Do they deserve attendance now!

[a-zip]

Big win over Pitt! As I look back on some of the recent games the Zips have played in front of big crowds (always away games), we have done very well. Our most impressive efforts have come on the road. The guys want to play in front of people and show what they've got. Pitt, Penn State, Michigan last year, NC State upset, Tennessee…….we actually played OSU pretty tough a couple years back. It's almost a downer and embarrassing to play at home…..If I were a player, I would rather play at the big house with 95K rooting against me. Why can we not draw at least 20K to a game!! I just don't get it.

Hundley is a beast - he has to be "the man" going forward. Tough, blue collar, reliable and the team rallies around him

Zach Paul - has to be all-american candidate….he was a major impact on the game

HELMETS - they are awesome, the whole uni looks great on TV…we are 1-0 with them……hmmmm…keep wearing em'

MAC Conference Commercial - theme "Generations of Champions"…talks about cradle of coaches, sweet 16 basketball but does not mention the ONLY National Champion the MAC has - UofA Soccer…..

[lance99]

Big win over Pitt! As I look back on some of the recent games the Zips have played in front of big crowds (always away games), we have done very well. Our most impressive efforts have come on the road. The guys want to play in front of people and show what they've got. Pitt, Penn State, Michigan last year, NC State upset, Tennessee…….we actually played OSU pretty tough a couple years back. It's almost a downer and embarrassing to play at home…..If I were a player, I would rather play at the big house with 95K rooting against me. Why can we not draw at least 20K to a game!! I just don't get it.

Hundley is a beast - he has to be "the man" going forward. Tough, blue collar, reliable and the team rallies around him

Zach Paul - has to be all-american candidate….he was a major impact on the game

HELMETS - they are awesome, the whole uni looks great on TV…we are 1-0 with them……hmmmm…keep wearing em'

MAC Conference Commercial - theme "Generations of Champions"…talks about cradle of coaches, sweet 16 basketball but does not mention the ONLY National Champion the MAC has - UofA Soccer…..

I think I can answer this(Part in bold):

One: Keep in mind that the Zips basically are coming off there worst stretch in there history.

Two: The Zips are fighting two big boys on the block in this area and that is the following:

-High School Football

-Ohio State

(IN THAT ORDER)

Three: Joe and Jane Akron does not care. I did not even go to Akron(because their Art Program totally sucked at the time), And I am one of the biggest fans of the school. You do not see that around town at all. That needs to change

Four: Media. Sounds simple enough, but the main media in this area(looking at you Cleveland) wants NOTHING to do with us no matter what we do unless it is for personal gain!

Five: Perception. The "Hilltop High" persona needs to go totally away, and I mean from a national standpoint, not local.

Can it be done? Yes, but these must be address first, IMHO.

[Balsy]

Big win over Pitt! As I look back on some of the recent games the Zips have played in front of big crowds (always away games), we have done very well. Our most impressive efforts have come on the road. The guys want to play in front of people and show what they've got. Pitt, Penn State, Michigan last year, NC State upset, Tennessee…….we actually played OSU pretty tough a couple years back. It's almost a downer and embarrassing to play at home…..If I were a player, I would rather play at the big house with 95K rooting against me. Why can we not draw at least 20K to a game!! I just don't get it.

Hundley is a beast - he has to be "the man" going forward. Tough, blue collar, reliable and the team rallies around him

Zach Paul - has to be all-american candidate….he was a major impact on the game

HELMETS - they are awesome, the whole uni looks great on TV…we are 1-0 with them……hmmmm…keep wearing em'

MAC Conference Commercial - theme "Generations of Champions"…talks about cradle of coaches, sweet 16 basketball but does not mention the ONLY National Champion the MAC has - UofA Soccer…..

Attendance against EMU will be 17k.

[LZIp]

What was the attendance today?

[Big Zip]

Attendance this week has a chance to be up but EMU will not bring anyone so it will have to be all Akron. It is homecoming but once again a traditionally good thing at most schools generally means nothing at Akron. I will be there next week. First opportunity to get to a game this year. Can't wait to see if they can keep the momentum.

