egregiousbob

Yes, to warm the hearts of Zips fans, Ohio stunk up the joint against Wright State (at Dayton). Lots of new pieces for the Bobcats; not sure they fit together. Could be the end of the Boals era unless they make it to the MAC semis... BTW, if you've never seen a game at UD Arena, you really need to. The lower "bowl" of that arena would be perfect for Akron and would, in my opinion, be achievable through a $20-30MM investment in the JAR. Awesome sightlines from every angle.

Big difference. Mountain West claims NIU gives them the "Chicago market." Of course, it doesn't, but whatever. My guess is that NIU's move will be, at best, a wash if not actually a financial disaster. Their president is/was considered to be one of the most anti-sports presidents in the MAC, BTW.

What would make Akron attractive to a better basketball conference? Meh game attendance (6th in MAC?); zero NCAA tournament wins; smallish media market, particularly since there's largely zero coverage of the Zips by the Cleveland media; and a basketball budget that would be middling if not in the lower half of many other leagues. Bud Wentz's money can only do so much - and what if his financial business faces a serious downturn? I get the frustration with the one-bid issue, but the Zips have had that bid more often then not in recent years and done nothing with it.

Sorry, but if you think Power 4 programs don't already know about MAC stars, you're wrong. They don't need ESPN broadcasts, and in fact can see very little vs. sending a scout. If you'd like to eliminate that part of the MAC package, please return the approx. $1MM each team receives. Akron's exposure/enrollment/retention problem cannot be extended to all other schools. Miami and Ohio are strong - Ohio has set freshman enrollment records for four straight years. BGSU is holding strong. Kent is doing okay. Toledo and Akron, admittedly, are not, but is that the fault of the MAC and/or ESPN night games? I do agree that Akron faces some tough decisions. The one-year 3.4% increase in enrollment is the first small step in a long, hard recovery. In basketball, John Groce has benefitted greatly from Bud Wentz's largess, but even that success isn't selling out the JAR. If I were a board member, I would seriously question the logic and value of continuing to support a football program, especially in light of the continued budget reductions that destroy the program's competitiveness. In BBall, Akron would be a great addition to the A10. What to do about the white elephant stadium? Convert the tower into academic and administrative space and spend some money to enlarge the field for soccer.

No. Morehead is 51. He was 47-48 when the Zips hired him. Additionally, he made it clear that he took this job so his wife could be close to her mother, who was ailing. Convenience, not commitment.

Good god. Seriously? I'm not recommending Frank Solich (he'd still be at Ohio if he didn't have heart issues). I'm saying hire an older coach who wants one last stop of 6-7 years (or more) where he can turn around a program, build a culture and become a local legend.

Can't build a culture in 2 years or even 3. That's why the Frank Solich model - a proven winner who wants one last gig - makes sense for MAC programs.

I believe Eddie George will either plateau next year or continue to revive the program and leave. This is not a long-term success story. He's too young to ignore bigger-dollar jobs, and BGSU's athletic budget is in the lower-third of the league, if I'm not mistaken.

It's still a damned expensive place to live vs. Akron, Ohio.

Those are East Coast dollars. The cost of living in suburban Boston is outrageous.

Not likely to be a popular suggestion, but Jerry Kill has won everywhere he has coached. Get him to Akron for a 2-3 year stint (he has severe health issues) to build a foundation.

The Hoban thing is complete BS.

Hopefully we have a win this weekend to clear out all this anger.

Big changes looming on the horizon include not just where the football program will fit but where/how the school will exist as an individual entity. There's a major public college shakeout coming for the State of Ohio, and the 14 existing public universities will very likely become seven or five within the next 15 years. I have a feeling the state will return to its "four in the corners, one in the middle" concept, which will pit multiple schools against one another, particularly in NE and SW Ohio.

I question this claim. Yes, the Zips have been successful under Groce, but how do you define premium? Zero NCAA wins, very average fan engagement (5th-6th in basketball attendance), and an NIL strategy that is wholly dependent on one guy's checkbook. Do these facts add up to the top "program" in the league? I think not.