legendofzippy

I agree with you, but if you listen to recruits they talk about uniforms a lot. It's a big factor for them. That still seems very odd to me, but every school is getting in on it, so it shows how important it is. Did you see the Miami players react to their new uniforms? You'd have thought a nude Megan Fox just walked out or something. I'm guessing the football team will do more. The basketball team hit a home run with the black unis/twitter mess, so obviously the university is open to stuff like that. Plus, still interesting that the basketball team is almost exclusively blue and silver now. Will we see that bleed over into football or other sports? Maybe football would do a blue/silver alternate?

That's what we told people with the new football stadium, so we can't use that line again. I think most of the Akron fans on this site are still living in some sort of fantasy land. My main point is still this - the University has done as much as they can possibly do given the size of the athletic program, so now it's on the fans to step up more than they already have. Is everyone here a Z-Fund member? Does everyone attend games on a regular basis, including smaller sports like volleyball and women's basketball? Heck I could probably toss soccer in there. Is everyone trying to get friends out to these games with them? I'm sure a few can say yes. Many? I doubt it.

Those numbers you put out didn't impress me much. Not trying to be mean, but come on. New seats are why Jacobs Field started filling up? Maybe one of the most exciting teams in baseball in decades had something to do with that. A revamped part of the city, easier access to bars... lots went into it. Plus all the examples were pro teams, so not really the same thing. Every stadium probably gets a bump the first few years, but that doesn't justify the investment. Do I like the JAR? No. But the team wins anyway, and if the University decides to pump money into salaries, R&D, new labs, new technology, satellite campuses or any other of a million things to raise the standards of the University, I'm fine with that too. I wish it were different, but fan interest in the Zips in the greater Akron area just isn't that high. Northeast Ohio has TONS of options for fans - this isn't Athens where we're the only game in town. There are three pro teams right up the road, and OSU is always going to dominate the state on the collegiate level. Again, I wish it were different, but fans need to step up and attend more games.

Look, we'll get a new arena eventually, bud I'd love to see you stand in front of a board of directors and explain how comfy seats will fix everything. Here, click on Akron and see how much the students pay for the sports program. Now click on Purdue or Indiana, or one of the other teams you're ripping in the other thread, and do a comparison. Or wait, let's look at Ohio. They have a big comfy arena and competitive teams, surely they're raking in the ticket sales, right? USA Today College Sports

If your basic data is so reliable and so obvious, then where's the new arena?

You're getting sports information from WKNR? Well, that explains everything.

It's still cherry picking. You'd have to do an extensive study on people in the Akron area to find out why they don't already go to games when the team has been a winner for close to a decade now. A new arena is going to cost many millions of dollars. Where is the money going to come from? They're pushing fundraising as much as they can, they're open to a shared facility with the city, the marketing department is going all out, they've retained Coach Dambrot.... from what I can tell they're doing everything they can. Are the fans? No. The arena gets packed twice a year, and a lot of that is help from the Can't and OU fans.

My guess is these Ohio State fans are a figment of your imagination. Every OSU fan I know recognizes that the conference is down, and the PAC-12 opponents they currently have are also struggling. Again, if the Big Ten isn't a tough conference, then I guess the MAC is terrible too. BTW, Indiana, Illlinois, Purdue, Minnesota & Maryland are all better than Akron right now. Everyone likes to take pot shots at schools they really have no clue about. You can love Akron, but maybe we should win a few games before ripping anyone.

Well, people also blamed football attendance on the distance to the Rubber Bowl. An on-campus stadium would increase numbers was the logic. That worked out pretty well. I'd love a new arena too, but blaming poor attendance on uncomfortable seats is pretty lame.

Wow, way to cherry-pick a few stats to support your point. I'm sure it will get financing now.

Well, Gilbert has only one option if he wants LeBron back - rename the team the Akron Cavaliers.

I guess you'd have to show me a study that proves that. I'm not certain that with more comfortable seats we suddenly start getting 7,000 people each game.

I agree that the marketing efforts have been top notch, and I'm very glad to see them. Loved everything they did this year. I'll use the bracketbuster game as an example though. A friend and I got there early because we figured it would sell out. While the crowd had a ton of energy that night and the stands were pretty full, it wasn't close to sold out. It was a nationally televised game we needed to win in case we lost MAC title - but didn't sell out. So the team regularly competes for the MAC title, has made numerous post-season tournaments, and continues to recruit at a very high level. But the actual demand for more seats just isn't there. If I'm in charge of the cash at UA, why would I invest? Look, I'd love to have a nicer facility, but it's a tough sell.

Blame Tressel or whoever you want, but until the JAR sells out on a regular basis, I don't see a new arena. That's on the fans.

So you criticize OSU for playing cupcakes... which means you're ripping the MAC then, right? I mean, OSU schedules a MAC team every year, so you're ripping us, correct? If we're just a bunch of cupcakes for football-factories like OSU, Tennessee, Michigan, etc, then what's the point.

I think this comment is a joke, but not sure. I like the Oregon State matchup anyway. Looks like they'll also be breaking in a new PG. Found this as a preview for them: Oregon State Sucks

I hope Zeke makes it, but I agree with trimmy10 - you get paid to put the ball in the basket, not for being close. Really not sure why he didn't get more time, but we'll see what happens.

Colorado just can't keep QB's.... Colorado QB Transfer

Interesting article from Andy Staples. I think I'd go Miller or Mariota though. A dominant QB can do a lot of damage in the MAC. Andy Staples>INSIDE COLLEGE FOOTBALL

I guess the point would be if everyone is just going to sit around and say "I don't want to play them", then small schools might as well forget playing OOC games. Just play your conference and take your beatings (and paychecks) from the big schools. Is that what we want? No. So get off the high horse and see that there are plenty of good small-school programs out there, and support those games. We've been arguably the worst FBS program for the past decade or so, so let's be happy anyone of merit would schedule a home-and-home with us.

I get what you're saying, but do you think anyone in Iowa cares about playing Akron? It's a Big 12 team that has some nice wins in recent years, so if a team like that got on our schedule we should support it and hope they do the same.

I didn't say it couldn't be done, but if you watched the game against them last year it wasn't even close. Based on his post-game quotes, I think Bowden was surprised how good a top MAC team can be. Look, they went to a BCS Bowl and we didn't beat an FBS team. That's a bit of a gap.

Yes.

Kind of cool to look at his Twitter timeline to see the people congratulating him. Scoonie Penn, among many others.

For those that really care, here's SB Nation's take... Conference Predictions I like this from the bottom of the page: *** We don't really care about NCAA-vacated wins.