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Remember you asked for this… Nine years ago I came onto this forum and expressed to you all just how good of a coach you were getting in John Groce. And an even better person in my opinion. At that time you were dealing with the departure of KD and I couldn’t say goodbye to a guy I grew fond of as the coach of the Fighting Illini. I really thought he would get Akron that first NCAAT win. I know the landscape of the game completely changed during his tenure, but I sure wish he could have achieved that ultimate goal. UCLA was the game, damn we were so close. As a guy who grew up in Illinois within a couple of hours of Chicago I support my local pro teams. I support U of Illinois. My alma mater is Illinois State and they stick their head up every once in a great while. Pretty basic regional loyalty stuff. Here is the great twist as I have gotten older. I have adopted teams into my fandom that are based on affinity. I don’t know Groce personally. I just connected with him on some level and that led me to Akron. And I will probably check in on him at Charleston too. It might be harder because I can’t find a legitimate fan forum for the College of Charleston cougars. It’s still so hard for me to believe he’s gone. Anyway, I have also adopted Ole Miss due to a road trip from Illinois to Florida. They are now my SEC team. The sleepy little town of Oxford fits my personality so well and I enjoyed talking to the people during my short visit. I need to get back down there. All of this is to say people and relationships is what matters most to me. Zips Nation, you all matter to me. I have spent so much time on this forum and have never met any of you in person. Is that silly, pathetic? Perhaps. But you are still my friends. We have experienced so many highs and lows together. So I’m not looking to go anywhere. Now my positive feelings towards the new head coach are a plus. I met both Groce and Ford years ago when the Zips played at NIU. Ford was very personable and gave generously of his time. I think his hire while not a sure thing is a wise decision and I will be pulling for his success just the same. I will still be putting together the scholarship chart and if I win it big one day I will still build Joe and Jane Akron a new basketball arena with the best concessions. Thanks for the good times. And here’s to many more to come!! Go Zips!!

Kehres! or that guy from Hoban.

I am happy with this news. Coach Embick and Coach Groce are both outstanding coaches and Akron is very fortunate to have both leaders. Coach Embick and his staff have done a great job in adding players for next fall. The future is bright for Akron soccer. The Beacon has a long article about the contract extension. One item in the article…..that I did not know….is the first game for next fall. From Beacon article: The Zips are scheduled to begin the 2026 season against Dayton on Aug. 20 at FirstEnergy Stadium.

I feel you could make a decent fan committee from just this forum. We have people from all walks of life. Some former players. Many die-hard 30+ year fans. Some more recent grads. Many Akron alumni and a few who weren't that still want to support the local team. Just take 10 people from this board and mix in 2-3 current students and there you go, you have your committee. No need to do a further search.

At least when Dambrot left he went to a school in indisputable better conference and had a close, personal connection to the school. I would have preferred Groce get the Butler job as that would make a ton of sense. This feels like a swift kick in the nuts and is a humbling experience for the state of the program. I will cheer for Groce if he returns to the JAR to have his name retired, but I will be actively rooting against CoC.

Know all the attention today, and appropriately so, is on our incredible men's basketball team and the opportunity they have on Friday, but today was another great day to be a Zip. Our 2025 Mac champion women's lacrosse team moved to a 2026 season record of 7-2 by taking down PCCC 10-6 at their field! Another Wagon Wheel point and a dominant performance by the Zips! Cant Read, Cant Write, Cant State couldn't hang with our Zips who literally played on another level. Look forward to the same on Friday. Go Zips!

My inclination is to root against Miami but at the same time Miami's success would be good for the MAC, and what's good for the MAC would have some benefit to Akron. The MAC teams doing well on the "Big Stage" would help the conference in being taken seriously on a national level.

I've watched parts of a few of the Sun Belt games over the past several days. Game attendance has varied between ~600-2,500 thus far. We give the MAC a lot of crap, but let's take a moment to at least acknowledge the one thing they have done right is the MAC tournament. They put on quite the show. We're easily hitting above our weight class when you see the attendance figures we put up compared to other relative conferences and even some, like the AAC, that you would expect much more out of.

This is the most interesting season the MAC has had in years and Miami and Akron are the reasons why.

I emailed today regarding the hats…I believe it was Bud who responded. Says shipping today or tomorrow…overwhelming response.

I'm as disappointed as anyone that the Zips season has come to an end. That disappointment is enhanced by the current state of college basketball and its impact on programs like the Zips. That being said, I couldn't be more proud of the Zips program for reasons beyond their on court success. Every player that's exhausted their eligibility in Groce's nine year tenure has left with at least one degree. Every scholarship player except one who finished his career with the Zips has become a professional basketball player for at least one year. Arizona, Duke, Michigan or another major conference team is likely to continue winning and add a National Championship trophy to its trophy case but I'd challenge any of them to match the above accomplishments.

