Wally B

FIRST DOMINOE - It's Nebraska to b10! http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports...ge/7044884.html

Yeah it was close!!!

In the unlikely event you haven't seen it.... One of the best soccer commercials ever! This is SportsCenter!

Those four schools have released press statements, all basically saying that their fate is in others' hands but that they remain committed to the Big 12. If they're the only ones left, they have to immediately add at least 5 teams who have played together in the same conference for the past several years to meet the NCAA definitions of a conference. Otherwise they lose auto-bids to any NCAA tournaments in any sport, like what happened to the MAC in soccer last year. My thoughts 1) Kansas - will be fine.... NIx Baylor and they go to the Pac16.... they could also fit in the Bigger10, SEC... and the new MWC which is set to replace the defunct Big12! 2) Given that i see an interesting game of dominoes lining up! Starting in the East the Bigger10 gets the ball rolling and teams/conferences begin to fall.... it quickly heads west where the Pac16 makes its' move!... Heading back the MWC does it's thing, filling the vaccum leaving a few disjointed teams from the Big12 and WAC waving in the breeze. Limitations force them to make thier move along with the Big East who in addition to the b10 will probably get raided by the SEC and/or ACC (this is if things progress neatly and they won't, but everyone will pretend to be happy, just as they say they feel secure now) Result, C-USA is tore apart much like the Big 12 (mainly western teams) and the Eastern remnants move quickly to form a new conference. At this point what the Bigger10 does now filters down to the MAC..... The Zips could win in this game or lose big! With recent investments and improvements i think we are as prepared as possible! But know this the MAC will be affected IMHO!

115 Memphis Wow they've slipped as well! 104 Syracuse Rational or not, i like it when a "quality" opponent is ranked low, especially when their in our house! (b10 prospect no less ) Going on a limb here, i call 87!

WOOT!

Personally i think it's a great way to build on their momentum Gill or not! They sis a great job of attracting regional BCS teams, with a little success and marketing they can avoid our VT debacle at the bowl!

WARNING: Gardner Webb is our TRAP GAME!!!!! If memory serves me right, this is the team that beat ApState after they beat #5 Michigan!

Not sure if anyone cought this story or not..... appologies if it's a double post http://www.cnbc.com/id/37063718/

I love it! Great idea capn'. Could we get rid of the lame "roo zoo" as well if it hasn't already been done? A group of roo's are refered to as a "mob". The marketing would take care of itself and the U could make a mint off of "official" dark sunglasses!

Nice, when i entered the site 3 of the last 4 participants were from the Akron area!!! Go Zips! iBelieve in iCoach!

Iy would seem to me that the logical reason the championship game was moved from Columbus (I remember Mogadore playing on the old OSU astroturf) to NE Ohio was somehow in relation to the cradle of football up here! HOF, Canton Bulldogs, Massillon Tigers (Paul Brown), Akron Pro's (1st NFL champs and Fritz Pollard) Jim thorpe etc etc.... Akron still fits that equation. If adding a game at Dix helps us rein in this event i'm all for it!

I'm not a construction type either but the posted GoZips schedule has an exhibition against Virginia Commonwealth on 8/25, and the home opener versus Cincinnati on 9/17. That's only 4months. If admin has the funds and project schedule ready to go we should have heard something official by now. For not breaking ground on phase2 and the scope of the project i don't see this happening, atleast not in 2010!

The top teams always play by the rules and it's all about competition! Clearly we need to consider contraction.... It's the only for the BCS to level the field! Sorry i'm hijacking, but i couldn't pass that one up!

I wont deny that it didn't hurt, but i personally believe it was and is only a small part of their recent success. Again, Louisville did it in C-USA first before moving up, and they have deteriorated since then. So the opposite is true for them. Boisie St. and Utah have recently found success without becoming BCS first. Fresno State was on the radar for awhile too. Honestly, if UC goes back to the basement again, do you really think they will fill Nippert because they are in the Big East??? I highly doubt it!

Additional: I wish Ianello all the best but our motto is Fiat Lux (fat luck!)

Not at all!!!!....... god i miss that good ole' NEOhio self depricating humor. I'll put a twist on it! He gives up.... citing lack of institutional support related to burgeoning soccer and riffle team budgets..... and goes back to ND as an assistant again!

Additional: Lousiville was able to do it in C-USA!

Absolutely, having lived next to the UC campus in the late 90's and having a good friend who played safety for them as well, i can tell you that their attendance #'s are a recent phenomenom. They honestly thought the team would fold in the late 60's with the recent addition of the Bengals (Didn't happen, sorry Xavier). Moving up to the Big East helped but it was getting the right coach that led to several amazing years that did the trick. Doing it all w/ I-71 rival Louisville helped too!

