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Miami is lining up games against Missouri and Mack is out looking for a new job.Agree 100%!! Find someone that WANTS THE JOB!!!

Miami 1 for 1 with MissouriToledo 1 for 1 with Navy (better than Army!!!)http://ncaapalace.com/ncaaf/34-schedule-ne...na-and-miami-ohhttp://www.fbschedules.com/2009/05/toledo-...ootball-series/Can't doing a 2-for-1 with Mississippi State (not as impressive, but still not bad).

WEll, I'm cheap, but I've been a season ticket holder since 2002 so whoever guessed that $$ means more than loyalty is right. I've got to wait until the 12th to pick my seats. I'm in the Family section (Cheap) but apparently I get to pick my seats....who know. I can't go anyway so I'll have to phone it in.It might just be that the 12th is the day for the Family Section. I am a FIRST TIME season ticket holder, picking at 12:15 that day. I would assume you would be earlier.I really hope they have a DETAILED ONLINE MAP that we can look at when calling in (which I will most likely have to do as well).

10% of the crowd as students is a fair number and probably relatively consistent with many Division I programs.

Color me confused= what does playing games June 27 to July 5th have to do with competing for the #3 spot? He can't officially practice with the team, though I know he can work out. Can he study 2 playbooks? That might be tough, but I would assume that the playbook for this type of thing is quite vanilla?I hear everyone about Miller, but ideally we see 1 year of Jacq (Rodgers with reps), 2 years of Rodgers (Nicely with reps in year 2) and 2 years of Nicely. It would seem ridiculous to burn a RS year when we have 2 guys that can play this year. If we get to #3 QB, we are in trouble either way.Play for the USA, learn from Chuck Kyle, get in more true game competition, pub for you and your school, etc. This seems to be a no brainer.

Take if for what it's worth (these type of sites are not always accurate):http://ncaapalace.com/fbs/akron/ncaaf/futureschedPersonally, I think we are better off playing 6 home games than the gauntlet of next year of 3 BCS road games (MSU, UK, IU).

About 1/3 of the way down is a link:http://www.gohuskies.com/sports/m-footbl/s...ball-blog.html#Classic, but with some modern piping on the road. Nice (except for the Barney purple!!).

From a Bond movie, right?Well...uh...close. VERY close.

Hopefully the new stadium will help grow the type of college football fan that Akron most needs= the kind that hangs out before the game, cheers loudly during the game and socializes after the game. Lots of tailgaiting, bars & restaurants filled, kids and adults throwing footballs around, cornhole galore, etc.

Not always accurate, but they do a pretty good job considering they look at 120 teams:http://cfn.scout.com/2/865282.html

Does anyone have information about the ratio of sand vs. rubber that will be used for the new field? I mean since you can't say opposing QBs, when sacked, got a a face full of dirt, it would be best to know if they have a face full of sand or rubber.

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/blog...rn=ncaaf,163519My Dad played LB at BC in the 60's, so I am a big fan and follower of the team and university. You couldn't ask for a better and player, leader, student than this kid from everything I have ever seen and read.

I don't agree with you. I agree with you.Sounds like the typical sour grape, jealous, hate OSU stuff that gets so old on this board. Too bad it has come to that...again.Come on. I even know die-hard Buckeye fans who readily admit that the yahoos from the sticks of Southern Ohio who invade Cowlumbus every weekend create a lot of problems, add fuel to the flames, and are flat-out rude to visiting fans. I've heard too many accounts of incidents to even start to mention them here. But as one example...remember....they had to tear-gas all of those idiots a few years ago to get them off the field after a Michigan game.I was not commenting on the whole entire area or scene. I was commenting on one location BEFORE games.

Amen. A family friendly environment will encourage parents to bring their children. Those children are candidates to become lifelong Zips fans who will one day bring their children. That's one way to slowly build a large, loyal fan base.I love the taste of good beer. I savor at least one bottle every day, often more. But I'm also responsible. I don't get sloppy drunk and start cussing in front of women and children. Families and beer can coexist. Heck, in Germany, beer is an integral part of the family experience. There are right ways and wrong ways of doing it. Let's just be sure we get it right for UA.The fact of the matter is that the MAC's best chance to gain improved attendance is to make events affordable family fun. And, of course, get better opponents and win games. Now, I'm lucky in that I will probably bring the kids once or twice and do the "family man" thing, and then leave the kids home with family and come the other 3-4 times and act like I did in my college days...well-behaved, just a bit drunk. Can't wait for the season to begin!!!You speak of beer and families mixing..that is typical at a baseball game (say, Indians or Aeros), but not typical at all at a Browns game. My 4+ college football games per year over the last 15 years or so typically have taught me that when it gets a little dicey at a college game, it unfortunately is the 19-22 year olds that are drunk out of their mind that cause the problems. Though not enjoyed, still better than seeing the drunk 30-50 year old idiots at my beloved Browns games (where I can't imagine ever taking my kids to).

