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As first reported by Brett McMurphy of ESPN UMass will cease to be a member of the Mid-American Conference after the 2015 football season.
UMass will no longer be football member of MAC after 2015, sources told @ESPN
— Brett McMurphy (@McMurphyESPN) March 26, 2014
UMass offered full membership to MAC last month & declined, so now must exit after 2 more years, sources told @ESPN
— Brett McMurphy (@McMurphyESPN) March 26, 2014
UMass joined the conference before the 2012 season as a football-only member after joining the FBS ranks with a clause that the MAC could force the Minutemen out if UMass declined to join as a full-member after the second season. If UMass chose to decline the full-membership the school would have up to two more seasons as an affiliate member with the MAC before it would have to leave all together.
According to MAC director of football communications Ken Mather the MAC offered UMass the option to join as a full member a few months ago, UMass declined, thus forcing this chain of events
UMass elected to use the 2014 & 2015 seasons to conclude its football-only membership with the MAC.
— Ken Mather (@KenMather_MAC) March 26, 2014
UMass went 1-11 and 1-7 MAC in each of its first two seasons with the MAC (2012, 2013). Now the Minutemen have two seasons to find a new football conference alignment.
We'll update this story as we know more.