9100 Attendance

[GP1]

Have you ever thought of not rooting for the Zips for one football season?

Don't click on a score, don't watch a game, just to see if it's you bringing these teams down?

The problem is every time I go see a Zips game in person they win, but I live 7 hours away so I may see one game a year.

Every time I go see the Zips basketball team in person, they lose and most of the time they win when I watch on TV. Sort of like the ZipsWin! Athens jinx. I could cause irreversible damage to the team this year in Charleston.

Going to Wake games isn't difficult for me. I like to see them win, but if they lose, I don't care too much. It's just sort of something to do. Didn't go last night because I didn't think it would be much of a game. Gave my tickets and parking pass to a customer I don't particularly care for.

For whatever reason, getting the energy to keep up with the Zips this season has gotten very difficult. For me, the losing is worse right now than the Ianello years because it has gotten so bad so fast after a great start. Is Buffalo the answer? Maybe...everyone loves to win. I'm really hoping they can get to six wins because I think that will get them in the Montgomery, AL bowl game. If they get to six wins and don't make a bowl game, then what is the point of exposing myself to future misery? Almost thirty years of it is piling up quickly.

[Balsy]

There's almost 30K students. Go take a walk down Power Street and tell me how many are there to study and get their degree ASAP. There are enough sports fans to draw to games if the product was worthwhile.

Ignorance. Maybe 0.02% of the student body live on Power Street and the surrounding area. What a Great point.

[Big Zip]

Balsy so if I'm to take you seriously you are telling me 100% of the student body is different than when I was in school? I promise you there are plenty of traditional students still on campus who do not spend all their hours working and studying and can fit in some partying. Here is what I can tell you...the Homecoming game I brought my family for an alumni event at my Fraternity. They did the event with a sorority. There was probably 200 people in attendance maybe more with parents and I don't think 1/2 of them went to the game. The guys in the Fraternity house could go to the game every week they just don't go because the team has always sucked as far as they know so they'd just assume do something else. I promise you there are many students just like them.

What is missing from the Info that was awesome at the Rubber Bowl was the tailgating. There were no preferred parking areas (if there were they weren't way I wanted to be) and when I was an undergraduate then after I graduated tailgating was awesome! It was "must do" partying every Saturday when it was nice. That area doesn't exist anymore. Even the season ticket holders are broken up. One thing they could do is attempt to create an atmosphere for tailgating like there was at the Rubber Bowl. Everyone is so scattered now it takes away from the tailgating. If it was me I'd stop selling passes to the lot behind the scoreboard. I would make it first come first serve and direct everyone who wants to tailgate to park there - designate it as the tailgating lot.

[Dave in Green]

... One thing they could do is attempt to create an atmosphere for tailgating like there was at the Rubber Bowl. Everyone is so scattered now it takes away from the tailgating. If it was me I'd stop selling passes to the lot behind the scoreboard. I would make it first come first serve and direct everyone who wants to tailgate to park there - designate it as the tailgating lot.

That's a really great idea. I know they like to reserve the premier lots for the high rollers. But there are way more positives than negatives to cultivating a first come first served red hot tailgating lot right next to Exchange where everyone driving by can see the level of support from diehard fans who arrive long before anyone else and leave long after the other lots are empty.

[zippy5]

Ignorance. Maybe 0.02% of the student body live on Power Street and the surrounding area. What a Great point.

Yes because I was implying everyone lives on Power Street.

[K92]

The tailgating situation needs to be remedied that's for sure. The U has no plan for tailgating other than the pipe dream that someday there will be enough $5000 donors to fill lot 9.

Never going to happen.

There are Zips season ticket holders that got moved from lot 9 to lot 10 this year because lot 9 was full. Rubbish. The lot was far from full. In fact, there was enough room for Marshall fans to tailgate there. How does that happen?

My trip to Muncie this year opened my eyes to what tailgating can be at MAC game in spite of their silly way of not opening the lots until 3 hours before kickoff.

I know this topic has been brought up many times before but hopefully someone from UA will someday read one of these critiques of the tailgate policy and take it to heart.

[Balsy]

Balsy so if I'm to take you seriously you are telling me 100% of the student body is different than when I was in school? I promise you there are plenty of traditional students still on campus who do not spend all their hours working and studying and can fit in some partying. Here is what I can tell you...the Homecoming game I brought my family for an alumni event at my Fraternity. They did the event with a sorority. There was probably 200 people in attendance maybe more with parents and I don't think 1/2 of them went to the game. The guys in the Fraternity house could go to the game every week they just don't go because the team has always sucked as far as they know so they'd just assume do something else. I promise you there are many students just like them.

100% of the Student body? No. A good portion of it? Yes. A couple of fraternity and sorrority people as well as the other students could, yes, go to the game regularly. But we're talking about 5% of the student population...at best. A lot of people here completely ignore just how many UA students commute to school/work on the weekends.

If you and I were on campus at the same time, we'd most likely not be in the same circles. The circles I was around, the vast majority of them worked/commuted/other commitments during game time...and a good number of my friends were/are in sororities and fraternities. They worked during the day (on game days) and partied at night...thus eliminating the opportunity to go to games.

