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And you're sure they're not just trying to keep you away? 😉😂

Was it an NIL contribution directed to players or directed to the recruiting budget so coaches can go find players? $100k for recruiting seems like a lot. My guess is it takes much more to have a really good recruiting budget. My company spends over $60,000 a year for my travel expenses. To hire at least one person would easily absorb the entire amount. Athletic recruiters must travel a lot for the program to have success. Akron needs muh more money just for recruiting alone.

For those wondering, Evansville lost by 31 to Purdue. But their 2 starting bigs still scored 15 and 14 points against Purdue’s bigs.

Which one? The letter about looking to next season or the communication about the $100K NIL contribution? As for the first, I didn't read anything into it as it was exactly what I would expect him to say. It didn't clarify anything for me. As for the second, it's a good start.

Evansville comes into tonight's game at 4-3 with wins against Oregon State, Henderson State, Calumet College of St. Joseph and Oakland City. They've lost to Purdue, Middle Tennessee and UT-Arlington. Evansville appears to have some talented bigs. 6'10" Australian junior forward Joshua Hughes leads the team in scoring and rebounding averaging 13.2 ppg and 7 rpg. 6'10" Butler transfer senior forward Connor Turnbull contributes 12.8 ppg and 4 rpg. 6'9" senior forward Miami and St. Louis transfer AJ Casey adds 8 ppg and 5.3 rpg.

However much one may hate the NCAA, it's not enough.

Anybody happen to know what is Groce’s best Kenpom ranking at Akron? Today’s 71 has to be it or close, right?

No. The point is that they are an example of a historically bad program that has gotten good. They are a good example for Akron. Their fans have graduated from the expectation of losing and failure, to seeing the positive in their accomplishments. Yesterday they had a WR set the school record for most yards in a game. Moving forward, nobody is going to be saying, "ya, but he did it against Delaware.". They will remember one of them being an 80+ yard catch with 20 seconds before halftime and being excited. The memories will make them happy. Search for Debbie Downer Thanksgiving Dinner on YouTube and you'll see the "ya, but" people of the world.

