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I’m genuinely curious, did someone hack my account and post a bunch of Arth love on my behalf? Everyone is accusing me of being pro-Arth! This is getting out of hand! Thank you for the laugh my friend. I’m sorry that I expect a team that beats Northwestern to not be at the bottom of the MAC East. I apologize for the lofty expectations for ol’ Terr-Bear. My bad. Perhaps I should have lowered my expectations like you. I’m officially retiring from the stupidity of this thread. Goodness gracious.

This should be the year this team finally breaks through and makes it to Cleveland. No excuses! I need to see some player development. Toward the end of last year, M. Neitzel and Layne Ferrell developed into key contributors to make a near disastrous season look a little bit better. Support this team!!

Great non league matchup tonight 8-0-3 Kentucky (4th in coaches poll) vs 7-1-4 West Virginia kentucky wins 1-0 on a goal at 104:15

I agree, but expanding the league isn't being proactive. It would make more sense to eliminate a team or two which would make the league more competitive. Better competition would make it more compelling. Making it more compelling would drive up interest. Driving up interest would lead to more people at games. More people at games is using MAC schools in a way that benefits the players, students, alumni, fans and general communities around those schools. That should be the goal. I saw ODU play at Wake Forest this year. The only reason I went is because I thought it would be one of the three games Wake won this year, but that's another topic. Bottom line, Akron vs Toledo is far more compelling than Akron vs ODU. ODU is less interesting than Temple and I can't believe I just typed that, but it's true. G5 schools don't need to rearrange the deck chairs on the Titanic. They need to get off the sinking ship. Lots of people survived the sinking of the titanic. G5 schools can survive the changing landscape of college football, but not through hysterical conference jumping. Let's get off the ship.

