UAZipster0305

Bowden deserved another year if for no other reason than UA cannot reasonably justify eating a $500,000 contract given its financial circumstances. Also, while the progrum wasn't where we hoped it would be, Bowden is probably the most successful coach of our D-1 era. One bad season does not justify being fired, particularly given our football history. This was not a prudent decision.

It is disgraceful that the justification for the cancellation of 80 academic programs was financial difficulties and then shortly after, we eat a $500,000 per year contract for a fired football coach for a program that costs around $10 million per year to run. Shame on the Board of Trustees! This is irresponsible and further proves that the BoT are not looking out for the best interest of UA or the Akron community. How much better off would UA be if football were suspended as a program for five years so that debt on the stadium could be paid down and additional support be given to the academic faculty to strengthen research programs? Though for different reasons, the suspension of the UAB football program worked out favorably for its competitiveness. That $50 million would go a long way towards turning UA around while not sacrificing anything academic. This is exactly what we need new, long-term leadership for.

Where's Bob Costas when you really need him?!

A la NCAA precedent from when this happened to us against Northwestern so many years ago, shouldn't the game be move to Akron?

Been a busy week, but I've been meaning to chime in here... The seeding was fair. The Akron men's soccer brand is well established and recognized. We were borderline for getting a seed and lost 3-1 at home to Syracuse among other mysterious losses throughout the season. Syracuse was seeded one slot ahead of us, fine and fair. That said, we have played well below our potential most of the season. Do you think there is a team that Syracuse and Wake would least like to face this early in the Tournament than us? I don't. Any one, any where, any time! Syracuse will play tough, but I think we have an overall edge in talent. If we continue to play as we have the past 2-3 weeks, 3-2 in favor of the Zips. Syracuse has lost five in a row and haven't played since the end of October. The opening NCAAT home game against a recently accomplished and respectable opponent (even if no name to Joe Akron) that we have never played was interesting and nice to have in spite of the poor weather. I was impressed with both teams' ability to pass and control the ball in spite of the field conditions. Maybe it wasn't as bad on the field as it looked on TV? It was great to be able to watch in HD on my TV while the weather outside here in MD was also terrible.

Most of those programs were not at all redundant nor out of demand. UA needs to decide if it is primarily an athletics club that happens to have academic programs or vice versa.

And after announcing that over eighty academic programs would be cancelled. Disgusting!

There is much more to a college education than vocational training. In general, relative to someone with lesser education, a college graduate should be able to: 1) think independently, 2) work within a team, 3) learn throughout life, etc, etc, etc... Again, I am not opposed to cuts or consolidation of programs. It is the hasty way it was done and outside of the context of stable leadership and a clear vision for the future of the University. There is inconsistency in the statements put out about the motivation for the cuts that makes things even more suspect. I am not a partisan, and I actually abhor them. It's unfortunate, particularly as a fellow UA alum, that you find the need to make petty opposition rather than seeing it as a great loss to our common interest.

A Letter to the Editor from one of the UA faculty members is here: https://www.ohio.com/akron/editorial/voice-of-the-people/letters-to-the-editor-aug-24-university-of-akron-is-alone-in-attacks-on-history-sociology-compromise-on-akron-primary-should-be-easier Why does it not surprise me to read that these cuts are being motivated by partisan politics? Members of the UA community looking to give feedback can write to: M. Celeste Cook Secretary of the Board of Trustees University of Akron mcook@uakron.edu

But good for him for demonstrating real leadership. I have already started to advocate against most of the cuts to STEM programs, and I'd like to encourage others to do the same.

They say there is low demand, but as today's article demonstrates, that's not necessarily true. Even if there is low demand in certain programs, that is bean counting at its finest. There has been no consideration for the impact cutting a graduate program may have on the corresponding undergraduate programs and faculty or research and innovation. Cuts to ANY programs without a cohesive new mission statement and 15+ year plan in place at the university level are unjustified!

President Proenza used to talk about university innovation and research being a key to the regional economic engine. Faculty and students are attracted to the research of Ph.D. programs, which are the foundation of university innovation and research. No Ph.D. programs, no innovation or research, no local economy. This is true for STEM programs. In the arts, less graduate programs mean diminished local culture.

https://www.ohio.com/akron/news/local/what-university-of-akron-programs-are-being-cut This isn't a comprehensive list, but it's the most extensive thus far. It's hard to believe that UA would cut ANY STEM programs. Fashion design and some of the hospitality programs I get, but physics, math, and some of the health and education programs...come on! Ph.D. programs are the last things that should be cut. They are the most difficult to establish, drive prestige and excellence, and are key to the regional economy. In another article, it specifies that, "The areas of investment are: cybersecurity, criminal justice and emergency services; polymer and chemical sciences; health and biosciences; performing arts; digital communication; and business, law and education." The statement is not consistent with the programs that are being cut. https://www.ohio.com/akron/writers/katie-byard/ua-sheds-80-degree-programs-plans-to-beef-up-others-including-cybersecurity-polymer-science-engineering-dance-and-business I am saddened by this development.

http://golobos.com/news/2018/7/18/general-changes-proposed-to-unm-athletics.aspx I was surprised to learn that men's soccer is one of many sports that are being dropped by the University of New Mexico. That program has been very strong, nationally, for a couple decades and was in serious contention for several national titles. Like us, they are one of a small handful of schools that are not P5 but still a major national power. UNM has great soccer facilities too. What a poor decision by the administration. The article also includes a nice tally of men's and women's NCAA programs added and discontinued over the past decade for which data is available.

https://www.ncaa.com/news/soccer-men/article/2018-07-13/9-best-places-watch-college-soccer-according-fans Pretty cool, especially when you narrow it down knowing that several other stadiums only host women's programs.

