Zipsrifle

Pouring concrete on the roof of the endzone facility this morning. Also looks like about 2/3 of the lights are in on the West side.

The rest of the West Side seating appears to be going in! It's gonna be looking a lot like the final product here soon!

What they should do in the near future is do a test run on the stadium. Meaning, have enough people in the stadium to flush all the toilets and run all of the water at the same time to make certain those systems work properly at high volume. Leaking pipes or no water would spell disaster for the first game. In fact, if there is no running water, a building can not open to the public. Have a practice game during two-a-day practices where they can run the clock and make certain all of that works. A meeting the week before the first game with the ushers would be enough. One thing I really would like to see is professional vendors at the new stadium. Volunteers for local little leagues are always too slow and the crowds will be too big for that. Hire a professional company to staff the food counters.Test the lights at night to make certain they shine where they are supposed to shine. At Jacobs Field, each light is computerized and is assigned a certain spot on the field. They test this each year with sensors prior to each season as they change each bulb before the season starts so they have white light in lieu of pink light from old bulbs.And for crying out loud, can we please make certain the refs field mic works properly and has enough volume.All this stuff seems so straight forward, common sense if you will, but I know why you mention it. We all know that many of these things have not worked properly in the past.......

I think this is a great idea! But how about a "practice tailgating" a week before the season starts? And have the team come out and mingle! They would love some good cooking and we could get to know the players better. Maybe wqe could have a BBQ contest and the team captains could be the judges. Getting to know the players. What a concept!Really both of those are excellent. It's kind of a team appreciation/meet and greet. Even if only the regulars show up, at least it gives everyone a script to follow for the real game day experience. Also the the first idea gives us a chance to test the video display and a small scale dry run of the ticket gate (don't charge anyone) and perhaps concessions. They could use the practice.Wow, those are some good ideas, I love the meet and greet idea with the team, and the contest, etc. Maybe we also do it the day of the Penn State game and everyone who shows up to tailgate gets into the Info Tower where they show the PSU game in the Bar area? That has to seat a couple hundred people and are there really that many people who really tailgate? The dry run is also a good Idea as it will let the tailgaters avoid the confusion on the 12th.

That is a GREAT idea! I don't think it is too late for this either. The only question is do you restrict the people getting into the stadium to Season Ticket holders or do you let anybody get in? The only drawback I can see is that it will be abou 90degrees and who wants to sit in that and watch TV???

I love the idea of doing whatever it takes to get the students involved. I think that is the key to a steady increase in season ticket holders. I really think we have a great product here, we just need to get people into the stadium to watch them play. I honestly think that even with the team we field today, there are enough people in NE Ohio who would watch week in and week out that we would easily sell out ICS every week. We just haven't been able to connect with those people yet!

I think most fans feel like they already do more than the marketing dept, so telling a ZN fan to do something more is naturally going to make them mad that they're the ones trying and not the marketing department. If you can't market this beautiful new stadium, you need to get out of the business. I don't think anybody should post free ideas for Hunter. If he wants to hire one of us, so be it. But I would bet dollars to donuts that somebody that gets interviewed this month has a good marketing plan. Rasor had a telling poll posted.Read Hunter's marketing plan. Anybody impressed?Bingo! We have a winner. This isn't my job to market this stadium. I'm going to do what I can do with telling friends, family and co-workers about Akron Athletics the same as I always have. It's the Marketing Department's JOB. Read that JOB! to market the Athletic Department and the new stadium. So far they have been vastly underwhelming.Wow, I guess I didn't know this was a Union board....

I can't be too thrilled about a kid with those 2 offers. Unless we are having an academic challenge team we need to recruit higher level athletes.I guess we should drop the student in student athlete. We've had athletes that were smart and able to contribute within the team concept. I remember a great play by one such football player that saved a big win for the Zips at BG at the goal line. I'm not suggesting this was his only contribution but may have been his biggest. Awesome play! He wasn't the most gifted athlete but stepped up and contributed. Anyone know who this was???? Smart and athletic aren't mutually exclusive.No, we shouldn't drop the student from Student athlete, but we should also be D-3 if these are the types of guys we are excited at signing.Can you imagine a BCS conference school being excited over this? I want to play in bowl games ever year, not win the GPA cup. If that happens along with it great.Well excuse me for being excited for someone going to Akron near my hometown way out in hicksville. I mean, what was I thinking, anyone from out there (Sandusky, Willard, etc) can't be DI caliber and surely can't contribute for the Zips...cough (Charlie Frye) cough. At least we got someone who will be putting their scholarship money to use and not someone who will be throwing paper airplanes around in study table while they flunk out.