[a-zip]

Big win over Pitt! As I look back on some of the recent games the Zips have played in front of big crowds (always away games), we have done very well. Our most impressive efforts have come on the road. The guys want to play in front of people and show what they've got. Pitt, Penn State, Michigan last year, NC State upset, Tennessee…….we actually played OSU pretty tough a couple years back. It's almost a downer and embarrassing to play at home…..If I were a player, I would rather play at the big house with 95K rooting against me. Why can we not draw at least 20K to a game!! I just don't get it.

Hundley is a beast - he has to be "the man" going forward. Tough, blue collar, reliable and the team rallies around him

Zach Paul - has to be all-american candidate….he was a major impact on the game

HELMETS - they are awesome, the whole uni looks great on TV…we are 1-0 with them……hmmmm…keep wearing em'

MAC Conference Commercial - theme "Generations of Champions"…talks about cradle of coaches, sweet 16 basketball but does not mention the ONLY National Champion the MAC has - UofA Soccer…..

I think I can answer this(Part in bold):

One: Keep in mind that the Zips basically are coming off there worst stretch in there history. -

"there worst stretch" cmon dude, get spellcheck…. but no matter…….My point is that if we could actually have a home field advantage, we would win more games. Seriously, I get it that iCoach was a total disaster. iCoach is not here. Terry Bowden is here! The team is doing great. Tickets are cheap, weather has been great, campus is fun. In order to get better, we need better players…..Bobby Bowden said it best "it aint about the Xs and Os….its about the Jimmy and Joes"….The better players are not going to want to play in front of a big empty stadium.

Two: The Zips are fighting two big boys on the block in this area and that is the following:

-High School Football

-Ohio State

(IN THAT ORDER)

Have our home games conflicted with either of the two "big boys"?

Three: Joe and Jane Akron does not care. I did not even go to Akron(because their Art Program totally sucked at the time), And I am one of the biggest fans of the school. You do not see that around town at all. That needs to change

Well then, if I was TB, KD, JE or any of the other successful coaches a U o A…..I would move on. "Joe and Jane Akron does not care"..glad you didn't go to Akron because your spelling is atrocious. You must have gone to Can't State.

Four: Media. Sounds simple enough, but the main media in this area(looking at you Cleveland) wants NOTHING to do with us no matter what we do unless it is for personal gain!

I guess that is because of your point above. Investments from companies and sponsorships are dictated by market studies. If I published a newspaper, I wouldn't pay much attention.

Five: Perception. The "Hilltop High" persona needs to go totally away, and I mean from a national standpoint, not local.

National Championship Soccer Team, NCAA tourney basketball team, and the Bowdens' for football, gorgeous football stadium, gorgeous campus……"Hilltop High?" Hmmm…what else do you suggest?

Can it be done? Yes, but these must be address first, IMHO.

"addressed"

[lance99]

Big win over Pitt! As I look back on some of the recent games the Zips have played in front of big crowds (always away games), we have done very well. Our most impressive efforts have come on the road. The guys want to play in front of people and show what they've got. Pitt, Penn State, Michigan last year, NC State upset, Tennessee…….we actually played OSU pretty tough a couple years back. It's almost a downer and embarrassing to play at home…..If I were a player, I would rather play at the big house with 95K rooting against me. Why can we not draw at least 20K to a game!! I just don't get it.

Hundley is a beast - he has to be "the man" going forward. Tough, blue collar, reliable and the team rallies around him

Zach Paul - has to be all-american candidate….he was a major impact on the game

HELMETS - they are awesome, the whole uni looks great on TV…we are 1-0 with them……hmmmm…keep wearing em'

MAC Conference Commercial - theme "Generations of Champions"…talks about cradle of coaches, sweet 16 basketball but does not mention the ONLY National Champion the MAC has - UofA Soccer…..

