Zip_ME87

Give me a couple of hits off of whatever dreal is smokin.And in reply to: "On a related note, is Bain's UA career officially over?"Yes, as of two years ago. I told ya Sewell would kick some ass. Go Zips You were on that one, dreal. The defense in general is hanging tough (sounds familiar). The O's gotta get it going.Special Teams need to get it going! Who's the Special Teams coach anyway...nevermind.

Of course not...as expected.EDIT: And, BTW...the e-mail I sent was pleasant, just asking if it was true that the MAC had no automatic berth this year and why.Received a response from the MAC today. No explanation of the loss of Automatic Qualiification in 2009, just that the MAC would regain AQ in 2010.

Let me know if you do...I'll join you with my Browns #9 jersey.

I wouldn't limit the search to I-AA but would also look at young (up and coming) Division II and III head coaches who are/have been successful. I remember Dr. Gazetta getting such a man to lead the Zips Men's Basketball team while I was an undergrad at UA in the 1980's.From Wikipedia...(Huggins' Early career)...Huggins was only 27 when he became a collegiate head coach, accepting the position at Walsh University in 1980. In three seasons at Walsh, he compiled a 71-26 record, twice earning NAIA District 22 Coach of the Year honors. Huggins directed the 1982–83 team to a perfect 30-0 regular season mark and an eventual 34-1 mark. After serving as an assistant at University of Central Florida for the 1983-84 season, Huggins was named head coach at the University of Akron where he compiled a 97-46 record and reached post-season play in three of his five seasons there including an NCAA bid during the 1985–1986 season.

No debate here. We all would take that kind of suck right about now.20 - 11 home loss to K.e.n.t.Like I said -- OU sucks. I asked people from Tennessee and BG...they agreed.Just because the Zips suck more doesn't change the fact that OU is a crappy football program in an insanely crappy conference.At least it appears you got that right. I wish you're prediction of how the Zips would finish the season was close to correct. Unfortunately, at this point I don't see how the Zips will even beat EMU other than to take over their spot as the worst team in college football. Wow, do I wish we would just go ahead and dump JD now. Problem is that Montgomery needs to go with him.

Of course not...as expected.EDIT: And, BTW...the e-mail I sent was pleasant, just asking if it was true that the MAC had no automatic berth this year and why.

But the MAC currently has 7 teams, 6 of which have competed together for the preceding 2 years (Hartwick joined in 2007).AkronBuffaloWestern MichiganNorthern IllinoisBowling GreenHartwickFlorida AtlanticThis is why I haven't been able to figure it out. Am I missing something? (Hartwick is Div I for men's soccer and meets the eight year requirement for that, I believe, when I looked at their website.)EDIT: I missed this in your post - I believe Hartwick is technically considered to be a member of Division III, as only Men's Soccer and Women's Polo are classified as Division I sports (they're allowed one sport for each gender), therefore that knocks our "core institutions" down to six.You might be right about Hartwick. But, since they are Div I for Men's Soccer and have been for years, I believe, I would have thought that they qualified as a "core institution".

These are GREAT. #7 is my favorite. "What's that big sucking sound I hear coming from Columbus?..."