Welcome to the ZN family! And good question. Could they be platforms to stand on as workers install the ribbon scoreboard?What about that little "window" on the soutwest corner of the pressbox side where they have yet to attach the rest of the bleachers? Anybody know what that is? It surely cant be a window as the bleachers will be put overtop of it?Rumor has it that that is the concession window for Zeke, LeBron, and Shaq.

So, what does everyone think of putting A K R O N on the brick down the South (Right) side of the glass tower? There are 7 kinda blank looking brick sections there and if done correctly, I think it would look good.I noticed that too and thought it looked like it was missing something..I'm assuming this is what you meant? The spacing would be a little funny, but I think it looks better than the asymmetry I'm seeing now with the windows opposite the brick.YES, almost exactly what I was thinking. I actually envisioned some illuminated letters that would glow blue and gold at night, but that is very, very close!

Um, No, the marketing department gets paid to market athletics. They should be held at a much higher standard.Um, yes they do get paid (and some are just grad assistants that get paid very little) and they have a very small budget to work with, so how "out of the box" can a small budgeted group of 10 actually be?My point was, if you as a fan, student, and alumnus aren't promoting the team and the experience then you're no better then the Ohio.com haters. You'll complain about the situation but you won't do anything to help."But it's not our responsibility G-Mann"I'm afraid that it is my friends.I don't think there is one person who posts regularly on Zipsnation that doesn't try like hell to "promote the team and the experience." Quite frankly I find it insulting that you are implying that we don't. This thread is about the MARKETING DEPARTMENT and what THEY need to be doing to promote the stadium. Word of mouth advertising can only be so effective. The MARKETING DEPARTMENT has to step in and fill the void by coming up with creative ways to get people into the stadium and support the team.Actually, I intended this thread to be about generating ideas to market the football team and the new stadium, not to critique the marketing dept or Akron fans in general. My observation is that we have been very good at complaining about how things are and haven't been very good at generating ideas. Oh well, you get what you pay for. I LOVE the "Field of Dreams" idea and yes, we DO need to tell the students that the games are free for them. Here is an idea: LCCC is in partnership with UA for some of the programs and I haven't seen ANYTHING on campus for the new stadium. Maybe we need to give those guys a break too and let them into one game for free. With that said, CK has a very valid point that giving away tickets isn't the way we want to go, but I"m thinking if we can hook a dozen or so people into becomming fans, it will be worth it. Actually, I think I may print off a few flyers about the new stadium and post them on campus at LCCC anyway, it can't hurt.

I read Razor's blog today http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/zips/ and I have to say that I was completely underwhelmed by HY's responses. It does appear we are still "Buisness as Usual" for ICS which is NOT the mentality we can afford to have right now. So, I figure we are some rather creative people here, what would you do to help promote the Zips this year? I figure we need to start creating a buzz in the city and NE Ohio in general. TV ads aren't going to do it, so Here are some of my ideas:1) Team up with a local car dealership and give away a car to one fan at the first game, no raffle, just pull a name out of the hat. Give the car dealer free advertising all year on the big screen (inside and outside the stadium) and he gives away a Cadilliac or something. Promote the giveaway and have it during Homecoming to keep the momentum rolling!2) Team up with the Aeros, or the Indians (they suck and can't sell tickets) and have a deal where if you buy a ticket to one of the games, you get a ticket to the other for free. We split what little profit there is.3) Give the Cleveland TV stations an "Exclusive Tour" of the stadium before it is done. Have Jason Taylor or Dominik give them the tour. They will gobble it up and create a buzz. IMO, we have been VERY BAD in getting these guys involved in the construction of the stadium and we need to get these guys onboard pronto!4) Put HUGE banners at several points on campus so NO student can claim they didn't know about the Stadium. Hell, put a HUGE banner across Route 8 so everyone in Akron knows when the games are!I know I'm going to be going on my own marketing blitz to all of my friends and family as soon as single game tickets go on sale. We have got to make this thing a success and I'm not convinced the marketing dept has what it takes to get it done. Many have said it before, but this is the real deal this time, we've got to get anybody we can into ICS this year as we are at a turingpoint right now. Anybody else have any good ideas???

