Faculty Recommends I-AA

[UAZipster0305]

http://www.ohio.com/news/break-news/faculty-senate-chair-recommends-university-of-akron-drop-level-in-football-1.608039

[akzipper]

This would be an embarrassment.

I have no interest watching pointless FCS football. People don't go to the games because the team sucks. It's that simple. Dropping to the minor leagues is basically giving up on the football program.

[LosAngelesZipFan]

Oy... the drumbeat begins... dropping to fbs saves something at the margins but nothing all that significant.

We need to be much more creative...

[Dr Z]

Any article written about the state of Akron football without mentioning the tool bag, is incomplete...to put it mildly.

[LosAngelesZipFan]

http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/news/debt-of-ohio-public-universities-tops-65b/nj83M/

Total debt outstanding at Ohio public universities Borrowing at Ohio's 14 public universities more than doubled over the last decade. Most spending was for building construction and renovations.

University 2004 2014

The Ohio State University $814,606,000 $2,605,528,000

Miami University $93,151,622 $641,065,000

Wright State University $16,484,121 $101,957,190

University of Cincinnati $894,596,000 $1,236,000,000

Central State University $2,535,821 $17,781,501

Youngstown State University $13,680,000 $70,710,037

Northeast Ohio Medical University $0 $40,649,167

The University of Akron $204,729,516 $487,101,792

Bowling Green State University $84,400,000 $147,100,000

Ohio University $171,300,000 $332,900,000

The University of Toledo 176,097,000 $332,549,000

Can't State University $279,351,000 $506,455,000

Cleveland State University $54,487,124 $205,581,517

TOTAL $2,805,418,204 $6,725,378,204

[Zipgrad01]

Now all the idiots are coming out of the woodwork. We would have to keep the same budget to try and compete at the highest level of 1-AA. It makes absolutely no sense. Bowden and the staff would be gone. After that happens, just go ahead and TRY to bring in a quality staff. It would be the death of the program. If they make this switch they can just go ahead and take the 8 tickets that we have because I would never go to a game.

[UAZipster0305]

http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/news/debt-of-ohio-public-universities-tops-65b/nj83M/

Total debt outstanding at Ohio public universities Borrowing at Ohio's 14 public universities more than doubled over the last decade. Most spending was for building construction and renovations.

University 2004 2014

The Ohio State University $814,606,000 $2,605,528,000

Miami University $93,151,622 $641,065,000

Wright State University $16,484,121 $101,957,190

University of Cincinnati $894,596,000 $1,236,000,000

Central State University $2,535,821 $17,781,501

Youngstown State University $13,680,000 $70,710,037

Northeast Ohio Medical University $0 $40,649,167

The University of Akron $204,729,516 $487,101,792

Bowling Green State University $84,400,000 $147,100,000

Ohio University $171,300,000 $332,900,000

The University of Toledo 176,097,000 $332,549,000

Can't State University $279,351,000 $506,455,000

Cleveland State University $54,487,124 $205,581,517

TOTAL $2,805,418,204 $6,725,378,204

DiG will be salivating over this.

[Dave in Green]

DiG will be salivating over this.

Nah, I saw those numbers a few days ago.

The ABJ article was fairly predictable:

Given the school’s financial situation, the institution should consider dropping at least a level in football, said Constance Bouchard, a history professor and vice president of the UA chapter of the American Association of University Professors.

Personally, I think it's fair to ask that it be considered. I recently posted some football budget numbers from a few years ago that showed some FCS schools spending as much or more than UA. Let them study in detail what dropping a level would cost and report it out. I think they might be surprised that there are not huge cost savings unless you have a gutted FCS program that will likely not be more of a winner than what Coach Bowden is developing at the Zips' current level.

[K92]

Obviously the faculty proposing this dropdown do not read this forum. It has been discussed to death. There is no going back. The Rubicon has been crossed and going back would be the first step of scuttling the program.

Anyone and I mean anyone who thinks UA can automatically compete at the highest levels of FCS as a simple proposition is high on drugs or stupid. The best FCS teams play at a higher level than an average MAC team with fewer scholarships.

My God. My head is going to explode.

[UA1987]

I'm surprised Constance didn't call for a lady's football program to replace the men's team.

[ZippyRulz]

If it's FCS football Mr. Rich wants, he's free to go teach at YSU or any of the other FCS schools.

[ZachTheZip]

There's a reason that no team has ever gone back to I-AA after moving up. To even suggest such a move is to show complete and utter ignorance about the entire situation.

Moving to I-AA is a massive money loser, far more so than I-A, thanks to the total loss of the revenue streams from bowl payouts, TV contracts, and Playoff payouts. Moving to I-AA only saves you 22 scholarships (About $1 million, as a generous estimate), while costing you several times that amount, and that's only up-front costs. Travel would be much more expensive (There are not nearly as many FCS schools as FBS schools in the general area).

