MACtion

[Zipmeister]

Teams Reported attendance

WMU @ NIU 17,679

UMASS @ OU 13,162

TOL @ AKRON 12,506

MU @ TT 6,784

EMU @ CMU 5,214

BUGS @ CANADA 2,622

None of these numbers are good and three of them are downright pathetic.

Two questions.....

How many butts in seats were there for the Akron game?

What do you think accounts for the low attendance figures around the conference; bad weather, Black Friday shopping opportunities (WNU@NIU exempt), or something else?

The University of Canada must be so proud. Chance to get into the MACC and 2,600 people show up to watch.

[Hilltopper]

My guess for yesterdays actual attendance is 3500 butts in the seats. Main reasons for lack of interest are Black Friday, early start time interfering with Black Friday shopping, 3 wins combined over the previous three seasons, cold weather.

[LZIp]

I think its pretty obvious why attendance blew this week.

[johnnyzip84]

ESPN's box score (and possibly others) for the U@B/BG game at Ralph Wilson Stadium had a pretty egregious typo. The announced attendance was actually 26,226.

[Zipmeister]

I think its pretty obvious why attendance blew this week.

It may be obvious from where you are, but not from here.

[Zipmeister]

ESPN's box score (and possibly others) for the U@B/BG game at Ralph Wilson Stadium had a pretty egregious typo. The announced attendance was actually 26,226.

Typos fit into the "other" category. 26K makes a lot more sense.

[GP1]

My guess for yesterdays actual attendance is 3500 butts in the seats.

3,499. My butt didn't come near an aluminum seat as I didn't have a blanket.

[a-zip]

My guess for yesterdays actual attendance is 3500 butts in the seats. Main reasons for lack of interest are Black Friday, early start time interfering with Black Friday shopping, 3 wins combined over the previous three seasons, cold weather.

Yea, looks like Ohio State is having the same issues

When do the excuses run out?

[LZIp]

Yea, looks like Ohio State is having the same issues

When do the excuses run out?

You can't be serious comparing Ohio State to Akron. OSU has the largest fan/alumni base in the country, is currently playing in the biggest rivalry game in the nation, and playing for a chance to go to a national championship. Oh...and it isn't black Friday.

[GP1]

Teams Reported attendance

WMU @ NIU 17,679

UMASS @ OU 13,162

TOL @ AKRON 12,506

MU @ TT 6,784

EMU @ CMU 5,214

BUGS @ CANADA 2,622

None of these numbers are good and three of them are downright pathetic.

Most are probably just plain lies.

[Blue & Gold]

ESPN's box score (and possibly others) for the U@B/BG game at Ralph Wilson Stadium had a pretty egregious typo. The announced attendance was actually 26,226.

Was watching some of this game yesterday. They had a really nice crowd @ the game.

[a-zip]

You can't be serious comparing Ohio State to Akron. OSU has the largest fan/alumni base in the country, is currently playing in the biggest rivalry game in the nation, and playing for a chance to go to a national championship. Oh...and it isn't black Friday.

Yes, in a way I am. 110,000 + people can go root OSU no matter what the weather or what color the day is - our school built a beautiful new stadium and we can't get 10K…….pathetic. Weather and lack of wins was the excuse for our rivalry game against Cant State Game (on Jim Dennison day).

[zipproud]

Winning brings fans!! If we can keep the momentum the numbers will take care of themselves!!

Go Zips!!

[johnnyzip84]

Yes, in a way I am. 110,000 + people can go root OSU no matter what the weather or what color the day is - our school built a beautiful new stadium and we can't get 10K…….pathetic. Weather and lack of wins was the excuse for our rivalry game against Cant State Game (on Jim Dennison day).

What is your solution? Or are you simply venting?

[Zipgrad01]

Yes, in a way I am. 110,000 + people can go root OSU no matter what the weather or what color the day is - our school built a beautiful new stadium and we can't get 10K…….pathetic. Weather and lack of wins was the excuse for our rivalry game against Cant State Game (on Jim Dennison day).

The problem is that our alumni and students are pathetic. I got invited to a party today to watch the game and one couple was there wearing their Michigan clothes. I was the only person there wearing an Akron shirt. She saw my shirt and said "hey, I am a zip". I asked her why she was wearing a Michigan shirt if she was a Zip and she said she roots for Michigan. I asked her who she rooted for when we played them this year. Her response...Michigan. She said it would have ruined their season if we beat them. Our alumni and students have zero pride in their university and even root against us.

Until we get alumni supporting us and not OSU, Michigan, etc... we will always have these attendance issues. We need Akron alums raising zips fans, not little Buckeyes.

