KentZip

Excellent topic Ryno. I'll give my short answer followed by some details.Short answer: You become a more powerful mid-major by consistently winning in all sports in a conference that on the whole becomes more competitive over time. There is absolutely no reason to jump conferences, especially in football, for Akron to become a premier program.Limiting the discussion to football only, the MAC as a whole has become much more competitive with BCS conferences over the last half dozen years. There is no reason to assume that this trend will not continue. On a TV basis alone, the MAC has gained a lot of national exposure over the last few years. You improve by continuing these trends and improving your shortcomings.The number one thing that is holding us back from advancing (whether you are talking about staying in the MAC or jumping conferences) is our fan base. We graduate approximately 15,000 students per year and we have football season ticket sales of 2,500. That is embarassing. I know, it's the Rubber Bowl. We have got to stop leaning on that crutch and start facing reality. Our dedicated football fan base is puny in comparison to the product that is being put on the field. How in God's name do we make the jump from missing league attendance standards to a "better" conference with 2,500 season ticket holders? Not going to happen in my lifetime. The assumption is also being made by some posters here that people will flock to a new facility and immediately sell it out consistently. I disagree. There will be a bump in attendance because of the new facility, no argument. We saw it when Jacob's field opened. You have to have more though. Ask the Indians this year.If this all sounds like a downer, it wasn't meant to be. I look forward to watching the Zips dominate a strong MAC for the rest of my life. Go Zips!

FYI: Place your informational faith regarding Zips recruiting in this priority:1.) ZipsNation2.) Pittsburgh Trib/Post Gazzette & Ohio Varsity3.) Scout/Rivals4.) OthersDo this and you can't go wrong. That's exactly why I asked here and not at Ohio.com ZipsNation has the ABJ up against the ropes. It's a left, a right, another left, the rope-a-dope isn't working, and the ABJ goes down (Freudian slip).

Captain,A little clarification if you please. Is he being recruited for track or football or both? I don't see him on Scouts or Rivals. Thanks for the heads up.

Ineligible due to grades and being redshirted this year according to a previous post.

Oh my God ZipAnalyst! A logical reply. Stop it!!!There have to be 10 names on that list that make much more sense. Like you state, let's get JD's contract extended and cheer as our program gets better over time. All of this talk of losing JD and Big East membership is way premature. Some people see the only way up from the MAC as moving to a better conference. It may be that over time, the MAC itself becomes a better conference than CUSA or the Big East. Then you don't have to move, just win the MAC baby!

A couple of points (or more if the coffee kicks in):From any school's point of view it is about revenue, not seats. If there is a huge clamor for Zip football tickets after the stadium is built, they will simply raise ticket prices. Any entertainment business would rather have 25-30,000 seats always full than 40,000 seats almost half empty. That many empty seats translates into an inability to raise prices.For all of the talk about "let's be more like the 'BIG BOYS'", I'll bet there will be just as much of a revolt (or more) when ticket prices approach what others are charging. Prices at the Rubber Bowl are rock bottom. I'd be willing to bet that there are high school programs in Ohio that generate more football revenue at home than we do.Looking into my crystal ball, I don't see free student tickets in the future either. You can look about 120 miles south to see what students pay for tickets when a popular attraction is put on the field every week. What happens there when a student doesn't want to pay for their tickets? Another student or alum steps into line to take their place.As mentioned by others, if it is that obvious to us that we don't want a high school type stadium with bleachers for the main stands, I'm sure the administration and the architects will agree.

Hate to interrupt the gratuitous BJ rant but:Could this be the firm mentioned? HNTBLink to their website with stadium design portfoliio.http://www.hntb.com/portfolio.jsp?co=2

I've wanted to post a similar argument for a while now but you beat me to it. Well said and I agree. If you have the option to take a 3 or 4 star non-qualified athlete in the hopes you make a percentage stick, you do it. If they don't show up or can't make grades, the scholarship becomes available again immediately and you play the numbers game again the next year. The walk-on qualifier from the local area then becomes your fallback position rather than your primary recruiting target.

If I come down to NTSU to tailgate, will I have to wait as long to be offered a beer as it did for your link to open?

Guys,With the Zips playing at noon and OSU at 7:00 PM, how could any bar have a conflict (if the Zips are televised). Jillians had the Zips on at least two TV's last week and would gladly host a Zips contingent.

