Massachusetts Minutemen football
| UMass Minutemen | |||
|---|---|---|---|
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| First season | November 22, 1879 | ||
| Athletic director | Ryan Bamford | ||
| Head coach |
Mark Whipple 9th year, 57–54 (.514) |
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| Other staff | Ed Pinkham (DC) | ||
| Stadiums | Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium | ||
| Seating capacity | 17,000 | ||
| Field surface | FieldTurf | ||
| Location | Hadley, Massachusetts | ||
| NCAA division | Division I FBS | ||
| Conference | Independent | ||
| Division | NCAA Division I-A independent schools | ||
| All-time record | 561–557–51 (.502) | ||
| Bowl record | 1–1 (.500) | ||
| Claimed nat'l titles | 1 (FCS) | ||
| Conference titles | 22 (non-FBS) | ||
| Colors | Maroon and White |
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| Fight song | Fight Mass | ||
| Mascot | Sam the Minuteman | ||
| Marching band | The Power and Class of New England | ||
| Rivals |
Connecticut Huskies Boston College Eagles |
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| Website | UMass Football | ||
The Massachusetts Minutemen football team is a collegiate football team representing the University of Massachusetts in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision. The Minutemen currently compete as an Independent.
UMass began play in 1879 and have since appeared in three FCS National Championship games, winning the title in 1998. The Minutemen began a two-year Football Bowl Subdivision transition period in 2011, becoming bowl eligible in 2013. In March 2014, the Mid-American Conference and UMass announced an agreement for the Minutemen to leave the conference after the 2015 season due to UMass declining an offer to become a full member of the conference. In the agreement between the MAC and the university, there was a contractual clause that had UMass playing in the MAC as a football-only member for two more seasons if UMass declined a full membership offer. UMass announced that it would look for a "more suitable conference" for the team. Possibilities included going independent or joining the American Athletic Conference,Conference USA, or the Sun Belt Conference. In September 2014, UMass announced that they would be going independent in the 2016 and 2017 seasons.Mark Whipple is the head football coach.
UMass began playing football on November 22, 1879, when the school was known as Massachusetts Agricultural College, and the team was known as the "Aggies." They were first organized the previous fall by Francis Codman, but did not play their first game until November 22, 1879, defeating the Amherst College freshman team 4–0. As this was their only game that year, 1879 is noted as their first undefeated season, matched only by the 1889 season (2–0) and the 1963 season (8–0–1). Massachusetts later teamed up with Storrs Agricultural College (now the University of Connecticut) and Rhode Island College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts (now the University of Rhode Island) to form the Athletic League of New England State Colleges for the purpose of scheduling football matchups between the schools. The first meeting between the Aggies and each of the other schools resulted in a shutout win for Massachusetts, as they defeated Connecticut, 36–0, in 1897 and Rhode Island, 46–0, in 1903. Massachusetts won their 100th game on October 2, 1920, topping rival Connecticut in a 28–0 shutout. The team played their 1000th game on November 11, 2000, losing to conference foe Delaware, 19-31.
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