(08-14-2016 01:43 PM)BearcatJerry Wrote:  

(08-14-2016 01:21 PM)BigEastHomer Wrote:  Blaudschun just posted an article.

Mark Blaudschun
‏@blauds
UMass FB might be near bottom of FBS rankings, but it is getting ready for prime-er time. Read why and how. http://TMGcollegesports.com


UMass getting ready for prime time

Posted by Mark Blaudschun | Aug 14, 2016 | A Jersey Guy, The Grudge Report | 0 

AMHERST, Ma.–Mark Whipple sounded like a kid who wanted to show off the new toys he received for Christmas. The veteran University of Massachusetts football coach, now in the third season of his second tour of duty at UMass, was giving a guided tour of the 39 million dollar football performance center, which puts UMass on an equal or better footing with most Power 5 conference schools.

In his office overlooking the end zone of a newly renovated McGuirk Stadium, Whipple could see what had been an equipment storage shed, which had served as the headquarters for UMass football during Whipple’s first go-around with the Minutemen.

Whipple, who has a Super Bowl ring from his days as an assistant coach in the National Football League, won a then 1-AA national championship with those facilities. The rest of this article is available to subscribers only – to become a subscriber click here.

https://tmgcollegesports.com/2016/08/14/...rime-time/

UMass would be better off dropping football altogether and converting McGuirk into a stadium for a sport their fans actually care about: Lacrosse.

Edit... McGuirk, even after dumping $39 MM into it, still does not have restroom facilities for the fans.

The only thing they did to McGuirk is upgrade the press box to "MAC standards". Then they built the performance center into the endzone. The place is old, dated, and too small--no restrooms (or some modern version of an "out house" set up in a second structure). When they fix the stadium the right way (modernized with proper amenities and legit restrooms IN the stadium), get the football program out of the gutter, and get attendance averaging minimal FBS levels---then maybe we can consider having a serious conversation about adding their football program. But right now---its basically an FCS program masquerading as an FBS team. Lots of potential there---but its a no go right now. Its not that hard. Get the stadium fixed and get the program fixed---attendance will take care of itself.