(09-09-2016 08:07 PM)Captain Bearcat Wrote:  Looking at UMass's future schedules, ouch:

2017: 5 FBS home games, schedule is full already
2018: 4 FBS home games, 6 away games, 1 FCS, 1 open date
2019: 2 FBS home games, 4 away games, 1 FCS, 5 open dates
2020: 1 FBS home game , 3 away games
2021-23: 3 FBS home games, 5 away games

By rule they must have 5 FBS home games a year. That's 42% of games that must be at home. But after 2017, they have 10 home games out of the 30 games they have scheduled (33%). That's really pushing the limit.

If i hadn't seen what happened in the last 2 years i would be worried, and in fact i was really worried about UMass having a chance of even 1 year of independence before.

As of July 27 2014 UMass had 4 games on the schedule 1 P5 Home game, 2 P5 away games and 1 FCS home game for the 2016 season. http://web.archive.org/web/2014072714273...hedule.php

Now in 2016 Umass has 2 P5 homer games 3 G5 home games and an FCS.

Many will argue that this years schedule is a gauntlet, but I like it a lot better than the MAC schedule. And next year isn't nearly as tough

http://www.fbschedules.com/ncaa-16/2016-...hedule.php

http://www.fbschedules.com/ncaa-17/2017-...hedule.php

UMass has shown it has the ability to get 1 for 1's with lower level P5's and most G5's, some on short notice. Scheduling as an Indy for UMass isn't the issue anymore. Exposure and money are a different story (although the exposure is much better than expected, a step up from the MAC for sure).

UMass isn't filling the scheudle out too far in advance to keep the buy out's and rescheduling fee's lower if/when it get's invited to a conference. I get that it looks bad form first glance but there seems to be a method to the madness.