A Critical Analysis

[ZIPSMOM2]

Welcome to ZipsNation, ZIPSMOM2!

Thanks Blue & Gold... I'm looking forward to getting to know everyone on this forum ( I hope...lol)

[ZIPSMOM2]

Welcome to Zipsnation, ZIPSMOM2! I'm really looking forward to seeing Kwan and the rest of the young players develop over the next few years

Thanks johnnyzip84! I look forward to all the greatness these young players will accomplished under Coach D and his staff...

[lance99]

I wouldn't think about it for a few years. Who knows, a couple winning seasons, bowl games... The rest of our sports do really well within the MAC. With the Cleveland/Akron/Canton market we might be attractive. But we aren't yet, I know that. I'd love an A-10 move with football in the MAC but I don't think they'd let it happen. I would also love the AAC but that's more of a pipe dream. Our most likely option at this point is improving the MAC.

AAC is not totally a pipe dream. All they seem to care about at the moment is television markets. I remember when the (then) Big East had their indoor track here and I remember the talk then. At least they were at the very least "snooping around."

I ideal case, IMO would be the following:

-Football only to the AAC

-Soccer to be independent

-All others to A-10(not sure what Rifle would do)

[a-zip]

AAC is not totally a pipe dream. All they seem to care about at the moment is television markets. I remember when the (then) Big East had their indoor track here and I remember the talk then. At least they were at the very least "snooping around."

I ideal case, IMO would be the following:

-Football only to the AAC

-Soccer to be independent

-All others to A-10(not sure what Rifle would do)

Why not soccer to the ACC? My god, that is our biggest draw and ACC soccer is the best in the country.

[zippy5]

ACC is a little further than a pipe dream

[Dave in Green]

No matter how tasty and tempting the a la carte menu may appear, none of the conferences we would like to see the Zips move up to would allow UA to split its programs into multiple conferences. The only exception would be if a conference didn't offer a sport at the level the Zips are currently playing, i.e. FCS instead of FBS football. For example, West Virginia is allowed by the Big 12 to play men's soccer in the MAC only because the Big 12 doesn't field men's soccer teams.

[GoZips]

ACC is a little further than a pipe dream

How little you know.

[zippy5]

How little you know.

Can't wait for Duke to make their first appearance at the JAR.

[Dave in Green]

Ironic that the American Athletic Conference did not want to be known as the AAC because they knew there'd be confusion with the ACC. They should have found another name because all conferences are referred to by their acronyms. I don't think GoZips believes it's more likely that UA would end up in the ACC than the AAC.

[K92]

Akron to the ACC. You heard it here first.

[Zips Win!]

Why stop there, I hear the SEC will be calling!!

[GoZips]

Why stop there, I hear the SEC will be calling!!

I am glad that people are having a lot of fun thinking about future conferece affiliation.

Truth is, the Univserity of Akron has to make progress. That pretty much requires that Akron move to a "power" conference,

Aproximately half the schools in the Mid American conference have little to zero interest in elevating their sports programs. Thus, it would be nearly impossible to upgrade the MAC. Akron and maybe one or two other schools need to work together to find a more suitable venue.

There are one or two power conferences that would take the Zips in. Whoopee! That is great. Only you have to be able to afford being in that conference. The SEC and ACC are just too expensive for Akron's sports budge. Maybe all of them are.

Comments about filling an arena are way off the mark. Arenas and football stadiums are not build to be operated at full capacity all the time, i.e. every game. When that occurs the school has to expand its venue. Example, Infocision is designed to be expanded if and when the need arises. Already the Big Dialer is larger than normal MAC needs. It was not built with the MAC in mind.

It is important to think big. Have a vision, a goal. Way too many people supporting the Zips think small or have no vision at all.Not so many years ago the nay sayers were complaining about leaving the now division three Ohio Athletic Conference. Then they wailed about moving up to division two. Then came division 1-AA and the Ohio Valley Conference. The jump to division 1-A was even more frightening. Cries of calamity rang out. Each time the school grew they wrung their hands and wailed. Wail on.

[Dr Z]

It is important to think big.

The fans?

[jupitertoo]

Aproximately half the schools in the Mid American conference have little to zero interest in elevating their sports programs. Thus, it would be nearly impossible to upgrade the MAC. Akron and maybe one or two other schools need to work together to find a more suitable venue.

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.

[zippy5]

To be clear.. The ACC wasn't a typo meant to be "AAC," and our budget is what's holding us back. Okay.

[zippy5]

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.

I think Akron, OU, Buffalo and Toledo (maybe WMU) would be a good starting point for an alliance if you will. Not for the ACC, but maybe to make a better mid-major conference.

[GP1]

Who are the power conferences that would accept Akron?

Below is the list of power conferences that would accept Akron:

Thank you and have a nice day.

[K92]

There are one or two power conferences that would take the Zips in.

Name 'em.

