GP1

I would. I think our relationship with the local schools is good enough. In the past, all we get from local high school coaches in NE Ohio is pissing and moaning when we will not give a scholarship to one of their DII players. We don't need to pay someone sixty thousand a year for that.Yep. They bitch and moan if Akron doesn't offer, then if their guy gets a bigger offer, they turn on Akron as the little school.And that's why we need to hire somebody who can explain that to the high school coaches. Somebody who can change how it works.We can hire this guy right after we dip into our bottomless pit of money and hire a special teams coordinator. We could send out a mass mailer to all coaches saying UofA is not running a welfare agency for talentless kids and save a Hell of a lot more money than hiring a someone to do this. What the heck would we call the position.....Recruiting Coordinator of Whiners?Most coaches in high school know if their players are good enough or not. The problem is the parents. We don't need to pay someone to explain to the coaches what they already know. The problem is this. A lot of high school coaches are, either formally or informally, partly evaluated on how many players they get scholarships for to D-1A schools so they press coaches for scholarships. Their motivation is different than ours. They don't care if the Zips suck or not because their kid isn't good enough to make them a winner.All the Zips coaches need to do is have an adult conversation with these guys telling them their player isn't good enough to play D-1A football.

Thanks for the view into reality. Shouldn't we also know when the games are so people buying tickets know whether or not they will be available to attend the games before they purchase the tickets.

I would. I think our relationship with the local schools is good enough. In the past, all we get from local high school coaches in NE Ohio is pissing and moaning when we will not give a scholarship to one of their DII players. We don't need to pay someone sixty thousand a year for that.

Being the magnanimous GP1 and Steelers fan, I forgot offer a heartfelt congratulations to the Browns for their victory over the Steelers. It was a bad game in a bad season for the Steelers (although they are still in the playoff hunt somehow). It was a good game in a typical season for the Browns. I hope the Browns continue the same success they had this season again next year. Again, congratulations.

Well, Zeke banged up his knee pretty bad tonight. Trainer thinks it could possibly be a hamstring pull...won't know until tomorrow when he goes in to see him at 7:30 AM. I think right now, Zeke's body is beat up and the 2 days he is going to be home is GREATLY needed....he just needs a few minutes away from everything. Give him a minute for his body to catch upwith all the work he is doing and then it is a wrap!A friendly suggestion..... Information about the physical well being of a player is best not shared in such detail in public. We never know who else is watching.

Is football the albatross, or are non-revenue producing sports the albatrosses?

I don't think you could find a quote of mine saying we need to stop improvements. We need to improve what we have and do so within our means. Let's pay for what we have before we grow ourselves into too much debt.As far as knowing our place. I know what we are. We are a MAC school and that's it. Let's be the best MAC school possible.

