akzipper

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Agreed. Most importantly I hope that off the field he can succeed. I don't expect him to step on the field and dominate, but given our lack of talent it won't be hard to get some playing time. I just keep remembering that this is Akron, and we just don't get much luck go our way.

I wish we could focus more on him as a football player, as opposed to his past. Things happen, people make mistakes and we really don't know anything about the guy other than the articles. We should be excited, since he was recruited by Ohio State and was a 4-star recruit. He deserves a chance to start over and hopefully we landed some talent!

Exactly what I was thinking. The original post made it seem like he had run into trouble, maybe his crowd wasn't the best but the shooting was no way his fault.

4-star recruit out of HS? Did he ever play for OSU, or is Akron his first school? Couldn't really find anything on him except for the "incident".

From the articles I've read it said he was going to a FCS school? Also wouldn't he have to sit out a year?

Well you were looking at the mobile version. The normal websites (both done by PrestoSports) are actually much different, and Lake Erie's looks more like something for a small minor league team or something. Very over designed.

I've always liked the look of gold numbers and lettering, on both blue and white uniforms. Similar to what the soccer team currently wears. Maybe the numbers/lettering can be hard to read on the whites, but in a sport like basketball, fans can recognize all the players without having to see their names.

I've always been a fan of the gold unis. Not for every game, but 2-3 special ones a year is a great idea. I hope it's true, but it will be odd to see gold again, since all 3 of the current jerseys only feature gray and blue. Maybe a gold alternate means they're redesigning all 3?

I don't really think either one even hints at us leaving the MAC, nor does it seem like he wants to get out?

The MAC might as well be a high school schedule with all the stupid schools in Ohio. 75% of the MAC's schools are in either Ohio or Michigan, there's some good national exposure right there! When's the last time a MAC school moved up to a bigger conference, for all sports? When the last time a MAC school played in a national championship, of a sport that people actually care about? When's the last time it had a ranked team in basketball or football? I may be referring to the "old" CUSA but still, it happened. The MAC is terrible, plain and simple. I apologize for blowing up like that, I'm just so tired of the MAC.

I would say that most of the MAC is content exactly where they are. That's why it's such a poor conference. Look around at facilities, coaching staffs, and money spent...only one school stands out, and that's us.

Agreed! Unless we're sweeping MAC championships in every sport, year after year, I don't see how they could pick us up. We easily have the best facilities, but those only help if you're winning. Right now we're not, and a move to CUSA is the next step. Maybe UA believes that the money it would cost to leave the MAC is not worth the jump just to CUSA? If they think the BE would take them, they will be in for a rude awakening. If we see a new arena, a few winning seasons of football, and increased attendance in all sports I can see it as a possibility 5 or so years down the road. Maybe by then Bowden will have moved on, and Tressel can just take over the football program.

No one had the Tressel story right all along. Everyone from the start suggested that he was coming to Akron to coach football. Then UA announces his administrative position and the same people say "Well I was right all along!". Not even close. We're just not moving anytime soon...

Well Bowden and Amato are not all that surprising. I'm just thinking about how long it took Memphis to join the Big East. I mean they've had a elite basketball program with an awesome arena for about a decade. We have neither, and a worse football team. Not to mention the 5 markets being added: Memphis, Dallas, Houston, Orlando, and Philadelphia. Akron's metro of 700,000 just doesn't even compare to them...

Maybe the UA executives think it's such a foolish though they don't want to waste their time? haha Only KD and a few sportswriters have hinted at a move someday, correct? I just don't see it happening...

There's no reason any for any more FCS schools to move up. No to ODU, JMU, YSU, whatever. Like I've said FBS has way to many teams already, and just adding more isn't going to help anyone. Not to mention, how do you get Akron fans excited about having those schools on the schedule? Look at bad the Morgan State, Gardner-Webb, and VMI games have been. Not exactly sell outs right? Not to mention a slip up like GW is just flat out embarrassing. If Akron were to move to CUSA it would have happened already. By the looks of the schools they've added, they bring nothing better to the table. If I had to guess we think we can go to a bigger conference, and are holding out. Which is a BAD move, since it's not going to happen. I'd take a game vs. Marshall or ECU, over Eastern/Central/Western/Northern/Southern Michigan crap any day. I think we better just get comfortable playing in the MAC, we're not going anywhere sadly...

Exactly. I honestly think that all of these teams should earn a jump to FBS. If they want to move up, they should have to serve as an independent for 2-3 seasons to get a good idea of competitiveness and fan support. If they show they deserve to be there, then CUSA or the MAC should give them a shot. How a school that has NEVER fielded a football team before gets to start out in FBS and got a CUSA invite before us is just baffling. Is our football team really that bad?

I think most Zips fans are waiting for the day that we get national attention, as opposed to just being a side story in Lebrons career and KD being known as a legend that revived our program. Not just some guy who coached Lebron back in HS.

but you want to add JMU and ODU to the MAC? The level of competition is already diluted enough thanks to the MAC west, adding them will just make it worse. I just don't see how conferences like CUSA and the MAC can justify adding schools with 1 to zero years with a football program, to automatically put them in FBS the highest level of competition. CUSA may suck, but the MAC is much worse...

I sure hope UPA can actually accomplish their vision for the area south of campus. I doubt it will happen, since the initial plan showed a complete rebuild of the area. But it's a nice thought. I'd be happy if they could at least clean up exchange and make it a safe and enjoyable place for students and fans on gamedays.

That doesn't seem very safe haha...I remember back in my UA days if you ventured south of Exchange you're pretty much guaranteed to be mugged. Hopefully Tressel had some bodyguards!

I think seeing "small" schools like Old Dominion and Charlotte join C-USA is proof that UA really had no interest in moving there. Honestly from a football viewpoint it's a very head-scratching move to add a decent FCS school and another that hasn't even fielded a team yet. Not to mention UTSA?? I would hope that even with our 2 wins in 2 years, we'd be better than a nonexistent team.

Do pigs fly in your world? haha I mean I love the Zips as much as anyone but I don't think ESPN will ever do a College Soccer Gameday, nor do I think anyone would want to watch that

If ESPN College Gameday is EVER at Akron...God help us all