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Should we have another rival school?


g-mann17

Rivals  

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I only included Toledo because they are a similar university to us, metro (like us and Buffalo). I think we need to start new traditions, and adding rivalries are huge promotional opportunities.OSU has Michigan and Illinois (really close with Penn State)Can't has us and BGSUMiami has Cinci, OU, and MarshallMultiple rivalries means multiple big game promotion opportunities.The question is who do we "hate", and who is a major thorn in our side.To me it's quickly becoming Buffalo, but do they have the ability to sustain a program (does that matter?). And the last game in the Rubber Bowl is the stuff that rivalries are made from.

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I would count Miami and OU as rivals, at least in basketball. Any time we play them you get that "rivalry" atmosphere because so much always is riding on those games.Buffalo is the closest thing to a rivalry in Soccer, but beyond that they'll need to be successful for a few more years in football/basketball before I can consider them rivals. The AK-Rowdies going up there every year to antagonize them might speed things up a bit, though.

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I love the Pitt idea. It's only 2 hours away. Especially in basketball, that could be similar to the yearly Miami vs. Xavier as far as an early season game between a national power and a MAC team. Now we just need to get them to play us in football. My fellow old timers surely remember our 1986 and 1987 games vs. Pitt. We took a ranked Pitt team to the wire at their place, and they came here the following year with the #2 or #3 team in the country for a game at the old Coliseum in Richfield that also went down to the wire. It was one of my most memorable Akron basketball games ever, and was a great atmosphere. Another thing I am thinking about is the possibility of our old coach being open to a series between us and West Virginia.

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Rivalries can't be manufactured. They just "happen."UA trying to be Pitt's rival is probably viewed the same by Pitt as OSU would view Cincinnati. Actually worse. We had one with YSU, but that is long gone and never to be revived unless YSU gets the stones to go 1-A in football.The only way we get a rivalry with another MAC school is if we compete for a championship vs. one annually.

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I think there already is a rivalry forming with Buffalo. Sure the rivalry really hasn't been present in the form of actual on-the-field/court matchups, but the both our students and theirs seem to be forming a distaste for each other. Im willing to bet most major rivalies out there start from the actual fans, not the teams.

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Im willing to bet most major rivalies out there start from the actual fans, not the teams.
When Penn State joined the Big 10 the athletic directors got together to create rivalry matchups. Penn State and other Big 10 teams created special trophies to play for (like our Wagon Wheel game). So, yeah, you can sometimes stoke a rivalry up.
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I voted for "non MAC" and think we should start up a rivalry with USC, especially if we can get their football team to come to our place every other year.
Better yet, we can just schedule whoever won the national championship the year before. If Indiana is willing to come to the info, why not Florida?Edit: Seriously though, Akron and Buffalo could form an interesting rivalry. If both programs stay on the rise like they have been the past couple years, I could see both of us moving into a C-USA type conference together and furthering the rivalry.
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Im willing to bet most major rivalies out there start from the actual fans, not the teams.
When Penn State joined the Big 10 the athletic directors got together to create rivalry matchups. Penn State and other Big 10 teams created special trophies to play for (like our Wagon Wheel game). So, yeah, you can sometimes stoke a rivalry up.
So who is PSU's rivals now???? When they used to play Pitt, THAT was a rival.You can make all the crappy trophies you want.Marshall was our best chance at another "Ken+"
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I voted for "non MAC" and think we should start up a rivalry with USC, especially if we can get their football team to come to our place every other year.
Better yet, we can just schedule whoever won the national championship the year before. If Indiana is willing to come to the info, why not Florida?Edit: Seriously though, Akron and Buffalo could form an interesting rivalry. If both programs stay on the rise like they have been the past couple years, I could see both of us moving into a C-USA type conference together and furthering the rivalry.
I agree completely. If the MAC were to ever split, the two existing members I would want UA to align themselves with most are Buffalo and Toledo. These schools have the most in common with UA's overall mission.Actually, I think if YSU ever made the jump to FBS then I would welcome a renewed rivalry with them. It's hard to imagine nowadays, but 20-25 years ago this rivalry easily had me as excited as the one with Can't.I doubt that it will continue much beyond the return game at the info in 2010 (especially when the Zips win up there again this year), but the series with Syracuse has been enjoyable.
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Cleveland State University in basketball. We should be playing them at least once a year. Two teams with hopes for a conference win and spot in the Dance every year. A local TV station televising and some marketing, and you have a very interesting game.Take the annual baseball game a step further. Play at the Q and all proceeds go to charity. If Akron wins, they go to Akron Children's Hospital. If Cleveland wins, they go to Rainbow Babies and Children's. Play it up big.

