72 Roo

Figures for attendance at OSU may be greater than ours, but not in actual bodies in the stands. In that case we blow them away. I live in Columbus and follow both programs. Ours is better on all counts. For whoever posted that we had a larger crowd for our game in columbus this past Fall, you are correct. I was there and talked to OSU officials afterwards. They were absolutley jealous with our team, our fans and the Rowdies. They were stunned we outnumbered them in their own stadium 2 to 1.BTW, I like our new stadium but want Creighton's. It's better.

Everyone is all excited about the future of Zips BBall. I am too. I love reading all the posts on a new facility. Several things jump out at me. First, we have got to fill the JAR before we seriously look to build a new facility. Second, the economy is horrible to rush in to anything now, especially with Info coming on board and the administration's commitment to build a new soccer facility in phases. Third, I could see UA using an off campus facility, but only for an interim period while funding (bonds and donations) are secured. Fourth, I would be stunned if any long term agreement was reached to use a city owned facility off campus. Every strategy for growth the university has is centered on developing an integrated campus with athletic facilities part of the core, not on the fringe. Using a city built facility even a half mile off campus does not enhance campus life. Fifth, I envision that we make relatively cheap enhancements to the JAR such as more chair backs, removing the running track, removing the glass barrier on the second tier, and bringing seats out over the track area. Ultimately I see a new facilty built on the Central Hower High site or we demo the JAR and rebuild there. The latter would cause us to find an interim home.My biggest point in all this is I think it is critical that a new facilty stay on the campus core. We must have that to build the vibrate university we envision.

We can't compete in the MAC and you want this program to be the doormat for the CUSA? Marshall dominated the MAC and went to the CUSA and have gone 4-8, 3-9, 5-7, and 4-7. What do you think is going to happen to Akron?People need to realize what Akron is, people are out here thinking we can compete with Penn St and the Big Ten and we should be in CUSA.....we need to compete in the MAC before we think about competing with good programs.And you need to realize that we do compete in the MAC. We were 8 points away from being 8-4 this year. We nearly beat the Big East Champions, we made Syracuse look like rightfully like the bottom of FBS. If you keep thinking small time and letting the fact that a couple things don't go your way in a given year, you are always going to be small time. Futility is not a team that has been D-1 for all of 20 years and has recently garnered enough respect to be able to recruit talent get 10's of millions of dollars in donations to fund facility improvements and been to a bowl game in the last 4 years. No futility is being a D-1 football program for the entirity of existance and having your most notable season being in 1972.Marshall was failing as they left the MAC and hell UCF went 0-12 they just won a C-USA tile last year or the year before. So the "can't compete" argument is pretty useless. Cincinnati won a C-USA title once (2002) and they just went to the Orange Bowl.How do we compete in the MAC? How many winning seasons has this program had? How many bowl games? How many MAC titles?We most certainly do not compete in the MAC. Cinci had the perfect storm of a season, they have never shown that can consistently be a winner. Neither has UCF.Why do people want to be bottom dwellers and hope for a perfect storm of a season every now and then in the CUSA? That's not even a great conference to begin with.This program needs to focus on what it can do to recruit the kind of players to be sitting at the top of the MAC year in and year out. Right now, this program hasn't recruited the players needed to have consecutive winning seasons...We beat a horrible Syracuse team and we lost to an ok Cinci team and we want to make jumps to a bigger conference? People are guaranteeing a win against a soso Big Ten team that curb stomped us two years ago, we need to come back to earth.Lets just hope we are competitive this year, have a winning season, compete for the MAC title and hopefully get a bowl game before we worry about being doormates for a below avg conference when we can't even compete in a bad football conference.It's called vision. Many in Akron are not used to it, but it is nonetheless there and growing stronger every year. Of course we need to dominate the MAC. Come on, everyone agrees to that. But what comes afterward? No MAC team travels well with fans. Marshall did as you could expect 6-8K every game. We needto be that type of program. Once there we will need a bigger stage. CUSA seems the most feasible to me, but conferences are changing and we must be in position to take advantage of positive growth when it is offered. Continued membership in the MAC will always limit a program's potential. If we can outgrow it I say embrace it.Until we are ready for the leap we must do all to get our house in order. That means build a fan base, bring fans to away games, create high performance expectations i.e. tradition of winning, build facilities and be a program the public wants to see (especially TV). If we do that new conferences will seek us out. As KD tells his team every year "Think big" and prepare then to make it happen. We should have a strategic plan that covers 5, 10 and 15 year goals. One of those goals should be improving conference affiliation.

