Class of 82

I suppose all we can do is guess, but I agree that 1,600 sounds low. I find it hard to believe student attendance won't increase dramatically now that the stadium is right in their neighborhood. They ought to do some sort of special "tailgating" party for ticket-holding students only somewhere on campus. Make it a tradition, where maybe they could march into the stadium behind the band or something. Such a thing would require some careful thought and logistical planning, but it could be a real hoot... not to mention something truly unique to Akron football.

Yes. You can tell by the windows, the lintel over the doors and the brick "columns" on either side of the windows. That is the north entrance (front), with the students standing on the steps.You can even date the photo to the first decade or so of the 20th century, since the "new" Buchtel opened in 1901, and Buchtel College became the Municipal University of Akron in 1912. EDIT TO ADD: But the scores do use "Akron", so it's possible this dates post-1912.Go Buchtel!

Some truly great kids have come through Akron as non-qualifiers. Kiki Gonzales comes to mind. Class act young man. And I believe he graduated. He is not the only one, either.I hope that kid in Wisconsin comes to understand that he can't let a few bozos on a message board dictate how he chooses to live his life. I have no doubt that the vast majority of Badgers fans are good people who wish every kid at their school well. Still, I guess one would have to walk in that boy's shoes to truly know how he feels.Anyway... sad all the way around.

That is the present situation, but I don't believe it has to be our future.What was it...5 years ago that the MAC had two Top 25 teams?The Zips have the best facilities in the MAC. And better than most in C-USA. The Zips program should now be at the level of the early 2000's Marshall...Miami...BG...Toledo. There absolutely no excuse to be otherwise.If we reach our potential, we'll be winning the MCB, GMAC or whatever bowl we end up garnering.Spot-on analysis, Captain. It is little wonder that you have reached your elevated rank.While I'm not calling for a national championship run, I have long since tired of the notion that Akron football should have aspirations that for the most part amount to a bowl of spit. Don't get me wrong. I've been guilty of the whole Akron/Cleveland/northeast Ohio inferiority complex schtick myself in the past, but I am simply not going to do it anymore. It's just a losing excuse for more losing, as far as I'm concerned.We have a fine school with excellent academics, a beautiful campus that is growing more beautiful all the time and are building athletic facilities that are first-rate. No more excuses. I've heard enough of them for a lifetime.GO ZIPS!

And Lauranitis was getting his tackles after huge gains. Not at the line.

Lots of good stuff in this thread!And I understand your point of view, GP1. I don't want us to open 0-4 either. But I don't think we will. Indiana is a Big-10 team with as many or more good recruits as we get, and they present a challenge. But I think realistically we can beat those guys. I think we can beat a Syracuse, too, even if they improve under their new coach. (We should be getting better as well, dammit!) Ohio State and Michigan State? Well, like I said... the program needs to get paid, so you do what you have to do.I guess I just refuse to accept that the Akron program is in the same place it was when Lee Owens took us to Nebraska and LSU. And if we are still there, then some heads should be rolling down Brown Street.I do agree with GJGood about other quality opponents from non-BCS schools. You just have to be careful about making the travel reasonable, since you're looking at home-and-home arrangements. Conference-USA schools seem like a natural target.Anyway, now that we should have some gate to offer, getting decent home games should be a lot easier for the AD staff.And I'm with uakronkid. What the heck is up with our home schedule? It seems like we're lucky to get ONE freaking home game before the weather goes south. Every year! That is a real downer for attendance.

I'm all for more home games, especially since we will now have a home truly worthy of them.But I'm more than glad to have the BCS games as well... for several reasons:1) Kids who commit to playing in an Akron uniform deserve the chance to play quality opponents.2) Playing quality opponents makes your team and your coaches better over time, and sends the right kind of message both to fans and to potential recruits.3) I'm much more interested in seeing how the team I cheer for stacks up against a Penn State or Michigan State than I am in watching us play Morgan State, a game that excites me about as much as a tuna salad sandwich.4) And finally, as the most expensive athletic program--by far-- football bears the responsibility for generating revenue to at least help offset its tremendous cost. The new stadium will sure help attract better draws at home, but it also means you've got to be willing to go get paid on the road, too. If you want to continue as a D-1 program, this is just the reality. And, frankly, I'm okay with it.Anyways. My two cents.