It is. I posted one of my brilliant posts about what college football should do to reform itself. The answer is not splitting the money more evenly.The answer is creating a separate division of college football with the best 40 teams of the last 40 years. Four divisions of ten teams. Those 40 teams must play everyone in their division and only teams from the other divisions. Out of division games are against the teams that finished in the same ranking in their divisions from the previous year. 12 games a year. At the end of the year, the first place teams of every division have a four team playoff. Then they can have the playoff everyone wants. They should also pay the players who play in this 40 team group. If universities are going to rake in cash, so should the players...most at these schools are bringing in money under the table, they my as well pay them in the open.The answer isn't to limit the money, the answer is to let the money teams have theirs while letting the lesser money producers more effectively compete against one another at their own level.Except for the most part "lesser money" teams have had more success.Texas and the Big 12 don't even sniff 1/3 of what OSU and Florida make. USC and the PAC 10 have had huge success and the conference only makes around 60 million a year in TV money. Utah, Boise State, and TCU all get minimal cash (at least until recently) and compete better than most of the money teams.I know you said "top 40" except the problem with that there is no way to "qualify" who the top 40 are. They can't even justify the Top 25 and they have been doing that for over 60 years now. What's to keep media and coaches from making that an exclusive group?No, one of the fastest solutions is to actually make each big conference give fair portions of the TV money (the money that is in question) to the lesser conference they kick the crap out of every year.The Big 10 plays somewhere between 18-24 games against the MAC. One third of the schedule, they make big money of their network and kicking that game to affiliates. Pay up. As of right now the MAC get's about $1 million from TV revenue (ESPN mostly). They get nothing from the Big 10 or Big East.Additionally the NCAA and the Federal government needs to support regulations preventing excessive salaries and "strong arm buy outs" of coaches. The Big 10 and SEC deserve the money they make. But they also should be paying the teams and conferences they make that money off of. Another quick and non-socialist fix, is the NCAA says you have a cap on what you can spend on your sport. 100% of gate and sport related sales (concessions and merchendise), and 10% or TV revenue, the remainder must go to other non-revenue sports and academics.There is no reason there can't be a spending and salary cap for programs and coaches.I agree, the problem is difficult and finding the top 40 teams would be difficult. The first thirty would probably be pretty easy. That's why only the Great GP1 would be qualified to pick the top 40.However, given I have a real job, I would permit a group of journalists along with a group similar to the one that selects the NCAA field of 64 to pick the teams. A top 40 group would actually be a good topic on this board. I also think the joining of the top 40 would be voluntary and schools would have to petition for entry. At any point, a team could drop out of the top40 and another could be selected.One thing I am certain of is any regulations/restrictions placed on schools would not work. Just like the tax laws, these regulations could be maneuvered around. Also, I think the federal government is having trouble regulating it's own spending and I don't trust them to regulate university athletics spending. If anyone really listens to the average politician speak, they are actually very stupid people. If you read the report above closely, it is clear that the market will eventually take care of salaries because schools simply will not be able to spend more. Even if you restricted salaries, coaches would find other means of generating income, ie: endorsements.There has been a lot of talk about bubbles in the past few years. In the 90s we had the dot com bubble. This decade we had the housing bubble. Soon, we are going to have to face up to our government spending bubble and it is going to make all of the other bubbles seem small. Most of these schools are state school programs. If private funding slows and public money is in a pinch, we could see a "building" bubble in the near future for universities. See the word unsustainable in the report above....have we been hearing that word much in the past couple of years? Let's keep that in mind as we consider a new soccer field and bb arena. Only 20% of the lifetime cost of a building is the construction of the structure. The other 80% is maintenance. As we ponder or futurer building, are we sure we can pick up the other 80% over the next 80 years? Do we have $512 million over the next 80 years to maintain The Big Phone Booth? What about the fieldhouse? What if we build a bb arena? What if we build a new soccer stadium? I hope someone it thinking about this. I hope UofA doesn't have to sacrafice what I consider to be a good education over sports facilities. Hofstra just had to make that choice and we know what they decided.

It is. I posted one of my brilliant posts about what college football should do to reform itself. The answer is not splitting the money more evenly.The answer is creating a separate division of college football with the best 40 teams of the last 40 years. Four divisions of ten teams. Those 40 teams must play everyone in their division and only teams from the other divisions. Out of division games are against the teams that finished in the same ranking in their divisions from the previous year. 12 games a year. At the end of the year, the first place teams of every division have a four team playoff. Then they can have the playoff everyone wants. They should also pay the players who play in this 40 team group. If universities are going to rake in cash, so should the players...most at these schools are bringing in money under the table, they my as well pay them in the open.The answer isn't to limit the money, the answer is to let the money teams have theirs while letting the lesser money producers more effectively compete against one another at their own level.