This is a schedule that I find hard to like. The opening is great with Morgan State and Indiana at home. But we have only one home game between Indiana on Sept 19 and Can't on Nov 7. How does that build a following? How does that create a football experience at the Info during the best Fall weather of the season? We follow Can't with 3 Friday night games. Not only do we go against the high school games but the weather will get progressively colder and possibly bring more precipitation. Loyalty is not built during lousy weather. I don't know what say we had in this, but I do think that the MAC has screwed things up once again just to get on ESPNU or ESPN360, channels that are carried in 1% of households. Real smart move MAC office! Meanwhile we once again lose a game against Miami, which was a budding rivalry. Another reason to get out of the MAC. I would love going to C-USA. But don't get me started on that rant again.

That's a great looking soccer stadium. Better than what we plan IMO. But I understand money is tight, so I'll take and love what we plan. But Creighton has a cool place going up.

I am glad Can't suspended Singletary, but then again they had to do something. Too many people saw what happened both on TV and YouTube. So Can't took the safe route ... they suspended him for a game in which the opponent has the worst odds in the confernce to win the whole thing. Wow! Did they ever take the high road. If Can't had announced a two game suspension I would have given them some respect. They have a thug on their hands and they continue to let him do what he wants as long as he is a good B-ball player, which he is. They have no honor. That's why my kids will always be taught

Capt'n,Help me out here. How do you have a semi-new baby? Not to worry, though, if he/she is a new Zip that's all that matters. New or old we all know

Zipper, I talked with Greg Burke during the last round of AD hiring. I like him a lot and he loves the Zips. But his wife is from the South and not particularly interested in coming back to Akron. Perhaps times have changed and that is up for reconsideration. Greg likes the Akron situation so maybe you could be right that he would be interested.

The issue of local kids being told to go somewhere else is born out of misperception by the writer/speaker. Local coaches are not blind. They see our program is on the rise. They also know that is across the board including all sports, facilities, academics and campus. Most people who believe coaches won't recommend us also believe tons of D-1 athletes are coming out of Summit County. That just isn't happening.To build the program we all want JD must go out of Akron and out of state. The days of building a dominant D-1 football team from NE Ohio have long gone. There are not enough. No one expects Ohio State to recruit a majority of Ohio athletes. Why do people think we need to do it with a majority of NE Ohio athletes? It can't be done.

Capt'n, can't say it much better than that. It troubles me that Mac would want to leave now for a job that is better, but not the high profile job he could get if he were to bring everything together that is nearing completion in a year or two, i.e. Infocision, football respectability, attendance, soccer dominance, basketball dominance, emergence of women's programs, start of the soccer stadium, etc.Passing up all that for Rutgers. Makes you go Hmmmmm.

