skip-zip

Here are a few things that I would propose to the NCAA to make the system more fair.First of all, I want to continue to see some of these smaller teams in the tournament. It makes the opening rounds so much more fun. But I'd also like to see us get closer to having the "real" top-64 teams.....so.....1) I'd make more teams from the REALLY weak conferences play in a play-in game on Tuesday night. This way, we still give them a chance to get in, but we've also saved a few more spots for the teams that are really deserving of an at-large bid as one of the best 64 teams in the country. 2) Come up with a MATHEMATICAL selection criteria. This way, we can eliminate the subjectivity of the selection process.I would be hard to convince that we need to split up Division I in basketball. To me, the only thing this would accomplish is that the big schools would get even more and more of the money, and the mid-majors would forever remain "smaller schools". I want Akron (however remote this might seem at times) to have a chance to someday grow into a major program. Having the chance to someday get there is part of what makes it exciting to support a mid-major school.

Ziptrumpter.....this point came up last year too.Who assumes that the "major conference" school will draw more people if they host an NIT game? In fact, the opposite could be true since the bigger schools probably aren't happy that they did not get into the NCAA tournament, so the fans proabably don't respond very positively to an NIT invitation. I actually think that the number of people at the Temple game was even much lower than that, but I could be wrong. But either way, Akron would have surely far-surpassed that number.

a-zip. You're right. For the second straight year, the visibility of the Colonial Athletic Conference has increased. And, without Akron in the tournement, the MAC is not going to get an opportunity to do the same.But I want to ask you guys this question......When Can't got to the Elite 8 a few years ago, do you think that the following year might have been our best chance to get multiple bids again, if it was ever going to happen? Or, at least within the next couple of years?I have to add this....For 40+ years I have looked forward to this time of the year, more than any other, when it comes to being excited about watching sports. March Madness is the ultimate. But, I'm just not into it this year. The events of this past week have just left a bitter taste in my mouth.

The Preseason NIT would be a really, really difficult tournament to get into for a school like us. I really liked the idea of the tournament we were in this year. You have an opportunity to play an inferior opponent the first round, and get a win (IF ONLY WE HAD WON), and then you move up to harder opponents in subsequent rounds.Maybe that arrangement will work out better for us next time.

I sent a letter to him a couple of days ago as well. I can see that some of you here have already done so, and I hope many many more people are doing the same.If there is anything we have some kind of control over right now, it's letting our coach know that he has the support of the Akron basketball community.

Guys,Who knows what will come out of all of this, but we need to be heard. This has reached local, regional, and national media outlets over the last few days because of everyone's efforts. The only suggestion I would make is to remind everyone to conduct themselves in a professional manner when communicating our message.I know dozens of older alums like myself that have been lobbying, wherever possible, and using their connections, on behalf of the Zips over the last few days.These efforts are the only chance we have to influence change.

Is someone able to post the article here??

Sure, Cleveland sounds nice...but...We want to WIN FOOTBALL GAMES. That's the objective. And we, and any team, have our best chance of beating someone in the stadium that they are most confortable playing in....in the case...the Rubber Bowl.

I'm ready to see "Script Zips" return. And my fiance agrees. So, that makes at least 2 of us

I had been fearing that this would happen for the last couple of months.Wow..only 4 games at the Bowl.And how did a school like Army manage to push us enough to get this at a "neutral venue" instead of the Bowl?I'm pretty dissappointed.

Guys,Speaking of Can't......Can you imagine if Can't, because of their recent post-season successes, had gotten a bid to the NIT, and we got nothing? After beating them 3 times this season? It certainly was a possibility considering all of the crazy decisions that were made by selection committees this weekend.THAT would have been the ultimate capper to this horrible weekend.

I agree. This sure seems like a job for a seasoned business executive, not an ex-coach.

I'm with the people that aren't buying this....Several other at-large teams that were picked OVER us only got #12 seeds. So, how could we have been a #10 if they thought these teams were better than us?Plus, you'd also have to believe that we went from being a favorable #10 seed to not being invited AT ALL because we ended up being 26-7 instead of 27-6???This makes no sense.

I'm ready to move on, but I don't want anyone to make a hasty decision.By the way, for those who haven't seen the numbers this year, our football program already operates at a HUGE deficit. In fact, I believe it was one of the largest deficits in the nation.

