InfoCision Stadium and Temple

[Captain Kangaroo]

Temple Ponders New Stadium

Wistercill proclaims (Laughably):

The stay-away student has become a popular topic at athletic-director gatherings, Akron's Wistrcill said. With more entertainment options, constant technological advances, and the near-ubiquity of television coverage, students aren't as enthralled by live football as they once were.

"In some ways, we in college sports have become our own worst enemies," Wistrcill said. "We've worked so hard, mostly with ESPN, to build our product that it's reached a point where it's really enticing and exciting to watch on TV."

1.) No, people aren't flocking to ESPN3 to watch MAC football. No one watches it.

While there is some merit to the argument that modern television is sapping a small sector of college football's game day attendance, that point is absolutely irrelevant to Akron's attendance issues at InfoCision.

2.) Why doesn't he mention his hiring of Rob Ianello as a contributing factor to InfoCision's poor attendance? I did a little more research that the lazy reporter from Philly and from what I can tell, Rob Ianello's pigskin holocaust was the #1 reason the stadium has been 80+% empty. November Tuesday night games with 7/8pm starts placed a distant 2nd.

I am confident that Bowden will do the impossible and make Akron a winner in football, as long as UA doesn't do anything stupid to impede him. Thank God a search committee reached out to the guy. It just sucks that he was given such a big hole to fight out of.

[K92]

Temple Ponders New Stadium

Wistercill proclaims (Laughably):

1.) No, people aren't flocking to ESPN3 to watch MAC football. No one watches it.

While there is some merit to the argument that modern television is sapping a small sector of college football's game day attendance, that point is absolutely irrelevant to Akron's attendance issues at InfoCision.

2.) Why doesn't he mention his hiring of Rob Ianello as a contributing factor to InfoCision's poor attendance? I did a little more research that the lazy reporter from Philly and from what I can tell, Rob Ianello's pigskin holocaust was the #1 reason the stadium has been 80+% empty. November Tuesday night games with 7/8pm starts placed a distant 2nd.

I am confident that Bowden will do the impossible and make Akron a winner in football, as long as UA doesn't do anything stupid to impede him. Thank God a search committee reached out to the guy. It just sucks that he was given such a big hole to fight out of.

I love it when ZN.O provides me new catch phrases. Thanks, CK.

[gozips19]

Good article. I think this quote backs up your point Capt.

This fall, Houston, another member of Temple's American Athletic Conference, debuted $158 million TDECU Stadium. Though the Cougars went 8-5 and earned an Armed Forces Bowl bid, crowds were smaller than anticipated. On some Saturdays, the 40,000-seat facility was less than half-full.

"You usually have to accompany a new stadium with a winning football team," Schemmel said. "Akron has gotten better, but they're not over the top yet. And I think Houston experienced the same thing. They had a mediocre season, and they didn't fill up their stadium the way they thought they would."

[ZippyRulz]

http://www.phillymag.com/news/2015/01/05/temple-university-stadium-100-million-dollar-bad-idea/

• The era of high-quality mid-tier college football is coming to a close: Income inequality is a growing problem in America — society is increasingly segmented into haves and have-nots, and giant chunks of the middle class are finding themselves in the second group. A similar phenomenon is happening in college football.

Basically, the new college football playoff has helped align the sport so that power schools from power conferences are best able to compete, both financially and on the field. The four teams in this year’s playoff? Traditional powers like Alabama, Ohio State, and Florida State. Oregon is a relative newcomer, but it’s backed by Nike’s deep pockets.

And the big, rich schools are going to see the tide turn ever more in their favor. They’re already getting the TV money. Now there’s talk that they’ll be able to expand the number of scholarships they’re allowed to offer, meaning their bench players will increasingly be would-have-been-starters-at-Temple-quality athletes. They may also be allowed to offer increased subsidies to athletes like stipends and upgraded health insurance.

All of which means it might not be long before college football has two versions: The semi-pro league built among the Power Five conferences, and glorified club teams like you find at tiny NAIA universities.

It’s hard to see Temple making the leap to the first group: The top dozen universities have athletic budgets of $100 million or more already; Temple’s is closer to $44 million. The university can’t afford to keep up.

Read more at http://www.phillymag.com/news/2015/01/05/temple-university-stadium-100-million-dollar-bad-idea/#PaRziMIS4WZ6xrfV.99

[Captain Kangaroo]

I buy the fact that the big schools are separating themselves from the non-Power 5 conferences. Even a K.e.n.t. grad can figure that one out.

I buy that the cost of running a D1-A football program is escalating somewhat dangerously. UAB is tangible evidence.

I don't buy Power 5 schools increasing scholarships and leaving table scraps for the non Power 5. Do you really want to be the 8th string DE at Alabama? Or the 6th string RG at Pitt?

