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Back when cutting sports seemed like the abyss...


DannyHoke

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20 minutes ago, LZIp said:

We lost a few in recent days - one to Ball State and a few to Kent State.

 

If the Universality's financial troubles were constantly on blast, the financial commitment to the football program was regularly under public scrutiny, and the school is cutting athletic programs, would you want your kid going here to play if there were other options? The program has enough systemic challenges it has to deal with on it's own. Piling on only makes it more difficult for the student-athletes and coaches currently here busting their asses to have success.

 

20 minutes ago, LZIp said:

 

That was supposed to be Arth's strength- connections to area coaches to get those kids.

 

If this team doesn't play some reasonable football this year, all of the Zips Nation and fan support may not be able to save it.  This time through was a reprieve, the next look may not result in a stay.

Edited by clarkwgriswold
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30 minutes ago, clarkwgriswold said:

 

That was supposed to be Arth's strength- connections to area coaches to get those kids.

 

If this team doesn't play some reasonable football this year, all of the Zips Nation and fan support may not be able to save it.  This time through was a reprieve, the next look may not result in a stay.

Oh.

Importantly, while it was necessary to make some quick cost-savings measures because of COVID and years of over-spending, it was equally important NOT to make a huge decision like eliminating football because of the temporary COVID situation.  I think the MAC schools are looking for a better situation for football and that can't happen during a "panic."  Also, we pile on our football team like it's the only one in the conference that is a heavy stone hanging from the school's neck.  There is not perennial football powerhouse in the MAC who is the Gonzaga of mid-major football.   WMU pays their coach an outrageous sum.  The MAC needs to figure this out as a group.  

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2 hours ago, 94zipgrad said:

That was one of the best crowds, over 20k easy, half was a Iowa State fans, they traveled well

 

 

The Iowa State game was the last Akron game I attended too!  ?

 

This was posted in the CycloneFanatic.com discussion about the Akron cuts.  All red on the visiting team side and lots of red on the home team side.  Yes, we travel well.  

 

image.png

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1 hour ago, NWAkron said:

Oh.

Importantly, while it was necessary to make some quick cost-savings measures because of COVID and years of over-spending, it was equally important NOT to make a huge decision like eliminating football because of the temporary COVID situation.  I think the MAC schools are looking for a better situation for football and that can't happen during a "panic."  Also, we pile on our football team like it's the only one in the conference that is a heavy stone hanging from the school's neck.  There is not perennial football powerhouse in the MAC who is the Gonzaga of mid-major football.   WMU pays their coach an outrageous sum.  The MAC needs to figure this out as a group.  

 

Agree with all of that.  My point is that the program is probably not entirely out of the woods, especially if we see an ugly season.

 

7 minutes ago, Cykron said:

 

 

The Iowa State game was the last Akron game I attended too!  ?

 

This was posted in the CycloneFanatic.com discussion about the Akron cuts.  All red on the visiting team side and lots of red on the home team side.  Yes, we travel well.  

 

image.png

 

Announced as a sell out.

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On 5/13/2020 at 7:54 PM, ZipsVoice said:

I tend to agree with ZippyRulz....I was shocked track and field overall wasn't eliminated last year, when they were looking at cuts then, especially since the outdoor track was condemned and not addressed.  with the amount spent on travel to meets, sometimes partial teams going to multiple sites for meets on the same weekend, and having no outdoor meets to try to offset costs, and the loss of luster to the Invitational in winter, they've moved farther into the negative rather than close to being revenue neutral.  But does dropping men's track, golf totally and rifle save the $$$ needed to be saved?

 

Plus...getsomeMACtion.com has been around for about 6 years......

Does this mean there's hope for fixing up the track? (and selling off the xc course ?) Didn't the MAC site used to be macsports.com? Now it belongs to a maker of kiddie wagons ?

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1 hour ago, clarkwgriswold said:

 

Agree with all of that.  My point is that the program is probably not entirely out of the woods, especially if we see an ugly season.

 

 

Announced as a sell out.

