Tuesday--September 23rd 2014

One takeaway from the Penn State game is what a tremendous economic engine Nittany Lion football is for Pennsylvania. We were in a local grocery store the morning of the game and people were lined up buying sandwiches to go, grilling food, beer and every sort of tailgating stuff. And all were paying the PA sales tax. My room was nearly twice the cost of a non-football weekend room.

When pundits carp about the cost of UMass football remind them of the secondary gains to the state. We're not Penn State, but we could aspire to be 30% of it. Every politician in Massachusetts talks about jobs and the state economy, but nobody wants to actually help the engine that pays all the costs of the University and the salaries of every professor and administrator. Penn State football is BIG business, and the state of PA gets 6% of all the action (or 8% with a local surcharge), and that's not counting gas tax, local and state tax on rooms and on and on.

Matty Vautour comments on Penn State fever.

You had to be there to appreciate it.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UMass adds Tennessee, Army and BYU to future schedules. West Point is a great place to visit and Mrs Blog and I have spent a lot of time in Utah. Great trips to look forward to.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dan Malone looks at the UMass two-deep for Bowling Green.

Cleveland.com reports that parity has descended on the MAC East as the conference schedule starts.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Trey Dudley-Giles, CB and kick returner par excellence, is expected to be OK for the Bowling Green game.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Whipple hopes the return to McGuirk will give the Minutemen a lift.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hustle Belt has little changed in its MAC power rankings.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Dan Malone has a UMass football notebook with the return of Shardach Abrokwah and more.

----------------------------------------------------------------

The Minutemen open as a 8.5 underdog to Bowling Green. Remember Bowling Green was the 2013 MAC league champion.

---------------------------------------------------------------

The Daily Collegian reports on the hopes for a high energy atmosphere at McGuirk.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Bowling Green has its game notes for UMass up.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Coach Whipple's comments from the weekly MAC coaches teleconference.

-----------------------------------------------------------------