Really we're talking the difference between 800~1000 students at games. Many on this forum keep throwing around the 30k student body, wondering why more can't be there, without actually understanding these students at all. When 24k of them are commuters, you're only talking realistically 6k.

But I think the real way to turn around attendance is to get non-pathetic, engaging Alumni. Who make it something worth going to. My biggest complaint through college, and now, is the lack of Alumni involvement in making a sense of community. UA needs a stronger "community" within itself.

Yes because I was implying everyone lives on Power Street.

Then don't make such a stupid comment about how all one needs to do is walk down power street to see that there's a lot of students who aren't studying/working on their education.

[zippy5]

You've reached the point where no one can reasonably argue with you

[K92]

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaaf-dr-saturday/illinois--student-section-is-empty-on-senior-day--photos-175055534.html

[Balsy]

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaaf-dr-saturday/illinois--student-section-is-empty-on-senior-day--photos-175055534.html

I think we had more students at our final game than Illinois. Go Zips?

[ZippyRulz]

That's what losing will do. Could be danger signs for Mike Thomas...he hired the current Illini football coach in 2011.

[Zip_ME87]

The tailgating situation needs to be remedied that's for sure. The U has no plan for tailgating other than the pipe dream that someday there will be enough $5000 donors to fill lot 9.

Never going to happen.

There are Zips season ticket holders that got moved from lot 9 to lot 10 this year because lot 9 was full. Rubbish. The lot was far from full. In fact, there was enough room for Marshall fans to tailgate there. How does that happen?

My trip to Muncie this year opened my eyes to what tailgating can be at MAC game in spite of their silly way of not opening the lots until 3 hours before kickoff.

I know this topic has been brought up many times before but hopefully someone from UA will someday read one of these critiques of the tailgate policy and take it to heart.

I don't know how the Akron Athletics Department decides who gets Lot 9 and who gets Lot 10. As you said, Lot 9 never seems to be full. I don't understand why they don't ask season ticket holders if they plan to tailgate. Those who do should be given Lot 9. Then, if it's not sold out, add in those who want Lot 9, whether or not they tailgate. It is not rocket science to provide for the loyal season ticket holders who have been there for years regardless of the teams' records or where their seats are in the stadium (GA, reserved, priority reserved, club, etc.). Pick a date in late July by which this all gets decided and let those considering new season tickets know that they may or may not get Lot 9 if tickets are purchased after a that date, but at a certain level seating price they will get priority for the lot they want the next season.

[skip-zip]

I promise you there are plenty of traditional students still on campus who do not spend all their hours working and studying and can fit in some partying.

What is missing from the Info that was awesome at the Rubber Bowl was the tailgating.

Right on the money.

It's ridiculous to think that students these days are all "too busy" to go to sporting events. People have worked and gone to school for decades, including me. And I went to every Zips sporting event I could make it to.

I actually think there is LESS of an excuse to be missing the student support today, since thousands more students are in more convenient access distance to our sporting venues than ever before.

[K92]

Right on the money.

It's ridiculous to think that students these days are all "too busy" to go to sporting events. People have worked and gone to school for decades, including me. And I went to every Zips sporting event I could make it to.

I actually think there is LESS of an excuse to be missing the student support today, since thousands more students are in more convenient access distance to our sporting venues than ever before.

One thing that all us old farts need to remember is that student life today revolves around not only the smart phone but a myriad of other electronic compulsions. It's a different world.

[Staton14]

Right on the money.

It's ridiculous to think that students these days are all "too busy" to go to sporting events. People have worked and gone to school for decades, including me. And I went to every Zips sporting event I could make it to.

I actually think there is LESS of an excuse to be missing the student support today, since thousands more students are in more convenient access distance to our sporting venues than ever before.

Students at Akron today (which I am, although do not fall into the following group) find any reason possible NOT to go to a sporting event. Whether it is watching other sports on TV, such as Browns games instead of a Sunday Akron soccer game, or going to a party, or staying in to watch Netflix. Its kinda pathetic a lot of the time.

[skip-zip]

Students at Akron today (which I am, although do not fall into the following group) find any reason possible NOT to go to a sporting event. Whether it is watching other sports on TV, such as Browns games instead of a Sunday Akron soccer game, or going to a party, or staying in to watch Netflix. Its kinda pathetic a lot of the time.

Of course. I understand that they don't have the same social activities. I was merely pointing out that the "they don't have the time" excuse is stupid. We worked and went to school back them too.

[Balsy]

Students at Akron today (which I am, although do not fall into the following group) find any reason possible NOT to go to a sporting event. Whether it is watching other sports on TV, such as Browns games instead of a Sunday Akron soccer game, or going to a party, or staying in to watch Netflix. Its kinda pathetic a lot of the time.

Those students also exist at every other University in the country. Just the State Ohio Universities of the world attract more of those who want to go to games all the time. So by population standards, less than 10% of students actually follow every basketball game at OSU, let alone any other sport. They go to the games/to party because it's for the sake of doing it.

[Balsy]

Of course. I understand that they don't have the same social activities. I was merely pointing out that the "they don't have the time" excuse is stupid. We worked and went to school back them too.