Speaking of rewatching - I went back and watched the last five minutes. Evans block with a couple minutes left is my unheralded play of the game. Unreal hustle and athleticism on that one

"I don't know that it's lucky when you do it 4 times in 5 years.". Groce's response to Tod's comments at the selection show party.

Bud Wentz.

I have to say this before it gets lost in the excitement. Evan Mahaffey has been totally boss lately. His effort and determination was the difference tonight in my opinion. Shammah hit the game winner, but Evan carried us a ton.

Not TP, but according to Verbal Commits we've offered JUCO 6'4" 2G Mason Costello from Indian Hills CC.

I think this is great. I hope they go undefeated and we take them out for 2 bids. I hope they keep Steele and we keep progressing, and UMass joins that tier with Kent, Toledo and OU right behind. The wheels are in place for a very good mid major conference with multiple bids, if the schools invest and keep these coaches..

If someone broke the microphone of the woman who does the Zips on-court MC-ing, would the fine be similar? Asking for a friend.

The human side of college sports is gone. Today people coach and play for the names on the back of the jersey, not the front. Quoting the late Don Ohlmeyer - "The answer to all your questions is 'money'." We paid him to do a job, and he did it at a high level, with integrity. D1 basketball is a business, and it was a good business transaction for both parties.

I’m glad we got Ford into the HC position before Ohio’s next coaching search which I thought could be this year.

every post in here makes me nervous to open

3 straight championships, 4 out of the last 5. Best conference record in MAC history over 2 seasons. I didn’t think there was a “level” between what KD did and winning a NCAA tourney game, but Groce showed there apparently was.

Well, I got 2 good uses out of my vest

Guys, I know this feels like big news, but can we please concentrate on what's really important? That NWAkron called this and was laughed at?

This. A lot of talk about how wonderful Charleston is but not enough about what he has in Akron. - Basically a lifetime contract. The only way he would ever lose his job here is if he did something immoral off the court. - One of the best NIL budgets in the conference, a NIL Collective that has grown considerably in it's participation and impact in recent years, and a great relationship with the person who leads it. - Excellent relationships in the community he has built over many years. - A history of consistent winning gping back 20+ years surely recognized by potential recruits. - A proud tradition of success for players post-graduation playing professionally. I'll also push back on the "he's done all he can do at Akron" stuff. We were in that game with Texas Tech until it unraveled with a few minutes left. We almost beat UCLA. The MAC was a two-bid league for the first time in a long time. There's a lot of momentum here to keep climbing.

It doesn't look great, obviously, but I don't consider Groce gone until someone credible confirms it. Right now, we know: - He was a finalist at Butler, per the IndyStar - He was rumored to have been offered the USF job, but they moved on when he wouldn't commit - He is the top target at Charleston, but both sources - Jeff Goodman and Jeff Borzello - qualified their reports by saying a deal wasn't done, with Borzello adding "steps remain for both sides in the next 24 hours" Now, I'm not saying this is what is happening here, but just last year Rob Senderoff (a close friend of Groce's) was reportedly close to leaving Kent for Fordham, only to stay put with a new contract and increased commitment to the basketball program. Why would Groce not take the USF job if it was truly about the best chance to win? Why would these reports come out today that it was close but not done, right as speculation was increasing that it was done? I'm just saying...let's let this play out.

If we lose him on a lateral move like this everyone in the university above Groce should be fired. This can't happen

It is magnified, but I think there's genuine discussions going on behind the scenes. I think his Butler candidacy was very real. Whether that means he will be a candidate anywhere else, who knows? But I do think there was mutual interest for that job. For me, I worry because I remember the pre-KD days of Akron basketball and don't want to go back. We were incredibly fortunate Groce was available the same time KD left, and we went from one legend to another. I don't think it's fair to expect that same fortune again if he were to leave. Additionally, I just love this program so much under Groce. He's such a likeable coach, his staff brings in players who are great young men and easy to root for...I'd just hate to see that go, as I'm sure everyone else would.

Butler is filled.

Bennett leaving I imagine is probably a combination of Gonzaga leaving, making the WCC most likely a 1 bid conference moving forward, and the growing necessity of NIL. Most coaches say their least favorite part of the job is recruiting. It can't be fun having to recruit an entire new team regularly because you find and develop them, but don't have the money to retain.

Assuming "upset" is referring to simply the seeds, then this isn't stating Cinderellas are dead - this is stating the gap between the elite programs and the field is growing. Kentucky just got beat by 19 today and Iowa State's best player (arguably) didn't even play. It's not a NIL problem - it's a Transfer Portal problem. That is the #1 issue that needs resolved in college athletics. Not only does there need to be some sort of limitation on movement, but commitments need to be minimum 2 years contractually. Also, teams need compensated for losing talent, especially mid majors.

Unlike the Cincinnati job, this one makes a lot of sense for a younger version of John Groce. Today, I just don’t think so. I’m picturing the bear-hug embrace between Groce and Wentz after the MAC Tourney win. Add to that Travis is in the conference and the MAC has shown growth. I think he stays put. Maybe it’s my Zippy colored glasses.

