(11-08-2015 10:28 AM)chargeradio Wrote:  Any development on the 2017 football schedule for UMass? They have 11 straight games scheduled for weeks 2-12, and already have 5 home games (Hawaii, Ohio, Maine, App State, Georgia Southern). Coastal Carolina may be an option because they will count as FBS in 2017. It also seems like it would make sense to move the BYU game to the first week in December (conference championship week) for maximum flexibility to schedule the 12th game.

May not be official until after the holidays, but it's a Group of 5 team - home and home series for Sept 2. Also in the article is a link to another article that includes upcoming TV announcements. It seems pretty clear that will be independent through 2018 and our AD thinks it will not be a huge issue with 2019 and 2020.

http://www.masslive.com/umassfootball/in...iver_index

http://www.masslive.com/umassfootball/20...icle_small

Quote:AMHERST – When University of Massachusetts athletic director Ryan Bamford announced back in October a new football scheduling agreement with local rivals Boston College and UConn, it shook up what had previously been set slates of games for 2016 and 2017.

Included in that shake up was a new hole created in the very first week of the 2017 season (Saturday, Sept. 2) after the away game at UConn scheduled for that slot was dropped (along with the 2016 matchup) so that the Huskies could play BC as part of the new deal.

Bamford couldn't disclose exact details with a final agreement still pending, but said UMass is close to being able to announce a new opponent to fill that Sept. 2 weekend.

"I'm very close. In fact, we've agreed with a school, in principle, but have not signed a deal," Bamford said of the game, an away matchup that will be played against a Group of Five opponent as part of a home-and-home series that will come back to either McGuirk Stadium or Gillette Stadium in Foxborough in 2018.

"We've got a deal that I'm hoping to be able to announce. I don't know if we'll get it done by the holidays and I'm not in any rush," he said. "I think it's good to go. Hopefully, we'll get that announced in the next month or so."

UMass' 2017 schedule is full and 2018 10 games scheduled so far 5 home and away.

Sept. 2 at Coastal Carolina <-- updated 12-17-2015
Sept. 9 vs. Old Dominion
Sept. 16 at Temple
Sept. 23 at Mississippi State
Sept. 30 vs. Ohio
Oct. 7 vs. Hawaii
Oct. 14 at South Florida
Oct. 21 vs. Georgia Southern
Oct. 28 vs. Appalachian State
Nov. 4 at Tennessee
Nov. 11 vs. Maine
Nov. 18 at BYU

Bamford had previously said that all six of the team's home games that season could be played back on campus in McGuirk.

In discussing the future of the program as it moves into conference independence, Bamford explained the process of securing games to fill out upcoming schedules as typically being the most difficult part of the process for schools, but one that, for UMass, "hasn't been that hard."

"Do we have the exact formula for what we want to do? Next year's schedule is really competitive, but I'd say that in 2017 and 2018, we've got a good schedule. Just as good as I think we had this year" Bamford said. "We're playing eight opponents that are similar to MAC schools with Old Dominion and Georgia Southern and Appalachian State and some of those caliber teams.

"I'm encouraged by what we've been able to do. I think, in 2019 and 2020, if we had to move into those future years (as an independent), we could do something similar."

Dates official for UConn and Boston College series.

• Sept. 10, 2016: Home vs. BC (Gillette Stadium)
  Sept. 1, 2018: Away at BC
  Oct. 27, 2018: Away at UConn
  Oct. 26, 2019: Home vs. UConn (Gillette Stadium)
  Sept. 3, 2020: Away at UConn
  Sept. 11, 2021: Home vs. BC (Gillette Stadium)
  Oct. 2, 2021: Home vs. UConn (Gillette Stadium)
  Sept. 17, 2022: Away at BC
  

Quote:“In essence, we made changes to our 2016 and 2017 schedules to allow UConn and Boston College an opportunity to start a home-and-home series,” Bamford added. “We fully understand and support that a BC-UConn match-up will help New England college football gain traction nationally. UMass has always believed that the collective goal of the three New England FBS schools should be to collaborate often and build a strong partnership to further enhance the culture of college football in this region. With this news, I think we are making progress on this goal.”

http://www.umassathletics.com/sports/m-f...15aab.html