The Mid-American Conference and Massachusetts will hold a joint press conference Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. ET at Gillette Stadium, during which it is expected that UMass will announce its football team leaving the Colonial Athletic Association (FCS) for the MAC and Division I (FBS).
Assuming the rumors that began in November are true, the Minutemen would play a "provisional" schedule in 2011 and 2012 before completing the move to the FBS in 2013. The move would give the MAC an even 14 teams, two of which would be "football only" members: UMass and Temple. The addition of the Minutemen would likely also mean two new divisions for the MAC.
This move will give the MAC two, seven-team divisions. How those divisions will be divided will be a topic for discussion in the upcoming league meetings in May. The most likely move will be Bowling Green back to the MAC West, where the Falcons would be paired again with their natural rival, Toledo.
Wednesday's press conference will be streamed live on the conference's website, www.mac-sports.com. For all things MAC, visited SB Nation's Hustle Belt.