And that's fine, but at what balance? You say that football scheduling cripples the program but they schedule maybe 2 "unwinnable" games a year. We'll call it 1.5 because for the most part we do Big 10 monster (OSU, Wisc, PSU) and then Big East/Big 10 minor (Cinci, Syracuse, UConn, Indiana) which under normal circumstances are about a 35% chance of a win (decent odds). That equates to 12% of the schedule. (you say that is crippling)Your 3 money games for baskeball would be roughly 11% of the schedule. How is that not "crippling"?Good question. 35% is way to generous, but it is the holiday season. Look at it as the overall percent of ooc games. The football team played really 2.5 of their 4 ooc games last year against teams they shouldn't be able to beat. That's 62.5% of the ooc games. Let's look at reality though.In order for the bb team to play that percentage of ooc games against BCS level competition, it would be between 8-10 games. Just as crippling as what the football team does. If the bb team plays 15 ooc games, I don't think it is unreasonable for them to go to the ATM three times a year. That would only be 20% of the ooc games. BTW, the football team should only go to the ATM 25%.Right now, our bb program is good enough that they can weather that storm and destroy the crap that is the MAC. It's time for them to start contributing to the bank a little more.

I mentioned in an earlier post the Knight Commission Report on the financial state of college athletics. This is the report. I find it to be an eye opener and cause for concern. It's rather long so give yourself some time.

I'll repeat an earlier theme from today. You don't play the UNCs of the world to increase your ranking in any poll. You do it to rake in cash. New facilities have to be paid for.There was just a great Outside the Lines show on facility growth in college athletics and how unsustainable it is for most schools. Under our current "growth" plan for college athletics we need to decide if we are really going to pay for all of these sports facilities or are we going to just let them sit there while the taxpayers of Ohio pay for them.I don't want to cripple the bb program like the football program has been crippled, but it needs to generate some more cash for the sake of the entire Athletic Department.

This is foolishness. These guys played their hearts out for Zips Fans, including you. And you begrudge them the opportunity to realize a dream of being paid to play the game they love?I don't get it.Go Zips! B) I agree.Fan boards tend to look at the world as if it is still the 1950s and this is a good example of it. It's easy to say a player should stay for the coach. In reality, the coaches are using the players just as much as the players use the coaches. Porter received a fat contract at UofA because of his efforts and the efforts of his players. The players recieve nothing more than a scholarship to UofA. The fans receive a good event when they pay to go to a game. After the game is over, the players and coaches have lived up to their obligations to the fans.Congratulations to this young man for realizing his dreams.

I have a somewhat different spin on why the Zips need to play larger schools on the road regardless of whether or not they will come to Akron.Five years ago, this was a good schedule based upon what the Zips Athletic Department was doing. Today, we have a new stadium that needs to be paid for. We have a new soccer stadium in the works. We have a new BB arena that is being looked into down the road. At some point, money has to come in to pay for all of this. That point is NOW. The two largest financial outlays are The Big Phone Booth and the fieldhouse. The "building" is over and now they need to bring money to support them.As I see it, the three sports with the best chance to fund the Athletic Department are football, MBB and soccer. Soccer is pulling their financial weight and they can't do more than what they have done this season with the stadium they have. Football set attendance records and they play an OOC schedule that is good for the accountants, but horrible for the program long term.MBasketball is pulling their weight in the winning category. The problem is some of the teams they are playing at home OOC are horrible and nobody is willing to pay money to go see them. The Zips need to bring in more money by mixing in a UNC or some other teams they will more than likely lose to, cash the checks and move on to the other games. I don't think 2-3 games a year like this would hurt the team because they have good coaching and good talent to get past it. If I was the new AD, I would take the scheduling in a different direction regardless of what the coach wanted to do. I'm not saying the football suicide schedule is the answer (in fact, it's moronic), I'm just saying they need to go out and grab some more money.

Excellent quote!It reminds me of one of my favorite golf quotes, "100% of the putts that come up short of the cup don't go in."

Good post!The MAC has gotten so bad in just about everything, it's hard to pinpoint exactly what has happened. The answer is difficult, so the solution is probably difficult as well. If you were a player of good offensive talent/wants to play in the NBA, the MAC probably isn't the place for you. Between the bad refs and the defensive orientation, the games are a bloodbath. This is probably just one reason of many though.

