9100 Attendance

[ZachTheZip]

From what I have heard, UA has an unreasonable set of demands that event organizers have to deal with if they want to use the stadium.

[Balsy]

From what I have heard, UA has an unreasonable set of demands that event organizers have to deal with if they want to use the stadium.

From personal experience working as a student member of an organization that brings thousands of people to the UA campus for an event that raises money for cancer research, UA is unbearably difficult to deal with when it comes to athletic facilities.

[Roo]

Thanks.......I am "shocked" by that as well.

[a-zip]

Hopefully the demands that were set to use the Info came from the previous administration. The acoustics have to be amazing for a concert. It would be foolish to not try and get some good shows in there and would get people used to coming in. Pearl Jam loves places like the Info ;-)

[Lee Adams]

Wow! I really hope that BJ article wasn't 'news' to anyone. And all the woulda,shoulda,coulda questions are really meaningless at this point. The new Prez has realized as others did several years ago that this fball program did not have the support to warrant an expenditure of this magnitude on this type of facility. It didn't really take him very long to figure it out,to his credit. Only question now is what to do with that elephant in the room. The article in the BJ was pretty damning. When the university has to buy its own tix just to stay DI eligible it means the program is not DI caliber. And, it doesn't matter what Can't and the other MAC schools do. What matters is what this Prez is going to do to stop the bleeding. The dominoes have started to fall with the ouster of Tom W. Thats not a coincidence. Unless the fball program under Bowden miraculously starts to put butts in the seats there will be more changes. Hopefully!

[Roo]

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaaf-dr-saturday/akron-president-says-he-would-not-have-built-football-stadium-141637194.html

Not good that it expanded beyond local news. Bad PR for the program, certainly will not help an already struggling recruiting team.

Zips need a big year this year, bowl game and good record to get some buy in.

[K92]

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaaf-dr-saturday/akron-president-says-he-would-not-have-built-football-stadium-141637194.html

Not good that it expanded beyond local news. Bad PR for the program, certainly will not help an already struggling recruiting team.

Zips need a big year this year, bowl game and good record to get some buy in.

Lots of amusing comments following the story, but this one is the best.

The midweek tv games are killing the MAC. I live in a MAC city and who wants to see the games on a Tuesday night at 8pm? I counted the people once in the student section and got 101 and that did not include the band.

Until the league office wakes up and stops signing the ESPN contract for these awful weeknight games, attendance is going to suck. Although the party line spoken by the commissioner and parroted by the MAC coaches that the exposure is an invaluable recruiting tool, I call bullshit. The best FCS schools recruit at a MAC level and are hardly ever on television. That kinda shoots holes in the whole argument. What the best FCS schools have is a fan base that cares. Students, alumni and the community. Anybody remember Game Day at NDSU?

I'll wager that kind of atmosphere excites a potential recruit more than seeing Akron vs. UMass on ESPN3 in front of 150 fans.

[ZippyRulz]

This was a good one too:

"It would be better if the President said - hey we have the BEST facility in the MAC and we need to fill it up".

[Captain Kangaroo]

This was a good one too:

"It would be better if the President said - hey we have the BEST facility in the MAC and we need to fill it up".

It absolutely amazes me that, with one sentence, Scarborough has completely deflected the blame for an empty InfoCision from where it actually lies (Wistercill/Ianello/1-11's/weekday November games), to -- "That stadium should never have been built."

Now, the guy's off the hook for any attendance liability. HE would never have ok'd this stadium, so it isn't HIS fault.

Wistercill was hired to fill the stadium and get the football program rolling. That was his #1 priority. He instead he spread napalm over Summa Field.

I'm seeing too much damage control and negativity, and too little positive crowing about having the best football facilities you'll find short of the P5 programs. InfoCision and Stiles are absolute gifts to anyone with a freaking clue. Bowden probably can be included in the "gift" category too.

UA needs to fight the association of Zips Football with the low attendance with aggression and facts. We hired the worst coach in college football history, and let that guy gut the program. And if you were dumb enough to want to watch it, you needed to do so at 8pm on a Tuesday night, vs. some of the worst opponents in D1-A.

