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And that is terrible to hear about! I am very sorry for that family's loss. Crime is everywhere. Is it worse in urban areas? Sure, and that doesn't mean lawlessness and violence is accepted. However, I live in Baltimore City, which has far worse crime than Akron. If you were to believe what is on conservative media (Sinclair is HQ'd here, so it is even more exaggerated), you'd think tourists are being murdered daily in the safest area of cities. It's overblown. I've ridden my bike throughout various major cities for decades, affluent and socioeconomically depressed areas alike, and I haven't had a single aggressive encounter where I felt threatened. In fact, just the opposite. I've been around some outwardly sketchy individuals or small groups, and they were either indifferent to my presence or acknowledged it and were polite. The outsiders gripe about crime incessantly and use it as an excuse to either not visit or to trash the city on social media. Meanwhile, the people who actually live here (like me) know otherwise. Perceptions matter though, and I have no doubt that this is a major factor in limiting the enrollments of both UA and UT relative to their suburban and rural peers.

I just don't think there is a ton to take away from an FCS opponent. Just like there wouldn't be if we played a top 10 P4. We took care of business and did what we needed to do. Not sure there is much to discuss that hasn't already been stated.

The father of a former player was murdered in cold blood just blocks from the campus. Some segments of society seem to be willing to accept this violence as just a part of city living. It's more than just perception, it's a fact that the violence in urban areas is there.

Don't throw your shoulder out patting yourself on the back there GP1. LOL.

I was making them years ago on this board. The person who posted it was making the opposite arguments years ago and has blood on his hands for the destruction of the league.

With both of our wins coming in 1929 and 1937. Of our 10 wins, we won the first 6 meetings starting in 1923. We have only won 4 to their 11 since 1987.

I've said it before, and I will say it again, I think Toledo and Akron suffer because they are urban universities and conservative media outlets are relentless in bashing urban areas, particularly on crime, and that perception influences the decision-making of many people trying to figure out the best options for their children's next career and life step. If I were to guess, most college applicants in Ohio are from rural or suburban areas, rather than urban, so the propaganda cannot be overcome through real-world experience. If UA and UT were smart, they'd be pitching the advantages of being in an urban environment such as the proximity to the hospitals, government agencies, major businesses, and arts and culture. How has Cleveland State been doing on enrollment? Similar to UA and UT?...it is a serious question. I do not know the answer but hope someone else does.

We go as Finley goes. His 9th year…or whatever it is…has been disappointing thus far. If the OL is passable, and he trusts them, I think we have a shot at the upset this week. Is he’s seeing ghosts and scrambling to his left for no apparent reason, we will likely lose by 32.

Yes good win last week, I guess... Now let's see what happens when we take on someone our own size.

Translation - b!+ch!ng is easier than analyzing.

Stankovic makes playing 5 out possible without losing too much size. I am hoping an even more improved Amani can also rotate out to the perimeter.

Everyone knows who wrote it. I wish he would have put it citations for all of my ideas I have been posting for years. I've been saying most of this for years.

I would probably imagine Cody would only play 5-10 minutes a night. Like Arkansas State last year this Akron team has a lot of guard depth. Akron on paper looks like an even deeper team than last year. I expect an even more uptempo offense to cater to our athleticism and to gas our opponents. For that reason I can't imagine Amani averaging much more than 25 minutes a night. We will probably need to get a combined 15 minutes a night out of Chabi and Brisco. I also wouldn't be surprised if in limited situations we even see someone like Evan play the 5 if Groce sees the ability to exploit an opposing flat footed, offensively challenged big many MAC teams often have.

I was a little surprised that NIL in the MAC averaged around $500K. I would have guessed programs like Toledo or OU would be spending in the neighborhood of $1 million for their rosters. Below is an article on how MTSU slashed $650K+ in expenses by eliminating alternate jerseys and helmets. They have instead directed that money to NIL. Identifying the waste and redirecting that money to NIL will be what we would need to do in order to be competitive. Like I said before, we need to find ways of making our dollars stretch further. https://frontofficesports.com/middle-tennessee-state-uniform-cuts-nil/

Nor has or does the NFL need the broadcasts. Their system finds the top players whether they are in Tuscaloosa or Hiram. There are many good points in that post.