As we head into a long offseason, I figured I’d look back at the players we lost, give a brief synopsis of how 2025 played out, see how the departed transfers fared at their new programs, and take an early look at what 2025 could be. Keep in mind, the portal will surely change some of these takes. QB: Departed Players: Bullock (Colorado State) Added Players: Johnson (FAU), Broughton (Freshman) I came into the season with high hopes that Finley would make a major leap in year two of Moorhead’s system — the same kind of jump I’d hoped to see from Irons in 2023. Neither scenario played out. Irons couldn’t ever seem to get or stay healthy, and while Finley may have shown slight improvement in a few areas, it wasn’t by much and his statistical output was similar to 2024. That said, it was obvious how much the offense struggled to move the ball without him. Bullock transferred to Colorado State and ended up seeing even less action for the Rams than he did here, and Johnson was brought in as his replacement. Early on, Johnson had a situational role much like Bullock’s, but his snap count fell off a cliff after the Toledo game. Looking Forward: Roggow (R-So.) and Broughton (R-Fr.) look poised to battle it out for the starting job, with highly touted freshman Semaj Beals joining the competition. I’d still expect coach Moorhead to bring in another strong-armed transfer to push that group. My hope is that regardless of who wins the job, we finally have an adequate backup who can keep the offense moving if pressed into action. RB: Departed Players: Simmons (Georgia State), Kellom (Eastern Illinois) Added Players: Gant (Tennessee Tech), Curry (Louisiana-Monroe), Gee (Colgate) The portal favored the Zips this offseason at running back. Gant ended up being a major pickup and became Akron’s first 1,000-yard rusher in years. Patrick split snaps with Gant early in the season, but an injury opened the door for Gant to take over as the main man. Patrick still appeared in most games, just in a reduced role. Williams was a distant No. 3 on the depth chart. Transfers Curry and Gee both dealt with injuries. Curry saw limited action in three games, while Gee missed the entire season. Portal departure Simmons had a reduced role in Georgia State’s offense and started only a handful of games. Kellom transferred down to the FCS level and ended up leading EIU in rushing. Looking Forward: Assuming no one leaves, this room is set for 2026. Gant and Patrick would immediately form one of the best backfields in the MAC, and if Curry and Gee are healthy, the offense would have two bigger-bodied backs capable of thriving in short-yardage situations. WR: Departed Players: Golden (Louisville), Norton (Marshall), Rush (Alcorn State), Wilson (Tennessee-Martin), Campbell (?), Granger (?) Added Players: Grear (Fresno State), Hills (Washington State), Monteiro (Pittsburgh), Williams (Marshall), Sivon (Freshman) Talent-wise, I wouldn’t say the portal hurt us here. However, I’m willing to concede that having basically a new group of receivers played a part in the losses to Wyoming and UAB. We had far too many drops early in the year and finished with 34 total, per PFF — the most in a season under the current regime. Williams, Polk, and Mason developed into a three-headed monster, and each has a legitimate chance to land on an All-Conference team. Hills held down the kick return duties, Monteiro served as a key backup, and Grear played a solid role before going down with an injury. Golden transferred to Louisville and hardly saw the field. Norton became a starter for Marshall a few games in, but he’s nearly 600 yards short of what he put up last season for the Zips. Rush and Wilson transferred down to FCS Alcorn State and Tennessee-Martin, respectively, and are having the best seasons of their careers as starters. I have no idea what happened to Campbell or Granger. Looking Forward: I believe Walker, Adams, and Grear are out of eligibility. If Adams is granted another year, the question becomes whether he returns — and if so, what his role would even be. I mentioned back in the spring that he didn’t look like the same player, and that was confirmed in the first game of the season. Williams was playing as well as anyone in the MAC to close out the year and has a real chance to be the best receiver in the conference if he returns. Mason proved to be as dynamic as expected and should only get better with added mass and reps. Sivon has speed to burn and could make a name for himself next year with a strong offseason of development. Polk has already declared for the portal, so we know we’ll need to replace at least one productive wideout. TE: Departed Players: N/A Added Players: N/A Injuries slowed down Newell this season, which led to Cravaack logging more than double the snaps of any tight end on the roster. The tight ends weren’t used as much in the passing game this year as they have been in the past, but they were a key blocking part of the offense posting its highest rushing average of the Moorhead era at nearly 135 yards per game. Looking Forward: All three tight ends still have eligibility left. Witherspoon has been reclassified as a wide receiver on the roster, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see another player added to this position during the offseason. OL: Departed Players: Blanchard (Grad.), Thomas (Grad.), Burrell (Morgan State), James (Mississippi State), Seymore (Western Kentucky), Williams (Georgia State), Mitchell (?) Added Players: Archer (East Carolina), Johnson (Western Kentucky), Jones (West Alabama), King (JUCO), Moore (East Texas A&M), Motley-Simmons (North Alabama), Gould (Freshman), McManus (Freshman) Ten linemen rotated and played early in the season as offensive line coach JRod worked to narrow down his best group. In the end, the line settled in left to right as Johnson, McManus, Lyons, Davis, and King — with Archer, Jones, and Morris rotating regularly. Morris proved invaluable, playing nearly every position on the line this year. The OL still gave up too many sacks and will finish in the bottom third of the conference in that category, but the numbers were substantially better than in 2022 or 2023. Conversely, run blocking was tremendously improved compared to any other season in the Moorhead era. Burrell transferred down to FCS Morgan State and was the starting right guard. James was the starting left tackle for Mississippi State. Seymore was the starting right guard for Western Kentucky. Williams started at left guard and center for Georgia State. I’m not sure what happened to Mitchell. Looking Forward: King has already declared for the portal, which isn’t a surprise given his size, ability, and the success he had at offensive tackle this year. It’s