[K92]

The problem is that our alumni and students are pathetic. I got invited to a party today to watch the game and one couple was there wearing their Michigan clothes. I was the only person there wearing an Akron shirt. She saw my shirt and said "hey, I am a zip". I asked her why she was wearing a Michigan shirt if she was a Zip and she said she roots for Michigan. I asked her who she rooted for when we played them this year. Her response...Michigan. She said it would have ruined their season if we beat them. Our alumni and students have zero pride in their university and even root against us.

Until we get alumni supporting us and not OSU, Michigan, etc... we will always have these attendance issues. We need Akron alums raising zips fans, not little Buckeyes.

You nailed it. Job #1 for UA is to get current students to care. Pathetic students turn into pathetic alumni. Anyone who thinks that just winning is going to solve the attendance problems is delusional. NIU is riding the very crest of the MAC wave. The success they are having is as good as it gets in this conference. They can't sell out their stadium. What's their excuse? Maybe the seats are uncomfortable there like the JAR. My guess is they have a lot of lame students and alumni who care more about the Fighting Illini than they do about the Huskies. I am with a-zip. . .tired of the excuses.

[Blue & Gold]

Until we get alumni supporting us and not OSU, Michigan, etc... we will always have these attendance issues. We need Akron alums raising zips fans, not little Buckeyes.

Amen, amen and hallelujah.

I would add that we need not only alumni raising Zips fans, but Akronites & Summit County residents also.

[Dave in Green]

Unfortunately, this is common everywhere. When I was at Louisiana Tech more than 45 years ago, the only college football anyone in Louisiana wanted to talk about was LSU. Even when Terry Bradshaw was racking up lots of wins at Tech and being picked #1 in the NFL draft, most folks were saying what a shame it was that he didn't go to LSU instead and lead them to a national championship. That's the difference. No one really believes that the Zips could ever win the national championship in football no matter how good they got. A lot of people believe that tOSU starts every season with at least a shot at the national championship. All you're going to hear on local news for the next week is that Auburn upsetting Alabama tonight sets up tOSU to play for the national championship.

Any team that doesn't have a prayer of reaching the national championship in the top division is forever doomed to be a minor league sideshow to most people who follow college sports. It's just the way the world works. You can't fight it and you will doom yourself to a life of frustration if you think you can change it. Over the years I've learned to accept reality, so I can enjoy being a fan of Zips football without any delusion that it will ever remotely approach the level of support given in this state to tOSU. That in no way affects my appreciation for and enjoyment of Zips football. I just don't care what other people care about, and I don't care what they think about what I care about.

[Hilltopper]

DIG

[a-zip]

What is your solution? Or are you simply venting?

If I had a solution, I would dial it in so I guess that means I am venting. I think OUR University has done everything I would have thought of to get people to support our teams and I think it is sad the 5th largest city in the state of Ohio can't get even 10K to a game. They have committed to what I think is most important;

1- Bringing in and keeping top coaches - seriously we currently have Terry Bowden, Bobby Bowden, Chuck Amato, Terrell Buckley, Jim Tressel, Jim Dennison, Keith Dambrot on our campus……..unreal!! - our other coaches are pretty impressive too, but these are BIG names I just mentioned…….lets not forget Lebron and unfortunately we lost Caleb (not any fault of the administration) . One of my original posts years ago on Zipsnation talked about the key to success being keeping top coaches - they have done that. Seriously folks, these are some impressive people dedicating their lives to UoA.

2- The facilities are top notch - The excuse used to be the Rubber Bowl was off campus and falling apart - problem solved. The Info is beautiful and on campus, Stiles Field House is gorgeous. Cub Cadet is one of the best. These are fun/top notch facilities.

3- Is it money?? season tickets are a steal!! You can get a season ticket for less than a single OSU game it think.

4 - School pride - Dr. Proenza has built a beautiful campus and it keeps getting better. Something to be proud of. I like being there.

5 - Winning - most of our teams do very well, in fact we were at the top of the Sears Cup challenge a couple years ago. Yes the football team has been terrible but if anyone doubted they would get better under TB, they are crazy. The Toledo game was exciting, JMU game exciting, Can't game exciting - ALL WINS, nobody was there.

The mayor and the community should be kissing Proenza's ass. If these investments fail and UoA does not prosper the city will rot.

