egregiousbob

Their TV contract is gonna take a MAJOR hit.

I know a few other MAC ADs. They are amazed by his nonchalance regarding the nuts and bolts of running a successful department. He wants no input from anybody.

When your QB has to crawl off the field, he's not going to be able to his those sideline throws. He was OK in the first half but was beat up after that. Why Taj not given a chance I have no idea.

It's not raining in Athens. Storm has moved through.

Funny point regarding last year's halftime lead. Ohio had invested in heated benches for the team. Their coach ordered that the benches be disconnected and moved at halftime. That 11 point lead disappeared quickly when play resumed.

Really don't see the upside for either Toledo or NIU.

Good tailgating action in Athens...depending on weather.

Graduate of Holy Cross. Not exactly a state school.

Hard to believe UNLV doesn't stand by its promises... I applaud the QB, who's obviously got a pretty good head on his shoulders.

This is a president who has invested multiple millions of dollars in a meaningless affinity program with the Cleveland Browns. Those dollars should would have helped boost other enrollment initiatives, including improving the football program.

On the bright side, I believe the undergrad population increased. Other state schools that have reported thus far: Cincinnati +4.5% BG +3.7% Toledo -3.8% OU +4.6% OSU +2.3% YSU +10.7% CSU +0.002% What's concerning about Akron numbers is that both applications and "admits" were up 10%, but seemingly few of these prospects chose to enroll.

Interested in your assessment of Ohio and EMU as "average" MAC programs. Ohio is coming off of two consecutive 10-win seasons, has won five straight bowl games and has more wins than any other MAC school, excepting Toledo, over the past 15 years. Also in top 2 in attendance. They lost 48 players to the portal last year yet game Syracuse a great game and are 2-1. They are in the "average" tier?

I'm sorry but this is silly. Toledo and Akron are VERY different cities/markets. Read up on the history of Toledo and that slice of Ohio swampland no one wanted back in the 1800s. Toledo is isolated from other major cities in Ohio. It has its own TV network affiliates. Its citizens are as likely to work in Michigan as Ohio and many are indeed Michigan fans. This insular mentality explains the strong civic pride, the iconic status of the Toledo Mudhens and, yes, the pivotal role of UT athletics in many residents' lives. Some of these same characteristics explain the popularity of University of Cincinnati sports - although the UC folks are delusional, IMO, if they believe they can compete financially with other P5 leaders. Akron, by comparison, is part of a three-city metroplex where citizens are fans of Cleveland professional sports teams, Ohio State, and high school athletics. Our media is largely Cleveland based. There are tens of thousands of graduates of other state universities who live and work in NEO. UA is still largely viewed as a (good) municipal university that provides convenient access to higher education. UA sports have never been, and likely never will be, priorities for local residents. We're kidding ourselves to believe otherwise.

UA should be announcing its Fall '24 enrollment today or tomorrow. Other Ohio publics have already done so. Interesting note on UC - they are highly leveraged financially, particularly in the athletics department. Those investments in football and new conferences have not been offset by sufficient increases in revenue.

ND's raking is historically inflated due to the whole, um, Jesus thing. That was not a Top 5 team...maybe top 15.

As to whether NIU win is biggest in MAC history, I believe Miami had some biggies in the early to mid-1970s and early 80s. They beat LSU in Baton Rouge, for instance.

How do you explain the continued success of other Ohio schools in attracting large freshman classes during this period?

I don't think I'd call what Kent, Ohio Univ. and BGSU are doing "cannibalizing." Clearly, they are winning. OU's last 3 freshman classes have set school records for size and academic rankings. BGSU has grown and Kent is holding its own and is much larger than UA and Toledo, which are shrinking. One place where Akron is really struggling is student experience.

Yeah, that approach will certainly pay off the debt. You strike me as someone who is totally decoupled from reality. What color is the sky in your world?

I see he still hasn't showered or received his assortment of UA apparel items. Perhaps they'll turn on the lights for next week's show.

Wrong again. The taxpayers don't build dorms -- universities issue bonds and pay that debt from revenue generated by the dorms. State has zero to do with this -- in fact, law prohibits state from building/renovating dormitories, etc.. The dorm rooms might be full but there are relatively few of them compared to the state's "residential" campuses. The core problem - and it is serious - is that the number of undergraduates at UA has continued to fall over nearly a decade -- even during times when the high school graduation numbers were strong. Other Ohio universities are seeing robust enrollment numbers again - UA is not. That is the problem.

Here's how successful MAC programs do it. Represent the brand, project class... https://miamiredhawks.com/news/2024/8/26/football-holds-weekly-press-conference.aspx As the for the Belichick rejoinder...when SCHMO Coach wins more than 2 games a year he can dress how he wants.

This should anger every Akron alum and fan. Yes, OSU's football budget dwarfs Akron's. But it doesn't cost anything to project honor and professionalism in everything you do. That approach influences your players, fans, prospective students, everyone. But this coach shows up for his first "press conference" looking like he hasn't showered or shaved in days. He's a mess. And he doesn't even take the few minutes needed to change into some Akron gear before going on camera. Akron's football coach looks like a schmo. The AD should have a few choice words with him.

I believe the 9K includes Mansfield. GP1's post above marks the first time I have agreed with him. Other Ohio schools are seeing enrollment increases. Why not Akron? It's doing a lot of the wrong things. But that Cleveland Browns deal (1MM marketing investment by the school, I figure) will really move the needle...

Concern going forward is that much of the grunt work of recruiting is traditionally handled by graduate assistants. If I'm not mistaken, budget cuts have eliminated GAs this year. Additionally, if enrollment declines or remains flat for 2024-25 (which seems likely), more budget cuts are in the offing. At some point, you just can't compete by rubbing two sticks together.