Let me just say this....I know nothing about how this guy is doing his job, except that he is being accused of not lobbying hard enough for us.However, I know from holding an executive-level job for a corporation for many, many years that it's raised a red flag when I see someone do something as inapprorpriate as sending a derogatory e-mail to somebody. It was really disturbing, and surprising from someone in such a position. And for me personally, I would be concerned about whether he has exhibited this behavior in other similar situations. And if so, has this behavior possibly been detrimental to MAC members, who he represents. If people perceive you a certain way, your influence with them dramatically decreases. If this is the case, it probably would not be beneficial to have someone like this lobbying on our behalf.

skhorbotly...you are absolutely correct.Who in the world said we'd be getting a "break" if we got into the NIT? Ask the other teams with lower RPI's that got in ahead of us.THOSE are the teams that got a "break".

Balki...FearTheRoo.......excellent. My thoughts exactly.Who knows how many years we would have put up with this crap, and how many more times we'd get screwed before we really got around to doing something about it?This joker says the MAC has come a long way. WHAT??? Only ONE NCAA tournament bid for the last EIGHT YEARS STRAIGHT. You act like we should be bowing or something , because we feel honored to be a part of one of the nation's great sports leagues. Give me a break...the only reason Akron got into the MAC is to get conference affiliation with a league that made sense geographically. But the problems over the years with scheduling, officials, etc., just keep getting worse.You want my opinion? Since we are one of the "newer" members of the MAC, we don't get quite the same treatment in a number of different areas.Would you want to stay?

I want to commend everyone here for NOT BEING QUIET about this injustice.YOU ARE BEING HEARD......Just pick up today's Beacon Journal. A "teaser" to an article about us getting screwed is on the FRONT PAGE of the paper. Wow, imagine that, we finally get marquee coverage.The article itself is nice. It's at the top of the cover of the sports page. It contains quite a few facts, as well as comments from Dambrot and MAC officials.KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK......THIS WILL NEVER CHANGE UNLESS WE ARE HEARD!!!

And....if I remember correctly....that was NOT a foul.

I love your idea, and the detailed definition. It certainly fits. There is a certain need for such a term right now.

Holy cow. Sorry, it's been a 20-year building process. I'm getting old faster than I thought. Zip81, I want to respectfully ask you when the last time was that you saw a significant crowd at an Akron Aeros game? I went to all of the league playoff games last September, and was really shocked to see the place about 3/4 empty. I only partly agree with some of you when it comes to dramatic increases in Akron football attendance. Of course, I do believe that attendance will increase with success. But I have a long history with our program, and I am not convinced that the increases will ever be significant. I don't think that realistically, we can ever expect to grow from our current 5,000 p/game to 20,000 p/game just because we're winning, especially since we will always be sitting right in the middle of Buckeye territory.But again, I have always hoped that I am wrong when I say this.

The gentleman who posted this thread was just introducing "a thought" for discussion.I think what he is proposing is a Dayton-like scenario. Play D-1 in basketball, and play lower in football, therefore decreasing the financial burden. I guess it warrants at least a discussion.However, I happen to think this way....I was around campus back when we made the transition to 1-A in football. It was not easy. We were the first in the nation to do it. And thanks to some people who were thinking "big", had a passion for football, and the connections to get the scheduling and everything together to make it happen, we successfully made the transition.I don't want to turn back now. It's been a 15-year building process, and we've just now finished developing the training and practice facilities that we envisioned having back then. I bet that 5 years ago, this might have been a more viable alternative. But we're just now starting to see the fruits of our labor, and it's way too late to turn back now.

This is a good post.Isn't a computerized mathematical formula used to choose the two teams who play for the national football championship?Why couldn't a group of people get together and devise a mathematical formula to choose the 65 team NCAA basketball tournament field?It sure beats "human error".

I don't think Middleton or Dials wants to start at point guard next year. And my guess would be the Dambrot doesn't see either of them filling that role unless necessary. So, doesn't that leave either Steward or McNees as the projected starting point guard?

I think it's a good idea, but maybe not enough people would come.You know, the way our season ended really sucked. But if you think about it, for most teams, the last time the seniors get to play is usually a tournament game, where the fans never really get a chance to say goodbye anyway. So, this is not unusual.But...in this case...we certainly didn't think that Saturday was the last we'd see these guys.