Leaderboard

If the message is about differentiation, then there is one move that is guaranteed to have more impact on the public's opinion of the university than a tagline or proclaimed edicational focus. That move is to get out of the MAC. Sports are a huge part of the cultural fabric of Ohio. Right now, there are six MAC universities in Ohio, including four that Dr. Scarborough has identified as in danger of failing and as universities that Akron needs to set itself apart from. MAC teams get lumped together in the minds of the public, and are largely interchangeable from the perspective of OSU fans who dominate the state. Join Conference USA in place of UAB, and you're instantly considered different from the other universities in a way that the general public can quickly identify. While C-USA is nearly identical to the MAC from a competitive and financial standpoint, they represent a more national perspective. The MAC is far too insular and concentrated in Ohio and Michigan while C-USA is spread from the Mid-Atlantic to Florida to the Ohio Valley to Texas. Being in C-USA shows that Akron is ready to step outside of this little corner of the world and belong to something that exists on a broader scale.

https://twitter.com/jaydachampwill/status/601875409203032064

Pretty cool that the coach's son scored the winning run on his dad's 600th win.