UA needs to OWN the fact that it made horrible football hires at a critical juncture in the Program's history. Not spin awesome facilities as some sort of liability. Stop whining and deflecting blame. Be proud of our football program. Take advantage of the riches you possess. Win games. Put butts in the seats.

Scarborough didn't hire THAT AD who put us in this hole. But he can hire HIS AD, and get us out of it. Do it.

[Dave in Green]

One sentence in a news story typically creates way more questions than it answers. Anyone who wants their full position stated in a newspaper needs to buy ad space, because after reporters and editors get done cutting big ideas down to fit limited news story space, there are bound to be lots of questions. On the positive side, my experience with Dr. Scarborough is that he's approachable and open to answering questions. So next time anyone on here sees him, just politely ask what he was really trying to say before his thoughts were squeezed through the news filter.

[Captain Kangaroo]

What the best FCS schools have is a fan base that cares. Students, alumni and the community.

That is not unique to D1-AA schools...it is commonplace at every level of every sport.

If the Zips had the success of NDSU, they'd be expanding the stadium, not trying to point fingers at why it's empty.

While the Zips were reeling-off sub .500 ...hell...sub .100 seasons, the Bison accomplished this (from Wikipedia):

• 4 Consecutive National Championships (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014) FCS Record
• 5 Consecutive Winning Seasons (48 winning seasons in last 51 years)
• 5 Consecutive Playoff Appearances (2010-Present)
• 5 Consecutive Wins against FBS Competition (2010-Present) FCS Record
• 38 Consecutive Non-Conference Home wins (Ongoing)
• 16 Consecutive Playoff/Post-season Wins (2011-Present)
• 23 Consecutive Home Wins (2012-Present)

What's the Wikipedia definition of "The Opposite of the Ianello Era"? See above.

Youngstown State had a great fan following in the 90's, when they were annually playing for D-1AA championships. 20k + at Stambaugh was a weekly event in the fall. After their run, attendance plummeted. Losing has that effect.

What was the average attendance of the Coleman Crawford era Zips vs. Dambrot or Huggins?

The best FCS schools have no unique formula to drawing large crowds and getting on ESPN Game Day. The formula is the same everywhere in the world -

1.) Win games

2.) Lather, rinse and repeat

If instead you:

1.) Hire a putz

2.) Lose 90% of your games

You probably won't fill your stadium.

[lance99]

One sentence in a news story typically creates way more questions than it answers. Anyone who wants their full position stated in a newspaper needs to buy ad space, because after reporters and editors get done cutting big ideas down to fit limited news story space, there are bound to be lots of questions. On the positive side, my experience with Dr. Scarborough is that he's approachable and open to answering questions. So next time anyone on here sees him, just politely ask what he was really trying to say before his thoughts were squeezed through the news filter.

Dave,

My question would be do you believe what he said in the quote is honest and accurate? If you was the interviewer, would you ask a follow-up to make sure that was a direct quote for the record so there are no questions? I know I would.

If that quote for the Beacon is 100% true, me, as a fan of this School, and a Joe Akron, it tells me he does not give a damn about Akron Altletics.

Everyone wants change, but it has to start form the top, not the bottom.

[a-zip]

It absolutely amazes me that, with one sentence, Scarborough has completely deflected the blame for an empty InfoCision from where it actually lies (Wistercill/Ianello/1-11's/weekday November games), to -- "That stadium should never have been built."

Now, the guy's off the hook for any attendance liability. HE would never have ok'd this stadium, so it isn't HIS fault.

Personally I don't see his comment as deflecting blame. I think he is making a statement based on the numbers he is looking at…….folks, he is not wrong!! Maybe deep down he is thinking to himself "I would have fired TW a long time ago"……I wouldn't expect him to say that publicly.

$60 million dollar stadium + lowest attendance in the USA = I wouldn't have built that stadium either.

Even without hindsight…..in our history where are there attendance numbers that would justify a $60 million stadium. EVER.