It isn't stupid, and that's coming from the guy who worked six jobs (not all concurrently, but some of them yes) throughout college, and struggled to go to games because of it.

I don't know when you graduated Skip, so I can't comment on that. But college has become more expensive than even a decade ago.

From 1982-2006 college tuition increased 436%. Over that time Median income only increased 147%. CPI Increased only 106% over that same time.

And that's just tuition. Students today are being asked to overpay for student housing, over pay for food, over pay for just about everything...more so than a decade ago and you don't think working too much isn't a good excuse? Time to get to know your future UA alumni, because this is the state of their lives.

[Staton14]

Of course. I understand that they don't have the same social activities. I was merely pointing out that the "they don't have the time" excuse is stupid. We worked and went to school back them too.

I was agreeing with you. They have time but decide to do other things with it.

[MaxZIP]

The tailgating situation needs to be remedied that's for sure. The U has no plan for tailgating other than the pipe dream that someday there will be enough $5000 donors to fill lot 9.

Never going to happen.

There are Zips season ticket holders that got moved from lot 9 to lot 10 this year because lot 9 was full. Rubbish. The lot was far from full. In fact, there was enough room for Marshall fans to tailgate there. How does that happen?

My trip to Muncie this year opened my eyes to what tailgating can be at MAC game in spite of their silly way of not opening the lots until 3 hours before kickoff.

I know this topic has been brought up many times before but hopefully someone from UA will someday read one of these critiques of the tailgate policy and take it to heart.

I had a large group of Alumni down for a couple of games. Most of the group were athletes and they still couldn't work out a lot nine pass for us. The pipe dream of $5000 donors is comical and gets used to justify more than the parking situation in lot 9. The staff were too busy juggling the overflow crowds this year. I honestly think this might have been one of the lowest wire to wire (actual bodies in seats) attendance years I can remember. The numbers were headed in the wrong direction even before the team shut down for the season. I agree with you 100% Keener that more creativity and a sense of community is needed for the core group of fans that show up...and sadly pay to watch this team. I honesty sell about 50-75 tickets for the football program each year in addition to my 4 season tickets. I could bring more people in if I didn't have to sneak into lot nine or lot 57 (odd corner) like a criminal to get the group a place to tailgate. I am calling out the Varsity A people and the ticket people on this one. Both have let me down repeatedly this year.

[bobbyake]

Tailgating at the Rubber Bowl was a great experience because everyone tailgated near each other creating a fun environment.

I tried tailgating the first 2 years for Akron football at the Info, but being put in the lot by the law school separated from other tailgating lots ruined the experience for me.

Parking at the Rubber Bowl was only $3 and you could park anywhere you wanted. When they raised the prices to $10 for Infocision Staduim and made it difficult to park by others, it became a hassle.

The product on the field, the increased prices, and the hassles that came with trying to carry over Rubber Bowl traditions, that is what ruined it for me. It was a big letdown.

[GP1]

Parking at the Rubber Bowl was only $3 and you could park anywhere you wanted. When they raised the prices to $10 for Infocision Staduim and made it difficult to park by others, it became a hassle.

If parking was $1 and difficult to park by others, would you still have the same opinion? If so, it really isn't about the $10...most American waste $10 on a cup of coffee from Starbucks daily.

[bobbyake]

If parking was $1 and difficult to park by others, would you still have the same opinion? If so, it really isn't about the $10...most American waste $10 on a cup of coffee from Starbucks daily.

I think $5 would be reasonable. $10 is a big jump from $3. I haven't been to a Zips football game in years so I don't know what the current prices are. $10 on coffee is insane. I just spent $4 on a pumpkin sumthin latte at Panera a couple days ago. I spend $6-7 per beer at the bar, not $10.

Win, Lose, or Draw, watching games at the Rubber Bowl was always fun because of the experience. I had around 30 people I tailgated with and we always had a great time. We tried to bring that experience to the Info and failed miserably as getting our group together was a challenge and we had to park in BFE, away from other tailgaters, to make it happen. We used to be able to pull up right by the older alumni and set up our own shop. For some still in college and others just out, $10 per car to park for a Zips game is steep.

I don't know if Tom Wistrill ever witnessed the tailgating scene at the Rubber Bowl. Those were the days.

[GP1]

I think $5 would be reasonable. $10 is a big jump from $3. I haven't been to a Zips football game in years so I don't know what the current prices are. $10 on coffee is insane. I just spent $4 on a pumpkin sumthin latte at Panera a couple days ago. I spend $6-7 per beer at the bar, not $10.

So, it is about the price and not the location? I went to one Zips game this year. Can't remember what I paid and I really don't care what that price was. It was part of the cost of going to a college football game. Anyone who worries about the difference in the price of parking ranging between one and five dollars really doesn't have anything to complain about.

Are we really back to talking about the price of parking? How they park is much worse than how much it costs to park.

[skip-zip]

Let me tell you guys this...

I have a fantastic parking spot at the Info....and I STILL complain about the lack of environment compared to tailgating at the Rubber Bowl. I can only imagine how disappointed people feel if they are parking further away in an isolated lot.