Brad,
You are correct that over time, the autograph ink has a tendency to stick to the glass. There are ways to separate a photo from the glass without a matt, but using a matt is usually the most aesthetically appealing way to do it, IMO.
Obviously the color scheme of the frame and matt vary depending on various factors including team colors, colors within the photo itself, etc.
I started a thread topic about my own adventures matting and framing. Perhaps it can give you some ideas.
https://www.net54baseball.com/showthread.php?t=168495
best,
Mark