29, 2021
A team absent from this report? UMass.
The two most important figures of the Minutemen’s football program, Athletic Director Ryan Bamford and head coach Walt Bell have not had much to say about the matter. When asked by media Tuesday, Bell made it a point to not speak his mind.
“I have very strong personal opinions on this subject, but I’m going to keep my mouth shut for once,” Bell said. “Here’s what I will say. The commissioner of the AAC made a very poignant statement about the nature of college football today.”
“The programs that invested in their infrastructure and invested their resources into their programs were the programs that were rewarded with admission into the AAC, it’s a very poignant statement.”
Bell later backtracked his statement on Twitter, saying that the athletic department has invested $65 million since 2014. He also credited Bamford for his hard work along with showing thanks to donors of UMass football.
This doesn’t capture my intended point very well. UMass has invested $65M in FB related facilities since 2014. They have also provided additional support in my three years here. Investment isn’t the only reason schools are asked to join a league.
— Walt Bell (@coachwaltbell) October 26, 2021
Bamford initially stated he would hold either a Facebook Live session or a Zoom call with season ticket holders to address the questions surrounding the University’s intentions of entering a conference such as the C-USA.
Bamford also backtracked, posting on Twitter that “There continues to be developments every day associated with FBS realignment so I’ll hold on a virtual meeting with our supporters until we have some idea of the landscape around us.”
Though he did not specifically address the matter, Bell mentioned the athletic department after saying he was going to keep his mouth shut. That alone signifies the deep-rooted frustration Bell holds about trying to build a successful football program without a conference.
Safety Tanner Davis also took to Twitter to address the matter. He replied to a tweet that referenced the Minutemen’s absence from the report of independent schools potentially joining the C-USA.
“More worried about the money than the student athletes having better opportunities to win.”
https://twitter.com/TanmanDavis/status/1453903117616046106
Bell and Davis have both expressed frustration within the same week, a rarity for a team that tends to omit any negativity directed towards the athletic department.
The importance of the ensuing weeks off the field for the program far outweigh anything that happens on the field. A depleted C-USA is desperate to expand off the five teams that remain after so much turnover.
This leaves the UMass — who has not played in a conference since 2015 — an opportunity that could not be seen for a long period of time if they are unable to enter the conference.
Joey Aliberti can be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter @JosephAliberti1.
Gil Norton • Oct 31, 2021 at 5:20 pm
UMass does not merit a Conference membership based on their record since going the FBS. In spite of the “kind words” spoken when they left the MAC we recognize that the Minutemen were booted out for failing to reach the skill levels of the other conference schools. I see only two viable alternatives for the football program, neither of them very palatable. #1 Give up the sport entirely. I would really regret that, but it may be the wisest course to take. #2. Return to the FCS, a place where the school excelled, and where the team could regain some success amongst their true peers. Of my two paths this is the ont I would prefer. I loved going to the games against very competitive opposition in the old Yankee Conference, UNH, UConn, Maine, URI, etc. The new Jerry Welchels, Milt Morins, Bob Meeres, Greg Landrys, Marcel Shipps and Bernie Dallas’s are not going to be walking through that door anytime soon unless they have a reasonable chance of success. FBS is a dead end for UMass.
Ted • Nov 1, 2021 at 3:14 pm
Given that UMASS has dumped $65 million into football it’s unlikely they’ll drop the program. UMASS can’t be 1/2 in if they want to be FBS. If Conference USA offers an invite they should take it if they want to be FBS. Yes logistically it would be challenging but if Liberty, UConn & Army joined it would be doable. If FIU stays then UMASS could recruit South Florida players which would help their program.
Ultimately UMASS needs to decide if they want to be a football school.
TS • Oct 31, 2021 at 11:03 am
Now apparently MAC is going after two C-USA schools (Middle Tennesse & WKU). C-USA might not even exist anymore.
https://www.deseret.com/2021/10/30/22754466/surprise-surprise-another-conference-is-reportedly-considering-expansion
Ted • Oct 31, 2021 at 10:54 am
What is hurting UMASS is that the administration probably doesn’t want to leave the Atlantic 10 and a league like Conference USA needs members who are all in not just for football. Conference USA would probably invite UMASS if they were all in. The Atlantic 10 is going to be a basketball league, so UMASS’s administration has to decide are they all in for football and if they are they should go to Conference USA.
Joe Amato '68 • Oct 31, 2021 at 8:29 pm
I ‘ve been a Umass football fan since I was in the marching band from ’63 to ’67. Marched in the last year of the old stadium and the first year of the (then} new McGuirk. I’ve seen a lot of Umass football in person, listened on the radio, and watched on TV for a lot of years. Donated as much as I could to Alumni Association and yearly fund raising campaigns. That’s all coming to a screeching halt- no more investment in time, money or emotion. This administration has made a laughing stock of the program and the university. Good-bye and good luck.
GUY WALLIS • Nov 7, 2021 at 1:51 am
FOOTBALL ONLY TO C-USA !!!…… 1-C-USA GOT 17M FROM CFP LAST YEAR,… INDYS GOT 300T EACH…AND CFP $ IS GOING UP SOON…2-C-USA HAS BOWL TIE INS…3-HARD TO SCHEDULE GAMES IN OCT. AND NOV. BECAUSE CONFS. ARE IN THEIR CONF. GAMES…4- WE CAN’T GIVE 2 AWAY GAMES ,FOR 1 HOME GAME…5-C-USA HAS A TV CONTACT…6- C-USA IS THE LAST CHANCE WE MAY EVER HAVE !!!……. GET IN C-USA TODAY…!!!…..HOW STUPED ARE UMASS AND UCONN !!!
Butch • Nov 2, 2021 at 7:25 pm
UMass should have went all-in on the MAC. The fact they didn’t certainly is shortsighted. But now they have to go all-in on C-USA. Now or never, it seems.
Matt • Oct 31, 2021 at 1:30 am
I think the Coach needs to go completely radio silent on conferences and leagues and treat rhe next two weeks as his most important football weeks during his UMASS tenure. These are two old Yankee Conference foes, neither the cream of the crop in the conference as that usually went to Delaware & UConn, with everyone else ncluding UMASS chasing them. Regardless of UMass’ failure at the FBS level, Umass ‘current talent should be better than either of these teams.making a loss to either completely unacceptable . These two games should be run aways for UMass. If not it directly calls into question the quality of the UMass coaching staff .