UMass football to play games in Foxboro

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (WWLP) - It's a two hour drive from the UMass campus to Gillette Stadium in Foxborough; The new home of the Umass football team beginning in 2012.

Umass is making the transition to the Football bowl subdivision, formerly called Division I-A . In 2012 the Minutemen will become members of the Mid-American Conference for football only. In 2013, they will become bowl eligible.

UMass will play all of its home games in 2012 and 2013 at Gillette Stadium; it's part of a five year deal. From 2014 to 2016, UMass will play a minimum of four home games at Gillette. After that, Gillette Stadium will be an option for the future; Foxborough could become the Minutemen's permanent home

A news release sent to 22News by UMass read: "Playing near Boston will enable UMass to engage its large alumni and fan base in eastern Massachusetts. Gillette Stadium offers first-rate amenities, including luxury suites and club-level seating, and features two of the largest high-definition video boards in the world."

UMass is not paying rent to play at Gillette Stadium. The University and the Kraft family who own Gillette Stadium, have worked out a revenue sharing deal.

The agreement also means that the UMass men's and women's basketball teams will play four non-conference games against MAC opponents.