This is exactly why people attribute so much importance to guys like Ryan Bain, Chris Henderson and Phil Tonga. Quality defensive linemen are the hardest guys to find for a MAC football team, and they are among the most important. You can have great linebackers and safeties who can make plays, but it's the D-line that more often than not determines if those guys are making plays near the line of scrimmage... or seven yards downfield. (Sound familiar?)

Nah. I was only like 9 or 10. Magic shrooms were a 70's schtick.I'll ask around and see if anybody else remembers.

Hey... I always expect the Zips to compete. And if you compete, you've always got at least a shot. Teams expecting to get trounced usually do. Pennzoil State

Seems like an idea. Just by the activity on this board alone, there has to be over a dozen people who would tune in. I think that's how Rush got started.Mega Zippos.

Thanks, Captain. That's great to hear.And thanks to uakronkid for posting those links.

Thanks, kid.I noticed the same thing about the roster on line. And there's nothing at gozips on the 2009 recruiting class, which for some reason makes me a little nervous. I remember they had a piece up in February, but it's no longer there.Sincerely your paranoid friend,Class of '82 :blink:

My brother and I were remembering this morning about a night Zips game when we were kids (circa the mid-60s) when there was a big meteor that crossed over the stadium. I tried googling it, but didn't get anywhere.Anybody else recall this event? I think it might have been an Acme-Zip game.

Hmmm... I wonder if the vote for just a winning record came from JD.

Don't lose any sleep, bro! It wouldn't be a Zips off-season without at least one guy we were counting on to make a big splash ending up in-eligible, in-cognito, in-jured or other wise in something other than a Zips uniform.Here's hoping for a drama-free summer.Go Zips!

Rivals has 4-star DT Chris Henderson committed with a signed LOI, but he's not on the Captain's list.Does anyone know if he's actually coming?Sure hope so. Having him, Bain and Tonga would be a massive upgrade to our D-line depth.

I say a MAC East title, but have realistic hope for more.

Interesting.The writer says the benchmark for a successful season is a MAC East title. I agree with that. Hmmm... might make an interesting poll question.

Hey Big Guy...Thanks for the info on the new turf. Shared it with a fairly knowledgeable friend who says the rubber-sand infill makes for an ideal "feel" for football. And it's supposedly a lot safer for the athletes, too.The lower crown is appealing, too. Man, that Rubber Bowl crown was ridiculous.

I think Harris will have the biggest impact, simply because I think that if anyone can help CJ overcome the mental errors that have plagued him as a starter, it's a coach with Harris' background and track record.I hope Okruch has the bigger impact, though. God knows defense has generally been a weakness since Faust was here.

Holy cow. He's run a 10.57 in the 100 meters? That is some serious, serious speed.

I think I said it earlier when that website of Grant pimping himself was posted on here, the kid was a solid MAC linebacker, and a decent player for us, but nowhere near NFL caliber in terms of talent. He should've been getting ahead in the real world these past few months instead of wasting his money on websites and at some sham "training facility" in Miami that preys on kids like him. Best of luck to him in life after football.That's your opinion. Fair enough.But undrafted free agents are pretty darned cheap. I still think he ought to get a shot, especially from a bad team that should be combing the bushes for people who might be able to help.

If the Browns don't invite Kevin Grant to their camp, they're idiots. I don't know if he's good enough to help them. But you know what? I don't think they know either.

My guess is both Williams and Grant get invites as free agents.Yikes. New England just took Julie-Anne Edelwoman in the 7th Round. Belichek must be smokin' crack this p.m.