This is what I am thinking also. Yes, we don't need it this year, but what if we did?...or will need it sometime in the future?I don't think it should be a surprise to anyone to see a situation where they might want to eliminate weak conferences from automatic consideration, and leave more at-large bids. That play-in game in the basketball tournament could have been another indication that they are leaning in that direction.I think the MAC's ineligibility is likely for 1 year. I haven't been able to figure it out, but it seems that it may be related to the MAC's changing members for Men's Soccer. The referenced NCAA bylaws (referenced in the NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship Handbook) concerning conference automatic qualification are:31.3.4 Automatic Qualification. Each governing sport committee shall forward annually to the Championships/Sports Management Cabinet those conferences that should receive automatic qualification for theirteams or individual student-athletes into NCAA championships. Prior to forwarding the list of conferences toreceive automatic qualification, a governing sport committee shall ensure that the member conference meets therequirements specified in Bylaws 31.3.4.1 through 31.3.4.7. A member conference may appeal to the Championships/Sports Management Cabinet the automatic-qualification review of the sport committee and the committee’sdecision to find, or not find, a conference qualified for automatic-qualification status. The decision of the Championships/Sports Management Cabinet on such appeals will be final. (Revised: 1/14/97 effective 8/1/97, 4/27/00,11/1/07 effective 8/1/08)31.3.4.1 Requirements—Division Championship. To be eligible for automatic qualification in a DivisionChampionship, a member conference must meet the following requirements: (Revised: 1/9/06 effective 8/1/06)(a) Conference competition must be conducted in the applicable sport and the conference champion inthat sport must be determined not later than the date on which participants are selected for the NCAAchampionship, either by regular in-season conference competition or a conference meet or tournament,as indicated at the time of application. If a conference’s competition to determine its automatic qualifieris unexpectedly terminated (e.g., due to inclement weather), the conference may designate its qualifier,provided it has established objective criteria for making that designation and has communicated thatinformation to the appropriate sports committee by a specified deadline. (Revised: 8/13/93)( In the event of a tie for the conference championship, the conference shall have the responsibility of determiningwhich team or individual shall represent the conference in NCAA competition. If a play-off isheld, such competition shall be considered conference competition, not NCAA competition.© In sports other than championship subdivision football, a conference may establish subdivisions andconduct competition within each subdivision to determine a conference champion, as long as each subdivisionconsists of at least four members. Conferences with subdivisions of four members must conductdouble round-robin competition within each subdivision, plus a postseason tournament, to determinetheir champion. Conferences with subdivisions of five or more members may conduct either single ordouble round-robin competition within each subdivision, plus a postseason tournament to determinetheir champion. (Note: This regulation does not apply to Division I men’s or women’s basketball. In thosesports, a conference may conduct either double round-robin, in-season competition, or a minimum of 14conference games in order to determine its champion.) (Revised: 12/9/91, 10/18/95, 10/27/98, 12/15/06)(d) In championship subdivision football, football-playing conferences that subdivide into five or more teamsare required to conduct a single round-robin competition within each division and develop a formulafor determination of the conference champion, which must be approved by the Football ChampionshipCommittee prior to the start of the season. A postseason championship game is not required. (Adopted:10/27/98, Revised: 12/15/06)(e) The conference must maintain and actively enforce compliance with eligibility rules at least as stringentas those in Bylaw 14 applicable to its members. The use of an ineligible student-athlete by a team in aconference that has been granted automatic qualification may result in the involved team being deniedthe right to be the automatic entry in the NCAA championship. The governing sports committee mayrecommend loss of the automatic-qualification privilege for the conference during the season in whichthe violation occurred or for a future championship.(f ) All eligible member institutions must agree to participate in the appropriate NCAA championship. If aconference champion is ineligible to compete, declines to compete or cannot compete for any reason,automatic qualification shall be withdrawn for that year and the remaining conference members shallbe considered at large. Automatic qualification for a conference shall not be withdrawn if a conferencechampion declines to compete in an NCAA championship for reasons related to written religious policiesagainst competition on certain days. Under such circumstances, the conference’s second-place team(as determined by the conference), shall receive the automatic bid to the NCAA championship. (Revised:4/20/99)(g) All institutions may hold membership in only that conference in the sport in which automatic qualificationis sought and may participate in only that conference’s process to determine the automatic qualifier.(Adopted: 12/5/94)31.3.4.2 Requirements—National Collegiate Championship. [#] To be eligible for automatic qualificationin National Collegiate Championship, a member conference must meet the following general requirements:(Adopted: 1/9/06 effective 8/1/06)(a) Have at least six active members that sponsor the applicable sport in any division (note: a provisionalmember in the process of becoming an NCAA member cannot be used to meet the requisite number);( The six active members must have conducted conference competition together for the preceding twoyears in the applicable sport;© There shall be no waivers of the two-year waiting period; and(d) Any new member added to a conference that is eligible for an automatic bid shall be immediately eligibleto represent the conference as the automatic qualifer.31.3.4.3 Notification—Automatic Qualification in Jeopardy. A governing sports committee must issuea written warning one year in advance to a conference that is in jeopardy of losing its automatic qualification.