Reasonable or Audacious Goals?

[LosAngelesZipFan]

In the BJ last week, Tom Reed wrote a mostly great article about the new energy on the Akron campus. However, he wrote the following:

"None of it means UA is going to overtake Ohio State in popularity. Brookhart's success likely will soon earn him a job at a bigger school in a more prestigious conference just as it did for UA soccer coach Ken Lolla, who left the Zips for Louisville. That's how it works in places like Akron and Can't State.

But becoming a top-tier athletic program within the MAC, a mid-major conference whose star already is rising, remains a reasonable goal. The Zips football team won its first conference title a season after quarterback Charlie Frye graduated."

I'm interested in those that follow this BB whether they feel good about pursuing "reasonble" goals or whether they want to University to dream bigger? I always cringe when I hear something like this, the implication being that UA should be satisfied competing at the MAC-level. It just doesn't feel very aspirational.

And this is about more than collegiate athletics-- it really is about what Akron and NEOhio wants to be, what type of community. The tremendous manufacturing base that once propelled the economy and all aspects of life is clearly never coming back. So what comes next? Seems like the best bet that could be made is on UA.

UA's place in the athletic and academic spectrum is not a law of nature-- there are many examples of universities setting an aggressive vision and achieving it. I think UA should set its sights on being like Louisville and not be satisfied just being better than Youngstown State.

[GP1]

I'll go with 30-40,000 because you don't have a category for 27-30,000. Akron could pack in a stadium like that on a regular basis if the team was good.

They also need some boxes to get money from local businesses.

[LosAngelesZipFan]

Agree that boxes are very important.

If they do a straight stadium, it should be built at 30 but expandable.

I have a lot of heart for the idea of going for a single multipurpose facility for both football and basketball. Tons more expensive but the JAR needs to get replaced within the next decade as well so why not do both and make it an city of Akron project as well?

I have never been to Canal Park-- could it be retro-fitted to accomodate football? Could be a near-term solution if the Rubber Bowl is literally falling apart.

[InTheZone]

If we're going to do this, let's do it right. I say build a 35,000 seat stadium for now, but architectually it should be built so it will be easy to expand to 50-60,000 if the need ever arises. Build a nice press box and at least 20 suites, and we'll see community support as well as the number of tv games rise.

[Buckzip]

If we're going to do this, let's do it right. I say build a 35,000 seat stadium for now, but architectually it should be built so it will be easy to expand to 50-60,000 if the need ever arises. Build a nice press box and at least 20 suites, and we'll see community support as well as the number of tv games rise.

Agreed. Don't build a 20,000 seat stadium. 35,000 minimum is needed.

[zipsbandman]

Dream big. 35-40k bowl style facility that can be expanded. Look what we accomplished this season because a select few at this university dreamed big.

[msopher]

If we're going to do this, let's do it right. I say build a 35,000 seat stadium for now, but architectually it should be built so it will be easy to expand to 50-60,000 if the need ever arises. Build a nice press box and at least 20 suites, and we'll see community support as well as the number of tv games rise.

Akron builds a 35,000 stadium that can fit an additional 10,000 would be stupid. No way that place sells out or even comes close to full capacity. If you think Akron will in 10 years move to a bigger conference or draw 40-50,000 a game consistently, you are dreaming. A 30,000 stadium should be enough.

[Quickzips]

When I read this topic only one thing comes to mind. The old saying: "Shoot for the moon, even if you miss you will be amongst the stars."

[Buckzip]

Let's get the thing official, then argue about the size.

[UA Fan]

I voted for multi-purpose. Call me crazy but I think it could be built with a removable sectioned roof which could be off during the nice Sep.-Oct. weather games and then put on by a small crew of guys at the first sign of very cold and/or very snowy weather in Nov.-Dec. and then leave it on for the winter. Play the garbage preseason basketball games in the JAR, then after football is done lay down the hoops court in the stadium, hang the scoreboard and play the rest of the season in there. Also have your Winter and Spring commencements there, rent it out for H.S. football and hoops playoffs, maybe a May Day concert for the students, etc. It would be flexible, cheaper than 2 new facilities and save campus space for ever increasing academic building needs.