I am purely speculating here but my gut tells me the UA is in a financial mess (possibly worse than we know). As with a CEO of any company….if you are financially stressed, you cut programs that are not profitable, you focus on the things you are best at and you get rid of people that are not producing results. I think that is what we are seeing. Once again, I think people are getting wrapped around the wheel over a single statement without knowing the context of how it was delivered.

I am not understanding why Dr. Scarborough is taking the criticism when it was Dr. Proenza that hired and didn't fire TW and created all this debt.

Lets face it folks, our football teams future rests squarely on Terry Bowden. I would say if he cannot turn this around, nobody can……if that is the case I would say our football program could be doomed.

[Dr Z]

A-zip, let's pretend everything you type is true. What is the University of Akron's benefit from the comment?

[Balsy]

Dr. Scarborough is that he's approachable and open to answering questions. So next time anyone on here sees him, just politely ask what he was really trying to say before his thoughts were squeezed through the news filter.

Huh, that's funny. He cowardly snuck out the back door of Buchtel Hall when concerned students/alumni/staff were protesting on his doorstep. He's approachable when it's convenient for him and his narrative.

[K92]

CK, I guess I should save my "attendance sucks because of weeknight games" argument until the Zips reel off about 10 consecutive trips to the MACC and attendance still sucks, because you are right. We should wait and see how winning AND I MEAN WINNIN' impacts attendance at UA because that is a variable that has never entered the attendance equation here.

Hopefully winnin' means more here than it does in Dekalb.

I wish the season would just start already.

[ZachTheZip]

Maybe Scarborough should take a tour of the Rubber Bowl, if he hasn't already.

You can't just go and say "I wouldn't have done this thing" without then saying what you would have done instead.

[a-zip]

A-zip, let's pretend everything you type is true. What is the University of Akron's benefit from the comment?

Benefit? That the university is in the hands of a person who is financially responsible and makes sound responsible decisions.

[a-zip]

Maybe Scarborough should take a tour of the Rubber Bowl, if he hasn't already.

You can't just go and say "I wouldn't have done this thing" without then saying what you would have done instead.

First of all he did not say "I wouldn't have done this thing" He said "I would not have built that stadium". Please don't misquote because there is a big difference between what you just inserted Zach and what was actually quoted.

At this point we don't know what he said before that sentence and after it, once again everyone is getting fired up about a single sentence. He did not say he would NOT have built a new stadium. He did not say he doesn't support athletics. I think it is safe to assume he is saying he would not have spent $60 million dollars on the 30,000 seat Info. I'll go out on a limb and say I bet he is thinking a $30 million dollar 20,000 seat stadium with room for expansion would have been the smart thing to do. Again, I bet he is also thinking "I would have canned TW years ago".

[Dr Z]

Benefit? That the university is in the hands of a person who is financially responsible and makes sound responsible decisions.

Agreed, I don't see the benefit either. I would hope our president can make decisions without making non beneficial comments about the past, and focus on solutions for the future. Otherwise, inquiring fans will continue to read into his comments. Nothing he will say is going to change the past, but a lot of what he does can change the future of UA.

[a-zip]

Agreed, I don't see the benefit either. I would hope our president can make important decisions without making non beneficial comments about the past, and focus on solutions for the future. Otherwise, inquiring fans will continue to read into his comments.

Well, I guess the good news is there are apparently not a lot of fans to read into his comments :-P . http://www.ohio.com/news/local/university-of-akron-football-attendance-lowest-in-nation-1.603992

Isn't he focusing on solutions for the future already? Seriously, he got rid of the biggest cancer in the athletic department right? He is also making lot of other strategic moves for the school's future. One sentence taken out of context and everyone is up in arms. Geez

[Dave in Green]

Dave,

My question would be do you believe what he said in the quote is honest and accurate? If you was the interviewer, would you ask a follow-up to make sure that was a direct quote for the record so there are no questions? I know I would.

If that quote for the Beacon is 100% true, me, as a fan of this School, and a Joe Akron, it tells me he does not give a damn about Akron Altletics.

