UMass's Bjorn to be interim AD

9/17/2003

After a week of canvassing the on-campus candidates, the University of Massachusetts is expected to name associate athletic director Thorr Bjorn the interim athletic director in the next few days, according to sources within the UMass athletic department.

Bjorn, a former football player at UMass, will replace Ian McCaw, who resigned last week to take a job as athletic director at Baylor University. McCaw will finish up his duties at UMass by Friday, drive his family to Waco, Texas, over the weekend, and begin his new job early next week.

Bjorn's role will be a difficult one, even on an interim basis, as the UMass administration struggles with the issue of either moving up to the Division 1-A level in football or downgrading the program, with a reduction in scholarships, as a cost-cutting measure.

With no money forthcoming from private or public funds and with enthusiasm for football minimal on campus, an elevation to Division 1-A appears to be a long shot for a variety of reasons, the primary one being the lack of a league affiliation. Although there has been considerable sentiment among some in the administration for inclusion in a newly configured Big East -- after the departure of Virginia Tech and Miami at the end of this season -- that seems unlikely in the short term. And perhaps the long term as well.

But even if UMass does find a conference to join -- such as Conference USA or the Mid-American Conference -- the enthusiasm for such a move seems minimal.

A decision on the football program is expected in the next few months, which means that Bjorn, as the interim athletic director, will have to deal with it.

MARK BLAUDSCHUN