UMass football 'moving forward as a full-fledged member for

[MALVES21]

http://www.masslive.com/sports/index.ss ... rward.html

Speculation and discussions still surround the University of Massachusetts football team's potential upgrade to the Football Bowl Subdivision, but as of now, the Minutemen remain set to play an eight-game conference schedule with the Colonial Athletic Association in 2011.

"To the CAA's knowledge, [UMass’ football program] will be moving forward as a full-fledged member for the 2011 season and beyond,” said CAA Assistant Commissioner for football Scott Meyer.

According to Meyer, CAA officials “do not foresee [UMass] announcing decisions [to stay or leave the conference] until around mid-spring.” However, Meyer also said the CAA has kept UMass on the upcoming season’s schedule and “that in all likelihood UMass will be a [CAA] member for 2011.”

More coverage:


• UMass football 'moving forward as a full-fledged member for 2011', says Colonial Athletic Association official

• Potential UMass football upgrade comes with many risks and benefits
Meyer explained that to switch out of the conference for the 2011 season would make it “next-to impossible to come up with a 12-game schedule this close to the [season] with another conference.” Though Meyer said it was unlikely, the hypothetical exception to this scheduling crunch would be if UMass was already flirting with another conference and was simultaneously penciled in with the CAA and the other.

According to the CAA Football 2009 Conference Handbook - the most updated version of the conferences’ rules and regulations surrounding membership obligations – a member may voluntarily withdraw from the CAA once a written notice from the institution’s President is delivered to the Conference Commissioner. To date, no such notification process has begun between UMass and the CAA.

[slycat]

Makes sense. They couldn't move anyway until 2012 at the earliest.

[93henfan]

It's always nice to keep a team you're 25-6 against in the conference for an extra game or two.