Z.I.P.

I could understand when the tennis squad was shut out by Miami and Ball State -- both traditionally strong programs. But Friday we lost 7-0 to Buffalo. BUFFALO! Please, I know the ladies are giving their all, and hope that they are good students as well as players. Now tell us if there is ANY hope for if not a revival, then just a breath of life. What has to happen for Akron tennis to be competitive? Does this program only exist to satisfy Title IX? I hope not. Best of luck, and I hope someone's paying attention.

Right HereThis is NOT up-to-date. Most have OSU, Kansas 1-2.

More interesting are the mid-major openings that popped up with the moves of Lickliter from Butler to Iowa and Dana Altman from Creighton to Arkansas. Look for Steve Hawkins to get a good look for both jobs. If he stays, WMU will be West faves come '08. I'm a big Hawkins fan, and have mixed feelings about the possibility of his moving up.

I guess its to be expected from our Official Athletic Website, but GoZips.com now says the women's soccer coaching staff is not assigned.I hope this is not bad news for coach Byrne and Co. She is still on staff isn't she?

A reputation somewhere between Jim Harrick and Larry Eustachy?Up your's pal! What a moron.

Coleman is Head Coach at Richland Community College in Dallas. After he and Steve Robinson were fired by Florida St., he was Asst Coach at SMU for a couple years (again, HC fired), then he coached a minor league (ABL or something) team in Dallas before taking his current position.Regardless of his success or lack thereof as Akron HC, Coleman is one of the most respected coaches of post players, as well as the nicest guy I've ever met in the profession.Hope he gets back to D-1.

Considering the resources he has, I think Reggie Witherspoon is one of the BEST coaches in the MAC. How long will it be before a FB coach achieves what he has at UB?

The kid's from Oxford? What, he didn't consider Miami???

Okay. On a serious track now. As much as I hesitate to jump on this thread -- or rethread -- because it generates so much emotion, just let me tell all those who have wondered: Yes, there have been, and I suspect continue to be very serious high level discussions --though short of what might be called negotiations between UA athletic and administrative officials and officials of the Wolstein Athletic Group (please remember Bart Wolstein passed away in early 2005) about how the potential MLS expansion franchise and the university could work together for common goals. Akron's former AD had very strong ties to soccer's national governing body, through his relationship at UVa to US National Coach Bruce Arena, among others. First off, the biggest reason that a common playing facility has not been considered possible -- and this is both experience and speculation -- is Major League Soccer's past insistence that all league members -- and particularly new franchises -- have total control over facility scheduling, and control extra revenues including parking and vendors. The new MLS franchise granted to San Jose -- which will share their newly built stadium with San Jose State throws the sabot into the gears of all this theory however.I honestly don't know what the status of talks are, and whether the idea is completely dead. However, due to the legislature's decision not to deck the cigarette tax for this year, it is not on the front burner, as it was a year or two ago.While I'm on the subject of new facilities: just before the AD turnover occurred, there were plans to announce both the new stadium plans, and the announcement at the same time of a major redevelopment scheme for the JAR Arena and offices. The entire plan went awry with the change in administrations. Too bad there seems to be no intersection of staff who could maintain continuity. Too bad indeed!

Tear it down piece by piece and truck it up to Akron? Can we take Mike Vick that way too?

Am I the only one who noticed the logo's resemblance to a basketball net? Fill the roo!?

No disrespect, but if you were a soccer fan, you would know Akron went to the NCAA quarterfinals in soccer in 2005. But, to you its "not a major sport", so you apparently don't care about the team or its success. I hope you get a chance to actually go and see the soccer team play consistently -- or to see any good college or pro soccer, and I'm confident you will change your mind about what constitutes a "minor sport".Go Zips, go Team Caleb!

Can someone PLEASE provide us with a LINK to the NIT bracket, or the teams selected? I can't find anything on espn.com or cbssportsline.Are we certain we were not selected?? It just boggles the mind of a true basketball fan. I hope Keith Dambrot didn't turn down the NIT. It will reflect poorly the rest of his career if he did.

I wasn't all that impressed by the film -- I guess I was wrong to think it would be more than a tearjerker. And does anybody really pronounce it Woooo-ster, I grew up not far away and always heard "Wuster". Comments? Red Steve? Anyhow, I have met Lengyel (and BTW -- I've always heard the "Y" pronounced in his name when he was introduced, unlike the film), a couple times, last when the USNA played in the Aloha Bowl. He was a proud Akron alum. And if I'm not mistaken, he headed search committees more than once at UA. Was he head of the committee that picked Thomas, or was it just Bobinsky? And maybe the one that hired Hipsher?Just so you know

"Temple, with just two scholarship seniors on it's 2006 roster..."Good grief! What happened to THAT recruiting class?