I don't buy that dropping down to 1-AA would do anything for the Zips long-term.

1.) You can still stink at the 1-AA level if you have a crappy coach hires and poor leadership

2.) You only save 22 football scholarships by going to 1-AA (vs. 1-A). 22 scholarships is a joke, even at Akron.

The Zips need to start winning some football games. I wish you can turnaround a program as decimated as Ianello left us in 2 or 3 seasons, but is just isn't possible.

Hopefully the new play makers we'll have at WR, RB and QB next season, and a solidified OL will bring the offense up to the defense's level and we'll start seeing the light at the end of the tunnel in 2015.

[morris buttermaker]

Well said Captain

[Big Zip]

Seems this is the conversation GP1 has been trying to have on this board for years. We are going to end up with a Div 1 Conference and Div 1 others Conference. I would actually go out on a limb and say I don't think it is a bad thing. Discussing budgets actually brings an interesting point to the conversation. What if along another dimension is added to your Div 1 status...your budget? So you have Div. 1 schools with big budgets and Div 1 schools with middle budgets. Think about dividing college football up into:

SEC, Big12, Big10, ACC and Pac12 all in one division with $50 million and up budgets.

All American Conference, MAC, Conference USA, Mountain West and Sun Belt max budget $50 million.

Independents fall where they want depending on budget size. I don't know if $50 million is the right size -- whatever number works the best.

You could have two rankings, two championship games and schools that typically play in the other five conferences would more properly aligned.

[skip-zip]

Seems this is the conversation GP1 has been trying to have on this board for years. We are going to end up with a Div 1 Conference and Div 1 others Conference. I would actually go out on a limb and say I don't think it is a bad thing. Discussing budgets actually brings an interesting point to the conversation. What if along another dimension is added to your Div 1 status...your budget? So you have Div. 1 schools with big budgets and Div 1 schools with middle budgets. Think about dividing college football up into:

SEC, Big12, Big10, ACC and Pac12 all in one division with $50 million and up budgets.

All American Conference, MAC, Conference USA, Mountain West and Sun Belt max budget $50 million.

Independents fall where they want depending on budget size. I don't know if $50 million is the right size -- whatever number works the best.

You could have two rankings, two championship games and schools that typically play in the other five conferences would more properly aligned.

I'll make this short...

1) We've invested way too much over 30 years to establish ourselves as a 1-A school. I would be disgusted if we turned back now.

2) You think we have problems attracting fans now? Think people already have no belief that we can ever rise higher? Go ahead and make this move, which basically gives us no chance to compete on a national level with any recognizable team, and see how much they don't give a damn about Akron.

Personally, I think they should take ALL of D-1A right now, and make them all operate with the same resources. It's the only thing that will level the playing field. The teams with the most money are the teams who have the best chance to win a title. Change that dynamic to reward the team that makes the best use of their resources to produce a real champion, and then we'll have something that's fair.

[Dave in Green]

The more money that's spent in college sports, the more it becomes like professional sports. When professional football, basketball, baseball, etc., had problems with the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer, they came up with things like the draft, salary caps and luxury taxes to create more parity.

Now that we've reached the point in college sports where players want to be paid salaries and form unions and some college football coaches are being offered bigger salaries by universities than professional NFL coaches, it's fair to start considering similar measures for college sports.

If the big universities want to be like the pros in terms of spending big money, let them also be like the pros in terms of having to abide by rules that reduce the ability of the rich to buy championships with cubic dollars and create more parity with the have-nots.

[skip-zip]

The more money that's spent in college sports, the more it becomes like professional sports. When professional football, basketball, baseball, etc., had problems with the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer, they came up with things like the draft, salary caps and luxury taxes to create more parity.

Now that we've reached the point in college sports where players want to be paid salaries and form unions and some college football coaches are being offered bigger salaries by universities than professional NFL coaches, it's fair to start considering similar measures for college sports.

If the big universities want to be like the pros in terms of spending big money, let them also be like the pros in terms of having to abide by rules that reduce the ability of the rich to buy championships with cubic dollars and create more parity with the have-nots.

Can I get an "Amen"??

Dave, we should have written our two posts together.

[K92]

The more money that's spent in college sports, the more it becomes like professional sports. When professional football, basketball, baseball, etc., had problems with the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer, they came up with things like the draft, salary caps and luxury taxes to create more parity.

Now that we've reached the point in college sports where players want to be paid salaries and form unions and some college football coaches are being offered bigger salaries by universities than professional NFL coaches, it's fair to start considering similar measures for college sports.

If the big universities want to be like the pros in terms of spending big money, let them also be like the pros in terms of having to abide by rules that reduce the ability of the rich to buy championships with cubic dollars and create more parity with the have-nots.