always going to be hard for us to keep good tackles considering how high the demand is for that position in the portal. There’s a chance Jones, Davis, McManus, and Morris return, which would give the Zips a solid nucleus of experienced players heading into 2026. A handful of others may be ready to contribute more consistently as well. JRod has lived in the portal and JUCO ranks since his arrival, and it’d be great if this is finally the offseason where he only needs to add depth instead of hunting for multiple new starters. DL: Departed Players: Adler (Grad.), Kapongo (Grad.), Lavea (Grad.), Richards (Grad.), Graham (JUCO), Moore (Purdue), Nunnally (Purdue), Brockington (?), Proffitt (?) Added Players: Durham (Arizona), Laventure (Penn West), Duncan (JUCO), Musika (JUCO), Vega (JUCO), Brown-Demery (Freshman), Kavals (Freshman), Watkins (Freshman) The starting group of Durham, Laventure, Hull, and Dall played more collective snaps than any other starting defensive line in the MAC. In fact, only a handful of individual linemen across the league have more snaps — or even have a chance to surpass them in their final game — than Durham, Laventure, and Dall. The defense as a whole produced its highest sack total (27) and pressure total (178) of the Tibesar era, with 15 of those sacks coming from the defensive line. Former defensive line coach Wart deserves credit for most of the DL already in place, while new defensive line coach Leonard brought Laventure with him from his previous stop. From there, he aggressively attacked the JUCO ranks for depth, but outside of Laventure, production from the new additions was limited in 2025. Moore played in three games for Purdue. Nunnally has started for Purdue since Week 3 and has put up numbers similar to what he produced last year at Akron. Graham went the JUCO route, and I have no idea what happened with Proffitt or Brockington. Looking Forward: Even with some sort of NIL funds, it may be difficult to keep Dall from collecting a payday at a P4 program. If Laventure were bigger, I’d say the same about him, but his size likely limits his options to the G5 level. Hull also came into his own this year and could draw some interest as well. Outside of Murphy and Mixon, the backups gave us very little. We entered the season with question marks and could go into next season with many of the same concerns. There’s some unproven young talent, along with a few of the 2025 additions who barely saw the field, but again — it’s all unproven. With that being the case, there may be more portal and JUCO activity to bring in players with more mature bodies who are more likely to be plug-and-play options. LB: Departed Players: Fish (Sam Houston), McCoy (Oklahoma State) Added Players: Boswell (Freshman), James (Freshman), Reeves (Freshman) The trio of Cooper, Spriggs, and Summers were solid and reliable in 2025. Those terms might sound like I’m underselling the linebackers, but that’s not the intent — according to PFF, they were the most sure-tackling group of the Tibesar era. PFF also graded Summers as the highest-rated defensive player on the team, with Spriggs fifth and Cooper seventh. Fish and McCoy were starters for Sam Houston and Oklahoma State, respectively. Looking Forward: Cooper and Summers should be out of eligibility at this point, and Spriggs may choose to listen to other suitors. He has the athletic ability to play at a higher level, and the light seemed to finally come on for him this year. The defense has steadily improved since Tibesar’s arrival, in large part due to his ability to identify under-recruited players who fit his system and then develop them. There’s plenty of young talent on the roster, but the question is whether they’ll be ready by next season. If not, expect an upper-classman or two to be brought in to bridge the gap. DB: Departed Players: P. Lewis (Grad.), Golden-Nelson (West Virginia), Hunter (Memphis), D. Lewis (West Virginia), Owens (JUCO), Proby (Houston Christian), Greenwood (?) Added Players: Al. Branch (Kent State), Aa. Branch (JUCO), Flowers (Penn State), Kamara (Upper Iowa), Somerville (James Madison), Stepney (Marshall), Davis (Freshman) It was a mixed bag for the defensive backs this season. DeWalt and Reed were excellent at cornerback — PFF graded them as the second- and third-highest defensive players on the team — while safety and nickelback play left plenty to be desired at times. Johnson and Anderson were the most reliable safeties, but injuries and depth issues opened the door for Hunter, Flowers, and Somerville to get reps. At nickelback, the Branches handled most of the snaps. Darrian Lewis was a starter for West Virginia, while Golden-Nelson, Hunter, and Proby each played in a handful of games at their respective schools. Owens went the JUCO route, and I’m not sure what happened to Greenwood. Looking Forward: DeWalt should be out of eligibility. If Reed, White, and Kamara return, that’ll give coach Littlejohn a trio of long and athletic defensive backs to work with heading into 2025. I expected there would be a drop-off at safety after losing coach Renna and the departed players. Throw in a few injuries, and there was definitely a step back in consistency from the position. That said, there were positives — Hunter, Flowers, and Somerville all flashed as they settled in. I believe Anderson is out of eligibility, and David should be as well unless he receives a medical waiver. At nickelback, Alex Branch should be out of eligibility, and I thought Aamii Branch played fairly well over the last few games. This is still a position that could be addressed in the offseason. ST: Departed Players: Book (Grad.) Jackson (Grad.), Reardon (Northwestern) Smith (Florida Atlantic) Added Players: Dennis (Colorado State), Johnson (Bethel), Samaha (Michigan), Schramm (Freshman) If I recall correctly, Schramm took over field goal duties around the Ball State game. Wiley continued to handle kickoffs, and Castle did most of the punting, although Johnson handled some as well. Looking Forward: Outside of long snapper Dennis and punter Johnson, all the specialists should have eligibility to return if they choose to do so. It would be nice to go into 2026 with the kicking duties already sorted out. Reviewing the players who left for “greener pastures,” only James, Lewis, McCoy, and Nunnally truly made impacts at power programs and became full-time starters. Almost all of the others — excluding those who dropped to FCS but including the ones who made lateral moves within the G5 — would have been better off staying put from a purely statistical and playing-time standpoint. Hopefully the funds raised over the next eight weeks help turn the tide and keep the 2025 roster mostly intact heading into 2026.

