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Thanks, happy to do it. I think the offense could be really good this year. If Poffenbarger plays as well as I think he can, he’ll be a candidate. I’d be surprised if Mason and Williams weren’t selected at WR. There’s a chance both Patrick and Gant will be worthy, but neither make it if snaps are split fairly evenly. In that situation they wouldn’t have the same amount of opportunities as some of the other backs in the conference. Lyons and Jones are probably the best candidates along the OL. I think the collective parts of the defense will make it solid, but I’m not sure if we’ll have that many standouts this year. I like Hull at DT, but for some reason even when we’ve had strong DT play in the past, our players have been passed over. Then at DB, White at CB and David at safety could be candidates it if they can stay healthy.

I'd gladly give up Penn State- Shenago, Concord, Heidelberg, etc.... for CSU or YSU.

Bowden - who let the assistants coach on the field in the second half - starts 1-0 with a 44-34 win in Iowa. With everyone on their first game of the year, hard to tell who's any good or not, but better to start with a win than a loss. Offense was good downfield, but anything short or running was a little iffy. Pretty good defense, 3 or 4 interceptions. Stats a little lacking, hopefully the league at least gets them out there.

I really like Galloway Jr and definitely think he has the potential for it

We all knew it was coming but Richie Laryea has been named to the Canada roster for the World Cup!

Why wouldn't you reward the top seeds? Again, the MAC is the only conference - to my knowledge- that doesn't reward the #1 seed at all. Right now, the only thing that matters in the MAC regular season is finishing top 8. If a conference wants to make the regular season matter more and reward teams for playing well in the regular season, you should absolutely build your tournament that way. My preferred option would be to take the top 6 teams and give 1/2 a first round bye. It's not as extreme as the double-bye, but it makes earning the 1 or 2 valuable. Thursday 5 PM - #3 vs #6 7:30 PM - #4 vs #5 Friday 5 PM - 4/5 winner vs #1 7:30 PM - 3/6 winner vs #2 Saturday 7:30 - Championship

And to the surprise of no one, as soon as a couple teams weren't as competitive as they magically thought they would be sans Louisville, the EBC will be itself dead in a couple years.

This was the email they sent out: Akron Zips Fans, now you have access to the same sideline gear as our teams! We have partnered with Nike and BSN to open our Zips Fan Shop, available until Monday, June 8th! Don’t wait, hit the button below to secure your official sideline gear today! Going forward, each of our sports will launch four (4) of their own fan shops throughout the course of the year, and we will launch this Fan Shop four (4) times each year too, so fans can rep team specific gear and exclusive Akron Zips gear! Be sure to keep an eye out as more information will follow! The prices seem to be pretty much in line with Nike team gear. At least it's another option for people to buy?

Bowden's Greenheads kick off on Saturday in Iowa. In their first two TAL seasons, the Iowa Woo (yes, Woo) have gone 2-8 and 4-5 (including playoffs), so probably an average opponent to see what's what for the expansion team. Almost assuredly, I'll be the only one here taking a peek haha (but that's more because I've followed indoor football for 26 years now). They've done a...reasonably poor job...of getting roster information out, but Monroe's defensive coordinator is a guy (James Shiver) who's been involved in indoor football coaching on and off since 2001. So, Bowden will at least have coaches that have worked with the walls before. Though Shiver was always an offensive coach indoors, but whatever. With the caveat that Iowa hasn't always produced stellar broadcasts, the game can be seen on YouTube on the TAL channel. Link below (though I think they embed on here)

that's an even worse idea

This upcoming season is the last year of the agreement. Will be curious to see if there's an extension announcement over the summer. If not, it's likely over after this season. Quite frankly, I wouldn't hate to see it end. I don't know how much it benefits either conference as the top matchups have typically been lopsided NET wise. It would be better if they expanded it to include other mid major conferences to put more big fish in the pond. The goal should be for the top matchups to be Q1/high-end Q2 opportunities and that isn't happening enough.

Let me break this down for you. We are very clearly a tier or two or three above csu and ysu. We're all fighting for scraps when it comes to support and fanbase after the big dogs like OSU, and maybe competing for some recruits here or there though I'd like to think we're recruiting a different tier than them as well. Playing them home and home legitimatizes them in the eyes of the local crowd and puts us a little more on the same tier in their eyes. Not to mention if we happen to lose once or twice. It's just not worth that, there's more to lose than gain by scheduling away games there

Xavier will play at Akron on October 24 https://goxavier.com/sports/mens-soccer/schedule

If not Red Panda, how about :

