Brand Recognition

[InTheZone]

I've had a couple of encouraging encounters the past year that I thought I'd share. My work takes me out of town a lot specifically into the Pittsburgh area and the Cincinnati area. Relaxing around the hotel, I often sport my Zips gear. I can't tell you how often recently I've had people stop me with a "Go Zips" or "Oh are you an Akron fan" just from seeing the logo. A few times its been alumni (who even then, sad to say, it's a good sign they recognize their alma mater's logo), but many more times its just been people with no connection to the University that wanna talk sports. A few years ago this never happened, most people didn't even know what the U of A was or that we had Division 1 athletics. When I ran into other alumni, sports was never the topic on their lips. This is a really encouraging sign to me of the way we're going here, so I just thought I'd share.

[johnnyzip84]

I am originally from the Pisttsburgh area and still visit family there on a regular basis. I completely agree with this notion. I have always worn Zip clothing in the Pittsburgh area, but only in the last year or so (coinciding with the MACC and Motor City Bowl no doubt) have I received many comments. It's nice to get some U of A love after all these years! When I was an under-grad, I would get questions like "where is Akron?!!!" when I would visit home. This is a nice and welcome change.

[johnnyzip84]

Oh, and for you long time Brownies fans, that was NOT a Freudian mispelling of Pittsburgh the 1st time..... If I could type, I'd be dangerous!

[UAZipster0305]

I'm a PhD student at the University of Pittsburgh who did his undergrad and master's work at UA. I too am surprised by how much recognition UA gets in the Pittsburgh area. In all honesty, I think UA is held in higher esteem in the Pittsburgh area than in Akron. I am also delighted to say that even the people of Pittsburgh know that

[Captain Kangaroo]

A friend of mine went to Myrtle Beach last September. He was at a tackle shop in Akron gear and the guy behind the counter said: "Akron, huh? I never even heard of Akron until last week."The week prior was when we beat NC State.

[skip-zip]

I know quite a few people from Pittsburgh, and I am friends with an ex-Akron linebacker from that area. And here's why I think so many people know us out there. Starting back in the Faust era, we've recruited TONS of football players from the Pittsburgh area. A number of Faust's assistant coaches were from that area, and they canvassed that area pretty hard. And now that JD is here, he's using his Pittsburgh-area connections as well to recruit.We've especially been very successful when Pitt is going through rough times. That leaves players from that area wanting to play Division 1A, not wanting to go to Pitt, but wanting to play fairly close to home. If I sat down long enough, I could come up with a pretty large list of great Akron players from that area, and I bet this is what most of them would tell you.

[blueandgold]

Also the reverse of what skip-zip said is true. What I mean is there were lots of Akron area high school football players that played at Pitt. I believe most of that occured during the Owens era. He couldn't keep the good players here!

[Blue & Gold]

Arg! Don't remind me how many excellent Buchtel players picked Pitt over Akron during the Owens era!

[blueandgold]

I know. It ticked me off! There were a couple other schools, but mostly Buchtel.

[Bleacher Bum]

When we were up in Niagara for the Zips game earlier this year, we were grabbing a bite to eat at the Hard Rock when a fella at the bar noticed all of our shirts. Turned out he was a UA geology grad that was currently studying the Falls. He didn't even know we were playing NU and he just seemed so amazed to see four dudes wearing Zips gear.

[Balki Bartokomous]

While in the STL a couple months ago for the World Series, I ran into a couple people, while checking out the arch, who just randomly said "oh, fear the roo!" sure enough. Akron grads from like 40 years ago. Akronites are everywhere.

[zip81]

I know quite a few people from Pittsburgh, and I am friends with an ex-Akron linebacker from that area. And here's why I think so many people know us out there. Starting back in the Faust era, we've recruited TONS of football players from the Pittsburgh area. A number of Faust's assistant coaches were from that area, and they canvassed that area pretty hard. And now that JD is here, he's using his Pittsburgh-area connections as well to recruit.We've especially been very successful when Pitt is going through rough times. That leaves players from that area wanting to play Division 1A, not wanting to go to Pitt, but wanting to play fairly close to home. If I sat down long enough, I could come up with a pretty large list of great Akron players from that area, and I bet this is what most of them would tell you.

Didn't coach Faust have one heck of a recruiting year when he signed 7 or 9 (can't remember) of the "Miricle 22" from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazzette?That was when Pitt was changing coaches...I think Johnny Majors was coming back...and he slipped in there and took some top-shelf talent.

[Z.I.P.]

Okay, I'll chime in with my story:At Portland for the Pilots' soccer invitational in 2000, as Akron warmed up to play U of P in the first game, the guy in front of me grabbed his cell phone to frantically call home to his wife in Seattle. "Honey, you're not gonna believe who's playing the first game -- IT'S THE ZIPS!" he shouted into his phone -- almost in tears. Ends up, he's a UA alum, and his son played for U Dub (that's Washington for non-Norwesterners). Not sure what his emotions were the next day, when his son's Huskies blitzed Akron 4-0.Zips did score 2 second-half goals to draw vs UP, when Conor Casey was away with the Olympic team.

[gozips19]

akron has many players from wpa but there are also many students from that area that attend the university now. the campus is great and is a good option for a student that's looking to attned an out of state college.