exit322

Very true. We'll still be there anyways, and the folks they didn't even try to court will still not have any idea they exist.

Stankovic has a neat name and the Spring game (and events leading to it) is just the latest Akron athletic department screwup. Seems like a reasonable discussion in mid-April.

And that wasn't even their spring game. They're doing another event this Saturday. https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1EWdhUDJ9d/ So sad that Akron isn't even trying, and Zips fans apparently think that's OK because trying to develop the fan base with events around stuff they're doing anyways is stupid and boring and stuff.

"Ooo that's a cool place to go." I know it's an amazing concept around here for the program to actually try and build its fanbase, but Kent is showing ways to actually go and work on it. And the reply around here is "haha that's dumb, we shouldn't do anything"

So you're saying making effort to involve the community are stupid. Interesting concept, and completely in line with how Akron currently operates.

That's why Kent made it "kids day" and had activities for the kids with the football players being involved with the kids. Yeah, it was bad football...but I bet they made a couple fans for life because they actually tried to.

Yep, we are 100% in agreement there. Yeah, the game itself isn't exactly going to be the highlight of anything because it is effectively a practice. Which means the other parts of the package actually have to do work to make it a fun experience. And Akron has failed amazingly at that task.

In today's NIL/portal world, this will help Kent because you can see that pipeline to "CBB contender money" from Kent State.

Based on how bad they're screwing up the football marketing around the spring game...you're probably right.

So you're saying that this was a terrible idea from Kent and Akron is right to not do anything to try and grow the fanbase: Kent State Football on X: "𝗞𝗜𝗗𝗦 𝗗𝗔𝗬 Thank you to everyone who came out this morning and spent your morning with us! ⚡️ https://t.co/n1d5BOLBZs" / X

If the athletic department were remotely serious about expanding their market, they'd tell the coaches "here's what we're doing, deal with it." But they're not. And now they've heard loud and clear that people were displeased with this decision. And did like a quarter measure to reply to it. Still completely pantsed by Kent

They don't need to concern themselves with that, either. The expansion to 76 allows the tournament to get rid of 8 more of the pesky mid-majors before the money schools can beat what's left of them. It's not giving more shots to mid-majors.

After the MAC's tournament performance, we don't need to concern ourselves with that possibility anymore.

We're a mid-major whose ceiling is winning three games in Cleveland in early March (that also draws very very average crowds). Better to play as many local teams fans might actually care about that we can, even if we're "a level above them."

13-35. I don't.

That we're getting embarrassed in every way by Kent State is certainly something. But we are definitely getting embarrassed in every way by Kent State right now.

We're talking about an opportunity to get in front of a public that has largely tuned them out. While there were moments last year that made you think they were trying, now we know that was fool's gold and it's same old same old and they'd rather just let the thing rot. The last time they announced a 50% full house was 2019. They just told the public they don't care if they ever do it again.

The people that run this unserious program apparently are scared that teams may want something from their 13-35 head coach. Yeah, maybe St. Francis on their way to D3.

They were 5-7 with a rather favorable schedule a year after being 4-8 with a less favorable one. There are no signs the program is actually improving, and they're then doing this to make sure they can't generate any local buzz.

And yet completely predictable by this unserious group.

Moorhead has 13 wins in four years with a questionable upward trajectory. Getting fans is more important than worrying if we'll lose an AAL backup linebacker.

Well, the goodwill I thought they seemed to be building with the Tuesday Kent crowd was in fact a mirage.

They'd all have entered the portal. Akron is a "have not." That's how it works now. You are, however, correct on the first point - who did express interest? Would it be better? Maybe...but those three guys were entering the portal no matter who Akron hired (or even if Groce stayed).

Akron is a mid-major. Those are three players that are very possibly going to get paid actual P5 money (at least enough of a chance to review it). You could have hired John Calipari with Rick Pitino as his top assistant and they were all entering the portal. That's how it is. You hire the guy to keep the program going as best you feel they can without worrying about individual players, because in today's world they aren't staying here.

To be fair, maybe the blogger named that urinal Nemer was using "Europe."