A hearty welcome to Massachusetts, one of four new teams in Division I-A. Although the Minutemen have been playing football since 1879, this is going to be a season like no other. Seven of Massachusetts' games are on the road, including trips to Connecticut, Michigan and Vanderbilt. The other nonconference game is at home against Indiana. Now getting to a home game involves more than a walk across campus. The team will travel 94 miles from Amherst to Foxborough. That's where Gillette Stadium is located, and it's the new home of the UMass football. Officials are setting lofty goals and there is hope the team can lead the Mid-American Conference in attendance, but that will depend on the quality of the product under first-year coach Charley Molnar.
Thanks to Allen and Joshua. Click the image to enlarge.
After the jump is a promotional video for the new UMass license plate.
I am not sure who thought moving home games roughly 90 miles from campus is a good idea. The person who proposed it and the people who approved should have their heads examined and their employment questioned.
Posted by: bevo | July 04, 2012 at 05:11 AM
Bevo, the rationale behind playing all home games at Gillette Stadium is to attract the support of the UMASS alumni living in the eastern part of the state (closer to Boston). In addition, there is no political will within the state legislature to build an FBS caliber on-campus stadium in this economic climate. The dynamics of a state university in New England are much different than in middle America. Private institutions (Ivy League, BC, Holy Cross, Williams, etc) have much more influence than the state schools. People of influence in the state are not UMASS grads. That being said, this is a good, cost-effective move by the university to build its brand name. I plan to be at Gillette on September 8th for the beginning of the FBS era for the Minutemen.
Posted by: greg6363 | July 04, 2012 at 01:19 PM