Random thoughts:1) Mac is gone. I agree with Capt'n, if not now he will go soon. He's got to go because he has tipped his hand that he is willing to leave for a mid-level Big East job. Not exactly the Big 10, SEC or Big 12.2) Our transformation, which is continuing as we speak, will be a long hard road. But it will happen. I see us dominating the MAC and looking to the next level in the years ahead. I'm willing to admit it may be many years ahead. But it will happen.3) Proenza will only leave for the right job. He was up for the Florida job , but didn't get it. He also applied for the University of California regents job that OSU's Gordon Gee was offered years ago, but Luis didn't make the short list. He is being selective on what he wants. He knows he has one job left in him and he wants it to be a statement position or he will continue to stay at Akron. I can live with that. There is still more for him to do here altho' he is still disappointed he couldn't orchestrate a medical school for Akron. A long shot at best, but he thought he was strong enough to pull it off. 4) Zip37 ... I'll disagree with you about Gordon Larsen. Even respectfully argue if you want. Gordon inherited an athletic dept that was in a shambles from the Red Cochrane era. Red was a promoter, but never a manager. Gordon started putting the program on the proper footing. He instituted title IX at Akron, he coached, he hired Bill Killen to replace Stu Parry, he hired Wyatt Webb and he got us into the Mid Continent conference. All on the smallest budget the school had seen to date. As a football coach he out-coached Don James (K.E.N.T.) and Earle Bruce (Tampa) with fewer scholarships. At first I didn't like him. After getting to know him I found he was Akron through and through. He was a man to be admired and a fierce competitor. I hope some of this changes your mind about him. he did many important things behind the scenes that few people gave him credit for.5) I like our position now better than ever. Our coaches are sound. Our facilities are rapidly improving. We have a core of passionate fans that will keep the focus on continuous qulaity improvement. We have a great president and a board of trustees that share his vision. We will survive and flourish. As I said above, it will happen.

Interesting discussion. I believe we all feel the same way but maybe choose different logic to support our opinions. Mine is to get the hell out of the MAC as fast as we can, provided we can compete to win in a basketball and football conference. That is a big proviso. Until then we need to dominate the MAC. We are only prepared to do so in soccer and track, not the money sports which rule all decisions. I'd love to be in the Big East, but they, rightly so, will not take us so we should get used to it. Frankly, I don't blame them. We bring little to the conference except for soccer and track. A more realistic goal would be Conference USA. That would help all sports and we could make the leap if we begin dominating the MAC. I hope we look that way in the future. If we focus only on dominating the MAC we still will not get the attendence or recognition we need to come close to balancing the athletic dept budget. C-USA gives us a better chance to do so and will make us continue to grow and develop. I can't see the MAC ever generating the attendence we will want.Until a jump is feasible we need to get our house in order and start winning the MAC regularly in football and Basketball. We need to be the program that causes all conference members to think the road to the championship goes thru Akron.

Sorry Capt'n, in the spirit of complete objectivity I've got to drop the Lady Zips to #11. There loss to WMU moves the UT men ahead of them. Take heart ladies, next year you'll kick their butt.

No, no...its: "There saying that this is a grate higher over their, butt they're kneads two bee sum immediate results." Zippy, Dude, you are too freakin' funny. I read that and it made my day.Zips do rule!

I like the hire. I agree it shows commitment to the program. Shane was a good OC before he took the reins at Miami and he will be valuable to JD to bounce ideas off of. His value as a recruiter is significant. More and more programs are de-emphasizing Florida and spending more time in Georgia. The Zips need to be able to have a presence in that state.The more I see of the program's changes the greater my hopes rise. I am hoping JD is laying a solid foundation that will carry the program after the excitement of the first year in our new showcase is over.

