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More students used EJTH than they do Infocision stadium. That's a fact. ZipTickets was hot, getting free tickets to all the shows and you had to go in advance because all the student tickets were always taken. You're out of touch of you for a moment think students on campus weren't using, and enjoying, the performances there.

http://www.nscaa.com/rankings/4159/NCAADivisionI/men/PreseasonPoll The Zips are ranked 25th, but with plenty of opportunity to move up. #1 UCLA, #3 Georgetown, #9 Michigan State, #13 Maryland, #22 Saint Louis, #23 Penn State, #24 Old Dominion, along with Ohio State, Wake Forest, UAB, VCU, and UCSB from the receiving votes category are on the schedule.

I know this is primarily a sports forum but there are some very out of touch posts here. I attended a number of world class performances at EJ during my time in school. Off the top of my head The Cleveland Orchestra, Mannheim Steamroller, Wynton Marsalis (one of the worlds best trumpet players), Yo-Yo Ma, Al Vizzutti, Trans-Siberian Orchestra. A lot of great Broadway shows including Mama Mia, Stomp, Blast, and Spamalot. I had a buddy drag me to see Chevelle with Finger Eleven and it was sold out for that concert as well. Just because they aren't all acts you hear on mainstream radio doesn't mean they aren't filled to capacity regularly. Any artist big enough that you are hearing them on the radio all day is playing one of the larger venues in the Northeast Ohio area. On top of what everyone else listed another big event was when Gen. Colin Powell came for a sold out speaking engagement, sponsored by EJ Thomas Hall. This is absolutely a huge blow for the music department. What happens to Tuba Christmas, Band-o-rama, collage, special orchestra and symphonic band concerts etc. if there is no one on staff to run the lights/sound, maintain the building, sell tickets, etc? They can say the shows will go on but I don't see how it's possible. It's the equivalent of firing the entire staff at the Info or the JAR and then saying games will go on as scheduled without issues. I'm not here to bash on the sports teams. There were five of us that pulled money for gas, piled into a car and took road trips to Buffalo, Bowling Green, OSU and Can't for games. Went to every home game for basketball, and football even after I was finished with marching band and was in the band for the NCAA tournament appearances. There are absolutely more students that attended events at EJ every year than any of the individual sporting events. There are significantly more people from the community, including the infamous "Joe Akron" that everyone is trying to reach, that come through the doors of EJ every year than all of the sporting events combined. Talk about short sighted. The events hosted at EJ Thomas garner far more community support than the sports teams will in the foreseeable future.

Just wondering if there were any performances that might rate with these. . . . . .among others at the JAR. . .

So it's ok to lose a lot of money on EJ but not football?

Ms. Liska, the University of Akron has only 14 percent of the students graduate in four years. • Only 38 percent graduate in six years. Hmm, I think it is time to take a different approach With regards to the "outsourcing" aspect of bringing in Trust Navigator, I think this seems to be a prudent move and a likely trend. We have already seen this with the outsourcing of the food services. Akron runs its own dining services and has done since the university was founded in 1870. Per the report, Akron food services employs some 80 full- and part-time food, catering and retail workers, not including students. Now, following a tightening budget, due in part to declining enrollment, the decision to outsource dining services has come to the forefront. Outsourcing is a common practice today. I work in technology, when businesses outsource their IT initiatives to us (because we are experts) they are allowed to focus their efforts on their core competencies. It provides tremendous cost saving since you are not having to employ and pay benefits to your own IT staff - and allows you to continue with growth and innovation.

Editors say UA has a good plan http://www.ohio.com/editorial/editorials/ua-has-a-good-plan-it-really-does-1.613070

I think he made a wise decision.

^^Okay, good! I'm glad I was reading too much into just a couple comments. And LZip, you're right, when I went back to quote the comments which led me to think the team wasn't getting along as well, there really weren't many at all. Here are the quotes that had me a little concerned: GoZips wrote: "It is a team of brothers; not a team of others. Love one another and end the squabbling." GoZips is pretty close to the program, so that sentence made these next two stand out to me: Clark Griswold wrote: "The biggest threat is the common attitude of today's college athlete." As I read that again, Clark's obviously not specifically referring to this year's Zips team chemistry. And then taxpayer wrote: "Zips - discipline. To reach their potential the Zips need to share the ball better and live for we not me." I just over reacted. I think I've just grown accustomed to nothing but bad news over the last month. Lol.

I don't think they've had lectures in EJT since the turn of the century. 95+% of students at UA have never been there, and probably couldn't point it out if they were standing in front of it.

Big Dog's HS teammate from Cincinnati who was a walk-on PG for the Zips. His father was their HS coach.

I am going with President Poly Tech and his budget.