[Balsy]

Comments about filling an arena are way off the mark. Arenas and football stadiums are not build to be operated at full capacity all the time, i.e. every game. When that occurs the school has to expand its venue. Example, Infocision is designed to be expanded if and when the need arises. Already the Big Dialer is larger than normal MAC needs. It was not built with the MAC in mind.

That's a joke right? When your capacity is 27,000...and you're selling an average of 17850 seats a game (of which that 17,850 average aren't actually showing up for the game that is not televised), which if you're doing the math is 66%, I'm sorry but with attendance like that you have no business contemplating a move to conferences. That's an absolute joke.

I feel like this conversation is quickly devolving into non-reality as opposed to reality. I'm a die-hard Zips fan...but I'm also not delusional.

[Dr Z]

It really only seats 27,000…a figure I don't believe it has ever reached.

Capacity is 30,000, official sellout is 27,881. The grass hill seats 3,000. Here is a list of stadiums 30,000 or more.

​Nobody has convinced me that the MAC isn't where the Zips belong. A Zips fan listing to a hired employee telling them that they are moving, is not really "proof," just someone with some job goals. I have heard "think bigger than the MAC" for more than a decade from a few employees. Doesn't make it fact. Doesn't make it wrong to have those ambitions either. It's also excites some fans, and some donors.

I have no issue with the MAC in football. Competitive games, NFL players, bowl games, first round picks, super bowl winners, entertaining product (for the most part). I write it all the time, but I wish CFU and Marshall were still part of the MAC because they made it better. Basketball on the other hand seems to be going the other way in the MAC. Games aren't as entertaining, no NBA players anymore, no more two bids into the NCAA tournament anymore, no chance for a 14 seed to get past round one anymore, weak competition. I would hope that changes...one way or another.

[Big Zip]

The attendance police on here need a dose of reality. Attendance means nothing. In 2004 UCF had attendance of 19K per game, were 0-8 in the MAC and 0-11 overall the next year they were in Conference USA.

In other threads GP1 and others have pondered the dividing of Division 1 into two distinct Division 1 categories -- BCS conferences and non-BCS conferences. The driving force behind this seems to be football conferences. I'm not sure why we don't see a future in Football only conferences, Basketball only conferences, Soccer only Conferences. College athletics have proven they are all about the almighty dollar. You can't tell me there would be more money in aligning football teams together and basketball teams together. I believe College athletics as we know is changing and I'm not sure any of use understand the future. When schools like Rutgers and Maryland are playing in the Big10 (what a dumb name anymore) then how far are we away from the same conference telling Illinois and Indiana they aren't welcome in the Big10 any more. Building on post above if you could take the Zips and 11 other teams from the Non-BCS conferences and put them in a new conference what would that conference look like in your mind? It is really difficult because the teams you'd like the most in that conference are on the West Coast.

[skip-zip]

Name 'em.

I was thinking the same thing.

[tomzip]

Or, we can keep both football and basketball in the MAC where we belong.

absolutely, how about we start winning games against foes from these "better" conferences? Oh wait, we just lost to IPFW, out of their powerhouse conference. Build a new arena, win a NCAA game and then talk to me about moving out of the MAC. The apathy that surrounds the city of Akron sports fans, or maybe it's the love fest for OSU, will never allow a "cincinnati" type football revival. How dare you ever mock the buckeyes around NE Ohio. Start consistently winning in football and in basketball, the new arena and wins in the tourny, then we will see if we could jump conferences. Long, Long, ways away folks.

[Zipmeister]

There are one or two power conferences that would take the Zips in.

Comments about filling an arena are way off the mark. Arenas and football stadiums are not build to be operated at full capacity all the time, i.e. every game. When that occurs the school has to expand its venue.

Enthusiasm is great, but now you're just making shit up.

[Zips Win!]

I find this topic both fascinating and ridiculous.

Of course we all want the Zips to make progress. But by whose definition? Administration may want to "make progress" by moving to a better conference, but if they were held personally accountable financially for all the loses we would incur, they would think otherwise. The minute they take credit for moving up, they are gone to another school and we are stuck dealing with the losses. (on the field)

Fans want progress as well. But that progress can be made in the MAC. Copy what NI did in football with a BCS game and what OU did with a sweet 16 run, and there is your progress. Heck, a sweet 16 run for UA would be more impressive than a NC at tosu with our budget. Accept that and enjoy it.

A more suitable venue? Well, when you find one, let me know. None of the power 5 would take us, we would never get a bowl bid or make the NCAA hoops tournament in the AAC conference. We would be hard pressed to get a bowl bid or make the tournament in Conference USA. If you think the Big Dialer is empty now, wait until North Texas visits.

I appreciate the jump to 1A status, but anyone who wailed when we made the move in 1986 was correct. Going Independent was a huge mistake. Thankfully the MAC allowed us in....

My vision is simple- Let's copy NIU and a BCS bowl bid and OU's sweet 16 run on a consistent basis- in the MAC, thereby putting my move to vegas on hold, permanently.