(Note: This regulation does not apply to the following championships in which a play-in system has been established:baseball, women’s softball, women’s volleyball and men’s soccer.) (Adopted: 10/3/06)31.3.4.4 Additional Requirements, Sports Other Than Men’s Basketball.31.3.4.4.1 Multi-Sport Conference. To be considered eligible for automatic qualification in a particularsport, a multi-sport conference must include six core institutions that satisfy continuity-of-membership.For the purposes of this legislation, core refers to an institution that has been an active member of DivisionI the eight preceding years. Further, the continuity-of-membership requirement shall be met only if a minimumof six core institutions have conducted conference competition together in Division I the precedingtwo years in the applicable sport. There shall be no exceptions to the two-year period. Any new memberadded to a conference that satisfies the continuity of membership requirements shall be immediately eligibleto represent the conference as the automatic qualifier. (Revised: 4/27/00, 10/00, 4/29/04 effective 8/1/04,8/5/04)31.3.4.4.1.1 Exception. A multi-sport conference that adds a conference-sponsored sport may beconsidered for automatic qualification in that sport, provided the conference includes at least six activeDivision I institutions that have conducted conference competition together at the Division I level inthe sport the preceding two years and the sport is sponsored by less than 50 percent of the Division Imembership. (Adopted: 4/27/06 effective 8/1/06)31.3.4.4.2 Single Sport Conference. To be considered for automatic qualification in a particular sport,a single sport member conference for a sport sponsored by less than 50 percent of the Division I membershipmust include six institutions that have conducted conference competition together the preceding twoyears in the sport in question at the Division I level. (Adopted: 8/5/04, Revised: 4/27/06 effective 8/1/06)31.3.4.4.3 Grace Period. A conference shall remain eligible for automatic qualification for two yearsfollowing the date of withdrawal of the institution(s) that causes the conference’s membership to fall belowsix institutions, or below six members with continuity of membership, provided the conference maintainsat least five Division I members. (Adopted: 8/5/04)31.3.4.4.4 Exception—2002-03 Academic Year. After September 1, 2003, a member conference thatmet the requirements for automatic qualification during the 2002-03 academic year may continue to receiveautomatic qualification provided the conference composition does not change (unless the change results inthe addition of a core member). (Adopted: 4/24/03)31.3.4.5 Additional Requirements, Men’s Basketball. The member conference must include seven coreinstitutions. For the purposes of this legislation, core refers to an institution that has been an active member ofDivision I the eight preceding years. Further, the continuity-of-membership requirement shall be met only ifa minimum of six core institutions have conducted conference competition together in Division I the precedingfive years in men’s basketball. There shall be no exception to the five-year waiting period. Any new memberadded to a member conference that satisfies these requirements shall be immediately eligible to represent theconference as the automatic qualifier. (Revised: 8/14/90, 12/3/90, 4/27/00, 4/29/04 effective 8/1/04)31.3.4.5.1 Grace Period. A conference shall remain eligible for automatic qualification for two yearsfollowing the date of withdrawal of the institution(s) that causes the conference’s membership to fall belowseven institutions, or below six members with continuity of membership, provided the conference maintainsat least six Division I members. (Adopted: 4/27/00, Revised: 4/29/04 effective 8/1/04)31.3.4.5.2 Exceptions.(a) Prior to September 1, 2003, the eight-year core principle does not apply to an institution that was aDivision I active member, provisional member or a member in the process of reclassifying to DivisionI as of April 27, 2000. Such an institution would be subject to the provisions in effect on April27, 2000. The institution may continue to be considered a core institution after September 1, 2003,even if the institution has not been an active member of Division I the eight preceding years. (Revised:11/01/01)( Men’s Basketball. After September 1, 2003, a member conference as of September 1, 1999, maycontinue to apply the automatic qualification requirements in effect September 1, 1999, until anychange (e.g., adding or losing any member) in its men’s basketball membership occurs. Thereafter,the automatic qualification regulations in effect September 1, 2003, shall be applicable.31.3.4.6 Sports Groupings for Automatic Qualification. For purposes of evaluating criteria for automaticqualification, the various sports shall be grouped as follows:(a) Team sports—baseball, basketball, field hockey, football, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball, volleyballand water polo. In this category, subject to the approval of the Championships/Sports ManagementCabinet, a sport committee may grant exceptions to the six-team requirement for sports that are sponsoredby less than 30 percent of the membership, provided the conference previously included six teamsthat sponsored the sport; (Revised: 4/26/07 effective 8/1/07, 11/1/07 effective 8/1/08)( Timed individual sports—indoor track and field, outdoor track and field, and swimming; and© Other individual sports—cross country, fencing, golf, gymnastics, rifle, skiing, tennis and wrestling.In this category, a sports committee may grant exceptions to the six-team requirement, subject to the approvalof the Championships/Sports Management Cabinet. (Revised: 11/1/07 effective 8/1/08)31.3.4.7 Limitations on Automatic-Qualifying Positions.31.3.4.7.1 Team Sports Other Than Men’s Basketball. In team sports, per Bylaw 31.3.4.6-(a), excludingthe sport of football and any team sport in which automatic qualification is not offered, a sportscommittee must award, when a sufficient number of applications for automatic qualification exist, at least50 percent of the championship field to conferences that meet automatic-qualification criteria and providea play-in criteria. The remaining 50 percent of the championship field shall be reserved for at-large teams.It will be the responsibility of the Championships/Sports Management Cabinet to determine if conferenceplay-ins to a championship field are to be administered by the NCAA championships staff or by the memberconferences. (Adopted: 4/20/99, Revised: 11/1/07 effective 8/1/08)31.3.4.7.2 Men’s Basketball. In men’s basketball, subject to the championships-access guarantee affordedto the subdivisions as set forth in Constitution 4.01.2.3.1 (e.g., all contests that are part of the championshipshall be administered and funded by the NCAA and broadcast on television and any team thatparticipates in the championship shall be awarded at least one financial unit), there shall be a limit minimumof 32 at-large selections and the remainder of the championship field automatic qualifying positions.All competition in the championship is to be administered by the NCAA championships staff. (Adopted:4/20/99, Revised: 12/15/06)31.3.5 Selection of Balance of Championship Field. Once the official representative(s) of each qualifyingconference is determined, the governing sports committee responsible for selection of the balance of thechampionship field shall consider objectively and without prejudice the competitive records of all other eligiblestudent-athletes and teams (including representatives of the other members of the conferences receiving automaticqualification). To the best of its ability, the committee shall select the most highly qualified individuals and teamsto complete the championship field in accordance with the regional structure, if any, approved for the particularchampionship.

