Balsy

And we're both correct. Example: 29,000 students. 1,000 students can live on campus...increases to 2,000 students can live on campus. Still commuter school, while also having number of students living on campus double. Perspective has nothing to do with it. It's simply the facts: The University of Akron can house nearly 3,000 students in it's on campus housing. While I and Zippy5 were on campus they added 1000+ to that number (effectively doubling it). They added Spanton and South halls (roughly +1000 student beds, where as it had been around 2,000 when I started). That leaves 26,000 students who aren't living on campus. At best another 4,000 probably live in the Akron area in various apartments, houses, and other off-campus housing that is relatively close to campus. These folks would still be considered commuters. This number (despite the new student housing complexes that have gone up) I don't believe has increased all that much. 22 exchange has largely sat partially empty since it was built (years ago) adding more off campus student housing doesn't mean more students are going to live there. (This is a discussion for another time, about how ridiculously overpriced most of these are). Bottom line: you can believe both of us. Perception has nothing to do with it.

We've gone over this before. Student attendance isn't high because of two primary reasons: 1. Akron is still a commuter school. Most students aren't anywhere near campus during game time. 2. College is ridiculously expensive. Weekends are one of the only times college students get to make money working a job. These two reasons trump everything else. Though it is true there are more distractions today for my generation (these other distractions are definitely the cause of decreasing student attendance at bigger institutions...especially when you can watch the game on TV while drinking, and indulging in those other activities). It is most likely not the cause at Akron.

Games are boring. To many TV breaks.

Dave Doren would have left for NC State regardless if he had been selling out or not. Doren is 16 years younger than Bowden. He is in the part of your career when you can move up. I'm sorry folks, Bowden is not. Bowden is 58, and desperately wants to build something special. Be another coach at some average program isn't special. Being the coach who turned one of the worst programs in D-I into a regular competitor, would be special. His hopping around from lower division school, to lower division school, was so he could build a resume to break back into Division-I football. He's at Akron now, and he wants to build something special. Bowden is here to stay, so enjoy the ride.

The age old "gentleman's agreement".

Without the fans coming to the game, Akron (and subsequently the MAC) are making a decision on how to make more money: scheduling those awful weekday games. Fans already aren't going to show up, so what do they have to lose? As for Saturday afternoon games...when else is there going to be a game?

"Road to Detroit begins" vs EMU. "Road to Detroit continues" vs all other opponents. I will say I do like the posters this year...the tagline TNT (Today Not Tomorrow) and "Time To Shine". The only thing I would make different is don't have two tag lines...have one.

That's very disappointing.

Pohl is ranked higher than Hackenberg!

Dambrot isn't going anywhere anytime soon and Bowden will retire as a coach of the Akron Zips, after passing the torch to someone he hand selects to succeed himself.

It's not perversion if the endeavor itself exists to discourage critical thinking in order to control what people think.

I actually don't think real attendance is going down, or is any different than the last 4-5 years since Infocision opened. Ticket sales have, but go look at the numbers from every year. After going 1-11 and with iCoach in charge of the program, 2011 ticket sale "attendance" was above that of 2010. 2012, with a new "big name" coach at the helm, attendance went down considerably. 2013 attendance was the best average attendance in the history of Infocision stadium.

I agree with the point about trying to generate fake excitement. I can't stand the "Now lets hear from you fans on the east side of the stadium...I can't hear you, let's try that again!" If anything, it's embarrassing. However, don't criticize the guy with the microphone. That's Keith Kennedy (a morning radio guy in the Cleveland/Akron area) and he's a HUGE supporter of the Zips. I have ZERO problem with him being an emcee of our games. He regularly talks about the Zips on his morning show, and mentions how people should go out for game.

On the flip side you could say how bout you be the coach who makes a community care about a program. Bobby made people care about FSU. A seemingly easier task than making people care about Akron.

The reasons to stay with Akron are numerous. We have him now, and we really haven't proven anything yet with him...but I'll go ahead and float it since we're on this discussion. 1. Akron's never had a season above 8-wins 2. Akron hasn't been to a bowl game since 2005 3. Akron has never been ranked 4. Akron has never been undefeated 5. Bowden built the program to the way it is with the help of a friend who is no longer with us. At just which level does a coach evaluate success? Bowden has already coached at the highest levels of College football (successfully). He has rebuilt program after program to get back into D-I football, and now he has with Akron. Perhaps it's wishful thinking, but I don't see Bowden leaving until he has really established something. He's a competitive guy who wants to win. Does he want to be remembered as the Coach who got kicked out of the highest ranks of college football, only to rebuild programs people have never heard of over-and-over again, or does he want to be the coach that made the worst program in college football into a powerhouse.

Mark my words. Bowden is here to stay. (not sold on Amato) but Bowden, this is his last gig. +1. I always thought we could get 20k (actual attendance) at Infocision for a game against Can't if it's early enough in the season. The MAC makes no sense to me. BIG Rivalry games make more sense to me early in the season because they're literally at the point of the year that they can make or break a season.

That's just pathetic.

So that's why he scored two TD's last year...because he doesn't score TDs. Bickley is a good player with the potential to be great for the Zips.

Or who actually did their job and reported good information, not just stuff anyone could see from watching the game or from listening to the press conference.

According to our friends over there at Bobkittenattack, Pohl WILL be out because he has a partial MCL tear.

I love the Pittsburgh Steelers references.

We went 5-7 last year with less than good offensive play through 3 of those games, one of those games the Backup QB scored two of the TDs with his arm. With the defense that we have, and the running game we have with Hundley, Chisholm and (the threat of Woodson scrambling). I don't see this team struggling to win 3. Struggling to win 4 maybe, but not three. We've got Can't State, UMass, Buffalo, Ohio, Bowling Green and Ball State. Three of those games should be controlled by our defense (Can't and UMass were won by our defense last year, not a highly effective offense...which Ironically 2 of those 3 games are the same teams). Pohl has never shot the lights out, Woodson certainly won't either, but we don't need them too. A good football team must be good in all three phases (I agree) to win most games. But if they're good in two, and passable in the third (playing against teams who aren't good in any of the three), you should still be able to win. You don't have to be a perfect or "good" team to win. You have to be better than the team you're playing. I think our defense is good enough to win most games for us.

Very interesting. Thanks for posting. I'm so glad that I'm not religious and value being skeptic.

4 more wins get's us to 8-4. This is achievable with Pohl or Woodson IMO.

Early score prediction. Akron 24 Bobkittens 21 The score is closer than it seems. This game will never be in doubt, the Bobkittens will score a late TD in garbbage time to bring the score closer than it ever was at any point of the game.