UMass Football News--June 24th, 2019

As you have probably heard already, UConn is leaving the AAC for the Big East.

This is probably a really bad move on the part of the UConn brain trust. They're trying to recapture the magic in basketball where the Huskies were a perennial top-15 club. It rarely works that way.

For UMass, this opens up a number of gambits. If UMass should be offered a place in the AAC, then we should take it. The AAC has a 12-year $1 billion media deal with ESPN. UMass' share of that, even if delayed a year or two like the MAC did to us, would make a big improvement in the cash flow of the athletic dept. In addition, it would solve most of UMass' scheduling problems. The AAC has an eight game schedule and a conference championship. The Minutemen could still have four OOC games to play some money games.

At the very least, it looks like a regular yearly game with UConn if they go independent.

Should the AAC instead poach one of the C-USA teams, that would give UMass the possible option of applying there as well. The C-USA's media contract is really poor compared to the AAC's but a possible football-only membership could come into play. They do have bowl tie-ins which would be a plus for the Minutemen.

Matty Vautour has some thoughts on UConn's move.

The Spun has what UConn football is planning to do after they leave the AAC.

NJ.com wonders if this could lead to a new football conference.

College Sports Maven thinks UMass and UConn should join the MAC.

NJ.com thinks Rugers won't be able help UConn as an Independent for a while.

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