I miss Akron basketball 😕

The main post in this thread contains the following information... --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I have obtained the Form 990s for the G5 conferences for their fiscal years ending June 30, 2019, and June 30, 2020. Obviously, June 30, 2021 Form 990s have not yet been filed. In terms of dollars, the AAC ranks as the clear top dog in the G5, with the Sun Belt Conference as the poor man. Total revenues of each conference are set forth below. AAC 2019 $73,203,230 MWC 2019 $57,058,330 CUSA 2019 $44,250,642 MAC 2019 $30,848,489 SBC 2019 $33,072,881 AAC 2020 $111,278,729 MWC 2020 $ (not available) CUSA 2020 $40,861,629 MAC 2020 $32,241,698 SBC 2020 $31,584,812 Revenues from TV/media rights are interesting. These amounts are included in the total revenues above. AAC 2019 $22,726,100 MWC 2019 $14,232,915 CUSA 2019 $6,968,263 MAC 2019 $8,639,734 SBC 2019 $3,920,523 AAC 2020 $43,988,700 MWC 2020 $ (not available) CUSA 2020 $6,440,156 MAC 2020 $9,186,590 SBC 2020 $2,250,000 By far, the largest expense amounts for each conference are the grants and distributions they make to their member institutions. The total grant/distribution amounts set forth below are net of any membership dues paid to the conferences. The parenthetical amount represents an average grant/distribution amount for each conference member, although these individual amounts can vary widely depending on the formulas used by each conference to hand out the money. AAC 2019 $49,635,911 ($4,136,326) MWC 2019 $42,883,422 ($3,898,493) CUSA 2019 $27,876,250 ($1,991,161) MAC 2019 $24,116,351 ($2,009,696) SBC 2019 $17,959,464 ($1,496,622) AAC 2020 $65,385,468 ($5,029,651) MWC 2020 $ (not available) CUSA 2020 $26,620,665 ($1,901,476) MAC 2020 $24,530,154 ($2,044,180) SBC 2020 $14,882,160 ($1,240,180) Below are the highest payouts to an individual conference member in each year. AAC 2019 $7,476,770 (UCF) MWC 2019 $ (not available) CUSA 2019 $2,921,341 (Middle Tennessee) MAC 2019 $2,393,714 (Toledo) SBC 2019 $1,621,356 (Georgia St.) AAC 2020 $8,656,466 (Memphis) MWC 2020 $ (not available) CUSA 2020 $2,739,105 (Marshall) MAC 2020 $2,386,989 (Buffalo) SBC 2020 $1,386,608 (Georgia St.) Finally, one way of measuring the financial health of an organization is to look at its net worth - calculated by determining how much its total assets exceed its total liabilities. This calculation taken from the Form 990 of each conference reveals the following: AAC 2020 $43,315,213 MWC 2020 $ (not available, but was $7,984,041 in 2019) CUSA 2020 $8,748,914 MAC 2020 $6,431,401 SBC 2020 $6,457,663 One could conclude from all this financial data that a possible move by Marshall to the AAC might be expected to eventually increase revenues by $2-3 million per year on average, or by as much as $5 million per year if Marshall's teams performed exceedingly well in football and/or men's basketball. Conversely, a possible move by Marshall to the SBC might be expected to decrease revenues by $1 to 1.5 million per year. One might question whether the SBC generates enough money to feed an additional mouth or two through expansion, at least without identifying additional sources of revenue through TV/media rights or other means. Perhaps the recent SBC's TV/media contract extension with ESPN announced in July will generate additional dollars, though none were mentioned in the press release. A move by Marshall to the MAC would be, at best, a lateral one financially. Of course, all of this becomes even more complicated if CUSA teams start dropping off (UAB/FAU to the AAC? ODU to the Atlantic 10?). After the AAC, I do believe CUSA is the most unstable conference. The idea of forming a new conference sounds great, but is not very practical given the fact it would not have access to the football playoffs, would not have access to an auto berth in the NCAA basketball tournaments, and would not have any established TV/media revenue. Getting an additional auto berth in basketball only takes money away from P5 at-large berth contenders, so good luck getting that approved by the NCAA. It would be difficult for any school to abandon its conference affiliation for a new conference venture given this level of uncertainty. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Another interesting post from that thread... --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is the problem with numbers and not up to date numbers at that. AAC will have to redo their contract immediately to the worse unless they get the MWC teams that ESPN covets. It's why they are mentioned as targets. The MAC will remain the same CUSA is going to lose as many as 4-5 teams, maybe more and one of them will be the ratings leader most years. Their money is going to drop, significantly. The Sunbelt has a raise already not reflected in those numbers. Not AAC current money but much better than what is there for the last 2 years. And ESPN has told them there is more available to them if they get a few teams from CUSA that ESPN covets. If the MWC stands pat they will be unchanged and may in fact lose revenue depending on who the Sunbelt adds and who the AAC can lure over. Either one can drop their status from solid #2 to #3 or worse. Conferences that can add teams that ESPN doesn't control but would like to are going to get more money from them to cover the cost of those teams. It saves them from having to pay for a whole new conference. They're picking a la cart who they want and encouraging the AAC and Sunbelt to get them. ESPN is going to get UAB and Marshall, either way. I have no idea who they're taking after that. But rest assured CUSA is cooked and will be squarely at the bottom of that money list in 2 years. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I've always thought of the MAC as inferior to C-USA. That mindset has probably been due for an update, as it stems from the days of C-USA having its now-AAC members. The numbers above show the MAC and Sun Belt as superior to C-USA TV revenue wise. The Sun Belt has done an excellent job at growing in a relatively short period of time. The MAC, on the other hand, has taken steps backwards in my eyes. The height of the MAC, talent & relevancy wise, was the 90s/early 00s, when both basketball and football were consistently producing professional star talent AND making runs on the National stage in both football & basketball. Since then, the MAC hasn't made too much noise. Their marketing strategy is a mixture of mid-00s graphics and mid-2010s at the height of Twitter (#MACtion). Rarely are they ever "ahead of the game". The very unpopular weeknight games on ESPN probably has something to do with the higher TV contract; it doesn't sound like many schools in other conferences were lining up for that opportunity, which could mean a hard sell to other schools to join the MAC. I don't know if there's enough money to spread among 5, G5 conferences. I could see 3-4 non-P5 conferences remaining when all is said and done. I also don't believe the P5 re-alignment is done. The Big 10 and SEC are FAR superior in TV revenue to the ACC, Big 12, and PAC 12. I think we could see several P5 schools switch conferences (WVU to the Big Ten, for example), which would create more opportunities for change at the non-P5 level. I've wanted Akron to get out of the MAC for YEARS now. I think the leadership at the top of the MAC is pee-poor. However, adding new blood like MTSU, WKU, Marshall (new, old blood), etc., would make remaining in the MAC more enticing. So the question becomes: how open and aggressive will the MAC be in trying to obtain new members?

....and Tuesday night football.