Look at the big picture. JD goes to ASU after ASU goes 4-8. Their coach has to be on the hot seat so there may not be many coaches with JD's experience looking at that job.Even if they get fired after next year, JD is in the same city as his star pupil Larry Fitzgerald. Those two have always had a close relationship. Next thing you know, JD is coaching WRs for the Cardinals.If the Redskins end up hiring Mike Shanahan as HC, JD could be a WR coach in the NFL even sooner.Good point. I told a friend of mine who is a neighbor of JDs in Ohio to watch to see where Shanahan lands and you will see where JD will own his next house.I'd also look for Shanahan to land in Carolina next year. Fox is really on the hot seat.

Look at the big picture. JD goes to ASU after ASU goes 4-8. Their coach has to be on the hot seat so there may not be many coaches with JD's experience looking at that job.Even if they get fired after next year, JD is in the same city as his star pupil Larry Fitzgerald. Those two have always had a close relationship. Next thing you know, JD is coaching WRs for the Cardinals.

JD will go back to coaching a west coast style offense like he did at Pitt and do well with it. He was a good OC at Pitt when he ran that type of offense.

ESPN Family Networks and FSN Ohio will set the "better" teams in primetime saturday spot and make the "terrible" teams take the "leftover" slots which include weeknights...they can't pass up a weeknight game getting aired when that will bring in extra CASH to the university.I understand what you are saying and if that is the case we are doomed. If ESPN is calling the shots for college football, third tier conferences like the MAC are finished. They are only interested in BCS teams.

Charlie was injured, in the 4th quarter, I think. Jamarcus Russell came in for the winning TD drive. Who knows who will start next week.Was Col. Klink coaching Denver today?

You picked the Browns over the Zips?I don't want to speak for Akron1, but I think he is picking the greatest sports entertainment in America, the NFL, against Akron vs St. Francis. I really don't blame him.

The entire athletic department would. Can they actually do that with a 4,000 seat stadium? I'd like to see the proof in the form of numbers.

When will they get on sale, or when will they start selling them? There is a difference.

So when can they raise ticket prices?What if they are good next year and they only charge $10 per GA ticket? Can they raise prices mid season because they are good? Can they go back to season ticket holders and ask for more money to get in the door? Do we refund money at the end of the year if the team isn't any good?I understand what you are saying. The MAC stinks, but twenty dollars is cheap enough.If our AD lowers ticket prices next year and starts the give-a-way deals UofA has historically called "marketing", the guy should be shown the door this time next year. Lowering ticket prices is the lazy man's way of selling them. I don't think that lowering prices is going to turn out more people. What they can do to turn out more people is have games on Saturday when the family can go together instead of weeknights. What they can do is make a good game day experience. What they can do and need to do next year is win more games. What they can do is show some level of competency on the field. What they can do is have as many games at home as early in the season as possible. What they can do is play games at times when someone wants to spend a nice afternoon outside in the fall before the sun goes down along with the temperatures followed by rain. What they can do is have good food at the stadium. What they can do is get the students to turn out for games. What they can do is have clean parking lots and fun tailgating. The problem with lowering the price of any product is the difficulty in raising prices later. It's easy to lower prices, it's hard to raise them.Everyone wants a new stadium. Everyone wants a winner. Everyone wants new facilities. Everyone wants better academic programs. Everyone wants a new soccer stadium. Everyone wants a new basketball arena. Everyone wants to buy out the old coach and pay a new coach a bunch of money. Everyone wants non-revenue producing sports in order to comply with Title IX. Does anyone want to pay for it? The Big Phone Booth needs to be the motor that drives everything else. The potential earning for football is greater than any other sport. Lowering prices is suicide.Quite frankly, I think the football program has done more than it's fair share in driving revenue. It hasn't done much winning, but it drives revenue. What other sport do we have where we play as difficult of an OOC schedule as football (it's killing the program, but driving revenue)? What sport is going to draw the most fans this year? What other sport has the highest sponsorship?