I'll even donate the first $100 !

[LosAngelesZipFan]

This may be the wrong forum to ask this, but does anyone else feel like the JAR needs to replaced sooner rather than later as well? I hated the JAR when I was at UA in starting in '85 and it had just opened. It is a great example of "reasonable" thinking in action!

[InTheZone]

Yeah the JAR sucks. Unfortunately I think we're a long way away from getting a new basketball arena.

[Ryno aka Menace]

Dream big. 35-40k bowl style facility that can be expanded. Look what we accomplished this season because a select few at this university dreamed big.

I agree totally, think big....there is a fine line between being reasonable and being ridiculous. who runs a successful business and thinks small time. Think big to achieve big!!

[RatFink]

As I sat at Ford Field (both games) a thought kept

reoccurring to me. The lower section of Ford Field

probably seats 35,000 people really comfortably.

Ford Field lower section would make an excellent

stadium for the Zips. Add in the flying deck just

under the stack of loges and you could expand

to 45,000.

Instead of the huge five tier loge section at Ford

just three levels or two levels.

Layout the stadium in a manner that the loge side

lies along West Market Street. That allows for year

round businesses to be built into the building

providing rent money to the university.

It would be possible to built a high rise student

dorms at either end or along the north side.

Unfortunately that would cut off visibility of the

field house complex. Not to mention sun light.

Also possible could be student dorms at the east

end and several classrooms and sports medicine

facilities on the west end.

Ford Field does not look like much from the exterior.

Inside it is a first class facility. Its a well thought out

stadium done right.

Several posters impressed me with their vision of the

potential for the greater Akron community. I agree with

them.

[scottditzen]

I voted 30-40,000.

Fantastic idea RatFink to incorporate businesses and/or student housing into the design. Otherwise a football stadium is a tremendous waste of space (see Cleveland) and be vacant most of the time.

Yeah the JAR is a high school gym, but a football/basketball facility would be too large for Zips B-ball. Too much of a leap there. Crowds would look sparce and you would lose homecrowd noise, feel, and intimacy (see Cleveland State).

I strongly feel the on/near campus stadium should be unique, and reflect the storied history of Akron. Think red brick facade, brick streets, interesting architecture, a lot of character. A place that incorporates the legacy and important role that Ohio has had on the game of football.

GO ZIPS!!!!

[Captain Kangaroo]

Fantastic idea RatFink to incorporate businesses and/or student housing into the design. Otherwise a football stadium is a tremendous waste of space (see Cleveland) and be vacant most of the time.

FYI: It is a done deal that the new stadium will have dorms incorporated.

[LosAngelesZipFan]

Done deal for dorms incorporated? Really? That sounds super cool. Where will it be? How do we sign up to donate money?

[Zipsrifle]

I voted for the smaller stadium, but it needs to be expandable. I hate going to the RB when it is empty. Dispite the great showing at the MCB, I think we all know in the back of our minds that the RB won't be packed for 5 games next season. I would rather be in a small full stadium than a huge empty stadium. I also agree there should be something incorporated into the stadium. It could be Dorms, stores, etc. A stadium is a huge waste of space/money. An indoor stadium would be nice, but is it practical??? If you build it, you better make it as big as you're ever going to need it. Also, I don't think an indoor facility can be justified at this time. What else would it be used for? Remember, you have to heat and cool it. Here's a thought, build it small, and if you want to expand, have the plans so you could dome the thing once it reaches it's proposed maximum size. I think I would like a very nice 20,000-25,000 seat stadium that has plans for expansion from day 1. Put dorms in it and have one side of it on a main street (Exchange, Market) with spaces to rent for stores or restaurants, just like Canal Park. Whatever the final plan, the most important thing is to JUST BUILD IT!!