There a reason Domino's sells so many of their crappy, bland pizzas...and why so many people like "Whale of a Pail" vanilla ice cream...and why Food Club brand BBQ sauce is on the grocery store shelf...or why the dogs playing poker picture outsells prints of anything Picasso created. Many people just don't care about quality. And that's not a knock on anyone...it's the way it is. For those that appreciate an artisan pizza, or a well-crafted IPA, or an awesome 14-hour smoked brisket...they have a different outlook. I see the script Akron as "mailing it in." Boring and unimaginative. A nice, safe, "Whale of a Pail" ice cream logo for the masses to accept. It bothers me, because we are capable of better. Logos should be cool, fun and sell merchandise. "Script Akron" could've been made by Brownie Troop #39.

James Madison also has Humpty Hitchens.

💯 JMU as well. *Plus JMU has men's soccer. (I don't know how many of you visit the soccer forum, but the lack of MAC schools fielding men's soccer teams is an issue.)

WKU-Zips should be an instant hoops rivalry.

Oh, now I see what you did. You quoted my comment, but were actually referring to a previous post by GoZips86. Please use more care when expressing your indignation. Go Zips.

That would be awesome.

I mean we're constantly told by others on this forum that D-1 Football is about Exposure...and winning against BIG-10 teams is more exposure than losing to BGSU... I just want some logical consistency from you guys. That's it. It's not much to ask. Either the record doesn't matter, exposure does...or the record matters and exposure is secondary. Anyway you shake it, firing Bowden was monumentally stupid with 2-years on his contract on that metric alone. It's like you guys move the goalposts everytime you're confronted with your own criteria. Good lord, if 2-6 was an unacceptable record, WTF is two years of 0-8 and 1-7?!? Do you even reread your own arguments after typing them? If 2-6 is unacceptable only 1-year removed from a 6-2 record and MACC appearance, wtf is 0-8, 1-5 (where you probably would have been 1-8), 1-8? Good lord just admit you're wrong...that it was a bad idea to fire him with 2-years left and just move on already. It's just embarrassing the logical inconsistency.

Um, uh, um, um, um ... Drove me crazy!

Agree. The logo is an attempt to look old style but is not based on anything that was used in the past a far as I can remember. Call it fake retro. I also agree it can be OK as an alternate on basketball unis, but is weak on the helmet. The Z is much more dynamic.

Everything Matt does turns to gold. His Xfinity team is the dominant team this year. He already has a Cup win in a part time effort which is the quickest a new team has won in the modern era. There is constant news of his expanding businesses. Even with all this, he is still doing what he can for the Akron area and Northeastern Ohio in general. The president of his race team, Chris Rice, is on Sirius about every other week because he is a great interview and they win about every other race. He always start with "Im at" or "just got back from" a fundraiser in Akron with Matt to raise money for The University of Akron or Zips athletics or they are raising money for the children's hospital or passing out teddy bears that the Nascar foundation raised money for. They are always using their platform to better the area. Chris is a very positive, intelligent and high energy kind of person who has the ability to make everyone around him better. He is a great example of Matt finding great people that are like minded to oversee his companies.

American Rust, new show on ShowTime. The story focuses on Buell, Pennsylvania, a dying steel town. Jobs are disappearing, methadone use is increasing, and home foreclosures are rising. One of the characters continues to live in this town instead of taking a "Div I" scholarship. It is referenced multiple times in the first three episodes..."not sure why you just don't take that Div I scholarship Billy" It's mentioned so much, I started repeating it to my wife as we were watching it. Finally, one of the characters says "yeah Billy, you should have just went to Akron" BTW, If you liked Mare of Easttown (dumb name for a show), you will probably like American Rust. Similar storyline, cinematography, backing music, etc.

No, I have said it is hard to tell how much is Arth and how much is the administration. But, there is no reason to expect Arth to be successful, based on his experience and history. He wasn't a raging success at UTC.

great summary of the current standings...and the remaining schedules for each team. Akron home game against Bowling Green is the biggest "MUST WIN CONFERENCE GAME" in many, many years NIU is now probably the team in the best position to host the conference tourney...as they have already played West Virginia and BGSU

All I can see is 'Alanon' on those blue unis but my eyes have seen better days. Gold on white is rough. White uni looks OK ... if you haven't gotten enough of script 'Akron.'

Leaf Home Solutions grew 80% organically in 2020 and total revenue for that group of companies is now over 1.1 billion. Kaulig is kicking some serious a$$ https://apnews.com/press-release/pr-newswire/business-corporate-news-lee-brown-north-america-products-and-services-d8961f7dfbfa07ea9d820279aa1b8e57