I think I can answer this(Part in bold):

One: Keep in mind that the Zips basically are coming off there worst stretch in there history. -

"there worst stretch" cmon dude, get spellcheck…. but no matter…….My point is that if we could actually have a home field advantage, we would win more games. Seriously, I get it that iCoach was a total disaster. iCoach is not here. Terry Bowden is here! The team is doing great. Tickets are cheap, weather has been great, campus is fun. In order to get better, we need better players…..Bobby Bowden said it best "it aint about the Xs and Os….its about the Jimmy and Joes"….The better players are not going to want to play in front of a big empty stadium.

Two: The Zips are fighting two big boys on the block in this area and that is the following:

-High School Football

-Ohio State

(IN THAT ORDER)

Have our home games conflicted with either of the two "big boys"?

Three: Joe and Jane Akron does not care. I did not even go to Akron(because their Art Program totally sucked at the time), And I am one of the biggest fans of the school. You do not see that around town at all. That needs to change

Well then, if I was TB, KD, JE or any of the other successful coaches a U o A…..I would move on. "Joe and Jane Akron does not care"..glad you didn't go to Akron because your spelling is atrocious. You must have gone to Can't State.

Four: Media. Sounds simple enough, but the main media in this area(looking at you Cleveland) wants NOTHING to do with us no matter what we do unless it is for personal gain!

I guess that is because of your point above. Investments from companies and sponsorships are dictated by market studies. If I published a newspaper, I wouldn't pay much attention.

Five: Perception. The "Hilltop High" persona needs to go totally away, and I mean from a national standpoint, not local.

National Championship Soccer Team, NCAA tourney basketball team, and the Bowdens' for football, gorgeous football stadium, gorgeous campus……"Hilltop High?" Hmmm…what else do you suggest?

Can it be done? Yes, but these must be address first, IMHO.

"addressed"

Ok a-zip,

The "worst stretch" meant three years ago. That is my fault and I should have clarified that.

Don't you EVER accuse me of going to Can't! I went to a strait-up Art School(Collins in Tempe Arizona to be extract. Float the 45k note for two years like I did and come talk to me). This school needs people like me that will live/die with them that has no connection to the school. I grew up here they are MY TEAM! That statement you made of spelling/grammar(which was bad and I agree) tells me that you have is what I call the "Akron Shell" is in full effect. Meaning that true Zips fans reject people that want to follow them, but turn around and complain when they don't. Strait hypocritical.

As far as Home games? So far you are correct. I look at it as a week-to-week basis. That is how I am. No disrespect intended there.

You calling me out does nothing. You(and other people on this site) should be thankful that I give a damn about this team and I did not even go to the school. Bottom line.

[Balsy]

I'm glad your here lance99! Perhaps a-zip is in shock...you know, because we've never been exposed to non-alumni, die-hard akron fans. They Exist!?

In all seriousness...everyone calm down. The Zips just won it's biggest non-conference game in the history of the program. Let's not resort to cannibalizing each other. Save that for the Eagles, Redhawks and Bobkittens.

[lance99]

I'm glad your here lance99! Perhaps a-zip is in shock...you know, because we've never been exposed to non-alumni, die-hard akron fans. They Exist!?

In all seriousness...everyone calm down. The Zips just won it's biggest non-conference game in the history of the program. Let's not resort to cannibalizing each other. Save that for the Eagles, Redhawks and Bobkittens.

Biggest game?

I will give you that(IMO, NC State was bigger)

There is a ton of season left. I even said at the start that they would split OOC(before the revision to 3-1). 8 wins is still on the table right now, and yes it is possible given where the MAC is going right now!

[a-zip]

Ok a-zip,

The "worst stretch" meant three years ago. That is my fault and I should have clarified that.

Don't you EVER accuse me of going to Can't! I went to a strait-up Art School(Collins in Tempe Arizona to be extract. Float the 45k note for two years like I did and come talk to me). This school needs people like me that will live/die with them that has no connection to the school. I grew up here they are MY TEAM! That statement you made of spelling/grammar(which was bad and I agree) tells me that you have is what I call the "Akron Shell" is in full effect. Meaning that true Zips fans reject people that want to follow them, but turn around and complain when they don't. Strait hypocritical.