Nation, a couple weeks ago Mac sent out a letter to the friends of Zip soccer. In it he outlined the outstanding accomplishemnts of this year's team, future developments and reviewed the "injustice" that was heaped on the team and the university during the playoffs. I will not go into great detail, but I do what to give you all a flavor for what was discussed.First, my overall impression was one of great confidence and respect for what Mac and Caleb have done. I don't post all that often. In the past, when I did post, I was critical of Mac. Now that time has passed and I continue to see what he is doing and the challenges he faces with reputation, little tradition, Inadequate attendence, a poor conference, facility upgrades and budget pressures, I have slowly become a Mac fan. His letter only re-enforced that opinion. As part of his review of this year's accomplishments Mac discussed the contract extension for Caleb. We have the best young coach in the country, hands down, end of discussion. The soccer world also knows this. Caleb is now paid with the top 5-10 soccer coaches in the country. His assistants all got raises, the recruiting and travel budget was increased, and a second fulltime assistant was added. The university is clearly committed to winning a national championship. Mac is talking openly of that expectation of Caleb and himself. Additional evidence of that is this year's recruiting class and our Spring schedule (the best in the country on both counts).Mac next shifted to the soccer facility on campus. A new field and lights are planned for the 2010 season. Lights bright enough for night TV broadcasting will cost $500,000. There are three options for the field: 1) $750,000 to install a new field with a surface and drainage to handle 35-40 events per season and most weather conditions, 2) $1,000,000+ to install a sand based field and drainage that could handle any weather and more than 40 events per season, and 3) an artificial turf field that could handle all weather and unlimited events. The second option is preferred by all in the program. In fact, the third option could be expected to affect recruiting as recruits do not want to play on fake turf. Mac and Caleb are studying their options and possible donors to make the sand based field and lights happen. After 2010 the grandstand, bleacher and birm seating will be addressed in what's called phase II.The team will get new locker rooms and a lounge in the utility building at the north end of Infocision this season. Funding needs to be signed off by the board of trustees. It is considered it will go through when presented. That will be a great plus and help convince these national class recruits coming in that they made the best decision of their lives. Finally, Mac reviewed how the "injustice" (his word) of the playoff screw-job played out. He discussed it with passion and detail. We appealed the NCAA's decision 3 freakin' times and we went all the way to the top. All parties refused to listen to our points. I don't know how you felt during that time but I was sick and very upset. For the first time, I was reminded to look beyond my own feelings and consider the administrators at the university who even felt worse. After reading his account I felt a closer bond to his athletic administration than ever. The only thing Mac didn't review that I would have expected was our future, or lack thereof, in the MAC. We already have the top OCC schedule in the country with the RPI to back it up. The MAC kills our momentum. Unfortunately, we repeatedly face teams that decide to keep 11 men on their half of the field in hopes of playing for a 0-0 tie. Case in point, at the BGSU game last season their coach acted like he won the national championship when he only lost 2-0 or so. We need a conference where teams want ot play and not hunker down. That type of competition will only make a us better during the playoff run.This team is in good hands. We will continue to win big on a national level. Thanks to Caleb and Mac for making the dream a reality and thanks to the many nation supporters. You folks are getting a rep as the most passionate in the country. To cite an example, I sat with an athletic administrator from Ohio State at last season's game in Columbus. She was overwhelmed by the Zip following and could not believe that we had more in attendence than OSU did. She quized me constantly on how it got that way, how we became so passionate and what OSU needed to do to get to where we are. She ended the night by saying next to Indiana, we are the best program she has ever seen. Not a bad compliment considering Iu's numerous national championships.Thanks again to all who read this far.

I love the excitement that is growing over our commit list, but in the final analysis I really only want to see us getting better than our peers i.e rest of the MAC. If we do that, one day we will be out of the piss-poor MAC conference and moving in circles that get more respect and attention. If we maintain the staus quo (in the MAC) we eventually will deteriorate with the rest of the programs.

This in indeed fantastic news, but let's not overlook the challenges that face Caleb and the Zip soccer program. They are: 1) we have got to get out of the MAC (Please become an affiliate member of Conference USA and 2) we need a new soccer specific stadium. With those two issues addressed we can challenge for a national championship. Without them being resolved we will continue to get screwed by the powers that be.The bottom line is that we are on the cusp of being a top 10 program. With these improvements we will be a top 5 program.

Great idea Capt'n. If I was able I'd find some business to do in N.E. Ohio and drive up from Columbus for the event. Unfortunately, I've got to go leave tomorrow for a national sales meeting in Arizona. Nice weather, but no time to enjoy it. Kinda like a hostage crisis situation.BTW, why did the powers that be decide to drop the signing day hoopla? With this class and the excitement of the opening of Info it seems like a natural thing to do. I don't get it. Why not show the recruits and the public we are proud of this recruiting class.Any ideas? Enjoy the brew.