All I hear are excuses and bitching - bad weather, not winning, black fridays, uncomfortable seats, the AD sucks, Lebron is a traitor, etc etc. I just don't want to hear it anymore. These people have done more than enough - time to look in the mirror Mr and Mrs Akron. What else is there to do? I am at a loss….. People want a new basketball arena? Why bother. Am I expecting 100K to our games….no. Am I expecting the Info to sell out……would be nice but not getting over 10K is pathetic.

[LZIp]

Do I think its possible to achieve what you want? Yes. Do I want it? Yes. I just think you have to understand what the facts are. What DiG posted is reality.

OSU is what they are due to many years of success, which builds school pride. Akron's situation can improve to what you, and everybody else on ZN.O want it to be with many years of sustained success and making noise nationally. That's no easy task. Very few programs have been able to break through and compete with their states flagship programs. TCU is about the only one I can think of. But even since they have finally joined the big boys, they have struggled. You can say its excuses, but it is what it is and it cannot be fixed short-term, let alone after a 5-7 season. You have to give "Joe Akron" something big to believe in, something more than your average Zips Nation poster acknowledges.

[Balsy]

Until we get alumni supporting us and not OSU, Michigan, etc... we will always have these attendance issues. We need Akron alums raising zips fans, not little Buckeyes.

100% agree. But how do we reverse that? I've spent my college career trying to get other students out to support the Zips, and to support the Zips above any others. I and my friends were always in the minority. I went to an OSU watch party today and wore my zips jersey. People ask me why and I tell them "because I'm a Zip".

I think it starts with building the community. Akron doesn't have a sense of community. I don't think I've ever encountered Alumni involvement (outside...I regrettably say...pathetic little sports support groups) with current students. And I'm sorry, but that's EXTREMELY important to the legitimacy of being whatever it is that you are. Alumni breed the tradition, breed the respect, the honor and the drive to be or to want to be that.

Winning will help with attendance: but we Alumni have got to be more involved with the UA community.

[johnnyzip84]

If I had a solution, I would dial it in so I guess that means I am venting. I think OUR University has done everything I would have thought of to get people to support our teams and I think it is sad the 5th largest city in the state of Ohio can't get even 10K to a game. They have committed to what I think is most important;

1- Bringing in and keeping top coaches - seriously we currently have Terry Bowden, Bobby Bowden, Chuck Amato, Terrell Buckley, Jim Tressel, Jim Dennison, Keith Dambrot on our campus……..unreal!! - our other coaches are pretty impressive too, but these are BIG names I just mentioned…….lets not forget Lebron and unfortunately we lost Caleb (not any fault of the administration) . One of my original posts years ago on Zipsnation talked about the key to success being keeping top coaches - they have done that. Seriously folks, these are some impressive people dedicating their lives to UoA.

2- The facilities are top notch - The excuse used to be the Rubber Bowl was off campus and falling apart - problem solved. The Info is beautiful and on campus, Stiles Field House is gorgeous. Cub Cadet is one of the best. These are fun/top notch facilities.

3- Is it money?? season tickets are a steal!! You can get a season ticket for less than a single OSU game it think.

4 - School pride - Dr. Proenza has built a beautiful campus and it keeps getting better. Something to be proud of. I like being there.

5 - Winning - most of our teams do very well, in fact we were at the top of the Sears Cup challenge a couple years ago. Yes the football team has been terrible but if anyone doubted they would get better under TB, they are crazy. The Toledo game was exciting, JMU game exciting, Can't game exciting - ALL WINS, nobody was there.

The mayor and the community should be kissing Proenza's ass. If these investments fail and UoA does not prosper the city will rot.

All I hear are excuses and bitching - bad weather, not winning, black fridays, uncomfortable seats, the AD sucks, Lebron is a traitor, etc etc. I just don't want to hear it anymore. These people have done more than enough - time to look in the mirror Mr and Mrs Akron. What else is there to do? I am at a loss….. People want a new basketball arena? Why bother. Am I expecting 100K to our games….no. Am I expecting the Info to sell out……would be nice but not getting over 10K is pathetic.

I think you're spot on with your summary. The University has put forth the investments necessary and the pieces are all in place. I've been where DIG has been for a while now. I dislike the overall lack of community, student, and alumni support as much as anyone, but I won't let it affect how I personally view the program.

We have a vibrant, yet smallish, tailgating tradition started here. If the team continues to improve on the field, perhaps these grassroots initiatives will bear fruit over the next few years. I know I'll be a part of it. Let's hope the University doesn't do anything to dissuade the die-hards in the meantime. They should be encouraging the tailgating regulars to continue to build game day traditions on campus.

[Dead Horse]

Are we really having another attendance discussion?

[Dead Horse]

Are we really having another attendance discussion?