Thanks to ZW and you for mentioning it in the Nicely thread. I'd not heard this at all, and was actually looking for "The Akron rule" in writing, when I stumbled across this. By the way, I did actually find "The Akron rule" as some have referred to it in an NCAA memo:6. Facility Evaluation Form. A facility evaluation form must be completed by each institution interested in hosting preliminary-round competition. The form is available online at http://web1.ncaa.org/ChampsForms/login. Please save frequently as you complete the form.For preliminary-round sites, a team in the top 16 will automatically be selected as a site, unless the institution did not submit a bid to host. If a game involves two seeded teams, the higher seed will host, unless the institution did not submit a bid to host.If the field is unplayable, the host will have the opportunity to find a suitable alternate site. The criteria for an alternate site would be for the field to have a minimum dimension of 70x110 yards, and the field must be deemed playable by the games committee and approved by the men’s soccer committee.Potential hosts who anticipate the possibility of an unplayable field are encouraged to secure an alternate site prior to selections.The entire memo can be found at: http://ncaa.org/wps/ncaa?key=/ncaa/ncaa/sp...di+mso+bid+memo(Assuming the link works)

ok, so the MAC doesn't get an auto qualifier. Does anyone know why? Obviously for Akron it does not matter. I think we could lose out and still be in the tourney at this point. Still it points to the absolute crap of a league that we are in that they don't even get an auto qualifier for the NCAA tourney.I sent an e-mail to the MAC office this evening asking if this was true and why. I'll post the response if I get one.

