The Colonial Clash

[jmufan]

What happens to it since UMASS will no longer be a willing participant? Who owns the Colonial Clash name/rights and could this be transferred to the JMU/ODU rivalry?

[Go Lehigh TU owl]

UNH vs Holy Cross?

[UNHFootballAlum]

UNH v. Holy Cross wont generate the fan excitment like the UNH-UMASS game

[crusader11]

No arguments from me!

[Mr. C]

The way UNH has taken care of business, just let the Wildcats keep playing UMass.

[Old Cage]

The Colonial Clash was a two year agreement between the two schools and Bob Kraft. Each team had a year as the home team. With us moving up, it is ovah.

In my opinion, the experiment was a success. The attendance averaged 28,000, the ticket prices were reasonable (especially for those who got the experience of the club seats), the tailgating was a cut above, the parking was free, etc.

I'm sure Mr. Kraft would listen if you wanted to fly your teams here for a game in his stadium. :D

[Squealofthepig]

What about Richmond and William and Mary? I know, completely different teams, but don't think any other two teams in the CAA have the history of playing each other than these two (119 meetings or so).

[Mattymc727]

I think Maine and UNH could work. The hockey teams are playing at Fenway this year. Playing Umaine at Gilette for the Brice-Cowell Musket at the end of every year would be epic. Especially this year, that game could come down to a playoff seed....

[DaBigBlue]

I think Maine and UNH could work.

Should call that the Blue Ball Bash.

[BlueHenSinfonian]

Is UMass going to be playing all of their home games at Gillette after the FBS move? Isn't that about a 2 hour drive from the Amherst campus? How do the students and local fans feel about having to drive so far for home games?

[Maroon&White]

Is UMass going to be playing all of their home games at Gillette after the FBS move?
Yes.

Isn't that about a 2 hour drive from the Amherst campus?
Yes.


How do the students and local fans feel about having to drive so far for home games?
Students don't go to the games now. Plus UMass will be busing people from the campus. Local fans hate it. Apparently they are the only ones that recognize the games are now 2 hrs from campus. UNH, URI, Holy Cross, Harvard, Brown, Bryant, BC and UCon are all closer to Gillette than UMass. It's about the same distance as CCSU. That's not a home game. Some people will try to say that 2 hrs isn't a long ways to travel. Of course it isn't, but that's also not the problem. The problem is it's 2 hrs from CAMPUS.

[UNHknowledge]

Maroon & White is right on. The UMass move is ridiculously silly. In Puritanical hockey haven New England, nobody is going to drive 2 hrs for a home game against E.W.C. Michigan, Buffalo, Bowling Green, Ball State, etc...especially on the same weekend that BC plays FSU, Miami, VT, Clemson, etc. UMass could be committing program suicide. UMass is not UConn, totally different athletic program (household name vs. non household name) and UConn doesn't even light up the box office in a BCS conference.

I do wish UMass the best though. The question is: What is UNH/Maine going to do after URI goes down to the NEC and UMass is "up" in the MAC? Will UNH/Maine also join the NEC and try to turn it into an old Yankee Conference while the CAA turns into the SEC of FCS? How long can UNH/Maine travel down south for nearly ALL their games with such limited budgets as is? Do they go independent? Going FBS is not an option for either school because of finances. I'm dying to know what happens. Opinions?

[bkrownd]

Is UMass going to be playing all of their home games at Gillette after the FBS move? Isn't that about a 2 hour drive from the Amherst campus? How do the students and local fans feel about having to drive so far for home games?

Sad to say, but if the football games were at Foxboro when I was a student at UMass...I would have been going to Amherst College games. I didn't have a car, and there's NO way I'd have spent college football saturday on a bus!

The admin knows this is what's going to happen. They're hoping to get alumni and from Eastern Mass going to the games instead. Time will tell.

[owascoag]

Maroon & White is right on. The UMass move is ridiculously silly. In Puritanical hockey haven New England, nobody is going to drive 2 hrs for a home game against E.W.C. Michigan, Buffalo, Bowling Green, Ball State, etc...especially on the same weekend that BC plays FSU, Miami, VT, Clemson, etc. UMass could be committing program suicide. UMass is not UConn, totally different athletic program (household name vs. non household name) and UConn doesn't even light up the box office in a BCS conference.



Have to agree with that. UMAss is making a mistake. Nobody in MA will care about the others in that conference.

[Go Lehigh TU owl]

Have to agree with that. UMAss is making a mistake. Nobody in MA will care about the others in that conference.

The only league game that Umass fans will have any interest in is Temple. That's IF we're still in the MAC.

I agree though, the Gillette idea is terrible! I'd much rather spend a fall afternoon in Amherst! Pro stadiums stink for college football. Ask Pitt, Miami, Temple, USF etc....

[bkrownd]

The admin would argue that most potential fans in the area aren't interested in the current set of league opponents either. Even if the conference slate is puzzling, they'll say the higher profile non-conference schedule will more than make up for it. Eventually the program needs to land in a more regionally visible conference within a decade to make it.