UA1987

I believe what you are referring to is an article written by young Cameryn Justice of WEWS news on 5/14 where she says - 'The school said that while football remains, the scholarships players receive will likely be reduced while they work on making the program more lucrative.' I don't see anything about a value reduction in her vauge article and I still believe they are referring to the scholarships that the football program awards will be down (now in the mid-seventies or so) as the University works through this crisis (and NCAA recruiting rules). I also beleive that our OOC schedule going forward is going to require that we get to full strength in scholarships (eighty-five) as we will be playing in alot of big stadiums each year (more than prior years - $$$$).

I took it that Arth is currently fielding a team with under 85 scholarships. I would expect the football team will be able to fill the 85 scholarship limit in the future.

I'm hoping salary cuts do not hit assistant coaches too heavily as they don't make a ton. The savings would be small, by coach, there anyhow, but the HC cuts could save a substantial amount without losing anyone that does a good job. Program cuts will most probably come from the most expensive non-revenue sports. Cost to run the program will be the first criteria (within reason) and then second how successful. I would be worried if I were a coach and had a non-revenue team with many out of State or out of Country athletes. Title 9 will play a role of course.

I'm heading that way with football in college. Like the game day experiance from time to time. Quit watching most pro football and all basketball year's ago.

You are assuming that athletes are not coached and are not developed by the limited 'institutions' , as you say, that are out there struggling to keep costs down. If it is to be the way you would want it I would be happy if these same athletes were not given any athletic scholarship at all as the last thing I want to support is some primadonna that turns his or her back on the people that helped make him or her develop to what they turned out to be. Sick, raw, backstabing that I would not support.

Yes, we think much different as athletes on a full ride are making in-lieu-of cash with a very valuable free educaton with room and board and extra help. This should be paid back if any athlete is allowed to benefit from some windfall (ex. - NCAA Football video game royalty). I'm not talking just Akron, but the entire NCAA.

Yes, if you had a full ride academic scholarship and you went out and earned big bucks, you should do something in return. If an athlete receives a piddly amount for their likeness, I would think there would be no need to return funds. You know, have a common sense threshold.

When banter turns toxic it means the death for innovation.... Try think about all the costs that go into supporting university athletics and how ridiculous it is for athletes to want to earn something more for their participation beyond their tuition, room and, board, without paying back the institutions that got them in that position. If these same athletes can earn something for their likeness, so be it, then they should payback their benefactor by returning tuition, room, and board and then keep the rest. You must have supported the knuckelhead that used to walk around the Rubber bowl and the Info with a hand painted 6th grade sign saying the University exploits athletes. Benefit of many - debatable. Zero cost - please...

Reduce the scholarship (and the cost to the University) till fully gone for a college athlete that sells their Name/Image/likeness?

Donna Lopiano - former CEO of the Women's Sports Foundation

I think they may have already proved their worth last year.

Kreed - Per your 1st paragragh, above I mentioned assistant coaches in my note not HC. I think our HC might be overpaid, but position assistants get crumbs.

It would not be a conversation so much about the property (which I think is good), but about the university's ability to pay and the interest that could be earned by the financial institution. I don't think the Info could be the security on default as it is on campus, but some other arrangement probably could be made. If I were the AD (or UA Finance) I would look into it - this is a crisis after all. I've been close to similar deals on much worse properties that worked.

Agree on any non-revenue program cuts where allowed by affilation. I don't think, however, that program and overhead cuts would get the University to the 20%, but I'm sure they are looking at cutting down to bone wherever possible. I would hope the AD does not consider administrative position changes that would handicap soccer, basketball and football. As I've said I'd like it if the AD allocated football additional funds (not something egregious) to make sure we have highly thought of young assistant coaches with an experienced one or two. Funk made a big difference here a few years ago here on the OL , till he left for more money. From charts I've seen posted on Zipsnation, if I remember correctly, our new assistant coaching staff is not being paid a whole lot. Most of the time you get what you pay for. This bump in assistant coaches salary would be wise too if we plan on playing another road OOC payday game or two (we need better recruiting and preparation). Anyhow, I think the Info stadium debt should be refinanced per my earlier post as this could save a ton right away - I sent the AD a note about refinacing the stadium debt - ha ha (he probably deleted it without reading) - but I'm sure they are already looking into it (you never know though).

