Saturday---May 21, 2011

MassLive.com has a story about former UMass star Ben Albert being hired as LB coach at Temple.

Minuteman coach Jimmy Reid gave Albert his start in coaching at UMass. Albert coached in Amherst in 1996 and again in 2002-03.

I've done a number of posts mentioning Albert in the past.

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You may have read this article from Matty V. about UMass hockey playing at Fenway Park.

One aspect about UMass' move to FBS that needs to be remembered is that there are dangers associated with the move. I've published links to several commentators who emphasized those dangers.

On the other hand, there are definite dangers with doing nothing. The world of college spots continues to evolve and standing pat can mean being left behind.

Consider the coming of Big Ten Hockey.

Take a look at the following image. When I first saw it, I thought it was a Photoshop. Be sure to click on the image to get a feeling for the effect when 115,000 people show up for a hockey game. The Maize & Blue Blog has more on the event and Big Ten hockey (scroll down).

Copyright Maize & Blue Blog. Used with permission.

The outdoor hockey game at Michigan drew the largest crowd in stadium history------more than football. The Big Ten Hockey League is going to change the landscape of college sports. If schools like UMass want to be continue to be relevant in college athletics, they need the resources to do so. FBS football drives finances in college sports. Hopefully, it will help UMass in women's sports and in men's sports like hockey.

How about a future biggest game in New England hockey history in Gillette!

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