Someone asked about Rotation here is my take. Obviously it will change throughout the season but with huge games early here is my 1st couple game predictions. we will Play a 3 guard line up with Tavari Johnson, Shammah Scott, and Bowen Hardman starting. Sharron Young and Cody Head will come off the bench at the guard. the 2 freshman guards might redshirt. At the 4 I think we will start the year with Evan Mahaffey with his brother backing him up but Ogen Stankovic will play more and more as the season goes on and might shift the Mahaffey brothers to the 3 (it is probably a given that we will play a 4 out offense so all these dudes will play on the perimeter) At the 5 Amani will start and play big minutes. with Chabi Barre and Rich Brisco coming in with foul trouble or to give Amani a break. Marvin will struggle to see the court unless injury. That gives us 11 total players playing regular minutes. I think we have the pieces to 3peat and my biggest mystery player is Cody Head, as I don't know how good he is, he could start over Bowen.

Last night I went to the VB match against Miami with a friend. We had a good time. The ladies have a team we can be proud of. Despite Miami being 10-1 we took it to them. Our only weakness was serving. We gave up too many points when hitting it into the net or hitting it too long. That was the difference in the game. Our ladies play with power and are athletic. They blocked or return some spikes by Miami that were incredible. The vibe on this team is contagious. It appears they love playing the game and each other. One thing that impressed me was that there were big team contingents from swimming & diving, baseball, track & field and lacrosse. Nice to see our programs supporting each other. If you are thinking of attending a VB match, do it. You won't be disappointed.

Sorry, but if you think Power 4 programs don't already know about MAC stars, you're wrong. They don't need ESPN broadcasts, and in fact can see very little vs. sending a scout. If you'd like to eliminate that part of the MAC package, please return the approx. $1MM each team receives. Akron's exposure/enrollment/retention problem cannot be extended to all other schools. Miami and Ohio are strong - Ohio has set freshman enrollment records for four straight years. BGSU is holding strong. Kent is doing okay. Toledo and Akron, admittedly, are not, but is that the fault of the MAC and/or ESPN night games? I do agree that Akron faces some tough decisions. The one-year 3.4% increase in enrollment is the first small step in a long, hard recovery. In basketball, John Groce has benefitted greatly from Bud Wentz's largess, but even that success isn't selling out the JAR. If I were a board member, I would seriously question the logic and value of continuing to support a football program, especially in light of the continued budget reductions that destroy the program's competitiveness. In BBall, Akron would be a great addition to the A10. What to do about the white elephant stadium? Convert the tower into academic and administrative space and spend some money to enlarge the field for soccer.

Women got another draw against NIU. Seems like we are definitely competitive in conference. Hoping for some wins as this team develops