This picture is pregame, it filled in nicely, it’s the best crowd I’ve seen there in my 3 seasons of going

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I think this whole situation says a lot about the leadership of the athletics department, specifically in terms of external things. Marketing is a disaster as we all can see, and it has been since the current "rock star" of a director was hired. And fundraising is a joke too. How do I know? Matt Kaulig is a BILLIONAIRE, yes, with a B, and the only time I ever see him is in commercials during the local news. Name the damn athletic department after the guy, do whatever you have to do to get a piece of his fortune. Hell, he's a former athlete!!!! He seems passionate about UA athletics and the University as a whole, take advantage of it!

 

Sorry to all the athletes and people that will be affected by these cuts. At the end of the day, someone had to make a very hard decision and deliver some difficult news, nobody wins in these situations. Go Zips everybody! Hope your MAC Champs shirts show up in the mail soon!

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59 minutes ago, GP1 said:

It's waaaay bigger than this.

 

Sure, this is making everything boil over. But the department bleeding money isn't a new thing, shitty attendance despite basketball being as good as it has ever been isn't a new thing. It's just pathetic, there's no visible effort to change things. The senior leadership has been the same for a long time, and we get the same results. Arrogance and entitlement are far too prevalent at Akron considering the circumstances of the last 5+ years. 

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There is certainly room for men's basketball attendance to improve, but out of curiosity what numbers would you be happy with? Right now we typically average 2800-3000 for the season and ~3500 for MAC play. With the bump to 20 conference games I'd expect attendance numbers to improve. I'm a season ticker holder and Zips basketball is by far and away my favorite Zips sport, but even I have trouble justifying making the time commitment to watch Akron basketball play random MEAC/SWAC/NAIA teams at home during OOC. There is no way I'd pay $15 for a single game ticket to one of those games.

Edited by kreed5120
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Athletics should go back to sharing their financials in an annual report.  They quit doing this 2-3 years ago.  Hard to develop a feeling of confidence in the program when they operate in the shadows.

 

Matt Kaulig is not worth a billion dollars, but he is a whip smart young guy who has been building a juggernaut.  Good article here.  https://www.crainscleveland.com/people/gutters-nascar-kaulig-races-ahead

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On 5/14/2020 at 1:48 PM, NWAkron said:

They anti football crowd are a small vocal minority who offer nothing other than complaints.  President let it be known a week ago that football was staying.

 

Fan is short for "Fanatic".  All "Fanatics" do is complain.  Welcome to fandom.

 

On 5/14/2020 at 4:09 PM, kreed5120 said:

 

I hate to admit it, but dre is right here ☝️. Akron has as nice of facilities, if not better, than pretty much every MAC team. The university has kept trying to throw money at football to solve its problems. The problem is we've had a poor string of ADs who have in turn have hired some pretty poor coaches. The blame should be on whoever hires the AD, which I'm guessing would be the BOT.

 

Yup.  Idiot ADs that fired a Bowden with two-years left on a contract.  Utter stupidity.

 

On 5/14/2020 at 7:52 PM, dre22era said:

When your biggest cash burner is Football with all the custom jerseys, gold helmets and we do this BS

 

And the end result is ...


Yup.
 

On 5/14/2020 at 8:22 PM, ZippyRulz said:

Some posters should find a different school to follow rather than make themselves miserable here.

 

I mean the Zips make it pretty damn hard to remain a fan.  And not; posters like Hoke, dre, me, Balsy etc... are't negative to be negative.  We give-a-damn.  We're just as much a fan as you.  We're just tired of people defending objectively stupid crap.

 

On 5/14/2020 at 9:37 PM, dre22era said:

Your mentality of questioning people who give a damn is why UA is as jacked up as it is now. 

Oh how dare I give a damn 

Defenders of mediocrity need to go. YOU ARE THE PROBLEM 


They really DON'T get it.  They cheered as we fired a Bowden; while throwing money a mediocre dope.

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On 5/14/2020 at 6:53 PM, ZipsVoice said:

Kreed, I've posted regarding Cross country several times in the Other Sports Topic in the last three years, including us hosting the All-Ohio Intercollegiate in 2019.  ZipRulz has as well...just sayin'

I see you posting fairly often on olympic sports specifically swimming/diving and track/field. I'm sure you have posted some cross country from time to time. It wouldn't surprise me one bit as you're involved in those type of sports. Those posts just weren't all that memorable to me.