The Starter: Unless something drastically changes, R. Poffenbarger will be the starter in 2026. Poffenbarger was named an FCS All-American during his time at Albany where he threw for 6,613 yards and 60 touchdowns across two seasons. From there, he went on to become a backup at Miami and North Texas, sitting behind Cam Ward and Drew Mestemaker respectively. Poffenbarger throws a catchable ball and, at least during his Albany days, didn’t turn the ball over much. He’s not necessarily a “dual threat” quarterback, but he has enough mobility to pick up yards on the ground when needed. If Poffenbarger can produce anything close to the numbers he put up at the FCS level, Akron’s offense will have a chance to be the best it’s been in the Moorhead era, especially considering all the weapons surrounding him on the offensive side of the ball. Next in Line: B. Roggow moves into the backup role by default. The redshirt sophomore has been in the system for a few years now and, ideally, will be ready if called upon. Of course, there’s always the chance Broughton or Beals leapfrog him depending on development and overall performance. C. Broughton is an impressive athlete at quarterback. My question is whether he remains at quarterback if, for whatever reason, he’s unable to move up the depth chart. I’m not ruling him out as potentially being an all-conference player, but I am suggesting there’s a possibility it could happen at a different position. It’s still early for those types of decisions to be made, though. S. Beals is a talented freshman with a load of potential. This is the second year in a row Akron has landed a quarterback that had power program offers in high school. Beals isn’t the scrambler Broughton is, but he has enough wiggle and speed to make things happen on the ground when he needs to. He has plenty of arm strength and could make some noise sooner than most would expect. Outlook: This is easily the most talented quarterback room of the Moorhead era. Of course, physical ability is only part of the equation at quarterback. Plenty of players have the arm talent and athleticism but never put it all together because of the mental demands that come with the position. That said, I believe Akron has its starter in Poffenbarger, and I expect him to have a strong season in 2026. Beyond that, there is enough young talent in the room to make me believe at least one of the underclassmen will emerge as a highly successful quarterback over the next few years. New: Poffenbarger (Gr.) = North Texas S. Beals (Fr.) Returning: Roggow (R. So.) Broughton (R. Fr.) Out: Finley (Gr.) Johnson (Gr.)

Here's some scuttlebutt ... hearing the MAC ADs want to go back to a double-bye for MAC BB regular season champ and second place. Coaches, so far, are not on board. ADs spooked by Miami's first-round MAC Tournament loss to UMass, but, IMO, completely ignore the fact Miami needed at least 4-6 last possession wins during the regular season. Also, Akron's last-possession jump shot kept 4-seed Toledo from pulling an upset. All credit to Miami for its undefeated season. But let's recognize that was a unicorn. In this age of Portal/NIL the best MAC team may not emerge until February. The best thing the MAC has is the men's BB Tournament. The ADs should figure out FB revenue, and not F+CK with the Golden Goose. Miami's unicorn season got the MAC a 6-year boost in NCAA Tournament revenue, thanks to (1) making the 68-team cut and (2) winning a PIG (Play In Game). I wouldn't expect another MAC team undefeated BB season until ... who knows when ... now that there is a 22-game schedule. These ADs are short-sighted idiots, looking at end results and not the overall product. Yes Akron has dominated the last three to five seasons. Eastern Michigan has had a run, Miami has had a run, Ball State has had a run, Kent State and Ohio have had runs. Why stack the deck? 1) Akron's BB 3-peat success in the MAC Tournament have all come down to the last possession. 2) Those 3 title games were against an 8-seed, a 2-seed and a 4-seed. The beauty of Akron's MAC Tournament success is the Zips have won against a level playing field, on a neutral court, against all (equal) odds. If the MAC ADs want to stack the deck for the MAC regular-season champion, Miami, let the regular-season champ host the tournament on its home court. Toledo would have hosted three straight, I believe. Certainly they would have won one of those. ADs need to take your AD pampers off, put your britches on, and man-up. I would be shocked if Dustin wants anything other than a 'true' MAC Tournament. And he should say that to the AD. SCUTTLEBUTT NO. 2: The Sun Belt Challenge is expected to continue. Final thought: If the ADs want to re-seed the MAC Tournament after the first round, I would be consider that. (But understand, if that had been the case this year, the Zips would have played a very physical UMass in the semifinal ... and we have seen over the years physical defensive teams consistently pull upsets in the MAC Tournament.

24-20 at half Monroe 0/4 on two point tries so far or it could have been a bigger lead

Congratulations to Zips Men’s Soccer alum Aodhan Quinn.

I think the MAC Tournament is one of the best run events in all of college basketball. I do like having the whole league participate with the lower seeds having play-in games on college campuses. Too often an 8th seed with a .500 record gets hot and healthy at the very end of the year. The current format gives them the same road as the teams carrying the weight of being the target all season long. Not fair. And because the MAC is usually a 1 bid league, I do favor giving the top seeds a bye. I agree that sometimes a bye will backfire because the opponent has the advantage of getting acclimated to the large arena. But more importantly, having to win 3 games in 3 days is just not ideal for anyone. You end up with the most resilient team, but not necessarily the best team. It would be nice if the MAC was given an at-large bid more often, when warranted.

We'll have at least one Zip heading to Eugene for the national championships. Still a couple more opportunities for another to qualify but it's tough competition.

Looks like it may have been sold again.

I actually think the format should change. I believe we are one of the few conferences that doesn't reward its 1 and 2 seeds at all. Regular season performance should earn you an advantage.

Double bye is good imo

Personally, I like 3 games in three days & agree they shouldn't fix what's not broken. But wouldn't proponents of the move argue it gives more weight to the regular season (which really is a problem basketball - at all levels - struggles with) by rewarding the top two seeds?

