UMass Celebrates Move to the Mid-American Conference with a New Look

Solid Look.

AMHERST — The new University of Massachusetts football jerseys were sharp, no doubt about it. They fit better, the material is of higher quality, and for what it’s worth from a newspaper reporter with no experience in the fashion industry, they were stylish.

But that isn’t the point. At least not to some UMass players.

It was the small patch on the right shoulder sewn on to the jersey — the Mid-American Conference logo.

“Actually seeing that little MAC symbol on there marks it officially,” senior safety Darren Thellen said. “We’re in the MAC now. No more CAA”

The shoulder patch certainly isn’t the only stylistic change to the uniforms. Gone are the black accent patches on the sides of the jerseys. The numbers on the shoulders have gotten significantly smaller, and UMass has been added to the front.  (MassLive)

Well, UMass has finally joined the big time.  They finally made the move to Division 1, a move that I argued should have happened years ago.  And this move was celebrated with the unveiling of new uniforms (photos).  There was speculation that this would be the new design.  Not a bad look, but I think sticking with the maroon was the right thing to do.

Addressing Florida State/Big 12 Rumors; Some Musings About Boston College

Boston College’s been (m0stly) better off after joining the ACC, but would Florida State find a better home in the Big 12?

Well, it’s that time again.  Scratch that, it’s been “that time” since the Crimson Tide of the University of Alabama hoisted the Crystal Football signifying their supremacy over the vast domain that is college football. I’m talking, of course, about the continually ongoing debate about conference realignment.

Recently, there have been some interesting rumors about a possible move to the Big XII by Florida State. And I’m going to put a stop to them right now.  Right. Now. This will not happen, so we can stop all the shenanigans. Here’s the thing, I’ve said before that one of the fundamental building blocks of conferences is geography. Back in the day, it was just a bunch of schools who played against whoever would schedule them.  Ultimately, certain schools started developing rivalries, and schools that were geographically close to one another gravitated together and formed conferences. This is still evident today.  I tend to cite the Big Ten as the best example of this (Great Lakes Region, Upper Midwest, etc.), but they are far from the only ones.

Notre Dame’s New Kicks… Wow (Poll)

Legit.

USA Today – Notre Dame players will be sporting a new look on their feet when they face Navy in the season opener.

Playing in Ireland for the first time in 16 years, the players will appropriately be wearing shoes with a replica of the Irish flag.

No word on whether the Irish will make any other changes to the uniform for the game.

I gotta say, when I first saw this, my first instinct was to laugh and ridicule Notre Dame; “I can’t wait to see my people’s reaction to this, etc.” But after really studying it, I will admit that this is actually kind of cool.

Boston College? Just Call Them O-Line U

Boom.

One of the great things about sports at pretty much any level is that it can always be debated.  Whether it’s who’s uniforms are better or who just has a better overall team, nothing’s too small to be debated.

College football is one of the most tradition and pride-rich sports out there, and fans of different programs will inevitably end up arguing over who has the better program.  One source of pride is consistently producing good players, and having a reputation for good play at a certain position.  A good friend of mine in college was a die-hard Penn State fan, and he loved to brag about Penn State’s history of producing linebackers.  He once told me that Boston College’s 5-Star linebacker Brian Toal wouldn’t even start at Penn State.

NATIONAL CHAMPIONS!

Champions!

TAMPA (Boston Herald) — Tommy Cross held tightly to the NCAA championship trophy following Boston College’s pulsating 4-1 victory over upstart Ferris State last night and spoke from the heart.

Detroit may be Hockeytown when it comes to the NHL, but after BC (33-10-1) rang off 19 straight wins to capture its fifth NCAA title overall, including three in the last five years, it can proudly join hands with crosstown rival Boston University (2009 champions) to hoist the Hub aloft as the college game’s premier landmark.

The Eagles have done it again! For the 5th time in school history and the third time in five years, Boston College has won the NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey National Championship. For coach Jerry York (a BC Alum, I might add), it is his fifth National Championship, his fourth at BC.

Head Coaching Change at Boston College? Here’s My Choice (Poll)

On this site, we’ve mentioned that, despite Frank Spaziani being a good guy, and a solid defensive coordinator, it’s time for Boston College to find a new head coach. In last week’s ACC Football Chat, I mentioned that I had an article in the works for my choice as the new head coach.  Who might it be?

A Salute to Snapbacks

Awesome.

Fans of the classic TV series “Home Improvement” probably remember “Tool Time’s” salutes to all things manly.  Well we here at AtlanticCoastConvos decided to do something similar.  Anyone who’s a fan of sports in general, let alone College Football, owns something emblazoned with their team’s logo.  I can’t even begin to count all the Red Sox hats I have lying around my house.  But college athletics has something that no other major sport has.  I’m talking, of course, about the classic Snapback from “The Game.”

Go to any college campus when the weather’s nice, or any college tailgate anywhere in this great country, and you’ll find these.  Whether it be the simplistic yet classic “Bar Hat,” or the more elaborate, yet still classic “Circle Hat,” these small yet significant pieces of college sports fandom have withstood the test of time since they burst on the scene in the late 1980s-early 1990s.