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Anyone who is throwing money away on a self-sponsored NASCAR team - a sport that is absolutely dying before our very eyes - cannot be described as whip smart.  Okay, so he's a "gutter" king.  Wow.

 

Go any Tuesday at lunchtime to the Rockne's on Steels Corners. Kaulig and his CFO have lunch at the bar - same seats each week - and Kaulig bitches openly about how most of his businesses do not make money. He was looking for a way to dump Kaulig Media the last I heard.  He's a paper millionaire, similar to our president who is at best a paper billionaire.  Lots of self-promotion. Real rich guys don't do that. Wouldn't be surprised to see that house of cards collapse.

 

 

 

Edited by jupitertoo
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5 minutes ago, jupitertoo said:

Go any Tuesday at lunchtime to the Rockne's on Steels Corners. Kaulig and his finance guy have lunch at the bar - same seats each week - and Kaulig bitches openly about how most of his businesses do not make money. He was looking for a way to dump Kaulig Media the last I heard.  He's a paper millionaire, similar to our president who is at best a paper billionaire.  Lots of self-promotion, Real rich guys don't do that.

 

Bingo.

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6 minutes ago, Zip-Grad '13 said:

 

Fan is short for "Fanatic".  All "Fanatics" do is complain.  Welcome to fandom.

 

 

Yup.  Idiot ADs that fired a Bowden with two-years left on a contract.  Utter stupidity.

 


Yup.
 

 

I mean the Zips make it pretty damn hard to remain a fan.  And not; posters like Hoke, dre, me, Balsy etc... are't negative to be negative.  We give-a-damn.  We're just as much a fan as you.  We're just tired of people defending objectively stupid crap.

 


They really DON'T get it.  They cheered as we fired a Bowden; while throwing money a mediocre dope.

I'd argue extending Bowden in the first place was the mistake, but I digress

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5 minutes ago, kreed5120 said:

I'd argue extending Bowden in the first place was the mistake, but I digress


And that's a perfectly legitimate opinion to have; but it doesn't excuse the the waste of money on an already strapped program that came after that.

Edited by Zip-Grad '13
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28 minutes ago, DannyHoke said:

Athletics should go back to sharing their financials in an annual report.  They quit doing this 2-3 years ago.  Hard to develop a feeling of confidence in the program when they operate in the shadows.

 

Matt Kaulig is not worth a billion dollars, but he is a whip smart young guy who has been building a juggernaut.  Good article here.  https://www.crainscleveland.com/people/gutters-nascar-kaulig-races-ahead

Don't your insider friends share that with you?

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Arth has a lot of potential, and I have faith the new president will sort all of this out.  Right now Miller has to reorganize academics and get kids back on campus.  Williams did what he was told to do for now.  Williams and company could certainly be on borrowed time, but I'm willing to keep buying my season tickets and keep donating and keep being a huge Zips fan.

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8 hours ago, kreed5120 said:

 

The football program generates more revenue (even as terrible as it has been) than basketball and soccer combined.

via GIPHY

 

Quote

The University of Akron paid for its $34.9 million sports program last year in large part with a $24.3 million university contribution from non-athletic sources, the school reported in its financial filing with the NCAA for the 2017-2018 school year. 

Campus enrollment: 17,878 (Full-time equivalent enrollment in fall 2017, meaning two half-time students count as one.)

Athletes: 396

Teams: 18

Men (7): Basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, indoor track and outdoor track.

Women (10): Basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, indoor track, outdoor track and volleyball.

Mixed (1): Rifle.

Revenue: $34,601,000

Ticket revenue: $1,381,580

Contributions: $1,757,161

NCAA: $1,289,476

Conference: $1,827,299

Subsidy from non-athletic department sources: $24,289,339

Expenses: $34,873,226

Scholarships: $6,976,674 was spent on 213.05 scholarships split among 362 student-athletes.

Coaching pay and benefits: $5,914,303

Head football coach pay and benefits: $563,481

Head men’s basketball coach pay and benefits: $479,850

Head women’s basketball coach pay and benefits: $405,269

Next highest paid women’s coach pay and benefits: Swimming and diving, $165,434

Staff pay and benefits: $4,749,812

Severance to coaches or staff: $0

How University of Akron raised and spent money on sports in 2017-2018

 

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