As far as Home games? So far you are correct. I look at it as a week-to-week basis. That is how I am. No disrespect intended there.

You calling me out does nothing. You(and other people on this site) should be thankful that I give a damn about this team and I did not even go to the school. Bottom line.

Lance….I am glad you are a fan..even better that you are not alum…..I call you and any other person out that makes the lame excuses for the school not doing the right things to attract a fan base. All anyone does it bitch about the AD, UA marketing……blah blah blah. They have invested a shit load of money on facilities and coaches, tickets are cheap, games are scheduled around OSU and HS Football…what else is there to do….WIN! (I get that) but we need players to do that!!! The basketball teams win but why do you think there is not a new basketball arena….lack of support, sponsorships, MONEY!! Hell, I would not build another beautiful facility. We WILL wind up being "hilltop high" if nobody supports the efforts the school is putting forward…..It's the Chicken and the egg, I guess…..which comes first.

BTW……..if you offered me 2-2 at this stage of the schedule before the season started I WOULD HAVE TAKEN IT IN A HEARTBEAT!!! That means we would have beaten Marshall, Penn State or PITT

Lance…you may be right the NC State win was big - I bet if we played at home we would have lost ;-)

[lance99]

Lance….I am glad you are a fan..even better that you are not alum…..I call you and any other person out that makes the lame excuses for the school not doing the right things to attract a fan base. All anyone does it bitch about the AD, UA marketing……blah blah blah. They have invested a shit load of money on facilities and coaches, tickets are cheap, games are scheduled around OSU and HS Football…what else is there to do….WIN! (I get that) but we need players to do that!!! The basketball teams win but why do you think there is not a new basketball arena….lack of support, sponsorships, MONEY!! Hell, I would not build another beautiful facility. We WILL wind up being "hilltop high" if nobody supports the efforts the school is putting forward…..It's the Chicken and the egg, I guess…..which comes first.

BTW……..if you offered me 2-2 at this stage of the schedule before the season started I WOULD HAVE TAKEN IT IN A HEARTBEAT!!! That means we would have beaten Marshall, Penn State or PITT

A-Zip

I am with you. As far as the Alumni, are they that cheap? Does it take LeBron to come out and say he will match funds to do something? That to me is sad. I would gladly give some $$$ if they have a plan. No question about it.

Honestly, If I was the school, I would have gone to the Big Ten Network(and kicked the MAC to the curb on this) and said: Look, I know that Ohio State is the main team in this state, but can we have equal time? Meaning Akron would have been slotted before/after the Ohio State game and as a business decision, gave up half of the advertising income just for the exposure. Something tells me that they would have gone along with that just for programming.

Basketball is a different scenario. The JAR, even if it was downsized back then, was perfect for the Ohio Valley Conference, but not for the MAC and we all know that.

Soccer has done well and they made the right moves at the right times(with the exception of Porter). However that comes back to the AD, which is another topic for another day.

Hilltop high is something that they should be running far, far away from and everyone knows it. The new President should be his job #2(job #1 should be funding/revenue)

EDIT: The stadium was needed, not a want. Coaches are a commodity. Bad as that sounds, but it is what it is. Us Fans should be thankful that Bowden wanted to come here.

[Dave in Green]

Only the very best schools attract fans who didn't attend them. UA is making progress on this front. This is good.

[GP1]

You deserve what you get.

[lance99]

Only the very best schools attract fans who didn't attend them. UA is making progress on this front. This is good.

Are you sure?

I refuse to be a Wal-Mart fan. Will they come Organically?

[Dave in Green]

Do you think that Wal-Mart is among the very best?

[Jrship35]

Tough crowd here ...... I may want to beware ( and my son) ..... Seems like this family may eat their own !!!!'

Great win yesterday Zips !!! As someone said on this site ..... "Put The Marshall game in the rear view mirror". And that's what they did !!

[zipproud]

This was a GREAT WIN and I hope it will give us the momentum we need moving into the MAC season. I was so proud of the players and coaches for what I consider a PIVOTAL victory in the AKRON football program....