Got free tickets for a pre-game cookout at Can't last night so I thought the least I could do is provide a brief scouting report and rundown on the game - miscellaneous observations in no particular order.Herbstreit is obviously wrong. They will not win the MAC East. They are, however, an improved team.Stadium was only about 75 to 80% full. Minnesota did not travel very well at all.Minnesota is a good solid team, but will have problems with most of the Big 10. Their primary running back is a 6'3" 255 lb. converted linebacker who is quick and very tough. Cupito, the quarterback is solid and has a good arm.Can'ts defense is somewhere between good and very good. In spite of the score, they held their own against Minnesota at least for the first half. The score at half should have been 17-10 Minnesota. The fact that it was 17-0 took the wind out of Can'ts sails.Can'ts offensive mistakes and playcalling took them out of this game. Early in the game, a Can't receiver got behind coverage and got down the sidelines to the one yard line. A combination of a stretch to get the ball across the goal line and a strip by Minn. caused the ball to come out into the end zone with Minn. recovering for a touchback. Can't used their one challenge but the call was upheld. On the next series Eugene Jarvis got them down to the one yard line pretty much on his own. Next play, option right - stopped. QB then got sacked at the 12 and Can't ended up trying a 22 yard field goal. Low and wide right. Here is where the play calling was suspect. Jarvis gets you down to the one and then never touches the ball again.Eugene Jarvis - some notes. He is listed in the program at 5'5" and 158 pounds. He runs fearlessly and is EXTREMELY quick and fast. He ended up with 109 yards against a good Big 10 defense. As a RS freshman, he is their primary back and despite taking a couple of awesome hits, popped right back up. He is going to be very good. Teams will have to gear their defense toward stopping him.That's about it. It poured at halftime so I left and watched the rest of the Browns game at home.Oh yeah, its 7:45 AM on Friday morning and

Can confirm that Stoudemire graduated from high school, unlike Hight:http://lledit.us.publicus.com/apps/pbcs.dl...7/1214/CAMPUS25

I'm not sure about that. It could be that the University is looking for additional sources of revenue to afford pictures.... something in the $500 range. Any ideas?

Google and ye shall find............Apparently, Mr. Boone is enrolled at a college in North Carolina that I have never heard of. Maybe a junior college sort of start to his career? Here is their roster:http://www.lrbears.com/football/roster.htm

Thanks Danalleman. Instant goosebumps!

<what the hell does Can't state have to do with who broadcasts the games? who gives a shit about Can't?>I can see why he would want to hang out here and be thought a fool rather than hang out around the Can't "athletics" scene.

Supposedly, it has been confirmed that Sian Cotton from St. V is no longer welcome at OSU. Any scuttlebutt on where he might transfer to? :macc:

Tex,Here is the scoop from the Zips website - BTW, cousin, not the brother of Amare.Jerrel StoudemireDefensive LinemanFr.-HS, 6-5, 295Lake Wales, Fla. (Lake Wales High School)at Lake Wales High School: An imposing physical specimen who posted 75 tackles, including 10 sacks, as a senior to earn first-team All-Polk County ... also invited to the South Central All-Star Game ... played tight end and defensive end as a junior ... posted 116 tackles, including seven sacks, as well as 40 receptions for 340 yards and one touchdown in 2004 ... coached by Marvin Davy. Personal: Born Dec. 5, 1987 in Lake Wales, Fla. ... son of Lynette Myers and the late Hazell Stoudemire ... cousin of Amare Stoudemire who plays forward in the NBA for the Phoenix Suns ... plans to major in business.

Antonio,Shouldn't you be practicing for the Super Bowl?Oops. Sorry.

I don't remember it being this way last year, but Scouts.com already has 13 prospects listed for the Zips for 2007.http://scout.scout.com/a.z?s=333&p=9&c=4&yr=2007

When you have to lie to build up your position as the "best program in the MAC" it probably means that your program is about to be overtaken.Scouts.com does the same thing every year. If they didn't have a recruit in their tracking system, they give them one star when LOI's are signed. Sometimes the update the star system as time goes on and they research the signee. Check Scouts in a week and see if the Zips are at number 97.

Exactly. If they kept him at the same level as he was last week, Akron would probably move up in the team recruiting rankings to a point past half of the Big East and ACC. This is not permitted. On the other hand, it might allow us to sneak up on some teams on the field where it really counts.

sorry, a joke disguised so cleverly that it wasn't obvious. I was kidding. Good find.

Got it. I'm referring to Mike Rasor's ties, not mine. I officially have zero insider information, you hear that NCAA!!!!!

but it isn't on Rivals........