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This discussion, and the last post, takes me back to some of my beliefs back in the mid-80s, when we became D-1A in both football and basketball. There was a conference at the time called the Metro. They had other city schools from the Midwest like us, such as Cincinnati, Louisville, Memphis, St. Louis, and Tulane. I know....some of these names sound familiar? This old metro conference later merged with the Great Midwest Conference to form Conference USA. And although they've lost a few powerhouses along the way, I still see this as our most logical next step forward. First, I think this is probably our only real possibility as far as acceptance. And secondly, I think it would at least gain us a regional presence, instead of just basically an Ohio/Michigan presence.

Everyone I was around noticed Brown. He's a big receiver, and can catch the ball.I saw some excellent throws from JAC, but I also saw some of the old throws where he looked at the receiver he was going to throw to the entire time, and let the defense know what he was going to do. I think we are small defensively, but we looked really aggressive yesterday. Some big hits. I hope that's a sign of improvement.

How funny. Heck, I would have loved to have made that kinda money my first year out of college

After reading all of your comments, I have 3 wishes....1) I sure hope the MAC gets better, because I don't think we have a realistic opportunity to move to another conference at this time.2) If we do get a chance to move to C-USA, we should take it. It might not be the best option, but why couldn't it be a stepping stone to the BCS level that we so desire?3) I don't understand why passing on a C-USA opportunity should be because of the other teams' proximities to Akron. It would actually be our golden chance to expand our notoriety. That's so limited right now with so many of the MAC schools in Ohio and Michigan. Are people serious that they would pass up such an opportunity because it would be more difficult for visiting fans to travel here?

First of all, I'm glad we didn't take a game that would have not "counted", if we had needed another win to get to a bowl game.Secondly, I've actually gotten comfortable with the idea that Indiana will not be the first game, but will still be on the schedule. I'm really thinking, in the long run, that this will work out for us since we'll have a chance at 2 big crowds in the first part of the season.

I know a couple of times last year I saw Andrew break through the line and get into the open field and take off...and I was like...WOW!!!!! Unfortunately, he didn't get enough of those opportunities. That ambulance ride really put a damper on an otherwise promising senior campaign.

While I've thought all along that having a long playoff is probably never going to be possible, I welcome anything that helps Akron get a shot at some publicity and more money. A 16-team playoff with us getting at least one well-watched extra game (if we win the MAC) would be a great thing for us if it would happen. However, I'm thinking it would be a fight to get all of the conference champs into a 16 team playoff.

Captain....I'd call that customer service at it's best. Someone doesn't like something, just eliminate it from the menu all together I know what those darn jalapenos do to me Hilltopper....I would like to see if any of the other oldies have any more info. on the entire JAR situation. But, I would be surprised if the Nat and the JAR have any connection since they were built about 8 years apart.

g-mann and Captain...I certainly remember some of the news at the time.I recall something that related to us supposedly getting more state funding if we added a classroom wing (I ended up having several classes there), which cut back on the size and/or amenities of the arena. I can't remember the details.Of course, the arena was a major upgrade from what we had, but I sure wish they had looked at our growth as a University at the time, and had projected where we might be a couple of decades later.

Dave,Please point out to me where, in any way, my post about Middle Tennessee's arena was holding them up as a great example of an arena investment that increased attendance?Maybe it has helped them. Maybe it has not. I have no idea. I certainly don't have the time to look up their attendance numbers before and after the new arena, but you can feel free to do so. I was merely showing the quality of a facility from a program that was a big competitor of ours in our previous conference, for some of the younger folks who don't go back that far. However, one of the big things that caught my attention, looking back at this comparison again 25 years later, is.....If we indeed considered MTSU to be what we aspired to be in the early part of the 80s (and I firmly believe that we did).....why did we build a far "inferior" arena than the one they build 10 years earlier??Boston Zip,The Xavier/Akron comparison is a fair one. Sure, we're not a "small" university. But, there are so many other factors that are the same, and are much more relevant. We're a city school in a highly populated area, and we are not in a major conference. I think Dayton is another good example too.Now....we need to sell these finding to the folks who control the money

Of course, I wished KD and the Zips had gotten publicity. I know KD gets mentioned often as LeBron's high school coach, but in this story, only Joyce was mentioned as his coach. Even when LeBron talked about how all those guys played together in AAU ball before high school, KD wasn't mentioned.As I said to my wife while watching it, why do so many people in the national media portray Akron as the city that lost all of that Rubber business....when it happened....30 years ago !! So much has happened to Akron's grownth since LeBron has been alive, and no mention of that at all. Only the bad times many, many years ago.