If you are a paranoid OSU fan, that's probably what it looks like. If you're an objective observer, it probably just looks like a Zips fan who's concerned that a poorly organized beer-fest could ruin tailgating for the 99.5% of the responsible, beer-drinking people looking to enjoy a college football game day.*sigh*...when will OSU fan quit viewing everything as an affront to his true love...never, I guess...Howard Hughes was certain about those germs too...Yes, I am admittedly a fan of both. What would an OSU fan be "paranoid" about when it comes to Akron? I mean, c'mon...let's keep the necessary separation here. I'm simply stating that the going ons that you mention at Hineygate do not happen before a game. What I typically see is 50+ year old fans hanging out and listening to that older group/band that isn't that good (improvement there would be great). I've been there once per year over the last 10-12 years and have never seen "burning couches" that you mention. Just a WELL ORGANIZED event with food, beer, large TVs, less-than-great band and a bunch of people having good, clean fun.In the end, we won't ever agree on this. I think your full of it, you think I'm full of it. Slap fest continues...

I don't agree with you. I agree with you.Sounds like the typical sour grape, jealous, hate OSU stuff that gets so old on this board. Too bad it has come to that...again.

I have never attended Hineygate AFTER a game...always before. And, very little of what you described has ever been my experience before the game.Before or after is irrelevant. It is a mob of people with loud music and big cups of beer. And that's fine...Rockin' on the River has used that same combination to draw mobs to Cuyahoga Falls for 20+ years. It works. But there are drawbacks too. As long as the yahoos who come to the UA for no other reason than to get plastered @ "Old Milwaukee-gate" don't affect me, I'm cool with them.Not to get in a slap fest here, but..It is most certainly NOT irrelevant. Yes, it is cups of beer and music. But there has never been a burning couch at Hineygate BEFORE a game, nor have I ever seen anyone vomit BEFORE a game. It may be WAY too many people and WAY overpriced beers, but the atmosphere at Hineygate is nothing but fun, and, NOT out of control. If Akron can replicate it on some scale, folks would be more than happy.Now, with all that said, Akron can draw from what others have done and build their own traditions. And, I would say it is 1,000 times more important to have family friendly and student involved cookouts on Coleman Commons vs. any sort of Hineygate.

I have never attended Hineygate AFTER a game...always before. And, very little of what you described has ever been my experience before the game.

Frye might benefit from going up there for a couple years, ala Warren Moon, Doug Flutie, etc.

Coleman CommonsHineygate:http://www.10tv.com/live/content/local/sto...nn.html?sid=102I have since read a more recent article (could not find quicky) that said it was over.Yes, no doubt that Akron has challenges. Miami, OH and Ohio U, as examples, should be places that are awesome for college football...and they rarely if ever are. But I still look at UC and even Syracuse (as bad as they have been) for gameday atmosphere in cities/areas that are SOMEWHAT similar to Akron.The new, on-campus stadium is the key. Do it right right away, make it a destination and hope that the team does well and the program grows.

Coleman Commons could be much like the area at Syracuse or, for those that have been to ND, the Quad area. At those places, it is student groups that organize cookouts= burgers, dogs, brats and soda & water. No beer there of course. This would be the PERFECT spot for this type of activity, along with the area set-up for kids with inflatables.Now, not 100% sure where this could go, but a small replication of the now dead Hiney-Gate at OSU would be awesome. A beer garden spot with a band, and a theater TV to follow some of the other college football action.One of the great things about going to a college football game is hitting all these type of spots= hitting the local bar, the student group food area, the 'beer garden' area. And, of course, the tailgaiting. College football Saturday should be a day full of these type of activities and festivities. I hope Akron gets it right.

I was hoping we would go with gold grass and blue lettering, but then that would look too much like my yard in the summer (minus the blue lettering)If I had the funds, my lawn would BE fieldturf!!!

If one thinks one thing is boring, then why does one continue to return? Hmmmm

Wait...there is a very true point within this.Forget this notion that throwing up a billboard with our schedule on it will suddenly get people excited about going to Akron football games. As someone who has worked in sales for the past couple of decades, I can tell you that we DO have brand awareness, and people know we have a football team. The problem is...we simply don't compete at a level that interests enough of them. That's the challenge. It's not the fact that we're not making them aware of our game schedule.What you have to sell is that the game is AFFORDABLE family fun. Plus, while they KNOW about it, they might not have all the information or it might not be the first thing in their mind. I can't tell you how many people I have spoken with that take great interest in my discussing the Family Plan for Akron football. Even if they don't choose that route, I have a few Cleveland area folks whose interest is truly piqued on an affordable family trip down to a brand new stadiium.About that new stadium..you absolutely MUST sell that. This is the best time to try and gain fans with the new facility. Package family fun, new facility, convenient parking, etc. Hopefully offer some hotel & restaurant packages (Sheraton Cuyahoga Falls is an awesome place to stay). Your marketing strategy might be different in Cleveland than Akron. Perhaps fans are sick of paying all that $$$ to see the Browns suck on a Sunday (considering they are really pushing season tix, there is definite evidence there). Perhaps you want to sell Cleveland on all the Cleveland area kids that will be playing or are on the team.Just b/c people are AWARE of the brand doesn't mean that every opportunity to GROW the brand should not be done. There are ads on the radio, so that is a good start. Now, time for more visual ads.OBVIOUSLY, if the team goes 4-8 this year you kill a HUGE amount of momentum. Which is why everyone knows how important this season is. I'm telling you, I saw this same slow progression at the University of Cincinnati when I lived down there...and look where they are now. The Zips can find their niche if all of this is done right AND the team wins.

I like it. Remember the basketball magnet schedule/poster that had Wood, Dru and Romeo on it? It was done in the image of the Fantastic Four? Something cool like that.That one still is on the fridge. It was very well done. So, we know there is potenial there!!!