[Quickzips]

I kinda got to agree when it comes to the stadium of having a LITTLE bit smaller stadium than the RB. Right now I don't think the bandwagon has driven very many people to hardcore fan status just yet. For now attendance is still going to be a bit touch and go and there is likely gonna be times that the stadium is gonna be half full (hopefully not much less anymore). But here is the thing. IF we continue to have success with football, then the fans are gonna keep coming back. WHEN that happens we are then going to have to deal with increased ticket demands. It would be a marketing dream to have a headline like this written one day.UA to add seats to football stadium following increased demand.You can almost guaruntee that those new seats would be filled as soon as they are added, people would be there just to see what the hype is about and it would lend instant credibility to the program. I guess my thought it around 25,000 maybe a little less with room to expand. And ohh yeah. Just don't build a glorified high school stadium <cough>dix<cough>

[zipsbandman]

We are going to have the same crummy attendence next year because nobody wants to see football at the crumbling rubber bowl. Kind of symbolic that the facility looks like a toilet seat from the air. There is just no atmosphere whatsoever there. The university needs to start pushing this a little harder and I'm hoping now that we have an AD in place we have somebody to lead the charge. I'm sure we can get very creative in ways to fund this.

[xu9697]

Dome makes the most sense...wrote about this when I stated purposed Akron as the "new Syracuse". Multi-purpose 35-40,000 dome can be used for many events and can be an asset to the university, Akron and Ohio as a whole. How about moving state championships away from Massilon/Canton and into an Akron dome. I live in a suburb of Cleveland, and I feel that Akron can, in part, make up for Cleveland's mistake of not building a dome.

[Captain Kangaroo]

We are going to have the same crummy attendence next year because nobody wants to see football at the crumbling rubber bowl.

If we have poor attendance next season it would be because:1.) The team stinks (which I highly doubt will happen)2.) We play on horrid weather (in NE Ohio, certainly possible)3.) We have unattractive games scheduled on unattractive nights (ie. Buffalo on a Tuesday night in November)Bad attendance will have nothing to do with the crappy Rubber Bowl.If the MAC office is smart...debatable since these are the same guys that invited Temple into the MAC...but if they are smart, they will schedule our key games next season in November. Assuming the Zips are again in the hunt come November, Miami and BG will pack the Rubber Bowl regardless of the weather or date.Zips attendance will be strong in the early season and the opener will sell out. It would also be nice to play a crossover game vs. Toledo in 2006. We haven't played them in about 8 years.

[zipsbandman]

It would be nice if we played all the cupcakes early on in the season like Can't, Bufallo, Ohio, and maybe a weak crossover team and then battle it out with the contenders for MAC supremacy late in the season. I like that. I guess I can see that working out, but something tells me we will get screwed by the MAC and ESPN again.

[Quickzips]

I don't really think the allure of the stadium has anything to do with attendance (other than the fact that having it on campus would be more attractive for students). Winning is what puts butts in seats. Look no further than the Indians. Back in the 90's when they were winning sellouts were a lock every night. The tribe set all kinds of records for sellouts and attendance. Then they purged all their talent and started losing. Guess what the attendance fell with the team. Look at the old Browns. Municipal Stadium was a complete and utter dump, yet when the team was winning the place was packed. Put a winning program on the field and the fans will come regardless of how pretty the stadium is.

[Hilltopper]

I don't really think the allure of the stadium has anything to do with attendance (other than the fact that having it on campus would be more attractive for students). Winning is what puts butts in seats. Look no further than the Indians. Back in the 90's when they were winning sellouts were a lock every night. The tribe set all kinds of records for sellouts and attendance. Then they purged all their talent and started losing. Guess what the attendance fell with the team. Look at the old Browns. Municipal Stadium was a complete and utter dump, yet when the team was winning the place was packed. Put a winning program on the field and the fans will come regardless of how pretty the stadium is.

I think you have it backwards my friend. The main reason the Indians were winners in the 90's was the NEW stadium. The additional revenue generated by people coming to check out the new digs was what made the higher payrolls possible.