Regarding the MAC scheduling situation, it has been reported in the papers all the way out here in Hawaii that the MAC -- and specifically Bowling Green -- is screwing up the entire NCAA by pulling out of contracted games. BeeGee has a contract to play @Boise State this fall, and has told BSU and the WAC that they will not play the game. The WAC expects the MAC office to find them a game, which will allow the other WAC teams to complete their schedules. It is also reported that the Hawaii Athletic Director is in Philadelphia currently on business. My guess is he is negotiating a game this fall vs Temple @ Aloha Stadium. If Temple plays that game, potentially, they will not have a date left to play Akron (though they will get a 13th game for the trip to HI). Perhaps Temple will also play Boise? Could this be the source of the problem w/MAC schools playing "too many" OOC games?Has anyone on this board heard anything regarding BG's screwing up the scheduling by refusing to abide by a signed contract?

The 2007 schedule is not yet complete, but I can give you a hint. Akron will again play one of the most demanding schedules in the country. The schedule is highlighted by a total of four games (three regular season, one exhibition) versus Big-10 teams, and a trip to the ACC to play two of the nation's premier college soccer programs.Oh, and did I say -- the Suckeyes are coming!?Here's to coach Porter for getting a real workout for his up and coming Zip futbollers. No reason we can't be #1 again this year. Let's make it at the end of the season this time!

Talked to a few NMSU fans here at Hawai'i game Monday, and tried to get them prepared for Pimple Face's arrival on Saturday.I want to be ready too for Bubba when he arrives here for the Rainbow Classic next December. How can I get a Zips' Rowdy shirt?

37,I've heard the opinions on Huggy bear, but in what way was Wyatt Webb "run off". I've never heard that one.

According to a release by our friends from Portage County, two MAC teams will be playing their Bracket Buster games on TV. Ohio and New Mexico State are on ESPN2, and Akron versus Austin Peay is to be shown on little-seen ESPNU. The game time at the JAR is 5PM, Saturday, Feb 17. Thought you would like to know. Hey -- come join the gang at East Side Grill, if you're in Honolulu.

UC-Davis? They were D-II just a few years ago. That's a program in a hurry!

Excuse me, but did anyone notice that the press release is from two-thousand-and-SIX??? What is this, Groundhog Day?

Greg Oden and Mike Conley. OJ Mayo and Bill Walker.Imagine if Akron signed a pair of HS players of this dimension.They have. Their names are Tony Ampai and Blair Gavin.Zips soccer turned the corner on Wednesday, as second-year head coach Caleb Porter reeled home two leading members of United States Youth Soccer. US National U-18 midfielder Blair Gavin, formerly of Sereno Golden Eagles (saw him play in U-15 in the 2003 Region IV tournament I believe), a starter on the U-18 squad, though I believe he's eligible to play for the US in the U-17 World Cup this summer in South Korea; and Tony Ampaipitakwong, US -17 National Team midfielder, who I believe came up through the Dallas Texans Red Club, whose director is now assistant coach at Akron. Tony and Blair are teammates at the US Youth Residency Program at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida and with Bradenton Academics in the USL's Pro Development League. These are two names that soccer people across the US are more than familiar with -- they could be integral parts of future US senior national teams and MLS or international club play.Also signed to a letter of intent is English junior prospect Steven Zakuani, brother of English Premier League Fulham FC's Gabriel Zakuani. Their father Mao Zakuani is a well-known Congolese refugee organizer in London.And -- a blast from the now: Akron wins the battle for Georgie Nanchoff's offspring, from Walsh Jesuit. I really want to come back, and relive the old days when I would sit in the bleachers with Georgie and Louie, and the Hungarian mafia, listening to the Browns' games while we played great teams like Yeagley's hated Hoo-deys. Now Yeagley's only two-time Captain is our coach, and its a new day for Zip soccer.One other way of looking at this is that this is the kind of class that Ken Lolla used to see teams like IU bring in, and wish he could get his hands on players "like that". We Got 'em, baby! Bring on the best of college soccer. The only problem will be the same one OHo State has -- how long can they hold onto these kind of players before they are gone to European professional play, ala Caleb's last great recruit at Indiana, National Freshman of the Year Lee Nguyen, or Real Salt Lake's Nik Basagno. They may also spend time away from the UA in international play, such as this year's U-17 World Cup. Nonetheless, fun is on the way.

Both Toledo and @ Central Michigan are very winnable games -- in fact, if UA is going to beat anybody in the Q, they had better start by beating these fellow bottom feeders right now.

I know exactly what you folks are talkin'about! The thermometer at my house here in Honolulu hit the almost unbearable temperature of fifty-five degrees this morning. And with the wind chill, I swear it was in the forties! If this keeps up, the University of Hawai'i might consider turning down the air conditioning on campus. Brrrrrr!Zip in Paradise