UMass To Join MAC In Football, Moving From FCS To FBS

The Univ. of Massachusetts today will announce that it is "making the jump in football from the FCS to the FBS level" and will begin playing league games in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) by '12. UMass, like fellow Atlantic 10 school Temple, will join the MAC "in football only," giving the conference a total of 14 football teams. The move will be announced at Gillette Stadium, "which is significant since that venue will host the majority of UMass' home games" (BOSTON GLOBE, 4/20).