Matt Vautour: UAB’s football demise creates opportunity for UMass in Conference USA

AMHERST



Alabama-Birmingham hasn’t made an official announcement that it plans to end its football program after this season. But the shuttering appears to be a mere formality now.



In Amherst, fans of football and opponents of UMass’ 3-year-old move to the Bowl Subdivision are certain to see UAB’s demise as an opportunity.



Minuteman athletic director John McCutcheon was careful to acknowledge that nothing was official at UAB, but said UMass was monitoring all conference shifts.



“Any time you have transition or movement within a conference, it’s an opportunity for further conversation,” he said.



Even the most passionately optimistic football fans realize the Minutemen need a conference. Independence with no real TV contact or bowl affiliations is not remotely viable long term.



After resisting the Mid-American Conference’s attempt to force UMass to move its athletic program to the MAC, the school is set to be an independent for at least 2016 and 2017.



That’s not a great short-term situation and would be a disaster long term. So UAB dropping football means Conference USA has an opening.



When Charlotte joins the CUSA in 2015, the league will have 13 teams. Odd numbers are unwieldy for football leagues. Ideally conferences would like to have everybody playing league opponents down the stretch. Somebody having a bye week or a nonconference game in late November isn’t good for competitive balance or conference races.



While nobody will say it publicly, it’s not a secret that UMass’ desired landing spot is the newly formed American Athletic Conference, which would help them renew rivalries with Connecticut and Temple. UMass would jump at a chance to join the AAC either as a football-only member or a full member.



AAC Commissioner Mike Aresco has stated publicly that he thinks UMass has promise, but the league is comfortable with its current membership. It’s a great noncommittal line that is exactly what someone should say if they aren’t interested at all or could be interested later.



They are rumors, and there are always rumors, but the current crop of them say the league would be interested in UMass if it can show some real viability in football. The Minutemen delivering on their considerable promise for next year could be a big help toward convincing the AAC of their value.



But there has to be a backup plan and there are only so many leagues out there. After the AAC, Conference USA might be next best option.



So what does UMass say if Conference USA offers full membership or nothing? Men’s basketball is UMass’ most attractive asset right now. Football might be enticing eventually and there’s reason to be optimistic for the direction it’s headed under Mark Whipple, but right now there has to be a reason to take the football team.



If the AAC isn’t interested and Conference USA says all or nothing, UMass has a decision to make. It turned down the MAC because MAC men’s basketball is pretty bad. It wasn’t worth crippling the successful men’s basketball program to play there. Conference USA is better, but while it has some name recognition value, this is not the league it once was when Louisville, Memphis and Marquette were there.



But if UMass were to say no to joining the CUSA for everything, it’s running out of options creating a decision that would define the athletic department going forward.



Is it worth damaging the men’s basketball program to give the football team a home in a mediocre conference?



The vocal opponents of football likely see UAB’s move as something that lends weight to their cause. They’ve pointed to the huge costs of not only upgrading the program, but continuing to support it. They’ll cite a CBS Sports story that showed UMass with a bigger athletic department deficit ($25 million) than UAB ($17.5 million). They’ll call UAB a responsible example to follow as the Alabama school’s decision will shine a brighter light on the expenses in college football.



The group, which has been unable to gain enough support for even a resolution in the faculty senate, is unlikely to gain enough new ground here to make a difference. They haven’t swayed any administrators with actual influence. There would likely have to be a change in the office of the chancellor and/or president for the school to seriously consider that drastic a move.



UMass has invested huge amounts of money in facility improvements and other upgrades. It’s unlikely to do an about-face and abandon football.



But there has to be a conference and UAB’s demise presents an interesting potential first domino.



Matt Vautour can be reached at mvautour@gazettenet.com. Get UMass coverage delivered in your Facebook news feed at www.facebook.com/GazetteUMassCoverage





