Gump1947

I was speaking of the ones they wore during the Arizona game. The names on the back are in white on a white jersey.The numbers were shiny gray. At first I thought it was a prank and they used duct tape to make them. Not a fan of them at all.If I lined up against any of them I would make fun of those girly uniforms all day long.The current Zips uniforms are way better. PS If a recruit decides on a school for the uniform, I don't want that recruit.oh yeah....I don't think I have heard of a kid choosing a school BECAUSE of the uniform (though I have heard of kids choosing a school b/c their # was available...you HOPE that, in that case, the kid has everything else even with another school and needs something litlle to push him one way or another). HOWEVER, a kid might have some interest to see/investigate that school b/c of the uniform. Kid that grows up watching the tradtional unis of an OSU, PSU, UM, Georgia, Tennessee, etc. Or the kid that likes the "new age" look of Oregon, Boise, et. Uniforms represent, at least partially, the image of the team, which can transcend to the coach, school, etc. Having a recognizable brand is big in drawing interest and uniforms are a huge part of that brand.At least Oregon teases the fans with the names on the back. I hate that we don't do it. Screw this team unity thing having ANYTHING to do with names on the back. If you want to get fans familiar with players, build fan interest, etc., it helps to have the names on the uniforms. And, to be brutally honest, if part of what a kid wants to see is his name on the back of a uniform, good for him. He has earned it. Why put even 1 recruit and fans that follow the game at a disadvantage by NOT having the name on the jersey. Sorry, we are not the NY Yankees or Notre Dame football.Now we're getting somewhat relevant. Uniforms are important. A "sweet" looking uniform will draw a kid's attention to a school (again I'm basing this on my 18 year-old's opinion). Therefore, it should be given some thought. After all, why do the Zips and other MAC schools play on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday nights (besides the $$$)?

I agree with you on Oregon. I can't believe people dont like them, they have GREAT jerseys.To continue this amusing although irrelevant thread: The question is, which Oregon uniforms are you talking about? They have about fifteen, including at least four different helmets. A huge expense, until you understand that this is being underwritten by the Great God Nike. Probably a generation gap here, as I (a Boomer) hate those uniforms, while my football-playing son loves them. Uniforms might have a slight impact on potential recruits if they think they're COOL.

The only thing that might be going on with a football is the guys getting together to play a little 7-on-7. And the kickers practicing on their own.Mainly a lot of lifting, running, and playbook studying. Actually they're in the "voluntary" summer workouts (100% participation) led by graduate assistants and team captains.It's so "informal" (wink, wink) that they went to Youngstown State for a 7-on-7 scrimmage this week. The coaches are around, but they have to leave the field before the workouts. 7-on-7 workouts are at 6:00 PM on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the field house, 11-on-11 on Wednesdays.

Remember, no one has "signed" yet, nothing is certain until signing day in February (and things can change after that, such as kids not qualifying academically, getting into legal trouble, etc.). Don't get too hung up on "multi-star" players. Rivals.com, Scout.com, and others are businesses that feed into fan recruiting mania. You can be a great player, but if you don't go to their camps, you may get ignored. There are plenty of "no star" players that would help most any team, but for one reason or another aren't ranked by them. For example, in my state (I don't live in Ohio) the best running back wasn't even ranked in the Rivals.com "stars" list. Why? He didn't go to their camp. At some point you have to trust the coaching staff. From what I have seen MAC coaches work harder than BCS coaches at recruiting because they have to. Fans can help alert coaches to potential talent, especially fans who live outside the normal recruiting area.

Just wanted to make sure you understood that my use of quotes on the dumb question title was intended to show that I thought it was far from a dumb question, you can see how glad many people were to give some answers. This is a pretty passionate fan base who got a marvelous taste of a championship team a few years ago, and is very hungry for more.I understood your intent. I'm not a sports forum junkie, I've logged on to several forums from schools that have shown interest in my son. This is the only one I have contributed to, because of the intelligence and passion of the fans on it.I hope some of this passion is directed towards publicizing and promoting the UA program, especially to those outside the local area, especially by those fans and alumni who live outside the area. A 17-year old kid may not know the history of the "old" UA, and even if he does, he probably doesn't care (this holds true for his parents, too). What he looks at is now and maybe tomorrow. I think UA has a lot going for it, the question is, how is it going to use these advantages in competitionagainst other schools. Since I am now living in the middle of the dysfunctional process called recruiting, I understand that coaches can't possibly do it all. (I'm thinking of writing a guide to recruiting for the kids and parents at our high school.)An alert and active fan base should be a big help, assuming that the coaching staff accepts the help (they're nuts if they don't.)

My "dumb question" was to show the impression of an outsider (live out of state, no knowledge of the school, little knowledge of Akron---tires? LeBron James?), with no baggage, good or bad, to bring. Our family was very impressed by the facilities, present and future. This shows us some real determination (money is a big part of that) to build a major program. We were favorably impressed by the coaching staff. The media guide we were given was the best we've received of any school. We were at the BG game---tough loss, no doubt about it, but I think there's some overreaction to a close loss. Of course, we haven't been through the frustrations of the fans. (My impression was a lack of pass rush and exhaustion of the D-line late in the game let a good QB play 7-on-7.) There is a lot to be proud of here, it's up to everybody who cares to get the word out, not just in the area, but in the region.P.S.--We got lost for 20 minutes trying to find the Rubber Bowl.

I'm also impressed by the quality of the posts on this site. None of the yahooism, name-calling, off-topic posts, etc. that I see on other forums, but still a lot of enthusiasm.

I'm new to this site, so here it comes: Where did UA come up with all that money for the new facilities? My son has an offer from the Zips and we were blown away during the summer visit. We're from out of state and don't know much about the area. We are coming for the game tomorrow.

OMG haha, they look like power rangers or something EXACTLY!!

One reason uniform style is important is to help attract recruits. I know it seems shallow, but my son, who plays high school football, likes "cool" uniforms. It could be a small part of his college choice, in fact. Why are we suddenly seeing so many black uniforms, even among schools which don't have black as an official color? The players (college and high school) like black uni's. P.S.--He loves the Oregon uni's, which I can't stand (I'm a Penn State type).