Just to add a little bit to the "we have a glorified high school gym" frustration, here's a little bit more to get you guys fired up...Back in "my time", when we were playing in the OVC, we used to compare ourselves a lot to Middle Tennessee (who now plays in the Sun Belt). Not only athletically, but in terms of facilities. They had (and still have) a basketball arena that has so much that we want.....1) The seating arrangement is a little more "rounded", which gives you a good view of the game without straining your neck.2) Chair-back seats.3) It seats 11,0004) It was built in 1973!!!!Just take a look at their athletic website, and there's a great picture under the "facilities" link. I know..something like this would be very nice. I just don't see something like this happening for us when we built something like we did only 25 years ago.

A few thoughts (wow..this topic has certainly drawn plenty of interest).....I agree with all of the negatives about the JAR....All the bleacher seatsBad sight linesThe Evans lounge being not much of an exciting VIP experience.I've heard it all before.I only want to clarify the word NEED. Yes, we as fans "need" a new arena for better seating, to aid recruiting, to entertain guests, etc. etc. But I think the reality is that with a 25 year old facility, NEED will have to equate to other things like "we can't maintain the building"....or....."we're running out of room" before the people who really make these decision will consider justifying the expense. I just can't see any other factors that will foster any sense of urgency that would make this happen anytime soon. Let me share one more thing.....even when I was a student during the early to mid part of the 80s (yes, the beginning of the JAR Arena days) we complained about the things it lacked. And there has been improvements over the years, most notably the addition of the chair-back seats in upper reserve. And I really think all that we can hope for right now is that our administration can continue to make such upgrades.

Johnny...you're right!! That Army game was the one I forgot about as far as a game where we played a lot with an extra down lineman to defend the option. Captain...Bain was hurting our offense last year in the spring game. Good point about keeping him out so that we don't risk injury with any offensive players.

Wow...so many interesting thoughts here. I'll stick with just commenting about the big men, and add the following thoughts...Without getting into a long rant about my personal feelings about the so-called rule that big men take longer to develop, please just note that Steve and Mike had some pretty decorated high school careers, so I would not necessarily afford them any special categorization ("projects") than any other MAC-level player at any position who needs some work on his game, or needs to pump a litte iron, in order to be ready to contribute. As I often say, if you are good at 16, 17 and 18 years old, you don't suddenly become bad at 19,20, and 21 years old. If it appears that way, then the player is probably playing at too high of a college level to ever excel. There's only so much coaches can do. This is why we champion the stories of the kids who stink the first couple of years of college, and suddenly emerge as a major contributor......it's because it is the exception rather than the rule. The freshman center at Ball State adjusted just fine. Here's how I think this whole situation will unfold....Mike - The diminishing playing time over the course of this season is certainly not a good sign. I think the starter-type minutes he got the first half of this year were his GOLDEN opportunity to show where he was going as a player. I think we saw what we are going to get from him, and I expect to see him do his 5-10 minutes a game over the next couple of years in reserve duty, and hopefully give us a bucket and a couple of rebounds a game, and play some good defense while he is in there. But, I still LOVED watching him dunk and scream during the Gonzaga game. Steve - I can't be very confident that he is ever going to be able to help us much. I keep hearing the words "not ready" after two years in the program. And with Mike still ahead of him in the lineup, and Zeke coming, and another post player coming off of redshirt, I'm hoping he's one of the miracles I mentioned above. I love the kid, and I'd love to see him play. But for now, I'll have to consider his version of Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" at the OBC party to be his big moment in the spotlight. Zeke - I think we'll see something similar to B Mc's role as a freshman. He may not start, but he'll get good minutes, and we'll get a great chance to see what he can do. C. Mc and Nik....When looking at the C/PF, or the 2 post spots...or whatever we'll call that next year.....I see Chris and Nik getting the most minutes next year, followed closely by Zeke, and then Mike as the 4th man in the rotation in that area.

Rich...I think you bring up an important point. I see that you observed what you believed were 3-4-4 alignments from the defense. I'm no football expert by any means, but if I look back over the last several years, I see a lot of that as well. The Rover in that 3-3-5 defense (a role that John Mackey almost played to perfection) looks to essentially be a linebacker who has the ability to pick up a pass receiver, when needed....and then you see the two safeties and two corners. This is why I think we all get too hung up on what they are "calling" the defense. I'm much more interested in simply knowing that we have our best defensive players on the field making plays, as opposed to thinking too much about what the coaches are calling the alignment. But if the coaches identify that we have a ton of talent and depth at DL and LB, then I hope they reconsider doing some other things. But right now, there's a long way to go until we put a team of the field this year. Yes, we've seen some 4-down linemen situations too. I think we used that last year when facing teams like Syracuse and OU to fill the assignments needed to stop option plays.

