ZZZips

Good catch. Your right it is Skybus (not that euro plane manufacture). I've never flown them and they fly to tiny airports but their $10 fares are popular wit the cheap Buckeye fans.

OK, that last post really set off my cell for those of you who have it. My text fingers are blistered so I will post the air ticket info so I don't have to repeat it 15 times.Best source for price comparisons is www.kayak.com.You can not purchase from kayak. Once you find the tickets you want they can link you directly to the purchase page of the site with that specific price deal. Many times this is the airlines own site.The common confusion people are having is finding the right airport near Amherst.The closest airport is Bradley International in Windsor Locks CT. Everyone says they never heard of it, but it is the second busiest airport in New England after Logan in Boston. The airport is 45 miles from Amherst MA. It is located between Hartford CT and Springfield MA.The code for Bradley is BDL. When starting your search on kayak, enter CLE as your originating airport and BDL as your destination. Make sure you check the "show nearby airports" boxes for both the From and To airports. This will allow kayak to include Akron-Canton (CAK), Providence (PVD), Albany (ALB) and others in one search.Based on your personal schedule try different returning dates and times. Some fans are finding deals on Sunday morning return flights for obvious reasons. Several fans have booked on Airbus (www.airbus.com). All airbus flights originate from Port Columbus (CMH)Good Luck and see you in Amherst!

Zip Watcher - Hotel location is in Springfield MA.www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/bdlmaThe team arrived by flying into Hartford late Wednesay night.I am flying in on Friday morning. Have a nice safe drive. See you in Amherst.

Working on options for this now. VERY expensive to get directly into Talahassee .. I'm looking into flying to Jacksonville or Pensacola and then driving in .. but I haven't been able to beat a $600 RT yet.I'll keep you posted.ZZZZip .. how are you planning it?Zip Watcher - Sorry for the delayed reply. I just booked via Continental.com. Fortunately I could use points so the cost is a service fee only. I am flying tomorrow afternoon from CLE to Tampa and then a regional jet to Tallahassee. Returning Wednesday early afternoon Tallahasse-Atlanta-CLE. Hopefully I'll have to eat the return ticket and book another ticket from Florida to UMass. I don't have any team hotel info as of 11pm.

This is the BGSU Athletics website for the new Stroh Center. Not a very dynamic for a big announcement.http://bgsufalcons.cstv.com/ot/bgu-08-stroh-center.html

Hey Zippy.....Congratulations.....but leave that green jacket in Orlando. It clashes with the Blue and Gold.

Who was the only MAC team to win a Patriot Bowl Game in Cleveland Browns Stadium?http://www.recordpub.com/news/article/2995612

Congratulations to Keith Dambrot and the assistant coaches for bringing in a good looking group of recruits. Looks like a well rounded group of high school seniors. I like the continued emphasis on defensive speed and good scholarship.http://www.gozips.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_...;ATCLID=1326635

Clips from this mornings local paper:The first article has a funny quote from KD http://newsminer.com/2007/11/16/9931The second article highlights tonights gameshttp://newsminer.com/2007/11/16/9922#more-9922Almost 9am here and still pitch dark outside. Feels warm outside (+4) compared to yesterday morning (-5).

From the Fairbanks newspaper:Dambrot Interview http://newsminer.com/2007/11/13/9869General pre-tournament info http://newsminer.com/2007/11/13/9870Article on our first opponent http://newsminer.com/2007/11/13/9872

A small point but we were up 20 -3 in the fourth quarter and lost!!

Another favorite for the BUtt Monkeys is the attendance argument going one in another thread. I know the facts bother the Butt Monkeys. Here are the MAC home team attendance figures from yesterday, listed smallest to largest crowds.10,141 Eastern Michigan15,219 Toledo15,718 Western Michigan16,482 Bowling Green16,522 Central Michigan16,781 Ohio21,867 Akron22,676 Buffalo

Nice article by Terry Pluto in today's PD on the Patriot Bowl.http://www.cleveland.com/pluto/index.ssf?/...4250.xml&coll=2