7 WINS and BoWL BOUND!!!!!

GO ZIPS!!!

[K92]

Jrship,

Don't get too concerned about comments made on a fan forum. It's easy to blow off at the mouth sitting anonymously behind a computer keyboard.

I think a lot of us like to hear the parental perspective and appreciate your involvement, but there are going to be things written here that will make you cringe.

[bobbyake]

As for fans of Akron that aren't alumni, we have a lot of them in the soccer department. Winning changes everything.

[ZachTheZip]

Tough crowd here ...... I may want to beware ( and my son) ..... Seems like this family may eat their own !!!!'

You just have to realize that many Akron fans have no idea how to react to winning a big game. It hasn't been done since 2008 when we beat Syracuse.

You should also keep in mind that the hardcore Zips fans, the ones on this board, have watched the program go from winning a conference championship to one of the worst teams in the history of college football (no exaggeration) in just seven years. All that's left after something like that is negativity. It's been a long, long time since we've had something to be excited about, and we've lost a lot of fans along the way.

We're still figuring this out, and many are understandably cautious because they've had their hopes crushed too many times.

[Jrship35]

Thanks 92' ........ Lol no worries as I understand the blog and forum format ..... It's all good an enjoyable to read !!!!

[Jrship35]

You just have to realize that many Akron fans have no idea how to react to winning a big game. It hasn't been done since 2008 when we beat Syracuse.

You should also keep in mind that the hardcore Zips fans, the ones on this board, have watched the program go from winning a conference championship to one of the worst teams in the history of college football (no exaggeration) in just seven years. All that's left after something like that is negativity. It's been a long, long time since we've had something to be excited about, and we've lost a lot of fans along the way.

We're still figuring this out, and many are understandably cautious because they've had their hopes crushed too many times.

[Dr Z]

As someone said on this site ..... "Put The Marshall game in the rear view mirror". And that's what they did !!

I felt terrible after the Marshall loss, I was really down. I got to talk to one of the players after the game. His attitude was unreal. As he was disappointed with the loss, he was already speaking of the Pitt game, and how excited he was to get back on the field and avenge the "day that nothing went right"...his description. I walked away feeling better, and thinking, is his attitude just an individual thing, or does the staff have that effect on the team? What a great effort they put in Pittsburgh after the messy Marshall game. Is was great to see the players celebrating on Heinz field after the game. Well deserved.

[tboned]

I am a season ticket holder, and have been for several years. My youngest is now playing for ST. V-M. Hoban played ST. V-M Friday the attendance appeared to be 8000-9000 fans. When you add in OSU and the Browns, there’s only so much football time to give.

Regardless, I believe a couple of solid winning seasons with a MAC title and the fans will show.

If I recall we had some nice crowds in the waning years at the RB. The Charlie Frye era!

People want to back a winner!

I love the school for the opportunities it has afforded me, and the great asset it provides to the community. But not everyone sees the big picture. I am still amazed at the number of people I have talked to over the years, who see Dr. Proenza’s tenor as negative.

[Balsy]

I love the school for the opportunities it has afforded me, and the great asset it provides to the community. But not everyone sees the big picture. I am still amazed at the number of people I have talked to over the years, who see Dr. Proenza’s tenor as negative.

I'm willing to step up and say that I'm one of those who saw Proenza's tenor as negative...at least towards the end. Now, you have to realize that my interaction with the Proenza Tenor was at the end...after we had the new campus, after we had all the new buildings, the new stadium, and the new Rec center. My first semester on campus the stadium was being built (which is why it has a special place in my heart despite all the losing I've seen there).

Though I could see Proenza had pushed for a lot of change on campus, positive change, there was still a lot of work that (me and my peers) thought needed to be done.

That shouldn't be seen as disrespect, or negative. Because we should always be looking for ways to improve, and sometimes students have a unique perspective because we're the ones experiencing the product (and are your product). On a positive note, I've seen UA take strides towards addressing many of the concerns I held for many years. However there is still a LOT of work to be done, and there will always be.

I worry a great deal about the academic integrity and rigor of UA. Something they seem to be working on.