jupitertoo

What's a "fully branded" university? That's a new concept for me. I find it hard to believe that someone would claim that Can't State, OU, Toledo and BGSU are "in jeopardy." Can't State and OU enrollments, applications and student profiles are at or near record highs. Fundraising as well. OU just opened a $100 million-plus medical campus in Columbus. The school is as old as the state itself (1804). Not fully branded?

Keith Dambrot was on Joe Dunn's radio program sometime last year and was asked about other programs in the MAC. He said that the schools that invest most heavily and effectively in basketball are Ohio, Toledo and Akron. He then said something far more interesting: Ohio's Jim Schaus is "by far the best AD in the league." That certainly seemed to be a shot at TW, but my guess is it's based on a few things he's seen: Ohio has a very effective marketing program and strong attendance; Schaus can raise money like crazy (nearly $3 million in new seats for Convo, new b-ball locker room and lounge, practice court facility in blueprint stage, center-hung video boards on order, new academic building exclusively for athletes, and more). Jury is still out on his current b-ball coach but he inherited huge holes due to coaching turnover. So I'm guessing that if KD were asked, he'd prefer to have someone else in the big chair.

GT has the flu. BJ doesn't have anyone in reserve, I guess.

Don't expect Ohio to be going anywhere. They are a charter member of the MAC and the faculty is much too strong to allow the school to make that sort of incremental investment in athletics. Plus, they would never go anywhere without Miami. I frankly don't seen any potential rivalries within CUSA, aside from Marshall, that would be incentive enough to move. And Ohio already plays Marshall.

My father left the newsroom in the 70s (the Maidenburg era, if that means anything to you), but I have worked in news much more recently. No doubt things have changed, particularly at the ABJ, but you have a tendency to throw out excuses and take great umbrage to any criticism. Further, I have attended more than a few Bowden and Dambrot press conferences and have been in the locker room in interview situations. You noted earlier in this thread that the SID hadn't clued you in to the shooting angle. No, I'm not suggesting you should have driven to Harrisburg without a tip, but I'm guessing you could have learned a lot about him by talking to his HS coach. It just seems to me that you feel the Zips, and mid-major sports in general, are somehow beneath you given your affinity for the football factory down south. With that, I'll shut up.

I find it astonishing that the ABJ beat reporter - and Elton Alexander, for that matter - didn't know about the Chisholm shooting. It's up to the writer to do this digging himself...not to wait for the SID to bring it to him. Clearly the kid is a key part of the Akron program...why wouldn't you look into his high school career and do other research to learn more about him so you can bring greater value to your readers? Sitting in the press room and waiting for SIDs to bring you story ideas ain't my kind of journalism. And as for Chisholm, it's incredible that this kid is able to play DI ball after that horrendous injury.

Someone from Akron talking academic trash. Irony.

Announced today that he has transferred to Ohio University and will seek a waiver for immediate eligibility. Don't see how that works, but...

the MAC (Can't), Convo (Athens) and Millet (Oxford).

Very unusual that a coach would flame a kid like that. Must have been some very serious issues and Izzo wants to send a message to the kid that things need to change.

You conveniently skipped the point, which is that the commitment to facilities has helped them significantly improve their recruiting in each of the past two years. As for Solich having no energy, you couldn't be more wrong. He's a heck of a lot more vibrant and physically fit than much younger coaches, certainly including Mr. Bowden. Scoreboard - 42-3 last year?

Losing half your starters to injury will do that to you. OU will be a very different team...strong defensively rather than offensively. As to their program being in decline, they have actually had their best recruiting years ever in each of the past two years. The university finally completed an indoor facility and they are planning an end zone building and additional seating at Peden. I think they will be above average to very good for the foreseeable future. Akron may also be very good, but I'm worried about Bowden bailing if he wins 8 or 9 this year.

You should be happy that your board stepped back from the precipice.

http://www.ohio.com/editorial/vop/letters-to-the-editor-may-07-1.486140

Anyone concerned about the tidbits reported about Tressel's presentation today? Sounds like he as much as promised to cut spending on intercollegiate athletics.

This isn't a NEW $20 million endowment, right? It's an additional $10 million by the same individual who gave $10mm a couple of years ago. I am convinced BGSU will screw it up, just as they did with their fancy new high school gym with marble floors.

You mean you don't appreciate Pluto's "Conversation with Myself," "8 Things I Think About," and "Scribbles" pablum? I've been complaining about Pluto for years and everyone looks at me like I'm crazy. A close family member used to work near him at the ABJ and said Pluto just sat there and typed all day long - never slowing or stopping to think. "It was like he was manufacturing dog food." Which is exactly what he has been doing for 25 years.

Word now is N'Dour is transferring. OU could be a real mess for the next 2-3 years. Bad news for fans like me, but also not good for the league.

Not good for Ohio. Losing two major recruits, it appears.

This is true. He is done. Sad, but it could be said that he/his family were not entirely forthcoming with OU and other schools who were after him. It's not like the serious arthritis suddenly occurred.

My point is pretty simple: Your statement that UMASS Bball in the MAC would have been useless just flies in the face of reality. It would have given us a LOT of credibility we aren't likely to get on our own.

Adding UMASS basketball would have been one of the biggest positive events in recent MAC history.

Who are the MAC schools that you believe are suitable to pair up with Akron? Who are the power conferences that would accept Akron? Whose football stadiums aren't built with future expansion in mind? I've seen proposed designs for future expansion of UB Stadium, Peden Stadium, Doyt Perry Field, The Glass Bowl, etc. InfoCision is certainly nice (some would say the huge outlay on the tower was overkill and those funds would have been better diverted to BBall) but it is not already larger than most MAC venues. It really only seats 27,000…a figure I don't believe it has ever reached.

Seriously, dude, do you not know the difference between IA and IAA? The financial requirements of IA are astronomical in comparison. Not to mention the $62MM football stadium UA will be paying for over the next 50 years.

Wow. I feel cheated that I had to read this. Totally uninformed perspective.