Tom Bassett: Who can UMASS play with?

UMass football head coach Don Brown, from left, Chancellor Javier Reyes, MAC commissioner Dr. Jon Steinbrecher, Director of Athletics Ryan Bamford and men’s basketball head coach Frank Martin during a press conference at the Martin Jacobson Football Performance Center regarding the University of Massachusetts joining the Mid-American Conference.

UMass football head coach Don Brown, from left, Chancellor Javier Reyes, MAC commissioner Dr. Jon Steinbrecher, Director of Athletics Ryan Bamford and men’s basketball head coach Frank Martin during a press conference at the Martin Jacobson Football Performance Center regarding the University of Massachusetts joining the Mid-American Conference. STAFF PHOTO/DAN LITTLE

Published: 03-18-2024 4:48 PM

Modified: 03-18-2024 8:06 PM

Amid all the world strife, playing can be a stress-buster. Whether it’s participation in an outdoor game like ultimate or baseball, or an indoor game like cards or a board game, usually you need to find someone to play with you. You can be a spectator and get enjoyment from watching sports live or on TV, but there needs to be two teams or multiple players bringing their athletic prowess to play the game and entertain sports fans.

I still remember the names of playmates from third grade: Buddy, his brother Tony, Bobby and his brother Tiny, Anita, Sherree, and John. It’s nice to remember their names and the associated childhood memories.

UMass recently decided to move its collegiate sports to the MAC (Mid-Atlantic Conference) in 2025. It will leave behind all those colleges that were stacked with talent, which many times humiliated UMass athletes with lopsided losses. I hope that UMass athletes and fans can forget the names of those schools and enjoy a new era of more UMass victories over MAC opponents.

Why is it that in six articles the Gazette failed to identify the schools UMass will be playing in the MAC? I finally decided to finish the Gazette’s job to find and share with sports fans what schools are in the MAC. Here are the state universities in the MAC: Akron, Ball State, Bowling Green, Buffalo, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Kent State, Miami (Ohio), Northern Illinois, Ohio University, Toledo and Western Michigan. Whether it’s reporting on sports or news, I hope the Gazette will strive to be more complete and informative, or at least don’t leave out important details like: “Who’s in the MAC with UMass?” Go UMass.

Tom Bassett

Florence