Congrats to Miami. Good for the MAC. And hopefully that bodes well for Akron.

I was excited when Groce came to Akron, but if I'm to be honest I had doubts he would live up to Dambrot. Not because I didn't think he would do well, but because it's hard to expect anyone to make 9 MAC finals and then win 3 of those. Not only has Groce lived up to those standards, he has surpassed them by making the tournament 4 times in 5 years.

Some talk about donating in other threads and it probably deserves its own spot - it's very easy to setup a recurring donation. I encourage everyone to support however they are able. It all adds up and our program deserves the support. FTR Collective https://www.feartheroocollective.com/contribute-zipsmensbasketball UA Men's Basketball Fund https://fundraise.givesmart.com/vf/CompExFundNIL/team/MBB

I looped Shammah's game winner to easily show just how many Akron fans were in the crowd. Normally you can see a definitive line where Akron's fans are vs. the opponent's fans. Not Saturday night; Akron fans wrapped all the way around. 11k in attendance and probably ~9k were Zips fans. Previous MAC title games - including vs. Kent - only saw 7-8k total attendance. What an incredible showing by Zips Nation!

They need NIL. Not an arena

Not that there was ever any doubt, but last night was further proof that Groce is without question the best coach in the MAC. The halftime adjustments and productive second half timeouts were outstanding.

Sounds like they'll be well rested to whack the crap out of Skaljac's hand/wrist.

This might be sacrilegious to say, but I don't think Suder should even be the 2nd choice. Gillespie IMO was the 2nd best player in the MAC this season. I can see Suder at #3.

Word is that as of last week there has been record ticket sales for the tournament. In the neighborhood of a 50% increase over total sales from last year with a week still to go. Rocket Mortgage is going to be rocking!

Our second Sunbelt opponent, Troy, wins their league tournament.

I wouldn't get caught up in trying to keep up with the Jones's. Infocision has financially hamstrung the football department. If you add in what we're spending on the stadium to what we're spending on everything else football related (coach, staff, recruiting, etc) we're near the top of the MAC. The problem is we can't both make debt service payments on the stadium while still having an upper tier G5 budget. That's why we just lost an assistant to Marshall. IMO NIL is a great equalizer for a program like Akron. Facility upgrades are immensely costly and don't correlate directly to success. Two of our G5 peers in the Sun Belt built new arenas in the last 5 years. This season they went a combined 15-21 in conference play. What matters for success and notoriety is players. We already have the training facility and fantastic locker rooms that are in the upper echelon of the MAC. IMO every dollar you spend in NIL equates to $10, $20, maybe more in facilities. You get a greater ROI in NIL.

Bracketology trends as regular season winds down We've reached the final weekend of the regular season in men's college basketball, and conference tournaments are nearly finished on the women's side. It's only March 6, but the madness is already here. Few things this time of year are as important as momentum, and while some teams are improving their NCAA Tournament stock each time they step onto the court, others are slipping down seed lines and putting themselves in danger of missing the dance altogether. We took the temperature of 19 teams in our bracketology stock watch. Trending up: Florida, Michigan State, Saint Mary's, Ohio State, Georgia, Cincinnati, TCU, South Florida, Akron Trending down: SMU, BYU, NC State, Clemson, Iowa State, Kansas, Louisville, Iowa, Purdue, San Diego State You'll be hearing a lot of bubble talk over the next week. Anxiety levels are high for at-large teams teetering on the edge of the bracket. In addition to taking care of business, they also need to root against potential bid stealers. Our model projects the MAC as the likeliest conference to produce one of those thieves. David Cobb explains. Cobb: "It's Akron -- not Miami (Ohio) -- that our model views as the favorite to win the MAC Tournament. The Zips have won 15 straight league games since taking a loss to the RedHawks early in league play. Akron also rates better in predictive metrics than Miami, but Miami will have a strong at-large case if it fails to win the league tournament."

Not sure if this has been posted anywhere, but Fear the Roo Collective has a new hoodie. Just ordered mine. The vest I bought last year is top notch so I'm excited for the hoodie which is a New Era base. Pretty solid price, too, at $40. Go Zips!

I have been a member of this board for years and in the past we would always have discussions about whether Akron could get an at large bid. We would then lose on the road to a terrible MAC team and end of discussion. But this week Akron had been mentioned numerous times in relationship to March madness in the national media. Why, because the discussion revolves around whether Miami, the only undefeated team in the nation, should get an at large bid if they do not win the conference championship. And the argument set forth by national commentators is that they are not even the best team in the MAC because the Zips had a better schedule and have been blowing out teams in the MAC. Lets enjoy the national attention!!!

I met RJ's dad at the Zip-Kent game as we were walking to the arena. Great guy. I told him that Groce recruits not only great basketball players but also athletes that are good citizens and willing to learn and that says a lot about his son.