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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.

If not Red Panda, how about :

If they were refinanced and the term was extended it would make sense the annual payment is less than the ~4.5 million it was initially. I would have to imagine the stadium and field house make up the majority of the athletic departments debt.

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.

$3.7M in non program specific facility debt/lease payments

I believe the original bonds were 20-year but they have probably been re-financed.

Hard pass

From page 3 (expenses) 34 Athletic facilities debt service, leases and rental fees - 45,427 (mens basketball) - - 3,669,935 ("non-program-specific") - 3,715,362 (total) Attachment A (Expense Procedures) Athletic Facility Debt Service, Leases and Rental Fees 30. Obtain a listing of debt service schedules, lease payments and rental fees for athletics facilities for the reporting year. Compare a sample of 5 facility payments including the top two highest facility payments and an additional 3 haphazardly selected payments to additional supporting documentation (e.g. debt financing agreements, leases, rental agreements). Results: We were informed by management that all payments transferred from the athletics fund to the general fund were related to debt service. They are not paid directly to the lender. The transfer amounts were agreed to the allocated debt service schedule, which was approved by the Board of Trustees.

Every other year is fine. It won't hurt Akron's standing as a mid major to travel to Youngstown or Cleveland every other year to help build a rivalry. Especially when it provides a likely road win in the non league.

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

The MAC going to a rumored 22 conference games means 3 OOC games will already be eliminated. The reason I said 3 instead of 4 is because the NCAA increased the number of games teams are allowed to play by 1 for the upcoming season. My hope would be those would be the games eliminated already. If we can only play 10 OOC games moving forward with 3 of them being an early season tournament and 2 being the SunBelt-MAC challenge, that leaves only 5 other games we can schedule moving forward. Of those 5 one has to think 1-2 would be against a high major. That leaves 3-4 other games.

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

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

Other interesting info:

According to an Auditor of State report there is none?

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.

That would do it

Didn’t they refinance a few years back? Might have started the clock over again.

ChatGPT is saying June 2038 is the payoff so they must have been ~30 year bonds.

I’d just want to go to an easy to get to road game

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

Given the stadium cost and the annual payment, you'd have to think they're about a 20-year bond. So in theory if they were issued when the stadium opened, maybe it's close to done...

I honestly don't know how many years are left on the issued bonds.