There is a difference in "trying" to compete and the actual ability to compete week in and week out. The further I got away from the MAC, the more I realized how unrealistic it is to believe the league can compete every week at the highest level. There will always be cases when MAC schools beat BCS schools. I would argue that many of those BCS schools wouldn't make the top 40 of my list. The year we beat NC State, I think they finished the season with only 3 or 4 wins. I'd have to go back and look at my original post, but I don't think NC State was in the top 40. It's not about a super difficult schedule made up of the top teams.... that's the NFL! You're right. It isn't about that. It's about competition. The current state of college football does not allow teams within one division to realistically compete against one another. The separation has to be made to increase competition. How about changing the snate of the game itself to eliminate tactics used by dominant programs to reduce competition?? Limiting teams to a realistic number of scholarships was a good start!

I believe this article was written by Kit Kat/Airport KC. It has no logic to it, nor does it justify its stance on the MAC especially traditionally stronger programs.

There is a difference in "trying" to compete and the actual ability to compete week in and week out. The further I got away from the MAC, the more I realized how unrealistic it is to believe the league can compete every week at the highest level. There will always be cases when MAC schools beat BCS schools. I would argue that many of those BCS schools wouldn't make the top 40 of my list. The year we beat NC State, I think they finished the season with only 3 or 4 wins. I'd have to go back and look at my original post, but I don't think NC State was in the top 40. I don't thinks that's the point. Toledo, Miami, Northwestern, Indiana, Vandy who ever you pick, the will never compete week in week-out with the OSU's. It's not about a super difficult schedule made up of the top teams.... that's the NFL! For most programs it's about supporting your alma matter, hometown or in-state/regional team...... or the one with the nicest threads Top teams need the mids and bcs patsies to pad their schedules and make money. If they play a lot of FCS's they look like gits! For the mids it's still about rooting for your team win or lose. If you ever believed Akron was meant to compete w/ the likes tOSU week in week out in fb you were either ignorant or delusional. If your id dictates rooting for a perennial championship contender then move on and start cheering for the bucks on the side. It's OK, we all do it from time to time. Just don't imply that teams should be eliminated from competition due to inequities of the past. Change comes in small steps over long periods of time. Boisie has done a great job of moving up. Syracuse and Washington have done a great job of moving down. Will Akron get its chance?? time will tell, but they will always be my school, my town, my team!!! As for MAC/CUSA? I voted MAC because i don't see the benefits of CUSA. Akron and the MAC are tied together with strong rivalries. Akron/Can't BG/UT MU/OU etc. I don't see those splitting up in any realignment. While i somewhat avoid these threads i will say a new conference for the Zips is not out of the question as long as it satisfies the following criteria 1) Includes Can't (obvious), Ohio (Ozone, proximity, alumni, recent bb/fb rivalry type games) proximal CUSA teams Marshall (former budding rival and Rbowl bi**h) East Carolina (good program and located NC not TX) and remnant Big East FB members. 2) All-in includes soccer! Obviously these two are mutually exclusive given the elimination of Cants soccer program. Either way it is all highly doubtfull. Till then the MAC is right for the Zips!

Let's go Zips!!!!! Keep your heads and thus bodies in the game! Sweet redemption is at hand!Zips - 62Ohio - 60we never make anything easy

A used one at that.. I don't think we should comment on this........ period! (ba da bum... kish)

Agreed, the sweaters should die like their fb program did...... FACT: It is against the law in Oxford,OH for a woman to undress in front of a picture of her boyfriend..... Problem for me is that i don't see/feel anything in b-ball and the redfans are just lacking....... period! While they are perhaps the only MAC team for which i take personal joy when lose (yes i'd cheer CANT if they beat the suckeyes, for the MAC of course) .... Ohio on the other hand is fun to banter w/ and i'm willing to make the trip from MD to see a game! It's more than just the players on the field/court, the added banter makes the college sports environment fun.... Don't like the rowdies, go to a HS game this is college sports. G-mann thanks for the comments.... Usually i'm one to pass these threads by, to be honest if you look at the last couple of years there have been some great games/opportunities it's all how you look at it i guess. For me i've decided to add Ohio to my list and hopefully others will join the cause or start their own (fb players running through a HATE RED banner?). Now that i've moved up from the Carolina's to MD i think i will make plans to scoot over to Penden in the fall in addition to my annual Cant trek! Hope to see the ZN there!