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I voted Buffalo. For me, personally, I really hate Miami, but I just don't think the hate goes both ways. I think we're just a bunch of thugs to them and if we beat them every time we played them in every sport for the next 10 years, they would still think they are better than us. Buffalo on the other hand, they are starting to come around. Ruined the last game at the RB, have been tough in soccer and were pretty good in BB this year. I'm planning on making the trip to Buffalo this year for the FB game so they are starting to move from a whipping boy to a rival in my mind.

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Im willing to bet most major rivalies out there start from the actual fans, not the teams.
When Penn State joined the Big 10 the athletic directors got together to create rivalry matchups. Penn State and other Big 10 teams created special trophies to play for (like our Wagon Wheel game). So, yeah, you can sometimes stoke a rivalry up.
So who is PSU's rivals now???? When they used to play Pitt, THAT was a rival.You can make all the crappy trophies you want.Marshall was our best chance at another "Ken+"
Marshall most certainly could have been another rival - though I suspect it was only a one-way rivalry, as we loved to beat them, but I'm not so sure they had the same animosity towards us as we had towards them?You're right, I'm sure PSU's new Big 10 rivals aren't as fierce as the old Pitt rivalry. But I think if you'd ask PSU fans who their big rivals are now they'd say OSU and Michigan State.
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Cleveland State University in basketball. We should be playing them at least once a year. Two teams with hopes for a conference win and spot in the Dance every year. A local TV station televising and some marketing, and you have a very interesting game.Take the annual baseball game a step further. Play at the Q and all proceeds go to charity. If Akron wins, they go to Akron Children's Hospital. If Cleveland wins, they go to Rainbow Babies and Children's. Play it up big.
THIS IS A GREAT IDEA!
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I LOVE to hate Can't, Miami and Ohio. Those schools are why I actually enjoy being in the MAC. If we'd look to another conference I really would miss those rivalries. These rivalries are also why I'm more for just trying to dominate the MAC rather than jump ship. I think if we'd become the Boise State of the MAC we'd have great attendance averages. People love to follow a winner and we haven't won much of anything yet - even though those of us who follow the program more closely realize how far we have come.However, for the sake of this discussion, I think our "newer" rivalries should be with other metropolitan/urban universities. I'm excited about the budding rivalry with Buffalo! I think we should stoke the natural rivalry with Toledo. This is also one reason I actually enjoy having Temple in the MAC - though I agree with many of you that we should require them to join for all sports. I also think we should work on keeping games with Syracuse and Cincy (yet more urban universities) and try to get a little something going with Pitt (though I honestly think Pitt may be a little afraid to start scheduling us - they don't have much to gain but a lot to lose in playing us.)

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Cleveland State University in basketball. We should be playing them at least once a year. Two teams with hopes for a conference win and spot in the Dance every year. A local TV station televising and some marketing, and you have a very interesting game.Take the annual baseball game a step further. Play at the Q and all proceeds go to charity. If Akron wins, they go to Akron Children's Hospital. If Cleveland wins, they go to Rainbow Babies and Children's. Play it up big.
We'll get right on that as soon as Gary Waters grows a pair and schedules us.
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