The article below is one example of the huge disadvantage we have as a mid-major conference. This board has been hot and heavy on how to improve our stature and presence in the sports world. Everybody is for improvements but lets be realistic when we talk about "lets try this or that" like the big boys. We are lucky to have a broadcast let alone receive money from the producers.________________________________________________________________________________UW's proposed media deal nears approvalMadison - A multi-million dollar contract extension between the University of Wisconsin athletic department and Learfield Communications moved one step closer to formal approval Thursday.The Business, Finance and Audit Committee of the UW Board of Regents, meeting at UW-Oshkosh, recommended approval of the deal that would provide UW more than $76 million over the next 12 years. The deal, if approved, would extend the current agreement by 10 years and run through June 30, 2019.The full Board of Regents is scheduled to take action today on the committee's recommendation."It passed its first step," said Vince Sweeney, senior associate athletic director for external relations. "We'll know (Friday) whether it's soup or not."Some highlights of the proposed contract extension:Starting no later than May 1 of this year, Learfield would make a total of 12 annual payments totaling $75,025,000.Learfield would increase the annual rights fee for the final two years of the current contract by a combined $2,040,000. UW would be paid $4,925,000 on or before May 1 of this year and $5,425,000 on or before May 1 2008.Learfield would pay a one-time extension bonus of $1 million and pay $750,000 toward the instillation of courtside LED signage at the Kohl Center and LED fascia signage at Camp Randall Stadium.Learfield would continue to manage coaches' TV and radio shows and be responsible for live radio broadcasts of football, men's basketball, women's basketball and men's hockey games. Learfield would have limited TV broadcast rights for men's hockey, women's basketball and women's volleyball.Officials from Learfield first proposed the contract extension last June. UW felt comfortable with the deal after studying similar deals of other athletic departments."I think the committee was receptive to it and showed their support," Sweeney said. "I'm optimistic the full board will have the same viewpoint."

An nice article in todays (3/14/2007) NY Times.A Star’s Supporting Cast Takes a Bitter Bow By HARVEY ARATONTwo of LeBron James’s former high school teammates, now at the University of Akron, found their season ended earlier than expected.Access via http://www.nytimes.com/pages/sports/index.htmlYou must have at least a trial subscription to view.

This conference gets no respect. We need a new commissioner. Rick Chryst is not hghtly regarded and he has dragged our league down to his low level. When a 26-7 team is ignored by the NIT, it is a league embarrassment. Rome, Dru III and KD got screwed.

Erie Mansfield videohttp://www.wkyc.com/video/player.aspx?aid=31932&bw=

Downtown Akron football stadium moves forwardEric MansfieldPOSTED: Tuesday, March 06, 2007 5:51:25 PMUPDATED: Tuesday, March 06, 2007 8:26:40 PMAKRON -- University of Akron leaders have taken the next major step towards breaking ground on a $54 million stadium. Trustees voted Tuesday morning to hire Akron's Welty Building Company in partnership with the Hunt Construction Group of Indianapolis to lead the project. Hunt has a long history of managing new stadium construction to include Cleveland Browns Stadium, Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, and Ford Field in Detroit. The group has also managed stadium projects on the campuses of LSU and Louisville.If all goes as planned, University leaders hope to break ground later this year and be ready for the 2009 college football season. The site would be at the corner of Exchange and College Streets on the south side of campus."The open field provides a beautiful window into our campus," said Ted Curtis, University Vice President. "It's a collegiate atmosphere and our goal is to have a stadium on the campus, not across town, and not near the campus, but on the campus. It's very important for the collegiate feel."Curtis said the project would include retail and commercial development to support up to 200 events per year. New dormitories, classroom space, and labs would also be part of the master plan.The football stadium would boast 25-30,000 seats, lodges, suites, and additional parking.For decades, the Zips football program has been confined to the aging Rubber Bowl, which students and fans have long complained is too far from campus and too old.Recently, the University constructed new practice fields and an indoor field house as part of a $300 million campus overhaul. The stadium, University leaders said, is the missing piece to the final project.

Great first half inspite of the refs.Eleven players got minutes. Nine scored.Dials 11 pts, Woody has 8.58% from the field, 55% from behind the arc.

MBB Team is flying this afternon Cleveland-Houston-Tulsa.Tulsa airport has been open all day, vertually no delays.Oral Roberts University is closed today. Game tromorrow has not been cancelledTulsa's average snow fall for a "season" is 9.6 inches. They had 10.4 inches in one snowfall last night.