UMass is anticipated to affix the MAC in all sports activities beginning within the 2025-26 educational yr, in accordance with a number of experiences. This marks a return to the MAC for UMass’ soccer program, which competed within the league from 2012-15 after making the leap from the Soccer Championship Subdivision. UMass’ different sports activities at the moment compete within the Atlantic 10.
UMass soccer has competed as an unbiased since its departure from the MAC in 2015. The Minutemen have gone by way of three totally different coaches and didn’t make a bowl recreation within the years since. They simply completed their second consecutive season beneath coach Don Brown, who himself made a return to this system forward of the 2022 season.
Brown led UMass from 2004-08 when it competed within the Atlantic 10 after which the Colonial Athletic Affiliation. He gained two convention titles and guided this system to 2 FCS playoff appearances earlier than leaving in 2009. In two years since making his approach again to Amherst, Brown has compiled a 4-20 report, however three of these victories got here in the course of the 2023 season to mark this system’s highest win complete since 2018 when it went 4-8.
The addition of UMass will improve the MAC’s membership to 13, an imbalance that will usually be rectified in a divisional format. Nevertheless, the MAC introduced in November that the 2023 season could be its final with divisions. Shifting ahead, groups will compete for a linear spot within the now 13-team standings, falling in keeping with a majority of conferences within the fashionable period.
UMass’ historical past with MAC
UMass started a transfer to the FBS degree and earned assist from the MAC in 2011. It first began competing with the convention as a football-only member in 2012, and in 2013 it earned eligibility to take part within the convention championship recreation and different postseason contests.
The MAC years weren’t essentially sort to UMass, which by no means gained greater than three video games in a single season and didn’t register a profitable report in convention play. 5 of its seven complete MAC wins got here in its final two seasons within the league with veteran coach Mark Whipple main the best way.
In March 2014, UMass introduced it will depart the MAC following the 2015 season after declining to change into a full member of the convention. The Minutemen remained within the MAC for the 2014-15 seasons after the league’s presidents enacted a clause that prolonged its unique football-only contract, although an ultimatum was delivered that solely full membership would protect UMass’ spot past that.