EDIT:Looks like we wouldn't have to do that; it appears that Appendix E holds the solution:MID-AMERICAN CONFERENCE(ineligible for AQ in 2099)University of AkronBowling Green State UniversityUniversity at Buffalo, the StateUniversity of New YorkFlorida Atlantic UniversityHartwick CollegeNorthern Illinois UniversityWestern Michigan UniversityPersonally, I'm not concerned about the lack of Automatic Qualification in 2099.

I hope it's a typo in the handbook. (But the MAC is not listed.) I agree that it shouldn't matter this year, but could down the road.

Great article. I'll have to send this to my UM friends at work.

Because of a discussion in another forum, I uncovered that the MAC Mens Soccer Champion does not have an automatic bid to the NCAA College Cup in 2009. There used to be 22 conferences with automatic qualification, but only 21 are listed this year. (I was not previously aware of this for 2009.)See page 6 of the pdf: 2009 DIVISION I MEN’S SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIP HANDBOOK at the link belowhttp://web1.ncaa.org/web_files/champ_handb...9_1_msoccer.pdfAutomatic Qualifiers[Reference: Bylaws 31.3.4 and 31.3.5 in the NCAA Division I Manual.]Conferences granted automatic qualification for the 2009 championship are:America East Conference, Ivy GroupAtlantic Coast Conference, Metro Atlantic Athletic ConferenceAtlantic Sun Conference, Missouri Valley ConferenceAtlantic 10 Conference, Mountain Pacific Sports FederationBig East Conference, Northeast ConferenceBig South Conference, Pacific-10 ConferenceBig Ten Conference, Patriot LeagueBig West Conference, Southern ConferenceColonial Athletic Association, The Summit LeagueConference USA, West Coast ConferenceHorizon LeagueThe link I posted above doesn't seem to work for me from ZN. Try going to http://www.ncaa.org/wps/ncaa?key=/ncaa/nca...nship+handbooksScroll down the page, under Sport-Specific Championship Handbooks, then under Fall Sports, then click on "2009 Division I Men's Soccer"

I heard that one from some AK-Rowdies. They seemed very certain of it, and I'm inclined to believe them. I can't find anything in print that I could link you to. Maybe a talk with the soccer players or coaches could confirm it.Unfortunately, it looks like this is true. See page 6 of 2009 DIVISION I MEN’S SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIP HANDBOOKhttp://web1.ncaa.org/web_files/champ_handb...9_1_msoccer.pdfAutomatic Qualifiers[Reference: Bylaws 31.3.4 and 31.3.5 in the NCAA Division I Manual.]Conferences granted automatic qualification for the 2009 championship are:America East Conference, Ivy GroupAtlantic Coast Conference, Metro Atlantic Athletic ConferenceAtlantic Sun Conference, Missouri Valley ConferenceAtlantic 10 Conference, Mountain Pacific Sports FederationBig East Conference, Northeast ConferenceBig South Conference, Pacific-10 ConferenceBig Ten Conference, Patriot LeagueBig West Conference, Southern ConferenceColonial Athletic Association, The Summit LeagueConference USA, West Coast ConferenceHorizon League

Very good! The brickwork shown on the rendering posted near the field looked really nice. If something like this were to be adopted at UA, it would dovetail nicely with the look of the Info and the overall campus IMHO.Stumbling block, of course, is money. I think the AD and others were not just checking out the Michigan plans for the actual facility but how they have been going about making this and other facility upgrades happen.

My understanding is that the AD and others were there to check out the plans for the new facility.As far as the field we were on, according to the UM athletics site, the remainder of the games, starting with the Akron game, will not be played on the west practice field as they are going to begin construction of the new facility on the "competition field".

I'm terrible at estimating...approx. 50? Kudos to all who were there, and especially to the AK Rowdies who were there. (def louder than all of the UM fans)Well worth the drive and the 8 hours of vacation from work; great weather, great fans; great game.

EDIT. Nevermind... Apparently soccer games are free, general admission, according to UM athletic ticket office.

Very classy Zipsrifle.