Everyone wants change, but it has to start form the top, not the bottom.

I'm in the same boat with everyone else -- left to speculate because the short quote has inadequate context with which it can be intelligently interpreted. I don't know how many quotes the reporter was given to work with, whether there were any followup questions and answers, whether the reporter deliberately or inadvertently omitted important context, whether an editor cut words out to fit available newspaper space or what.

I believe there is much evidence to support that Dr. Scarborough does give a damn about Akron athletics. At the dinner for the men's basketball team and Zips fans attending last year's Charleston Classic tournament, I asked Dr. Scarborough in front of that audience about his perspective on college athletics, and he spoke openly to everyone in the room as I noted in an earlier post:

He started off by talking about his early years in Texas when he became a big sports fan who went to all the games and began realizing how much enthusiasm athletics can generate at a school. He said he agreed with the Bowden philosophy that athletics can be a publicly visible portal to a university generating more interest in the school. But ultimately the primary focus for a university and its president must be on academics.

Dr. Scarborough said "balance" was a good term for keeping athletics in perspective, noting that most college athletes would not play professionally and needed to place a high priority on getting a degree that would help them succeed in other fields. He intimated that he's working on plans to improve the position of Zips athletics in the future within the financial constraints of today's economy. He emphasized that financial support from alumni was an important element in funding athletics at the university level, and thanked everyone for their support.

A lot of what Dr. Scarborough said was general rather than specific, which was what I expected when I asked about his personal philosophy. What I interpreted from his remarks is that he is personally a genuine sports fan who will do all he can to help advance Zips athletics within the framework of raising UA's academic profile. When I saw Dr. Scarborough after the South Carolina game and pointed out to him that it was the Zips' second win over a high major school in the tournament, he nodded with a big smile and acknowledged it was great for UA.

Dr. Scarbough's interest in college athletics is clearly stated in his bio on the UA website:

In his free time, he enjoys reading, golf, tennis, college sports and family activities.

[a-zip]

Dr. Scarbough's interest in college athletics is clearly stated in his bio on the UA website:

Ha, today is his 1 year anniversary as UA's President.

[OU Dude]

...Until the league office wakes up and stops signing the ESPN contract for these awful weeknight games, attendance is going to suck. Although the party line spoken by the commissioner and parroted by the MAC coaches that the exposure is an invaluable recruiting tool, I call bullshit.....

Attendance for Akron home games in 2014-

13,357 v Marshall. 9/20, Saturday

10,348 v BGSU. 11/04, Tuesday

9,104 v Howard. 8/28, Thursday

8,416 v EMU. 10/04, Saturday (Homecoming)

8,223 v Miami. 10/11, Saturday

5,571 v UMass. 11/18, Tuesday

9,998- Avg. Attendance Saturday

8,341- Avg. Attendance non-Saturday

9,170- Avg Attendance overall

Bottom line: Weeknight games are not the problem.

As for TV exposure's impact on recruiting, since weeknight MAC began ramping up in 2007 the teams that have played the most weeknight games are NIU, Ohio, and Toledo, they also happen to be the top 3 in winning percentage over that frame. Coincidence? Maybe. or maybe not.

[LZIp]

Attendance for Akron home games in 2014-

13,357 v Marshall. 9/20, Saturday

10,348 v BGSU. 11/04, Tuesday

9,104 v Howard. 8/28, Thursday

8,416 v EMU. 10/04, Saturday (Homecoming)

8,223 v Miami. 10/11, Saturday

5,571 v UMass. 11/18, Tuesday

9,998- Avg. Attendance Saturday

8,341- Avg. Attendance non-Saturday

9,170- Avg Attendance overall

Bottom line: Weeknight games are not the problem.

As for TV exposure's impact on recruiting, since weeknight MAC began ramping up in 2007 the teams that have played the most weeknight games are NIU, Ohio, and Toledo, they also happen to be the top 3 in winning percentage over that frame. Coincidence? Maybe. or maybe not.

Does being on TV help you win more or are you on TV because you are a winner?