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Why?

Not to derail the convo even further, but a huge part of the problem is the MAC schedules their conference games on Tuesdays with the top Saturday games typically flexed to Friday nights. HS boys basketball players would likely be the demographic most likely to attend a quality DI hoops game right? Ohio HS boys basketball is played on Tuesdays and Fridays. A conference schedule change would be the most cost effective first logical step in attempting to boost attendance. Wouldn't cost the University a dime. The MAC and Steinbrecher are that stupid, though.

I guess this is the end of the line.

So what's the problem then?

It's not much of a surprise if you attended a non-Kent home game this season. Pretty much all the games the JAR was only 1/3-1/2 full.

I love discussions about attendance. It lets me watch fan misjudge all of the variables that go into attendance. Moreover, it allows fans to believe the fiction (lies) athletic departments publish about their attendance. Compounding all of that, it allows fans to apply those misjudgements and lies into motivations for a coach's decision making.

That's it? Gawd. I don't want to turn this thread into yet another intractable discussion about how to draw more fans, but after what we saw in Cleveland, there's got to be a way. I don't know what it is, but someone's got to be able to crack the code.

And the attendance. We average 2200 fans while Charleston averages 4900 fans.

Providence offering Hodgson $1M more in NIL is why he took that job over Syracuse. Syracuse historically is a much better program than Providence but none of that matters because Providence is willing to pay players more now in the present, which is what is driving coaching decisions in this new age of college athletics. If CoC is willing to 2x-2.5x Akron's NIL spend it is a step up. It's unfortunate it has come to this, but that's the price we're paying by trying to field both an FBS team (albeit also poorly funded) and a D1 basketball program. Our resources are going to be spread much thinner compared to a school the focuses primarily on basketball.

And the food.

It's a step up in salary and donors to feed the NIL pot.

The only things that make Charleston sound like a step up are a lack of football team, and the weather. If those are actually true I don't know how Akron would prevent this from happening again with another successful coach

Losing our best two coaches ever to Duquesne and Charleston is about as painful as it gets. Nobody can convince me that the CCA and Charleston is a step up. If it is, we have big problems.

Here's hoping he's good enough to get Dustin and then smart enough to stay the hell out of the way of Dustin and Bud.

Well its been 24 hours. Is this a Monday 9am type of thing?

Someone once told me that a manager must be able to manage two things: safety and turnover. If this all goes down, we'll find out how good the ad really is.

Bud Wentz retweeted these...interesting...

Groce has hit a ceiling here unless we can get about 1 million more in NIL. I think he is trying to leverage this offseason to find it. If Akron doesn’t give in. I think he will go as I don’t think he is bluffing. does that announcement of the expanded Nike/LeBron partnership give any hope.

Change can be exciting. A renewal.

I think @NWAkron is going to whack Groce!!

Graveyards are full of indispensable men.

If there is one thing I have learned in 40 years owning a business, no one is irreplaceable, not even me.

This is 100% true, but don't underestimate the subsection of that base that also engages in bigotry and will sit the election out before voting for Vivek.

I saw a lovely photo on the Zips Soccer IG story of Ger post match with all of the Zips on both teams of this match. Great showing by the boys!

If "MACtion" were tied to things like the standing-room-only crowd in Bowling Green for the Battle of I-75...yeah, "MACtion" would be a great branding. But, like you noted, it's tied to the usually tiny crowds (again, Akron's biggest butts-in-seats was that Tuesday Kent game, so good on them) on freezing weeknights.