Yes, Spin, you are correct that "the Nati" is not in NEOhio, but NEOhioans like a winner. If Akron were to actually win something, not just win a MACC (with a 5-3 MAC regular season record), and win consistently, I think you would actually see a real boost in attendance. However, since Akron hasn't won anything of substance, the only comparison available is another team in the same state as tOSU. a D1-A team that has actually won something and gone somewhere meaningful...the Orange Bowl...and is currently ranked in the top 25.As far as your Mt Union references, Mt Union isn't on TV, and therefore is virtually unnoticed in a TV/media-driven society. It sucks, but that's the way it is. Some 2-bit sports channel like Sports Time Ohio should consider broadcasting Mt. Union games live to fill in their pathetically-void broadcast schedule.

I noticed that too.

I've been looking at this game. I often come to Houston on business and was hoping that a trip would come up in that time frame. No luck so far.I do suggest that you contact the Akron ticket office about tickets before buying directly from A&M. I think they get some tickets to all away games, and they may be able to seat you near the Akron bench...not sure of that, but worth a try.

On a nationwide scale, and in Idaho, I agree with you.But in NEOhio, where you're engrained (sp?) from birth to be a tOSU fan, because it's "Ohio's team", because it's "What we do", it's a different culture. You even mention another Ohio school to a board full of honks and you get annihilated and called stupid. This is the culture I'm referring to.tOSU could go 2-10 and charge $300 a seat and still draw 80,000 every week. Ak could run the table, blow the crap out of OSU and WIsconsin and two other BCS teams, and you bring them up and 99% of the state will say "Arkon? Seriously dude? They'll never be anybody." "Get that crap out of here, you got lucky. We were looking PAST you to a real opponent."And they won't show up of you paid them to (unless you showed the tOSU game on the screen).That's IMHO what Akron is up against in gaining respect. This generation, who's been burned by the Browns for 20 years, and go 150 miles south to compensate for it, needs to die off before the culture will change.BS! Look at the other nationally ranked team in Ohio before you draw conclusions...http://www.wlwt.com/news/21160824/detail.htmlAnd by the way, guess where some of the folks who are responsible used to work...UA.UC Attendance Mirrors Football Team's SuccessAverage 2009 Attendance Highest In UC HistoryMatt Knochelman, WLWT.comPOSTED: 1:06 pm EDT September 30, 2009UPDATED: 1:58 pm EDT September 30, 2009[bUZZ: UC Attendance Mirrors Football Team's Success] [DELICIOUS: UC Attendance Mirrors Football Team's Success] [DIGG: UC Attendance Mirrors Football Team's Success] [FACEBOOK: UC Attendance Mirrors Football Team's Success] [REDDIT: UC Attendance Mirrors Football Team's Success] [RSS] [PRINT: UC Attendance Mirrors Football Team's Success] [email: UC Attendance Mirrors Football Team's Success]CINCINNATI -- What a difference a decade makes.The University of Cincinnati football team looks nothing like it did at the start of the new millennium. The stands at Nippert Stadium, the Big East’s smallest football stadium, look nothing like they once did either.Rather than being a mediocre program that always took second fiddle to the likes of Ohio State and Notre Dame, the Bearcats have emerged as a power all their own.Since UC’s recent string of success, fans have begun to continuously Nippert Stadium. People almost always support a winner, and Cincinnati is no different.Expanding the seating at Nippert Stadium has even been discussed, which is a notion that would have been laughed at only four years ago.During the 2000 season, head coach Rick Minter led the Bearcats to a 7 -5 record. The average attendance was 18,575 fans per game. The season’s highest attendance of 32,924 people came for a 45-15 stomping of Miami (Ohio) on Oct. 28. The lowest, 17,647 fans, came for a 48-31 win over Houston on Oct. 7.In 2001 the Bearcats had a 7-5 record and averaged 23,055 fans per game. In the home opener, 35,097 people set a Nippert Stadium attendance record when 25th-ranked Purdue beat the Bearcats19 to 14.The next season, Minter led the Bearcats to a 7 -7 record and a share of the Conference USA title, averaging 21,696 fans per game. The lowest attendance of the season was for Nov. 30 win over the University of Alabama Birmingham. The 9,606 people present also marks the