While I agree with you in theory, the fact is despite the "parity control measures", good professional organizations win and bad ones lose. I suspect the same thing would be true in college athletics.

Here is a pretty good article from a little over a year ago: http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/eye-on-baseball/24350073/no-baseball-still-doesnt-need-a-salary-cap

[skip-zip]

While I agree with you in theory, the fact is despite the "parity control measures", good professional organizations win and bad ones lose. I suspect the same thing would be true in college athletics.

Then performance would be dependent upon things like your leadership, how well you run your program, talent development, etc. And that's fine with me also.

Right now, the entire equation is ...............More Money = Better Team.

[K92]

Then performance would be dependent upon things like your leadership, how well you run your program, talent development, etc. And that's fine with me also.

Right now, the entire equation is ...............More Money = Better Team.

I understand that money has an impact but if Indiana was somehow bequeathed an enormous sum of money and could suddenly increase their football budget to double Ohio State's, in 10 years they would still be getting beat by the Buckeyes. The best example of money creating a winner is Oregon, but I think it would be hard to catch that lightning in a bottle again. Nike has been a visionary benefactor for the Ducks with a winning strategy. T. Boone's millions haven't meant as much to Oklahoma State.

Could more money help the have nots? Sure. Is it the panacea for a level playing field? No. Is wealth distribution ever going to happen across all of FBS? No.

[zen]

'Rob Ianello's pigskin holocaust'

I laughed so hard I forgot how to breathe!

[UAZipster0305]

Great post, Captain! "Rob Ianello's Pigskin Holocaust" is classic!

The below link speaks to the inflating benefits of going to a top-tier program and is another separating point between the haves and have-nots:

http://www.ohio.com/sports/osu/college-football-playoff-ncaa-will-reimburse-ohio-state-oregon-athletes-families-for-traveling-to-title-game-1.555678

These recent developments associated with the college football playoffs are exactly what GP1 anticipated.

[LZIp]

I understand that money has an impact but if Indiana was somehow bequeathed an enormous sum of money and could suddenly increase their football budget to double Ohio State's, in 10 years they would still be getting beat by the Buckeyes. The best example of money creating a winner is Oregon, but I think it would be hard to catch that lightning in a bottle again. Nike has been a visionary benefactor for the Ducks with a winning strategy. T. Boone's millions haven't meant as much to Oklahoma State.

Could more money help the have nots? Sure. Is it the panacea for a level playing field? No. Is wealth distribution ever going to happen across all of FBS? No.

Well stated.

[Balsy]

A rumor is going around the NoNameChangeAkron facebook that a corner of the stadium has sunk 3-ft. That sounds like a wild accusation to throw around, because that'd would be awful news if it were true. Anyone know if there is any validity to that?

[ZachTheZip]

A rumor is going around the NoNameChangeAkron facebook that a corner of the stadium has sunk 3-ft. That sounds like a wild accusation to throw around, because that'd would be awful news if it were true. Anyone know if there is any validity to that?

3 feet is pretty ridiculous, and you'd see some large cracks in the cement work, if not a major collapse.

I find it kind of hard to believe. There were problems when excavating the stadium because they ran into sandstone on multiple occasions. That's bedrock, and it doesn't sink or subside when you build on top of it.

Edit: looking at some USGS maps, the stadium is built on a minor incline, sloping downward from northwest to southeast. I remember them hitting sandstone on the north end of the stadium, which is why the decorative area with shrubs on the west side of the endzone building is oddly shaped.

I would guess that if any part of the stadium sank, it would be on the southern end near Exchange street. Under the surface, the rocks there dip and aren't consistently level, because just south of Exchange were the actual Wolf Ledges used to be, running from Brown to Grant, centered on Power street. The city filled it all in to build houses a hundred years ago, but who knows how stable that is. You can see the dip if you head down Sumner.

[zen]

Do you remember when they had the construction cam up? You could see clearly before they did anything else, they sunk a large number of piers down to bedrock to support the structure. There is no reason for any actual structure to be sinking except perhaps any slab on grade portions of the project such as outer walkways or maybe the giftshop area...

[ZachTheZip]

Do you remember when they had the construction cam up? You could see clearly before they did anything else, they sunk a large number of piers down to bedrock to support the structure.

Actually, Google hasn't updated Streetview on Union street since then. It's still a shot of the steel beams going up.

[K92]

I would guess that if any part of the stadium sank, it would be on the southern end near Exchange street. Under the surface, the rocks there dip and aren't consistently level, because just south of Exchange were the actual Wolf Ledges used to be, running from Brown to Grant, centered on Power street. The city filled it all in to build houses a hundred years ago, but who knows how stable that is. You can see the dip if you head down Sumner.

I don't know who knows more about Akron history. . . you or George Knepper.