The Mid-American Conference and University of Masachusetts reached an agreement forcing UMass to leave the league as a football-only member after the 2015 season, it was announced Wednesday.
UMass had been a football-only member of the MAC the past two seasons and primarily a member of the Atlantic 10 in its other sports.
Last month, the MAC offered full membership to UMass, but the school declined. Per UMass' agreement with the MAC, if it turned down full membership from the MAC, the school would only be able to remain a football-only member for two more seasons.
"This is not the outcome we anticipated when UMass was admitted as a football-only member," MAC commissioner Dr. Jon Steinbrecher said in a statemtent Wednesday. "However, circumstances changed regarding our football membership and this is a result of those circumstances."
In each of the Minutemen's first two years in the MAC, in 2012 and 2013, they were 1-7 in MAC play and 1-11 overall.
UMass will remain in the MAC East Division in 2014 and 2015.
In 2016, the MAC will be a 12-team conference consisting of Akron, Bowling Green, Buffalo, Kent State, Miami (Ohio) and Ohio in the East; and Ball State, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Northern Illinois, Toledo and Western Michigan in the West.
UMass to exit MAC
UMass had been a football-only member of the MAC the past two seasons and primarily a member of the Atlantic 10 in its other sports.
Last month, the MAC offered full membership to UMass, but the school declined. Per UMass' agreement with the MAC, if it turned down full membership from the MAC, the school would only be able to remain a football-only member for two more seasons.
"This is not the outcome we anticipated when UMass was admitted as a football-only member," MAC commissioner Dr. Jon Steinbrecher said in a statemtent Wednesday. "However, circumstances changed regarding our football membership and this is a result of those circumstances."
In each of the Minutemen's first two years in the MAC, in 2012 and 2013, they were 1-7 in MAC play and 1-11 overall.
UMass will remain in the MAC East Division in 2014 and 2015.
In 2016, the MAC will be a 12-team conference consisting of Akron, Bowling Green, Buffalo, Kent State, Miami (Ohio) and Ohio in the East; and Ball State, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Northern Illinois, Toledo and Western Michigan in the West.
UMass to exit MAC
