RowdyZip mentioned this on the MAC Catch all thread but thought it was appropriate to include here. We and the Bobkittens certainly do monitor each others boards perhaps in a little bit of schadenfreude (I included that word because a Bobkittens poster said most of our posts appears as though they were done by five year olds 🤣). Anyway I really do enjoy the rivalry with them but it really hasn't been that much of a rivalry for the past two decades. One of their other posters said "If I didn't know any better, I'd read their message board and actually think they've done something significant in their basketball history like win an NCAA tournament game. You know, just one." RowdyZip mostly correctly pointed out "Saw this on their message board and laughed, but then realized you gotta dig deep when your team has finished above Akron in the MAC standings exactly TWICE in the last EIGHTEEN YEARS". I say mostly because it actually has only been ONCE, Groce's first year when the Zips finished 6-12 (and the Kittens were a mighty 7-11). That's it. They have also tied 4 other times including the fantastic 2012-2013 season when they were both 14-2.
Zips have gone 211--114 in that span - including this year - while the Kittens have gone 169-153. Zips has finished in first six times and the Kittens ONCE (the year they tied the Zips). Zips average finish 3.75, Kittens 6.5. The Kitten tournament runs (which yes I absolutely wish we had) are now a decade old. And unless you pull a major upset or make the sweet sixteen your upset tends to get forgotten.
So my point here (and I do have one :-)) would you rather have the kind of conference success the Zips have been in now year after year after year or win a couple of tournament games? While I'd love a win in the tournament the Zips success has kept me interested in what happens to them in almost every game over the last two decades as opposed to finshing sixth ever year. Making almost every season meaningful means a lot more to me than the occasional tournament victory (but be very clear I still want that :-)).