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The Holy Cross series is on hiatus this season because HC had too many commitments for 2009 when the series was re-started in 2007. HC will be back on UMass's schedule in 2010 and 2011. As for Harvard, they refuse to come to Amherst. In fact, of the 22 games Harvard and UMass have played, 21 were played at Harvard. I'm not even sure they'd be willing play us again in Cambridge, but if we did add another away game without a return date, we'd have to drop the FBS game.

Who else do you want? Syracuse won't play us. Rutgers won't play anyone from the CAA again after losing to UNH. BC is on the schedule for 2011. UConn is supposedly on the schedule for 2012. Michigan has been rumored as a possibility for 2010. K-State is a bit of an odd game, but they're BCS and pay a large guarantee, unlike a service academy or MAC opponent. Albany and Stony Brook are the best remaining FCS programs in bus range, unless an Ivy can be coaxed out. This trio of non-conference games is the best UMass can do to reduce the costs of the football program while remaining in playoff contention.

danefan wrote:Ridiculous - why our AD agreed to move the game is beyond me.

We now go to Georgia Southern and to UMass back to back. We probably won't have a home game in September again this year. Bringing UMass to Albany was a step in the right direction in building a fan base. Not playing home games until October is clearly going the opposite way.

Col Hogan wrote:

danefan wrote:Ridiculous - why our AD agreed to move the game is beyond me.

We now go to Georgia Southern and to UMass back to back. We probably won't have a home game in September again this year. Bringing UMass to Albany was a step in the right direction in building a fan base. Not playing home games until October is clearly going the opposite way.

danefan, any idea what the deal is?

I'm betting our AD didn't simply call up and say "Let's play in our place, rather than your place as we originally agreed to"...but I can't find anything right now...

danefan wrote:

Col Hogan wrote:
danefan, any idea what the deal is?

I'm betting our AD didn't simply call up and say "Let's play in our place, rather than your place as we originally agreed to"...but I can't find anything right now...

With some of the decisions coming out of our Athletic Department lately - I wouldn't be surprised at all if that exchange is exactly what happened.

I did a little checking about the Albany game being moved to McGuirk. Last year the Great Danes home attendance averaged 3,165. They drew 5,111 for what was probably their biggest home game against Hofstra.

The 2008 UMass-Albany night game at McGuirk drew 15,111. UMass undoubtedly thought that revenue from the sixth home game would exceed any sweetening of the guarantee paid to Albany------ and the Great Danes felt they would do better taking the offer.

Col Hogan wrote:

danefan wrote:
With some of the decisions coming out of our Athletic Department lately - I wouldn't be surprised at all if that exchange is exactly what happened.

Little more information...from umass74's blog

I did a little checking about the Albany game being moved to McGuirk. Last year the Great Danes home attendance averaged 3,165. They drew 5,111 for what was probably their biggest home game against Hofstra.

The 2008 UMass-Albany night game at McGuirk drew 15,111. UMass undoubtedly thought that revenue from the sixth home game would exceed any sweetening of the guarantee paid to Albany------ and the Great Danes felt they would do better taking the offer.

danefan wrote:

Col Hogan wrote:
Little more information...from umass74's blog

Yes, our attendance sucks. But it sucked last year because we didn't have a home game until October. That's likely to happen again this year now that the admins have sold out the fans.

We need two things to build our fanbase: a new stadium and a good home schedule.
We were on our way to fulfilling the second part this year until they gave this game up.

danefan wrote:

Col Hogan wrote:
Little more information...from umass74's blog

Yes, our attendance sucks. But it sucked last year because we didn't have a home game until October. That's likely to happen again this year now that the admins have sold out the fans.

We need two things to build our fanbase: a new stadium and a good home schedule.
We were on our way to fulfilling the second part this year until they gave this game up.

mass fan wrote:

danefan wrote:

Yes, our attendance sucks. But it sucked last year because we didn't have a home game until October. That's likely to happen again this year now that the admins have sold out the fans.

We need two things to build our fanbase: a new stadium and a good home schedule.
We were on our way to fulfilling the second part this year until they gave this game up.

danefan wrote:

Yes, our attendance sucks. But it sucked last year because we didn't have a home game until October. That's likely to happen again this year now that the admins have sold out the fans.

We need two things to build our fanbase: a new stadium and a good home schedule.
We were on our way to fulfilling the second part this year until they gave this game up.

I went to Albany two years ago, I did not see any stands on the football field, do they remove them in the off season?

danefan wrote:

mass fan wrote: I went to Albany two years ago, I did not see any stands on the football field, do they remove them in the off season?

HAHAHA!!!! You'd think so right?

Here's an overhead view:
http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&F ... &encType=1

The seats connected to the building can seat 5,000, but only about 2,000 can actually see the game. The visitors bleachers only seat about 750 and they are falling apart.

The hill (hard to see in that picture) can seat a lot of people and you can get 10,000 with hill seating (although it hasn't happened).

The most I ever played in front of at Albany was 6500 which was against Sacred Heart. We were both 5-0 and it was homecoming.



You'll never find a UAlbany fan that will argue for our field - plain and simple - it is horrendous and I would argue its the worst field in FCS. Even more reason to not give in and allow a big name visiting team off the hook. Its very unlikely any CAA team will travel to Albany until our stadium is built. Somehow UMass originally agreed.

The new stadium will be beautiful and one of the nicest in FCS - when and if it gets built. $60 million project.

danefan wrote:The basketball arena is close to University Field, but you cannot see it unless you walk through another building (which is attached to the basketball arena) or around that building.

The parking lot closest to the SEFCU Arena borders the practice fields, which do have goalposts. Perhaps you were looking at that? The surface on the practice fields rivals most schools' games fields. They are kept in that condition as the Giants have preseason camp there.