Let'sGoZips94

If anything, we're going to see the P4s start trimming the fat in the coming years. If the G5s position themselves right, they'll be able to add some outstanding institutions.

Alright MAC, your move. Go get em. 🤣 And people think Toledo and Ohio are coveted commodities.

Enrique finished Summer League in the top 40-50 (out of over 400 players) in PPG with 16.2, and just missed averaging a double double with 9.6 RPG (5th most in Summer League). Side note: Kent's Justyn Hamilton (1 GP, 6 PPG, 1 RPG) and Sincere Carry (2 GP, 1 PPG) also participated, and that's putting it nicely.

This pretty much hits the nail on the head. Akron needs to lean 100% into being a family-first and college-fun environment and atmosphere. The only way to solve Akron's problems is to plant seeds among each generation and hope they turn into a blossoming fan base. Akron is simply doing a poor job at planting those seeds. Akron, as a community, finds a way to support Cleveland's AA baseball team just fine. why? The Rubberducks find ways to connect with the community, especially the youth. It's going to be take a group of non-traditional higher education suits to get creative, swallow their pride, roll up their sleeves, and reach the next generation. Too many people who have been in charge at Akron have seemingly solely focused on donors. It has been such a shortsighted strategy to put all the eggs in the basket of people with aging money. Delaware, of all universities, is currently doing a NCAA Football 26 marketing campaign where people from around the country can submit a video or photo of them winning the National Championship with Delaware. I forget what the prize is, but they currently have applications from at least most continental US states, if not all 50 states by now. I don't even think they have any cool in-game features. Meanwhile, Akron has the turnover/touchdown tire, Zippy, and the Wagon Wheel in the game, yet nobody is using that to creatively promote the program/university. I won't stand for any G5 fan base building slander. It's a total fallacy. The Sun Belt has had football for ~25 years and they are leap frogging the MAC in attendance. Yes the MAC lives in the shadows of the Big Ten, but what would the Sun Belt excuse be? They are in the shadows of the Big Ten, Big 12, ACC, AND SEC. Steinbrecher has done Akron no favors with how he has destroyed the MAC's reputation, but Akron is still capable of being creative and unique. If the conversation continues to strictly be "how can we cater to donors," Akron will continue to fall further and further behind. If the conversation shifts to, "How can we unequivocally reach the youth," we'll get somewhere.

I don't think so but he is still developing physically. His profile is much more solidified and defined. He's working hard and getting rewarded for it - starting in every summer league game and typically getting around 30 minutes of play time. You could tell last year the Pacers liked him; I don't think they would typically attend, as a team, just any two way player's high school celebration. If he keeps this up and continues to develop, I fully expect a legitimate NBA contract to come his way.

I've always been impressed with how publicly he supports the other Akron athletic programs. Agreed that the injury bug has plagued his tenure here; hoping that changes so we can see what type of program he can really build.

Fun fact: Ryan Gensler and his team with Jason Lloyd won the Austin Carr Golf Outing yesterday. The opening conversation on the Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show has a picture and talks about the day. According to Jason Lloyd, Ryan is a heck of a golfer.

Teachers and tutors should also be free. Lord knows some of the team needs them.

Never seen somebody so committed.

Inaccurate probably means the exploration is true.

Freeman had a huge game vs Cleveland today in the summer league. 19 pts and 7 rebounds in 30 minutes.

My dad and I were talking about this earlier today. The Sun Belt's footprint actually isn't bad for OU with Marshall, App State, JMU, ODU, etc. With the MAC adding UMass, the MAC's footprint is no longer as friendly to OU, and I'd imagine the MAC is looking to expand around UMass a bit more as well. The next TV deal will probably see the Sun Belt jump the MAC in value, so I wouldn't be surprised if Ohio is indeed exploring the Sun Belt. Wasn't the same said about NIU to the MW initially?

Ohio rumored to have interest in joining the Sun Belt.

https://x.com/TheMSCPodcast/status/1943078884183818703?t=70iC9uGdjWgk3X6gtu6xCA&s=19 https://x.com/Shane_DNRSports/status/1943038481942327426?s=19

Assuming this means Akron soccer will be watchable again without burning $30 a month.

Our guys are putting in work. Major physique changes for some of the guys, Bowen especially. Should help on defense and maintain his shot deeper into the game.

Not necessary if he becomes a 35-40% 3P shooter.

1:04 is Akron. Highly recommend watching VaTech, too. I really wish this game was on PC.

There are roughly 60-75 schools in P4. There are 60-70 G5s in the DI FBS ranks and another 129 FCS members. Non-P4s having any negotiation power in this situation goes against the basic principles of supply & demand. Having any sort of union-style arrangement for G5/FCS would 100% backfire when the P4s realize they're paying collectively paying ~$350m (for one win each) that could be kept in house if they break away entirely. I'm not entirely sure what the solution is for G5/FCS, but creating their own division and expecting anything from the P4s ain't it. I'd much rather see G5/FCS make the move to collectively break away from the NCAA entirely and leave them with the problem child that is the P4. If it's going to become a capitalist market, be on the offensive instead of simply reacting to everything P4s do, which ultimately hurts G5/FCS.

Kent's Defensive Coordinator has left for NDSU just a short time before the season starts. Turmoil continues at PCCC.

In what world does removing themselves from D1/FBS give them more leverage in paydays against P4? The only way for G5s to gain leverage against P4s, outside of the NCAA making a rule that P4s have to pay poaching fees for player & coach acquisitions (which is a pipe dream) is to break away from the NCAA entirely and form their own league. Otherwise, you're stuck at the hip to a large extent.

All but 10-15 programs in the country operate in the negative. Nobody knows where any of this money is coming from.