We should have enough students to fill the endzone sections and BOTH grass endzone areas!

So, what does everyone think of putting A K R O N on the brick down the South (Right) side of the glass tower? There are 7 kinda blank looking brick sections there and if done correctly, I think it would look good.

Well Said

Yes! Thank you for your service to our country!

I grew up near Sandusky so I am excited about this news. BGSU has a branch campus just East of Sandusky (in Huron) and Akron is never mentioned for anything....pretty much just OSU, BG, Cinci, Miami. In fact, I didn't even know that Akron had a University until someone from UofA came to my High School as I was starting to look for colleges. Anyone in this area going to a D-I school is a big deal, so I thought for sure there would be a write up in the Sandusky Register.....but I was wrong. As a fellow Zip and Engineer, I think Nico made an excellent choice!

I'm rather pleased with the game times. Better than we have done in the past.

I remember you talking about tailgating just outside shrank, but just an fyi, they're doing some parking garage project down in that area so that lot has also been turned into the access way to get into the actual shrank garage. I don't know if you're still thinking that lot, but you might want to do some checking around to make sure it's still going to be available etc.Good call, looks Like I'll need to make a scouting run to Akron in August so see what the deal is.

Is this you?Close. I have 2 kids and a gut but I do have a charcoal grill at home. The only propane grill I have is my camp stove.

I'm hoping he's learned from his mistakes. If we had someone who was much better maybe it'd be worth the risk, but we don't. Until then why not let someone who has experienced a college game man the ship. Decision making should improve with time (I would think) unless he is really helpless. Experience comes with wins and losses, ask any successful athlete. Yes I am being optimistic, but I think there is a decent chance Jacq can be a solid performer this year. I'm sure the coaches know what they're doing.Put me in the Camp that says let Jack start the season. I'm hoping that Walt is the ticket for him but if he goes below 66% at anytime in the season for pulling out the close game, yank him! You want experience for the poise the player brings in those tough circumstances and if he hasn't developed that lets give Rogers a shot. As for the blog, even though I'm a bit down on the Zips this year, I'm not THAT down. Maybe I'm wrong, but I think we're going to be at least as good as last season (Which isn't saying much), but to say that last season was our best shot for a MAC East championship, I think that is a stretch. Though I'm still taking the wait and see approach with Bain, not mentioning him in the blog is a huge oversight. I appreciate the blog, don't get me wrong. It's very hard to find information on the MAC from someone who is passionate about the MAC. Good job.

Well, I haven't heard of anything "Official" about where people will be allowed to tailgate. I have my preference and my location already picked out. I will be there EARLY on Sept. 12th and if the University and/or APD don't make any announcements, I'm doing it the way I did it at the RB. As for Charcoal vs. Propane, I prefer charcoal for taste, but propane is the way to go in terms of convienence. I bought a propane camp stove about 10 years ago and that thing done an amazing job. Just remember, if you are using propane to heat water for your Irish Coffee or Hot Chocolate tailgating early in the morning in a raging blizzard, that the propane needs to be at a certain temperature to vaporize. We were lucky in that we had enough warm water sitting around to get the process moving.

I can see it now. Can't State Students pull off a huge coup and infiltrate the field laying crew. On opening day the endzones say "AKORN NIPS"The stadium is flooded by squirrels and panic ensues!

We've got a top program in the technology field with the Poly Sci dept. Do what you need to do to keep that baby on top!

The weather is pretty bad today. It's supposed to storm all week, too.At this point most of the construction should be happening indoors, though. Wiring, plumbing, etc.You can't just substitute steel workers for electricians can you??