This week BCI will take a look at football opponent UMass. To kick off Minuteman week, let's get this party started by taking a look at the recent history in football, hockey and basketball.
Basketball -- BC and UMass play yearly in a matchup better known as the "Commonwealth Classic." Started in 1906, the Eagles and Minutemen have faced each other 44 times with the good guys leading the series 26-18. Last year the event was held at the Garden and was won by BC 76-71, the 10th time the Eagles had won since 2000. The recent string of BC Ws is a great example of which direction the two programs are moving in. UMass dominated BC in the 1990s winning all six matchups but have only beaten BC once since 1999. UMass finished last season ninth in the 14-team Atlantic 10 and has not reached the NCAA Tournament since 1998. Also, credit for when credits due, thanks for Al Skinner.
Ice Hockey -- This is kind of unfair to compare these two schools because BC is the Cadillac of college ice hockey while UMass is the 1986 Ford Escort with engine problems and two flat tires. I'm sure the UMass trolls will complain about this analogy but just look at the results: BC owns the series 44-10 with BC owning a 27-7-2 record against the Minutemen since 2000. And the bigger numbers just speak for themselves ... Hockey East Championships (10-0 BC) and National Titles (4-0 BC).
Football -- Again, should we really be comparing matchups between a FCS and FBS school? Sure, why not. BC has the advantage again over UMass, obviously, with a series lead over UMass 18-5. The last time UMass defeated BC was in 1975 when the Eagles were coached by the great Joe Yukica. But more recently BC has beaten the a good -- by FCS standards -- Minutemen team twice in the last 10 years. The Minuteman program is at a crossroads though. As we all know they have decided to move to FBS and will be joining the MAC conference starting next season. Will this help them recruit enough talent to upset a team like BC in the future? Probably not. Teams from the MAC have never had much luck against the Eagles. Will it amp up what has not typically been seen as a rivalry? That is the question that remains to be seen.
It is pretty clear that Boston College has had great recent success against UMass in all the major sports. Do you think UMass will ever get their programs to the level of BC in any of these sports? Hit up the comments with your thoughts.