Somebody else posted this on Facebook. I agree with all.the conclusions. Akron Football: When Exposure Becomes an Auction Block For decades, the Mid-American Conference (MAC) built its football brand on one thing: exposure. Midweek “MACtion” meant that on Tuesday and Wednesday nights in November, when most of college football was idle, the MAC had the national stage. Even if stadiums were half empty, Akron, Kent State, and their peers could say: “We’re on ESPN.” That pitch worked for a while. Players got national airtime, coaches got recruiting leverage, and universities got their names mentioned on broadcasts that reached millions of households. But in the Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) era, exposure has flipped from asset to liability. Exposure, Then and Now Before 2021, a Tuesday night breakout could put a MAC athlete on the NFL radar. Coaches could sell recruits on the guarantee of national TV games. For universities like Akron, whose football profile lagged far behind Ohio State, the ESPN window was a rare equalizer. Now? That same highlight package on ESPN is an advertisement for Power 4 programs to swoop in and recruit Akron’s best players away—with six-figure NIL packages. The math is brutal: • MAC collectives average roughly $0.5 million annually. Akron’s is closer to $341,000.¹ • Power 4 schools now routinely spend millions per year per athlete. • A MAC player who shines on national TV is no longer a point of pride—it’s a scouting reel for someone else’s roster. Exposure without the financial power to retain talent just accelerates the talent drain. The Optics Problem Even when players shine, the pictures ESPN broadcasts are damaging. Attendance across the MAC collapses for midweek games: Saturday contests averaged 16,738 fans in 2018, while midweek games averaged just 12,255—a 27% drop.² At Akron, the numbers are even worse. In 2022, fewer than 3,000 fans attended a sunny, 80-degree home game against Miami (OH). For context, in 2005—a Thanksgiving morning blizzard game with –6° wind chill—more than 7,000 showed up. What ESPN cameras show now isn’t “passionate fans” or “hidden gems.” It’s empty stands, lifeless atmospheres, and lopsided scores from overloaded buy games. That hurts Akron’s brand far more than it helps. The Enrollment Squeeze Akron’s enrollment collapse compounds the problem. In 2011, the university had 25,190 students.³ By 2024, it had dropped nearly 40% to 14,813.⁴ That decline affects everything: tuition revenue, student fees that help fund athletics, and the size of the potential fan base. With fewer students and shrinking resources, Akron can’t afford to prop up an FBS football program at the level the system demands. A Conference in Decline The larger MAC picture isn’t rosy either. The league’s national perception has declined sharply since the early 2000s, when it produced NFL names like Ben Roethlisberger, Julian Edelman, Charlie Frye, and Josh Cribbs. In the past 20 years, the quarterback output has been thin: • Keith Wenning (Ball State, 2014) — limited to practice squads • Dan LeFevour (Central Michigan, 2010) — never started in an NFL game • Kurtis Rourke (Ohio → Indiana, 2025) — drafted but unproven The league that once marketed itself as a talent incubator now serves as a farm system for wealthier schools. The Core Problem: Exposure Without Retention For Akron, the ESPN window no longer sells. National visibility doesn’t build fan support, it doesn’t stabilize enrollment, and it doesn’t retain talent. Instead, it broadcasts the program’s weakness: low crowds, heavy losses, and players destined to leave once they succeed. The very tool meant to elevate the MAC now underscores its irrelevance. Exposure without retention is brand erosion. The Path Forward Akron faces a stark choice. Staying in the FBS MAC means continuing to cash the occasional $1 million “buy game” check and enjoying ESPN visibility—while enduring blowout losses, talent drain, and empty seats. Dropping to the FCS would lower costs and restore competitive balance, but at the expense of national profile and big payouts. Neither option is glamorous. But pretending that exposure alone is still a benefit in 2025 is self-deception. The NIL era has changed the rules. Without new resources or a strategic reset, Akron’s midweek ESPN appearances don’t build the brand—they auction it off. ⸻ Sources 1. NIL reporting: MAC collectives average ~$536,000 annually; Akron’s closer to $341,000. 2. The Ringer: 2018 MAC attendance — 16,738 (Saturday) vs. 12,255 (midweek), –26.8%. 3. University of Akron Institutional Research: enrollment peaked at ~25,190 in 2011. 4. Ideastream: Akron’s fall 2024 enrollment at 14,813.

Could apply at Akron as well. As good a Toledo has been historically and as bad as Akron has been, Toledo is only 13-10 against Akron all-time. They are, unfortunately, 7-2 all-time at home. Rockets 28-14.

Board activity seems to be exponentially higher the week after a loss than a blowout win?😃

From looking at the calendar, I assume it is the annual Tip-off Reception.

Jackie is very deserving of this honor. Her behind the scenes work has been instrumental in the success of many Zips teams.

That information is correct.