Racer, you are killing me with your never ending quest to discover capitals and punctuation. You can't be that lazy or did you really go to Can't? Hopefully, you are just a student who doesn't give a damn. The real world will be a shock one day. It is Christmas, though, and we should love everyone, even Can't fans. On second thought, let me think about that for a while. But you do have a good point in that our D lacks any linebackers with the size to make an impact at the line when plugging holes. We have rarely had the size at LB to play the 3-3-5. Yet we stay with it. I assume the coaches are doing their best to bring in the talent we need. That being said we have to show the flexibility to use the defensive scheme that suits our talent and is effective. The 3-3-5 may suit our talent, but is not effective. Hence JD has got to change. If he opens next year in the 3-3-5 I would read that as an open admission that he is beyond his coaching ability and we need to plan a change at the end of the season. There has got to be a potential D coordinator out there who can do a better job than Fleming did if Fleming is not committed to change. I hope JD finds that guy this off-season.What a nice Christmas present that would be. BTW, let's throw in a QB who can win games in the fourth quarter.Happy New Year!

Skip, you may be right, but I think Racer makes a good point. The D has to do its job. Jones gives us instant experience and talent to boot. While I agree he is a great receiver with the best hands on the team, you have to consider the great need to put a defense out that can stop anyone. We will need that if we are going to win the MAC. I would give his suggestion serious consideration.

Outstanding Post! I would expect nothing less from a Zip-aholic. Really cool to read. Makes me want to wish away the next 7 months.This made my day.

This is a depressing outcome. We were the better team, but didn't play like it. Yes, the NCAA screwed us and that can't be changed. Let's not forget that this team was good enough to play with anyone in the country. How many other Zip teams can make that statement? They never quit. They played as a team with great purpose, leadership and confidence. If the football team had done that they would have been 9-3. I'm going to let myself feel bad for a short time and then look to how we can get better.Trimmy hit it on the nose with his three points. I agree Mac has got to get us out of the MAC, not only for soccer, but for the future well being of all Zip athletics. Unfortunately, I can't see us getting a better facility next season unless we are ready to give up playing on campus for a full season. It will take that long to tear down the tennis courts,relocate and rebuild the field. My biggest worry is losing Porter. This kind of loss hits coaches in the heart and kills their optimism for getting it done at a school like Akron. Only Mac and Dr. P can solve this issue. They have got to convince Caleb that he will have the commitment, resources and facilities to win a national championship. If he feels, at any time, that is lacking he will be gone. There is too much demand for talented coaches like him to think he will stay w/o our Zip leaders supporting him. I, for one, plan to drop Porter a note thanking him for getting us this far and confirming my belief he will take us all the way to a championship.As we post our frustrations on this thread, let's not forget that this team is part of the solution, not part of the problem. They did all they could and next year looks brighter. I'd hate to see an air of pessimism linger over this program when it has such a great future ahead of it. Remember we started 4 freshmen, 4 sophmores, 1 junior and 2 seniors. We are loaded and will bounce back.Feel bad for now, but the Zips will be back. The NCAA hurt us but didn't kill us and we will be better and stronger.

I can't seem to get the stream up and running. I've followed the directions but the streaming doesn't pop up. If anyone can help me I'd appreciate a call 614-888-7590. I'm dieing! Steve

Forget the importance of next year. J.D. has not earned the right to continue. He has mis-used coaches (fire Fleming), mis-used philosophy (3-3-5), mis-used talent (Jacq under pressure, wideout drops, special teams, last three games, etc) and failed to lead (lost 4 games that should have been won ( Temple, BG, UC, Buffalo). These are the same issues we have talked about before and after the last two seasons. Nothing has changed and a new stadium will not bring a diferent style of coaching. Only a new coach will bring that. Make the change to get better. The present coach has shown he can't do it left to his own devices. He has had a fair shot. Time for a change, if we can afford to eat his contract.