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Yep, as an undergrad I would go to 3-4 games a year when JD was the coach. I quit attending regularly under I-coach as going to games and being down 3 scores at half-time frankly wasn't worth my time. I've attended 2, maybe 3 games in the last 10 years and am in no rush to attend anymore anytime soon. In that same time I've attended 5-6 alumni tailgates, but typically just go to Euro to hang out with friends or go home when kickoff nears. The school has no interest in committing the resources necessary to put a competitive team on the field and I have no interest in watching a consistent 0-4 win MAC program that I have little reason to get excited over. No amount of bouncy houses or kid fun days will change that. Joe Akron is likely even less invested than I am.

I agree with this. I'll add it's just not money, but there is also a finite amount of roster spots on those teams as well.

I imagine this will move slower than previous years for mid-majors like Akron. Many players are going to hold out to see if someone will overpay like K State did with Nate first, and then once that P4 money dries up, they'll come back to offers from schools like us.

I guess if you want to bring in students who think bouncy houses are cool, Kent is your place.

If they win games, the public will know. Winning is the end all be all solution. Miami OH averaged 2k or less in average attendance for basketball prior to this past season. They won and the people showed up. Al Davis said it best: Just Win Baby Win.

Very true. We'll still be there anyways, and the folks they didn't even try to court will still not have any idea they exist.

Guess the “Toes All In?” sales pitch is 0-2. He’ll need to try a different metaphor at his next stop. #foreveragoldeneagle

Crickets...maybe we will learn something tomorrow.

The only question that matters: is Poffenberger throwing goal line interceptions? If the answer is no come the regular season, nobody will give a darn that the spring game was closed to the general public.

Stankovic has a neat name and the Spring game (and events leading to it) is just the latest Akron athletic department screwup. Seems like a reasonable discussion in mid-April.

Ogden Stankovic and the football Spring game are the most popular topics in Akron sports. Who'd a thunk it

And that wasn't even their spring game. They're doing another event this Saturday. https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1EWdhUDJ9d/ So sad that Akron isn't even trying, and Zips fans apparently think that's OK because trying to develop the fan base with events around stuff they're doing anyways is stupid and boring and stuff.

"Ooo that's a cool place to go." I know it's an amazing concept around here for the program to actually try and build its fanbase, but Kent is showing ways to actually go and work on it. And the reply around here is "haha that's dumb, we shouldn't do anything"

And the same amount of MAC championships

Sendy followed the Zips lead and went up tempo this year. The Flushes averaged 11 points more per game this season than in 2024-25.

Gillespie is no Freeman, but he IMO was the 2nd best player in the MAC last season (behind TJ). When you have a player of that talent it makes sense you adjust your system to feed off his talents. That was what Groce did with Freeman even though Groce teams typically play through their guards. With Gillespie now gone it would make sense for Sendy to modify his style of play to fit what he prefers to play.

Interesting pickup. He fits how they used to play, but not so much how they played last season. Not sure he would be a fit for the Zips, but he at least knows the league and for them fills a void.

The portal is the new normal. 4- or 5-year commitments to a single school are passe’. It’s fun to be wanted, and flirt with other schools. You can’t tweet #foreverazip unless you leave Akron. And those tweets, which always contain noble references to God and family, are great for the ol’ ego too. It’s often as much about ego, and the grass being greener at the next school, as it is about money.

It's not all about money

Probably a bit off topic, but I saw there is something like 1,400 in the women's portal. I found this a bit surprising. I get it with men's hoops as even between a CSU and UMass the pay difference for a starter is substantial. Maybe $75k-$100k difference, perhaps more for an all-conference caliber contribtutor. In the women's game those same wages aren't available. I read that UConn men's roster is $8-10 million spend while the women's is $1.6-$2.5 million. Don't get me wrong that's a good chunk of money, but that's comparable to what Utah State is spending on mens. Now if you take into account UConn is probably at or near the top in women's spending, that would mean most mid-majors are likely at $300k or less. Now mind you that's split across a roster of 15 players. It would seem to me a lot are entering the portal and end up making pretty much a similar amount unless they're going to one of the top ~50 programs that are investing heavily into women's hoops. It begs the question is it really worth making an extra $5k-10k if it disrupts you obtaining a degree because you're on your 3rd school in 4 years?

What if the children only care about the bouncy house and not the football?

I'm all for involving the community as long as the community benefits. How does the community benefit from bad football?

It may be telling to see which players are in attendance.