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Detroit released their OOC schedule


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I understand and believe that scheduling teams from perceived lesser leagues like the MEAC and SWAC is probably going to happen. I just would rather that the Zips schedule an 18-14 Maryland-Eastern Shore over an 8-23 Coppin State and a 19-10 Alabama State over a 12-20 UAPB. At least play teams in the top three or four in those conferences that are not as strong. I would think this would have to help RPI and SoS somewhat while still providing opponents in the JAR that Akron should be able to get victories over.

Casual fans are more familiar with winners in those conferences (heck all conferences) than they are the cellar dwellers and would be more inclined to go see a team they saw in the highlights. Name recognition goes a long way when deciding to attend a game.

I brought up the idea a couple years ago to schedule home games against schools that had familiar names in football that we could be competitive with in basketball. Auburn. Nebraska. V Tech. USC.

I don't think playing cupcakes after the first or second game of the season does anything good for your team, and makes you look bad when you lose the dang game.

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  • 1 month later...

Ada Zip: KD released the Zip's Non-conference schedule today. I await your analysis!

The away games are awesome, but I have no desire to see any of the opponents they are playing at home.

Much better overall than years past, though. Take what you can get. Nice job KD.

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Ada Zip: KD released the Zip's Non-conference schedule today. I await your analysis!

Hey ZZZips, I hope you're doing well.

I agree with Lzip. The away games are excellent. The home games on the other hand are easy wins that will not test or challenge the team, will not attract fans, and will trash our rpi (W or L).

I know I am using last year's RPI and it is not an accurate indication of how the team will be this year, but it gives a general idea of the quality of the program:

Charleston South: 164

Coppin State: 311

Beth Cookman: 343

S. Car. St: 318

Lipscomb: 271

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We all know top ranked teams will never come to the JAR. Therefore, the best thing we can do is to bring decent midmajors from the A10, Horizon, MVC, Summit, Conf USA etc...

The games will be fun to watch, the team will be challenged and tested. If we loose, we know that we're not that good. If we win, we improve our RPI and we prove we're good.

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Hey ZZZips, I hope you're doing well.

I agree with Lzip. The away games are excellent. The home games on the other hand are easy wins that will not test or challenge the team, will not attract fans, and will trash our rpi (W or L).

I know I am using last year's RPI and it is not an accurate indication of how the team will be this year, but it gives a general idea of the quality of the program:

Charleston South: 164

Coppin State: 311

Beth Cookman: 343

S. Car. St: 318

Lipscomb: 271

I don't mind Charleston Southern at all and I think Lipscomb may have just had a down year last season. I know they have been better than that in the recent past. Its the other three that bother me. I guess I wouldn't mind playing one of them but playing all three is what really drags the RPI down. If the Zips could replace teams like Bethune and Coppin with teams expected to have RPIs closer to 175 or 200, and these could even be better MEAC teams, I think it would help the postseason resume more than many realize.

Still, this season's schedule does seem to be better than ones in the past. The road games, and of course the MAC tournament, will end up being what defines the season.

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There's two ways to look at this.

1) If we are going to continue to schedule very poor teams at home to pad our "W" total, at least we got some good road games this year, and a chance to grab some attention if we perform well in those games. Villanova or Arkansas could potentially be "National Attention" wins. I'm happy for that chance.

2) Overall, maybe not an improvement. We'll see how good (or bad) the rest of those teams are as the season progresses.

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If Dambrot complains about empty seats for the non-conference games, somebody needs to call him out on this absolutely awful schedule.

How many years have you been a Zips fan?

How many times have you been told that No one and I mean no one will come to the JAR.

Time was Akron could buy home games for $35,000. That was then, Today it is upwards of

$75,000. What part of this problem escapes you?

Over the years a few high majors ventured to Akron and usually went home with a win. It is a

money game. No one and I mean no one will come to the JAR.

Let us see if the new whippy AD can change things. It will not be easy. In the mean time stop

bad mouthing your team and the efforts constantly being made to improve.

Cleveland State is going to play five home games at the Q. Why? To improve attendance.

They have a 14,000 seat arena (as opposed to a gym) and they draw less than 2,700 average.

Dave In Green can provide attendance figures. I think the Zips draw well over three thousand

to a bandbox dump.

Oh, btw, Cant Stat a recent Elite Eight team is just a few miles up or down the road if you really

crave topflight opponents.

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GoZips, it's pretty well understood that big-name teams are not interested in playing at the JAR. It's really the steady diet of 250+ RPI teams that some are saying turns them off. I think the question being asked is why the Zips can't cut more home-and-away series deals with higher-ranked mid-major programs like the one they had with Middle Tennessee? They get us to visit their place in return for them visiting the JAR, and each gets a quality home opponent every other season and no one has to pay anyone any money. Are other mid-majors in the Zips' general RPI range not open to that kind of deal?

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GoZips, it's pretty well understood that big-name teams are not interested in playing at the JAR. It's really the steady diet of 250+ RPI teams that some are saying turns them off. I think the question being asked is why the Zips can't cut more home-and-away series deals with higher-ranked mid-major programs like the one they had with Middle Tennessee? They get us to visit their place in return for them visiting the JAR, and each gets a quality home opponent every other season and no one has to pay anyone any money. Are other mid-majors in the Zips' general RPI range not open to that kind of deal?

Dave, Apparently not. How many fans would come to watch the Zips play a Horizon League team?

Most Akron fans can not even name Horizon League members. Do we really want to drive over to

Youngstown or up to Cleveland? Or, further to Dayton (for a home and home with the Flyers yes; Wright

State, not likely).

Missouri Valley programs are striving to high major status and avoid Akron like the plague. Pretty much

the same can be said for Atlantic Ten schools. Akron, too, wants to play high majors. Example, Ohio

State; the Buckeyes might play at the "Q" in a two for one deal. Then the "Q" becomes a home game

for them.

Some years ago Ohio State played a game against Toledo at Savage Hall. The Buckeyes lost. Toledo

had a huge home crowd verses the few Buckeye fans that could get tickets. Do not expect OSU to

fall into that trap again.

Some other Big Ten schools might venture into the JAR for three for one. A few years back YSU played

Minnesota at the Bigley on a FOUR for one. Are we willing to pay such a price?

There several quality opponents available for home and home if they would come. What is the incentive

for them? A road loss at Akron is not appealing. A road loss at Kentucky or Duke is a lot easier to

digest.

Akron is stuck in a rut. Way to good to risk playing on the road and not well enough known to take a

road loss.

Chipping away at the bias by playing a lot of neutral sites helps. What would really help would be

winning these mini tournaments on a regular basis. The recognition provides the incentive. Akron

needs opponents fans clamoring for their team to face us.

Perhaps the new AD has the influence and contacts to spring a few games. In the mean time keep

pushing for an on campus ARENA (not another gym). The JAR is a pig in a poke and how much

lipstick can you put on a pig?

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