Yes - thanks for the correction - I thought 226 scholarships was high (Danny's earlier chart post on this topic was participants not necessarily scholarships by sport). Makes it even more important that football secures the money games and as 94zipsgrad said in a previous post - its under consideration that multiple programs are going to be cut, but as has also been alluded to - gettting to 20% in cuts or additional revenue for fiscal year 2021 is going to require some creative accounting. Can the Zips wear masks and gloves and get on the Browns practice schedule for a huge fee to be paid back later (kidding). I'm sure it has been, or is being looked into by UA Finance, but what could help (if allowable by the Boards and fund accounting principles) is if the stadium property could be refinanced (by a reputable bank or savings and loan - currently very low rates even if UA would have to pay a premium) into off balance sheet debt (temporarily owned by a financial institution) with very low UA rental payments for several years and then several balloon payments later from some (partial) big payday games dollars swept into a reserve account until UA retakes full ownership at a later date. Could something like this save the millions in debt service currently in the Athletic Department budget during this crisis? Could we get there (20% reduction) with this refinancing and the unfortunate program cut here and there?

I wouldn't mind giving you a break, but you sound so angry and aggrieved that I suspect you may have gotten screwed by the University or someone somehow (border line sociopath). Anyhow, I mention the goal of winning the MAC at the end of my post as the win total of a fully brought back Akron team playing so many road money games is going to be 6 or 7 most probably, which is not something that would draw much of a gate in Akron. At this point, we have the diehards in Akron and that's it - move on to generating OOC revenue for now. By dropping men's and women's track and field Akron would save $5,650,000 (226 your chart number X $25,000 ave in and out of state tuiton and room and board) of the $6,500,000 or so needed. Starve certain other non-revenue sports and you'd have the savings required for fiscal year 2021. Then develop a plan to sign 3 or 4 OOC games a year for football going forward and you arguably would have a damn good reason for saving football, and the athletic budget, at the Division I FBS level. Note that the most exciting football game I've ever been at was the Akron victory against Northwestern in Evanston in 2018.

Your're on the money (intended) - Ticket prices range from $250 to about $35 at OSU so let's average at $100 per ticket. 100,000 X $100 = $10,000,000 per game and $1,000,000 in concessions. Yep, they can afford it and that's just ticket sales and concessions. I think even mid-level FBS programs like the Cyclones make out pretty good at the ticket office (chain rattle).

You may be right that OOC contracts might be more difficult to negotiate, but I think NCAA football will return with huge pent up demand. People want to get out and have a good time and a college football game is a top draw (just a little rosier view). College football on TV will continue to be a super draw too. OOC contracts going forward (out a few years) will be distant from this pandemic so I believe they will still be intact, for the most part, for the forseeable future. The varsity sports lineup changes being discussed now will most likely be permanent (as far out as you can forecast) however. As part of these changes, I would allocate a few more bucks for football and get some assistant coaches in here that can recruit and help to prepare this team. We could pay for it and help balance the budget with 3 to 4 big pay OOC contest per year (instead of 2 - the new reality). All these OOC games don't have to be Clemson types and a Y-town could be scheduled from time to time like this year (no more Morgan State's). All southern OOC games should be scheduled late in the season, if possible, and northern OOC games early. Western contests anytime (except for AZ - preferably late in season). Goal every year - win the MAC.

My pillow guy - knowingly did not remit sales tax collected from customers and setttled out of court for knowingly making false claims on late night TV about the benefits of the My Pillow products (cures multiple sclerocis, sleep apnea, fibromyalgia, and insomnia - source 'Consumer Reports'). Not the kind of person we need leading anything.

Broken record. It's as if you have no idea about Akron - your're just boring to me (ignore).

Check it: small things amuse small minds

Oh no... the return of games with Bill Murray State and Austin Pee. That's not allright mama, but I guess we have the football coaching staff for it.

I remember ole Matt stepping in as QB for a Cinci game years ago. Great benefactor to UA. Not sure about AD though, as every time I see him on TV he reminds me of Jim Carey (I'm talking about a place where the beer flows like wine, where the women instinctively flock like the salmon of Capistrano. I'm talking about Aspen.).

This requirement (problem) to cut spending is imminent. The question (or answer) is where to allocate reduced athletic budget resources. I can't see any other answer other than to fund revenue sports and cut or starve other non-revenue programs. In the long term, if the G5 were forced into a decision by the P5, it might play out in some other senerio, but that would require a hell of a lot of legal and financial cooperation from a lot of programs probably taking years (worth a study? - probably already happening by G5 Conference Commissioners) .

I didn't want to say it as it is a good program, but track and field has to be on the chopping block.