last time Nippert Stadium failed to attract at least 10,000 fans for a Bearcat home game. The highest attendance at Nippert Stadium, 31,478 people, was for an Oct. 5 loss to Miami (Ohio).The Bearcats also drew 66,319 fans to a 23-19 loss to sixth-ranked Ohio State at Paul Brown Stadium. However, many people at the game were fans of the Buckeyes, who went on to defeat Miami (Fla.) for the national championship.The ‘Cats went 5-7 in 2003, averaging 21,827 people per game.Coach Mark Dantonio was hired the following season, leading the Bearcats to a 7-5 record. However, attendance slightly fell, to an average of 21,255 fans per game.In 2005, the 4-7 Bearcats averaged 22,423 people per game.2006 was Mark Dantonio’s last season before leaving for a seemingly better opportunity at Michigan State University. The lowest attendance of the season was for the season opener, when 18,792 people saw UC shut out Eastern Michigan 31-0. UC averaged 20,373 fans per game during the season.UC’s biggest win was for the Nov. 18 home finale. 27,804 people watched as the Bearcats stunned seventh-ranked and undefeated Rutgers 30-11. This game was the start of UC’s emergence into the national spotlight.The game’s attendance was somewhat distorted, however. UC had a large lead at halftime, and UC students scrambled to the stadium to rush the field after the game. Students used to be able to swipe their student I.D. at the gate to enter any game. However, due to UC’s success, a limit was put on student tickets, making only 3,884 student tickets available 10 days prior to any home game.Dantonio left shortly after the regular season ended, and Brian Kelly was hired shortly after. On Jan. 6, 2007, in his first game as head coach, Kelly led the ‘Cats to a 27-24 International Bowl win over Western Michigan.The beginning of the 2007 season was similar to previous years, with just over 20,000 people in attendance to see the Bearcats crush Southeast Missouri State 59-3 in the home opener.The Bearcats started the season 6-0, beating Oregon State and Marshall in front of over 25,000, and 35,000 fans, respectively.The team’s first loss came Oct. 13 in a 28-24 loss to Lousiville in front of a sell-out crowd at Nippert Stadium. The Nov. 17 game against West Virginia also sold out; where fans saw the fifth-ranked Mountaineers squeak by the Bearcats 28-23 in the home finale.All-in-all, the ‘Cats finished the season 10-3, including a 31-21 win over Southern Mississippi in the Papajohns.com Bowl. The Bearcats also beat three top 25 teams in 2007, with victories over 21st-ranked Rutgers and 20th-ranked South Florida on the road, and 16th-ranked Connecticut at home.Higher attendance followed the team’s success, with an average of 30,246 fans per game.The success carried over to the 2008 season, where UC went 11-3, including a Big East Conference championship and a 20-7 loss to Virginia Tech in the FedEx Orange Bowl.The lowest attendance of the season was during the home opener, where 26,913 people saw the ‘Cats beat Eastern Kentucky 40-7. The highest was a stadium record of over 35,098 on November 22 against Pittsburgh, which was essentially for the conference championship.The’Cats beat Pitt, and followed up the next week by beating Syracuse 30-10 on front of 34,603 fans. After the game, UC claimed the Big East Championship trophy.UC also attracted over 30,000 fans for home wins over Miami (Ohio) in September and against both Rutgers and 23rd-ranked South Florida in October.The Bearcats again averaged 31,965 fans per game, beating the previous year’s mark.If the 10th-ranked Bearcats (4-0) keep winning, this should be the first year that at least 30,000 people attend every single UC football game at Nippert Stadium.30,421 people saw the Bearcats crush Southeast Missouri State 70-3 in this season’s home opener, compared to 20,233 people who saw the ‘Cats beat the same team in the 2007 home opener.32,910 people attended the Fresno State game and the West Virginia game on Nov. 7 has already sold out.The Bearcats have also defeated Rutgers and Oregon State on the road.Remaining home games against Louisville on Oct. 24, Connecticut on Nov. 7 and Illinois on Nov. 27 are also likely to reach the 30,000 fan mark.Only time will tell if high attendance will continue at Nippert Stadium. As long as the Bearcats keep winning, people are likely to continually fill Nippert Stadium, making the need for a seating expansion increasingly more pressing.---Attendance Statistics: http://www.gobearcats.com/sports/m-footbl/...tbl-archive.htm