Was GP1s deal to return to the board after his hiatus that he had to mention Wake Forest in all his posts?

Sorry for a late reply here. Conference USA gives the MAC a very serious run for this title.

I think that it is probably appropriate to have Joao Moutinho on the 2026 list. He is with Lech Poznan in the top tier league in Poland. From what I can tell, their season spans from July 2025 to May 2026. Lech Poznań, is a Polish professional football club based in Poznań and currently competing in the Ekstraklasa, the nation's highest division. https://www.lechpoznan.pl/en/schedule--results,47.html https://www.lechpoznan.pl/first-team,11,joao-moutinho,2931,zawodnik.html

Consider yourself blessed.

Personally ... the culprit and the fix are with THE NET. It is set up for .500 power conference teams that pull a home upset over a T25 team they annually play 2 or 3 times a year vs. an Akron team that is 'upset' by (for example EMU) it also plays 2-3 times a year. One team is rewarded, one is penalized. I suggest THE NET add another metric to the equation: Every team is penalized for playing more than 2 teams 150 spots or lower than them in THE NET from the previous season (and mid-majors should be penalized as well for playing more than one non D1 (NAIA, D2, D3) game. This is a non-con metric, so THE NET from the end of last season is used until Jan 1. This means a power conference program can't load up on 4 or 5 HBCUs or backend Ivys for 7-8 wins before conference play. Then got 8-10 in conference play and still make the NCAA Tournament. Right now (11/22/25) I believe there are 5 MAC teams Kenpom 153 or higher. That means a ton of power conference teams would have to play MAC teams -- even if all of them were on the road -- I'd take them. Over the long haul the MAC would get its share up upsets. The league power ranking would rise and the chances for an at-large team would increase. It would be easier for the NCAA to say no at-large team is eligible unless it is above .500 in league play. But that's too easy, simple and absolute. Or, no team can be an at-large team with a non-con SOS less than 150 spots below its NET ranking and have less than 20 regular season wins overall. Again, pretty easy, simple and absolute which it why it has no chance of happening, either.

Any comments on the communication from the AD?

Iona is a very nice squad. Completely brand new roster so they should keep moving up

Iona was substantially more athletic than Oregon State albeit less skilled. Which says a lot about Akron.

Yes, I guess it went to only 2OT. I turned it on with about 15 minutes left in the 2nd half. It was a really great game. Iona looked a bit lost defensively and forced too much offensively, which allowed OSU to build that lead. They regained their composure and never quit fighting. Much like they did against us. Difference is I feel we were able to respond to Iona's runs by running the score back up to 20 everytime they got it down to ~12.

I believe it was double-OT. That would mean that with an additional 10 minutes of play Iona still scored 5 points less than us in regulation yesterday. (91 vs our 96) And Oregon State doesn’t strike me as a defensive juggernaut.

The next TV deal will tell us the answer.

They rallied from a 19 point 2nd half deficit to win in 3OT.

That's not the point. JD won his first year. I don't care who he did it with. When fans say "ya, but" it's a dick thing for fans to do and dismisses a real accomplishment. Let's not forget 2005 with Luke and a better supporting cast he brought in including an NFL offensive lineman. I don't know a single Wake Forest fan today who is saying, Dickert won 8 games this year, but he did it with Clawsons recruits. In 20 years, they won't be trying to make a dumb point about a successful season.

Serious question - did it help or hurt the MAC to take UMass if basketball also struggles?

Evansville started 2, 6-10 forwards and brought a 6-6 and 6-9 forward off the bench for significant minutes against Oregon State. I imagine we will play bigger, but how much bigger? Against Iona a fast team that likes to run we played a lot of five guard lineup; Tavari, Scott, Young, Evan and Eric. Groce said after the Purdue game that one positive was Purdue had trouble guarding us as well. So do we try to run Evansville off the court? Do we give Lyles, Marvin, Oggie, Barre and maybe even Brisco the call? Or split the difference with just more Amani, Marvin and Oggie than we saw in game 1?

I loved Biggsy! You really think that w/o Frye,Hixon, Blackburn some of the O-line Owens brought in Akron would have been as good in 2004? Naw. JD got his QB in Getsy and still had Hixon and some O-line. Biggsy was a great piece of that offense. Hixon caught the pass from Getsy in the MAC Champ game. And actually they had a losing season in 2006 if I remember correctly. 5-7. 3-5 in the MAC. Owens guys were gone.