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NOTE - I revised my Feb 3, 2026 post above per this change to reflect the Spring Schedule reposted by @ZipsMSoc.

Jay Bilas has us as #51 in the country. Notably, he has Miami as #26 and OSU as #50. Purdue is #11, Yale is #60, and Murrary State and Troy are nowhere to be found. I wish we had a few of those games back. https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/47940627/jay-bilas-index-mens-college-basketball-rankings-top-teams-2025-26 26. Miami (Ohio) RedHawks My on-court view of the RedHawks is to rank them in the mid-40s of The Bilas Index. But, winning matters, especially when there is a goose egg on the right side of the record. And Miami is a good team that can shoot it, with quality shots and a very pleasing offense. The RedHawks are led by Brant Byers and Eian Elmer, the team's two best shooters, but Miami is not among the best defensive teams. Clearly, the RedHawks know how to win and have won a good number of close games. Travis Steele has put forth the claim that Miami cannot schedule quality games to boost its résumé. Though that is not a major issue in evaluating the quality of a team, it is certainly an impediment to the at-large process. If and when Miami loses a game -- or games -- this will be adjusted accordingly. Until then, The Bilas Index will honor the goose egg. 51. Akron Zips Though they're being outshined in the MAC by a still undefeated Miami (Ohio), the preseason conference favorite Zips are still putting together a good season. They even own a longer home winning streak -- 29 games, the nation's best -- than the RedHawks. In his fourth year with the program, Tavari Johnson leads the team in points (20.5) and assists (5.2).

Tavari: 12.0 MPG, 4.1 PPG, .456 FG%, .447 3PT%, 1.2 APG, 0.4 SPG, 1.0 TOPG Sharron: 18.8 MPG, 7.1 PPG, .383 FG%, .293 3PT%, 1.8 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.9 TOPG I'd say Sharron takes care of the ball better than Tavari did as a sophomore, and is much better defensively. Tavari was a much more effefective shooter/scorer. I still wonder if moving Sharron out of the starting lineup for a few games would take some pressure off of him. He seems like he is pressing a bit as a scorer.

Murray State and Yale would both beat Miami, too.

To be fair, if Miami played Purdue or Troy on the road, they'd likely have more than one loss in those games alone. Miami got lucky in getting us at home when we were having an off shooting night too. That's another likely loss.

Which defeats the whole puurpose of having a fan council because money talks, and as a result, those voices are already loudly heard.

I assumed the fans most likely to be selected were the ones who already hold influence through being large donors or long-term connections.

I also applied and didn't hear anything.

Right? If only the hundreds of fans who attend games had an online community where they could discuss Zips sports, the athletic dept., fan experiences, the university, etc. and form a virtual fan council...

The MAC has been maligned forever for refusing to think outside the box. For refusing to take any sort of risk. Now an opportunity landed in their lap that doesn't actually have much risk tied to it, and we're going to crap on them for taking a shot? OK, that seems consistent. An opportunity presented itself with a school that is being, admittedly, hyper aggressive and taking a shot in the dark. An opportunity that isn't going to cost the MAC much of anything. "There's no risk and this isn't going to lower the MAC's profile one bit" is a plenty good enough "just because" reason. It's 2026 in the world of college sports mercenaries. There are no rules. The best case scenario is that the MAC uses these funds and this methodology to find more schools in the footprint (see: past rumors of WKU/MTSU, etc). The worst case is that they added 6-8 games of TV inventory (Sac State home games) for however many years it lasts at no cost to the league. Do I think Sacramento State is nuts for doing this? 100% absolutely, ab-so-freaking-lutely I think they're nuts. Do I think the MAC is being stupid for taking them up on this offer in the days of "do what you can to survive" while having schools both leave and be courted? Not a bit. I'm not gonna crap on the MAC for taking a shot at something, even if it seems insane for Sac State to be doing this.

Wouldn’t it be great if there was any type of media coverage of this team? So maybe a reporter, or even a student reporter, could ask the AD or head coach what they thought of this deal? Crazy to think that a D1 team would have even a hint of media coverage.

This seems archaic. All the Athletics Department has to do is take ZNO content and summarize it through AI. Bam. Done.

I don't think $600k is as much as you think it is in 2026.

Of course it is, but being multi-dimensional provides resilience that makes this easier though.

Take it and buy some good players, maybe a training table, anything else we've been whining that we don't have

In an unrelated note. I received an email on December 10th about the introduction of the Zips Fan Council. "Akron Athletics has announced the creation of the Zips Fan Council! This new council will be paramount in assisting the athletic department with initiatives that will shape our future. The purpose of the Zips Fan Council is to foster dialogue between Fans, Alumni, Donors, Season Ticket Holders, and Akron Students with the Department of Athletics. This dialogue encompasses topics directly related to the fan experience, ticket sales, and other subjects pertinent to intercollegiate athletics events. Council members are chosen with the intent of building a committee that represents the broad spectrum of Zips Fans. The mission of the Zips Fan Council is to represent the voice of the fan in supporting Akron Athletics in initiatives designed to increase the fan base and enhance the experience for the entire Zips Community." Has anyone been selected for or heard anything about this?? I applied as did several others I spoke with but have not heard anything. Just wondered

Yes, but I wouldn't waste it. Immediately we don't get that much. It appears our immediate take is around $600,000 with the rest spread out over 5 years. Now what?

I agree. I also think it is also harder to win on the road in the grind of a long season. As much as this board gives Miami grief about their weak schedule, they have won all of their road games. Something we have not done.

This is the difference between good and great teams though. Great teams are multi-dimensional and struggling in one area does not doom them to a loss. If we had an alternative way to generate offense against Troy and Miami, we would have won those games, and we would be having a great season, not just a good one.

Wow, I knew he had been off but I am surprised by how bad those numbers are in conference play. Is there such a thing as a sophomore jinx? I think Tavari also had better numbers as a frosh. I just remember he did not get in some games as a sophmore but he also had issues on defense.

You'd have expected Sharrone Young to be an assassin from the 3-line this season, and he's shooting 21.6% in conference play. He should be around 40%.

We just made $1.5M - do you have $1.5M to donate in lieu of this agreement?

There are a lot of dummies between here and there. I'm still not sure anyone has presented a good reason beyond "just because".

I feel teams have been more physical against us, which has in part thrown off our rhythm. Also, I feel teams have done a better job of limiting open court turnovers creating fewer fast breaks and making us play a more half court offense. The video game numbers we were putting up earlier in the were never going to be sustainable.

I guess the one silver lining of Miami's fraudulent run is that Steele will be the top candidate for any major school with an opening. As far as Nate Johnson, I feel for the kid. But I think this should be a cautionary tale to Zips players as to why chasing the bag isn't always the best option.