A big reason why they went away from the double bye was because schools thought it was too over powered and used it as an excuse for why Akron constantly made the finals under Dambrot. Now that both Toledo and Miami got embarrassed by an early upset a few years apart and Akron is dominating even more so than before they want to make changes once again. It seems the other ADs are just tired of Akron winning.

I think Cravaack has the potential to make it. He’s another player I’m not sure we’ll be able to keep if he takes the next step in his development. Hopefully our specialists will have a great year, but we’ve had a lot of inconsistency there.

It's surprising how consistently bad women's basketball has been. They have access to the same training facility and analytical tools men's basketball has. I know they don't have the same NIL that the men's program has, but none of the MAC women's programs are spending big dollars on NIL.

It's just a result of how BSN operates. They take orders for a few weeks, then when the shop closes, they produce all of the orders and ship them out. So they are only producing what is ordered and there is no excess.

It's probably part of their business strategy. The thought process is drops drive demand as it creates artificial scarcity and FOMO. Not to mention it reduces expenses by eliminating the amount of inventory those websites need to keep on hand. It's actually growing more common in e-commerce.

I get it, but I am: 1) a grumpy old man; and 2) frugal (Cheap).

Props to him not just sipping martinis from the balcony of his beachfront condo like I probably would.

Something like this would probably work best as an early-season MTE. If the top mid-majors can no longer get into tournaments that now only accept high-majors, then mid-majors should create their own versions of events like the Battle 4 Atlantis or the Maui Invitational.

From a purely selfish perspective, I'd like to attend away games at CSU or YSU. I'm not going to to Wright State or Marshall for a game. That being said, I trust the staff to figure out what is best for the program. They know a hell of an lot more than us when it comes to scheduling and the impact it can have on the program. As such, I have to assume there are valid reasons certain teams are not on the regular season schedule.

@catdaddyp thanks for all the position reviews. What players (all positions), if any, do you feel have potential to receive any All MAC recognition this year?

It's so hilariously bad that if it were $15 and not $35, I'd probably have bought one.

Sure, there's spots for them as well. They're not nearly as local, but adding Wright State, NKU, and Marshall to YSU and CSU fills out a lot of the nonconference schedule with games that at least have something to bring to a local fanbase. You figure the MAC-Sun Belt challenge probably stays, so even with a 22-game league schedule if they do that, you've got 3 games left after that to do whatever with.

That's pretty flawed logic. Kent or CSU could have been the culprit with one of the other 3.

We already have plenty of regional rivalries with Kent, Ohio, and Toledo. All of which are better programs than YSU or CSU. If you want to establish a OOC rivalry with another mid-major we should target a Wright State, NKU, or maybe renew a rivalry with Marshall. All of which are historically better programs than YSU or CSU.

Hard pass

Same, if they'd play at the JAR each year

You're better off finding the audit report vs this AUP because they very well may just deem the stadium an academic facility since there are classrooms and you can't tell without the whole picture here

Well right, and playing annual games against local rivals home and away would create another game that matters at least a little bit. And since we're all mid majors whose ceiling is the Round of 64, who cares if they're "beneath us" or some crap.

Men’s wise yes. Women’s can still use some work but it seems soccer and volleyball are on the rise

Likely the same AI that gave me this soccer t shirt ad

@72 Roo, you posted this 👇 in another thread. I did not know this was the case. Can you elaborate a bit? You are not in the extreme minority. This team is slowly rebuilding with the biggest jump at QB. 6-6 is definitely within their grasp and 7-5 is possible, but not probable. Regards the football budget, I am not worried. Goodrich and Pottorff know it is low and they are working to add to it while suffering the cuts the university has mandated to right its financial situation. Both will be resolved over time. As mentioned in another post today we are a program that competes well in most every sport. Baseball would have been a top competitor had they not lost their top three pitchers this season, all of whom will be back.

It’s a shame, because they deserve better. I also think they’re going to surprise a lot of people this year. I’m probably in the extreme minority here — maybe even alone — but I think football takes a sizable step forward this season while hoops takes a step back. QB1 and the entire offense really is going to make some noise this year.

I'm honestly not opposed to the top 40-50 programs splitting off and forming a professional league. It might be what's best for collegiate athletics as a whole. Perhaps that could help create stability for everyone else. It's evident we'll never get back to what things where 10-20+ years ago.

It's 2026. He can identify as a Kent graduate if he wants and who are we to say no? I'm team Kenni. Win that lawsuit.

A few teams have tried enforcing contracts. I know Mensah ended up settling with Duke that way he could transfer to Miami. I'm not sure what kind of compensation Duke ended up receiving. I'm also not sure if we've seen one of these contract disputes make it all the way through the legal system to see what the higher courts decide. There should be some sort of uniformity in these contracts and some governing body to enforce them. Having to fight legal battles everytime a player decides to leave school A to go to school B because school A pays him $50k while school B promises him $100k frankly clogs up the court system and costs taxpayers unnecessary money. We're both paying for the schools additional legal team needed to fight these cases and paying for the judges who have to hear them. The only real winners are lawyers and their billable hours.