It's been a busy couple years for me, and I seem to have lost track of our recent results in those series. The trends are still largely true though. Thanks to you and skip-zip for the historic factual corrections. The standards here are obviously high, and I spouted off like a PCCC graduate. Thanks again for putting me back in line.

I don't know how many times we lost close games to near even or better competition under KD when they primarily played zone or switched to it mid-game. I feel like there have been many. However, but I don't have specific examples in mind. Apologies.

Here are a few certainties with Zips men's basketball: 1) We own WMU to the tune of about winning about 9 games out of 10 since KD started as head coach. Good to see only a small blip on that trend for Groce. I bet Dawkins hated facing us. 2) We ALWAYS own BUGS even when they are the better team or should win the game. What is it 27 in a row? 3) We ALWAYS lose in Canada. Most of the current UA students were probably in diapers the last time we won up there.

We've struggled against the zone for more than a decade!

It was a testimony to passion, not numbers. The evolution process of northeast Ohio fans that I cited in the original post has taken a toll in terms of our numbers.

I am not going to argue over semantics, Zip_ME87. I agree with nearly everything you say, and the differences are not worthy of discussion. I think Porter believed in himself AND Akron. His attitude with anything regarding tOSU is why we all love him...that in your face attitude of we are gonna kick your ass any time, any where. Lolla believed in only himself and was mentally checked out of Akron after giving it everything he had. So be it. I just seem to be more indifferent about it than you do.

To the FAU fans checking-in here, we are a northeastern Ohio fan-base. As such, evolution determines that those of us who remain have a chip-on-our-shoulder and are prepared to fight to the death advocating for our teams. Fan is short for fanatic for a reason, and there are no better true fans than those in northeastern Ohio. The Zips (and their fans) will show up in force in Boca Raton. Be prepared for a battle.

I think Lolla was justified in making his comments and departing. What precedent was there for an Akron team winning a National Championship? What about any other MAC school? Answer: Zilch. And this just after we had been undefeated nearly all of the 2005 season and got screwed in seeding for the NCAAT. Can you blame him? I don't. If you can't even be recognized as a top four team after being nearly perfect, why would that change going forward? Expecting otherwise would be the epitome of insane. It required a change in leadership to make that happen, and miraculously, it did. Even with arguably one of the best NCAA men's soccer teams of all-time in 2009, it still took Porter another year to win it. The 2010 men's soccer team remains the only Akron and MAC program to win a National Championship. KD said the exact same thing about getting an at-large NCAAT bid (i.e. "The only thing that matters is the MACC."). Though I vehemently disagreed with the statement, I didn't see anyone coming for him with pitch forks. Quite the contrary, many fans seemed content with the 20+ consecutive win streak, an appearance in the MACC, and annual flame outs in post-season tournaments. I don't blame KD for leaving either. The common denominator for both Lolla and KD is that if the bars were National Championships and NCAAT wins, respectively, neither were the men for the jobs. Porter proved that, and I think Groce will too. In that light, those statements aren't too disparaging about UA, but rather reflective of their limitations as coaches. That says it all. We are much better without both. AND Lolla is yet to beat Akron when it matters after having two opportunities, so there's no need for the negative feelings on our side of things. I do like the attitude of having a chip-on-our-shoulder. It is necessary to survive as a northeast Ohio sports fan. However, it's important to keep perspective. I guess some people just don't know how to channel all the energy of so much winning. (<-- This is definitely not intended as political commentary! )

I found it interesting that one the commentators for the Louisville-Akron game was Bob Valvano, brother of NC State Men's Basketball 1983 National Championship coach and founder of the V Foundation, Jim Valvano. The game was played days after I watched the beautiful, moving, and entertaining, 30 For 30: Survive and Advance, which chronicles the story of the 1983 NC State team and the amazing person Jim Valvano was. I recommend it to all ZNO faithful. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Valvano https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Valvano https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1982–83_NC_State_Wolfpack_men's_basketball_team

I don't understand the negative feelings towards Lolla. He hasn't made any disparaging remarks about UA, and his teams are yet to get the best of us when it matters in the NCAAT, quite the opposite. Lolla was burnt out and frustrated here. Why would we want him to stay if he no longer believed in the program and/or university? Besides, his leaving made way for Porter to take the program to new heights. As with KD, it was just Lolla's time to leave. Such transitions don't have to come with harsh feelings, and both programs are better off because of the leadership changes. Now, if you make the argument that playing and beating Louisville is interesting and exciting because of the story-line involving Lolla, I get it. I just don't see it as personal.