I wait for business associates of mine to get the tickets that get us in the seats behind the baskets about half was up, with free access to the VIP bar and the buffet. That's when I go. They even have carved meat up there. Not your run-of-the-mill buffet. I wouldn't pay for them otherwise. I think it's all totally overpriced. And I feel for those people who want to take their entire family to an NBA game. I'm fortunate there's only two of us. Other than that....I go to a local establishment and watch on tv with other fans....a lot more practical that way. And in some ways, it kinda makes you feel like you are there anyways. I'm looking forward to the 60 min. show. I hope Romeo and Dru are indeed on there. That might be one of our last chances to benefit from the "LeBron's friends played at Akron" factor.

Thanks Dave. That certainly satisfies my curiosity about how early we will see Zeke in action next year.I'm happy it mentions Sullivan as a projected player in the guard rotation next year too. He's got quite a track record, and I know quite a few people who know him, and his game. He should be able to do a lot of things for us. I hope the redshirt year has made him stronger, and even more ready to play at this level. If there was any surprise....it's that it lists Brett as a projected starter at forward instead of Nik C. I'm guessing it will be the other way around, but I will wait to hear more from the coaches on that one. I think the sky is the limit for next year. The only thing that's ever concerned me when thinking about next year is how well we will be defensively without Nate.

johnny....I'm glad you also brought up the 1992 game, where Matt Kaulig filled in as QB, and helped Faust cap off his best season as Zips coach, and our best season ever as a D-1A program. I think that season really solidified the idea that we were going to remain a 1-A team for good, and could compete in the MAC.As far as the Cincinnati comparisons, it's hard to look past their conference affiliation. I know people who were students at Cinci when I was an Akron student in the 80s, and they talked often about an almost empty stadium for home games. They've come a long way since then. Hopefully, our facilities are a good first step. Lets hope we can also someday show a major conference that we have the potential to be an asset to them.

Ever since the spring game was moved to the fieldhouse, my group has been tailgating for the spring game.Which brings up another question...has anyone else heard more about the old Buchtel field softball area being our tailgate location for next year? Nobody I know in the athletic dept. can confirm this. But I think it's a great idea since it will be grass, and not pavement.

I would say the story is true.Honestly, I would have liked to have seen Indiana be the first game. But, I think the home opener will be a sellout, or near sellout, regardless of who we play because people will want to see the new stadium. Especially if there are ticket specials for the general public. And with Indiana now being the 2nd game, it actually gives us a chance to get a big crowd two games in a row....before we start getting all of the no-shows as the weather gets cold. We've been begging for years to get more September home games, and now we have what we want.If any of my fellow old timers recall...back in 1986 (our last year in 1-AA, and first year of the Faust era), we sold out the Rubber Bowl for a game against Salem. Sure, the excitement over the arrival of Gerry was big, and it was an Acme/Zip game, but it still was a sellout against an inferior opponent. And how about adding the return of Carlton Jackson to the equation?And I will add myself to the list of those people who are amazed at the lack of excitement from local residents such as this guy from Uniontown. Bet let's face it guys...some people will never be supporters as long as the Suckeyes remain competitive in the national championship picture.

GoZips...I love your perspectives, but I will just add this.....I love Keith, and I know him, and his passion for Akron.But, let me just say this once again. I think it serves us NO purpose to compare the Huggins era to the Keith era....regardless of who has more wins (which I don't really care). For the most part, Huggins won an OVC title and NCAA bid with a couple of freshman, a JC kid, and a couple of football players. If you weren't around at the time, it was an amazing feat. And he followed that up with a few more 20+ win seasons and NIT bids with admittedly, only marginally better talent. The guy has a knack for making something out of practically nothing, and is now making millions of dollars because of that ability to make the most of his talent.

Lee...don't always agree with you, and you sometimes are a harsh critic.But I have always felt the same way as you on this topic....Alex is ABSOLUTELY the key to our offense this year. Sure, some will say, "no, we have plenty of other backs". But, AA is the only back with experience. We really FINALLY must pray for a complete healthy season from Alex.

Zips_ME87.......hang on there just a minute.If you point out that CSU upgraded their OOC schedule, it payed nice dividends for them, they game themselves a chance at an at-large bid, and that the guys on KNR were talking about the value of taking that risk on their show this morning, and that they won a couple of those game and benefittted themselves......You will be accused of "glamorizing" what CSU accomplished this year. Watch out

Zips Win....BINGOSo, if Gonzaga beats UNC, we in some way benefit since we were the team that "earilier in the tournament kinda, sorta, gave them a game, but lost by double digits"?As much as we all enjoyed our run, and the party at the OBC, and the tournament game at the OBC (you betcha I participated in all of it...way too long since I've gotten to enjoy a title)....I'm sorry folks...UNC win, or Gonzaga win.....no benefit at all to the Zips. Unless of course, you just want to see the Akron name come up on the screen if Gonzaga happens to get to the championship game, and they get to show us on the screen for 2 seconds as the team Gonzaga beat 6 rounds ago. Actually, I personally would enjoy that for the few seconds it lasts too, and I would toast our team, but will it really have any impact on anyone outside of existing Akron fans?