University of Massachusetts-Amherst is officially the 13th full member of the Mid-American Conference, formally ratifying an invitation on Thursday afternoon.
Amherst, Massachusetts is officially Mid-American.
After eight years wandering the desert as a Football Bowl Subdivision independent program, UMass-Amherst returns to the stomping grounds where they got their first taste of the highest division of college sports, accepting an invitation to re-join the Mid-American Conference— this time as a full member.
“Today marks a historic moment for the Mid-American Conference as we proudly welcome the University of Massachusetts into our family,” MAC Commissioner Jon Steinbrecher said via press release. “Adding UMass is an exciting next step as we increase the strength of our collective programs. We are thrilled to welcome their student-athletes, coaches, administrators, alumni and fans to the Conference. The opportunity to add a state flagship institution with exceptional academics and a storied athletics tradition does not come along often. I look forward to our collaborative efforts in providing outstanding opportunities for student-athletes to maximize their intellectual and athletic pursuits.”
UMass officials formally ratified the move on Thursday afternoon, with both the Board of Trustees and the Athletic Advisory Committee meeting to discuss the MAC’s invitation, which was sent to the university on Monday afternoon.
“As one of the nation’s leading public research universities, with a rich tradition of intercollegiate athletics, UMass Amherst is well suited to join the similarly situated institutions of the Mid-American Conference,” UMass-Amherst Chancellor Javier A. Reyes said via press release. “We are aligned with the MAC in our institutional missions, our values, and the profound impact we have on our respective communities. We join the MAC with great enthusiasm knowing that this affiliation through athletics will elevate and extend the profile and exposure of both UMass Amherst and all members of the MAC’s member institutions significantly.”
A member of the Atlantic 10 in every other sponsored sport since football’s initial jump, UMass will move all eligible sports— save women’s rowing and men’s ice hockey— to the MAC.
The Minutemen are most known nationally for their men’s basketball prowess, having been part of the staunch Atlantic 10 Conference since 1982. The program has won 24 regular season conference titles since joining their first conference in 1949 and claims alumni such as Julius Erving, Marcus Camby and Al Skinner. UMass’ part in CBB lore was etched in stone in 1996, when then-head coach John Calipari led the program to a historic Final Four appearance in 1996— which was eventually (and infamously) vacated from the NCAA record books.
UMass’ football program, despite its struggles since jumping up to the FBS level of play, has a proud history of success at the lower levels, with memberships in the Yankee Conference (1947-1996), Atlantic 10 Conference (1997-2006) and the Colonial Athletic Association (2007-2013). The Minutemen football program claims 21 regular season conference titles, two national title runner-up appearances (1978, 2006) and one national title (1998), and has graduated several NFL players from their program such as Victor Cruz, Tajae Sharpe, Milt Morin and Greg Landry.
Other sports which UMass has celebrated tradition in include men’s ice hockey (which won the 2021 NCAA Frozen Four tournament), men’s lacrosse (20 NCAA Tournament appearances, three Final Fours and one title game appearance), women’s lacrosse (10 NCAA Tournament appearances and one national title), women’s rowing (16 conference titles) and softball (24 conference titles, 23 NCAA Tournament appearances, three College World Series appearances.)
The addition of UMass brings to an end a saga over a decade in the making; one which has proven to be emblematic of the evolving college sports landscape.
UMass first jumped up to Division I/FBS competition in 2012, joining the MAC as a football-only affiliate. The university was offered full membership in 2014 after the MAC exercised an option to allow UMass in as a full member.
However, the previous administration declined, with then-athletic director John McCutcheon citing athletic budget and student-athlete time management concerns in a press release. The agreement was broken off in 2015, with UMass eventually going independent in football.
UMass’ independent sojurn, originally thought to be a two-year plan, wound up taking a lot longer than anticipated, with multiple attempts to woo conferences denied— and various FCS call-ups finding immediate success in that time, such as Georgia Southern and Appalachian State.
After an eight-year journey in the independent desert— one which forced fellow independent Idaho to drop down to FCS— joining the MAC provides the university some needed shade. UMass’ operating expenses, which was reported to be $52.9 million in recent fiscal reports, will surely see some relief in upcoming years as a result of the move, with the MAC’s ESPN TV deal, College Football Playoff payments and— most importantly— a reduced travel budget helping give the program some stability as it becomes increasingly unviable to be an unaffiliated college.
The MAC, meanwhile, had talks with several programs during 2021’s division-wide re-shuffling but ultimately stayed pat in a period where every other conference had made moves— drawing curiosity from media onlookers at the time. “Our culture and our philosophies are very well-aligned, and we’re very protective of that,” Steinbrecher said back in 2022, noting the conference would exhibit patience and evaluate new potential members with “a critical eye.”
It is currently unknown at this time if there will be other invitees to the conference to put the league at 14 members, but either way, UMass’ admittance to the MAC is the culmination of years of behind-the-scenes work which ultimately makes both parties stronger in an evolving landscape.
A joint press conference to mark the occasion will be held at the Football Performance Center on UMass’ campus this upcoming Thursday, March 7th, at 11 a.m. Eastern time.
UPDATED at 3:43 p.m. Eastern time to reflect statements released by MAC commissioner Jon Steinbrecher and UMass Chancellor Javier A. Reyes.