72 Roo

Fantastic news! Now our baseballs will be playing with the same number of schollies our opponents have. Things look very bright for this once destroyed program. Good news is always welcome, but more so in this time of little Zip information.

I don't have a clue as to everything that went into his decision to hit the portal, but I'll offer this. If he was going to sit behind other QB's he might as well go to Oklahoma and sit in a place that is close to home. He loses a scholarship but maybe he's happier being close to home while having the chance to win a scholly if he does well. Akron is a long way from home just to sit on the bench.

Catdaddyp, your analysis as usual is superb. Yet your comment that SC has a ton of if's applies even more so to us. With QB, OL, WR, DB and special teams I feel we have much to work on to compete with them. Obviously QB and OL are the key to us making a leap forward. Against this schedule I don't see that coming. I can't see us winning more than 4 games this season. Thank you for your thoughtful contributions.

I appreciate your perspective. I'm glad you support the program. Look deeper into the program. You will find assistants that cannot compare to Mitchell's, lack of local (Ohio) recruiting, few if any performances ranking in the top 25 in the country. Winning the MAC is not an endorsement. But if you are saying it's a start, I agree.

Agreed. Take WKU because they make the MAC a stronger conference. Take MTSU also if they make us stronger or give us a better TV package since they bring the Nashville/Tennessee TV market.

CUSA looks downright ugly. I hope WKU comes to the MAC very soon. It makes more sense than staying in CUSA.

If you were grading this coaching staff you would give them an F. The magnificent pipeline that Mitchell established has gone dry. Pick any event area (sprints, middle distances, hurdles, field events, combined events, jumps) and we are weak. I have been waiting for this staff to rebuild to Mitchell level performance and it is not there. It's time for a change.

This is a sobering question because it points out how bad the program has been and how much time it will take to turn it around. I do not think we have much of a chance to win more than four games this season. We have too many questions to solve (start with the OL & backup QB). So the turnaround continues and Joe will keep his job primarily because he is doing the right things in building a sustainable, winning program.

My thought precisely. How long is it before Sharon decides he can play for the coach who recruited him, in his hometown, at a university in a better conference than the MAC? Are we looking at one season as a Zip and then out to Marshall?

I don't have a problem with Wassel moving on. He gave us everything he had. I wish him well. He seemed to be a good team guy, but it wasn't going to work here. Hate to see Hester go as I loved his energy. Like Wassel he got stuck behind others who he would have a tough time beating out. Hope he does well wherever he goes if they are not playing UA.

Ever the optimist I'm expecting four wins this season! Call me crazy, but I'm calling for a 100% increase over last season. Let's not be afraid to reach for the stars.

Indeed it fits him well. Remember Paladin was a hired gun and I'm sure Jalen received more NIL from Furman than Kent was willing to pay.

I agree that Hardman is a good addition. It will take him time to learn what Groce's defense is all about. Still Groce would not have recruited him if he didn't think Bowen could learn to play defense the way we he coaches. I also agree with fellow posters who want another big. That is absolutely essential if we are going to into the second round of playoffs as Bud has stated as our goal. Keep the program progressing.

I don't want to get too excited, but how can you keep calm with this type of personnel infusion. Bud said the goal was to build a program that could consistently go into the second round of NCAA playoffs. I am not saying we are there, yet we do see a glimmer of what may lie ahead one day, however soon that may be.

I also had limited sympathy for the players when they (the ones primarily in the rich programs) said they needed a piece of the revenue pie. When you look at it players get a full ride covering absolutely everything = $120,000 over four years. On top of that they get tutors, gear, nutritionists, medical care and counseling without waiting for an appointment like the rest of the student body. They get cost of living allowances on average about $2,000 per year. On top of that if they come from disadvantaged backgrounds they can get a Pell Grant up to $9,000 per year. I realize the demand on their time is huge, but so is working two jobs to get thru school like I did while playing soccer. NIL needs some sanity. Is the star running back really worth $000K when the linemen blocking for him get little? The very nature of NIL works against teamwork and everyman counts.

This is a good and accurate review of what Bud had to say. As glowing as his comments were about our facilities, development, culture, reputation, etc we must always remember that in this new NIL world any school willing to offer more money will negate all our advantages. Money is the primary factor no matter how disappointing that is. We can be proud of our advantages, but we also need to be realistic. It's a different world.

The results of this Day of Giving are skewed. No contributions to any sports NIL collective are counted. No membership in the Summit Group ($25,000 committed over five years) are counted. The results are not a dire as would be surmised on first inspection. Would we like to see more from the general public? Absolutely yes! But things need to be taken in perspective.

A former UA AD told me the MAC divides the tournament money and bowl money amongst all members with the team earning the tourney spot or the bowl bid getting an extra share. The MAC office also got a share. That makes for a lot of shares and dilutes the size of the share. I do not know if that is what is done now.

If we had a men's swim team this would make perfect sense. I'm trying to work with you here Illini Zip so just go with it.

Zips Lady Dodgeball - A true Underdog Story. Has a nice ring to it. I wonder if it would make a great movie title?

I think the team counts its blessings in that it has a committed fan like you. No one does more for Zip soccer in building confidence and pride.

Ms Claws, why would 10-12 players leave if they are thrilled with the new coach? Did you mean they weren't thrilled?

Do you think he got a full scholarship, partial or PWO?

Think what you will. This is a forum open to all opinions. I can tell you the talk in Pittsburgh was that our BBall collective was the best in the MAC. It has some serious backing. Just perhaps Bud knows that and getting serious money into the collective is more critical than opening it up to the public. FWIW, Groce is in one three guys who will require NIL money to come here. They are big time talents, for the MAC that is, and we have the money they are seeking. They like everything about our program which could tip the scales in our favor if the money is the same.

Good Lord! If we applied the look test he is perfect for the PCCC future felon program.