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I believe the stipulation was the ceiling "if everything went Akron's way", which i assume is synonymous with them being the highest ranked G5 team. To put it in perspective, Boise got the automatic bid last year being ranked 20th with two losses and not a single win over a P5 opponent. Marshall actually lost a barn-burner to WKU, but would have made it even with the weakest schedule in probably D-1 history. They somehow managed to avoid playing a single P5 opponent.

You sure about that? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automatic_bids_to_college_bowl_games

Once again, incorrect. Maybe not the Fiesta Bowl, but if the Zips were to go undefeated, which would include a win over top 25 ranked Oklahoma and bowl bound Pitt as well as "everything else going their way", they would be a lock to be selected to a CFP (fomerly known as BCS) bowl game by being the highest ranked non-P5 team and there isn't anything any bowl rep can do to keep them from getting into one of them. You all are forgetting our friends in Portage County were some dumb TE reverse away from going to the Orange Bowl themselves a few seasons ago.

Why not just drop football altogether so we would never lose another football game again!?!

Incorrect.

Fortunately for Akron, they don't get much use so that shouldn't be an issue.

Thanks. So at least two of them went out of their way unsolicited to say that merger/acquisitions are completely off the table. Some may see looking to save money in areas where it makes sense in a way that won't ruffle feathers as showing that there is a problem. Others may see it as being fiscally diligent. I can't imagine it would be in the best interest of Scarborough or Tressel to be apart of some merger where one would lose their position/both would take a substantial pay cut (which is sort of the whole point of a merger).

If they are stupid enough to think that, UA has a lot bigger problems than we thought.

Obviously no material progress is going to happen overnight, but my point is that the University has chosen the direction they want to to go so now it's time to see how it plays out. They aren't all of the sudden going to scrap the Polytech idea and decide to merge with Can't. You are not correct about fixing a single year deficit. The changes made are permanent, therefore will reduce costs annually. Steps have been taken to improve most of the issues, but it takes time for this stuff to happen. Ex. How do you expect graduation rates to improve when the current seniors were enrolled when UA was still open enrollment? I admittedly must have missed them meeting to discuss some partnership to cut costs. Can you provide a source? NEO med would probably make a good case study for some full-on merger of the regional universities. I don't know enough to form my own opinion on it, but from most accounts on here it seems as its considered a disappointment.

Schools have gave out monthly stipends for years. Source: UA tennis player.

Why is a merger even being discussed on this forum at this point? With UA already differentiating itself as a Polytech University, its clear we aren't looking to merge with anybody and won't need to no matter what if all goes to plan and we end up on the "right side of that napkin". How many times are we going to regurgitate the same fairytale? The merger talk in seemingly every thread is clutter at this point. Last I checked, we've made all necessary expense cuts and will no longer be running a deficit. What's the problem again?

UAtoZ ‏@UAtoZ 2h2 hours ago Akron, OH Tomorrow, former @AkronROTC Dir. & Comdt. of the @uakron Corps of Cadets, Lt. Col. Brad Harvey, stops by to share his vision for program!

Appreciate your input with the bball team, GoZips, but I'm going to have to call "bull" on all 5'11" on a good day "Bull" being able to play any small forward.

I'm not a regular reader of the ABJ, but did they print this story as a followup? http://www.wakr.net/personalities/jasen-sokol/item/159244-audio-ua-interim-ad-baseball-s-gone-no-football-drop If not, pathetic.

I could be wrong, but I've never heard of anything like that. I'm sure there are scholarship limits for soccer just like there are for football and basketball. I wouldn't be shocked to hear that there were players who wanted to come here without being on athletic scholarship just due to the caliber of the program.

It could be a lot worse. http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/maryland-cuts-seven-sports-on-sad-day-in-college-park/2012/07/02/gJQAqJFBJW_story.html Even with that ACC and Under Armour money, the only thing that saved Maryland from that embarassment is getting into the B1G.

Title IX experts- does baseball being cut allow for a women's sport to be cut next if need be? I doubt it will happen anytime soon if it were allowed as I figure both would have been announced at once, but just something I was thinking about.

Agreed. I've been one to talk about the schedule and how it can improve for years. I'm pretty pleased with this one, even with just what we know now.

I am actually very familiar with SOX and the events that led to the creation of it. I still see your point as a reach. CEO's are still held accountable as they should be as they are involved in the day-to-day operations of a company unlike the board, just like the President and the trustees. http://www.cnet.com/news/ellen-pao-out-as-reddit-ceo/ I don't see anybody trying to blame the board (and not TW) for approving the hire of Ianello

I won't argue cutting some admin positions. There is definitely some fat that could be trimmed there. You're right, cuts alone won't cut it. SS even knows this himself. The details that have been released state that there will be 40M in cuts with an expected 20M increase in revenue. I think that is a fair balance between the two being that half of that is guaranteed by increased student fees. Whether unforeseen or not, its clear that much too generous projections were made in the past about increased revenue and it would be wise not to repeat that. Who says we are actually giving up anything? I would bet that the University will actually be bringing in revenue they otherwise wouldn't have with this program due to it being so uncommon around the country. If a 2 grand scholarship and Cadet program attracts students to come here that otherwise wouldn't (which it will), the way I see it assuming a tuition of 10k, the University is netting 8k + fees and all the other expenses of college per year. Rag on football attendance all you want, but even as bad as it is, we still have nationally televised games and more people attending them than any other sport. What other better way is there for the University to get exposure you can actually see?

Everything that has ever been released has stated the students will get a 2 grand annual scholarship. Its not an actual cost, but more-so an opportunity cost as it will be just 2 grand less revenue the University gets from the students participating. The guy going to run this is already employed at the University, so he is probably going to get a little pay bump. The only other cost I'm seeing is uniforms which will probably run a couple hundred to maybe a grand (being generous) per cadet. These costs are nothing to write home about.. I once again pose the question that has not been answered yet by the critics- If you inherited a 60m deficit, what are you cutting and why? People want to bitch about the 50k (just to make a connection - that could have saved 1 job for 1 year, peanuts in the grand scheme) that was spent to sponsor game 6 of the NBA finals. I personally think its a brilliant move to find a way to spread the word to a middle-high class regional and NATIONAL crowd what our University is. That's free, unlimited marketing to anyone those individuals cross paths with that shirt on. Its money much better spent than on some stupid regional Super Bowl ad. The Cadets are a way for people to actually materially see that UA is different than the other run-of-the-mill Ohio universities. Whether you agree or disagree with the whole poly-tech transition thing is besides the point, but I think he has done a good job so far at trying to make the public aware we are trying to differentiate.

Bingo. The head of the University is ultimately responsible. Really no way to deflect it even if the board approves things..It happens everywhere and in every public company. I'm kind of shocked it was even brought up.

I wonder how many students strive to go to IUPUI. Seems about the equivalent of going to something like OSU- Mansfield. Not the real thing.

without a doubt.

well not really because they didn't end up cutting it in the end.