The Faculty Senate is full of morons who are convinced that they know everything and that the university should revolve around themselves and not the students, and that budget cuts in other areas somehow magically transfer extra money to faculty salaries.

[K-Roo]

When the "faculty" goes to games and supports the program, then I will listen to their recommendations.

I doubt any of these idiots have ever been inside Info for a Zips Football game ever.

[akronzips71]

Well there it is. Why stop at making UA a second class school? Lets go all the way and make it THIRD CLASS.

And I get phone calls twice a month asking me to donate money. FAT CHANCE.

[zipsoutsider]

Next.

[a-zip]

Two quotes from the article I like….

UA President Scott Scarborough has defended the football program, noting its marketing value to the school.

“The university benefits most when football, basketball and soccer are strong programs with great game-day experiences and winning records — both on the field and in the classroom,” he has said.

SO GO TO THE GAMES AKRON!!!

Rich said he was pleased that the announced budget cuts are focused on non-academic areas.

“It is essential that the university continue to fulfill its core academic mission and, as President Scarborough says, to protect and enhance academic quality,” he said. “In that connection, it is worth emphasizing that there will be no faculty layoffs.”

[Balsy]

My head is about to explode over the criticism of UA faculty. What did you guys seriously expect the faculty to suggest? The faculty is made up of a lot of people, including your researchers. Several of the people blasting the faculty on this thread, praise Scarborough for being the "adult" and making difficult choices. It's a little hypocritical IMO. Why wouldn't it be responsible for the Faculty to recommend this, so it can be discussed, debated and throughly investigated. The university faced a $60million defecit. Shouldn't everything be on the table at that point?

I'm a supporter of football. I desperately want to see UA succeed in everything. But seriously, we as a community need to stop cannibalizing ourselves and villainizing some part of our, seemingly very small, community. It's rather depressing.

[Zipgrad01]

My head is about to explode over the criticism of UA faculty. What did you guys seriously expect the faculty to suggest? The faculty is made up of a lot of people, including your researchers. Several of the people blasting the faculty on this thread, praise Scarborough for being the "adult" and making difficult choices. It's a little hypocritical IMO. Why wouldn't it be responsible for the Faculty to recommend this, so it can be discussed, debated and throughly investigated. The university faced a $60million defecit. Shouldn't everything be on the table at that point?

I'm a supporter of football. I desperately want to see UA succeed in everything. But seriously, we as a community need to stop cannibalizing ourselves and villainizing some part of our, seemingly very small, community. It's rather depressing.

So the president is an idiot in everything he does, but how dare any of us criticize the "faculty"? Smh

[a-zip]

My head is about to explode over the criticism of UA faculty. What did you guys seriously expect the faculty to suggest? The faculty is made up of a lot of people, including your researchers. Several of the people blasting the faculty on this thread, praise Scarborough for being the "adult" and making difficult choices. It's a little hypocritical IMO. Why wouldn't it be responsible for the Faculty to recommend this, so it can be discussed, debated and throughly investigated. The university faced a $60million defecit. Shouldn't everything be on the table at that point?

I'm a supporter of football. I desperately want to see UA succeed in everything. But seriously, we as a community need to stop cannibalizing ourselves and villainizing some part of our, seemingly very small, community. It's rather depressing.

Everything should be on the table BUT it would be nice if "our faculty of researchers" actually did some research and provided some rationale for their opinion. As many have pointed out, moving down would not necessarily save anything of substance. IMHO - This article was disappointing, divisive, and unfortunately……predictable. Wow Balsy, you blast everything our president says or does but how dare we question the faculty. WOW!

[zip-O-matic]

So the president is an idiot in everything he does, but how dare any of us criticize the "faculty"? Smh

In both cases, the truth--like much of life--probably resides in some shade of grey.

[bengalboardgg]

Let's be honest here about revenues, in the MAC there is no big television contract that pays big bucks, far from it. There are also no big bowl game payouts, as back in 2005 Akron lost money on the bowl game as has every MAC team save for Northern Illinois' bowl trips over the past 3 years. The MAC television package with ESPN is a giant trade deal where the MAC plays a lot of mid week games in exchange for bowl slots that no other conference wants. The schools rarely sell their tickets to the bowl games and end up on the hook for travel, hotels, meals, etc... No one in the MAC will ever play in the College Football Playoff, so the only real source of revenue for Akron or any other MAC team is from playing the Oklahoma type games. Even the home and home series with Pitt will not yield what it should as no tickets are being sold for this game other than to Pitt fans who will outnumber Akron fans 3:1 at that game. Akron ticket sales are not going to make some mad jump and when the team starts 0-2 to begin the 2015 season people are not going to jump on board. Akron has only SIX WINNING SEASONS since 1987: which were Faust 1992, Owens 1999, 2000, 2003, Brookhart 2004, 2005. It's been a decade since Akron Football had a winning season. The largest crowds in Akron Football history came when the program played winning football at the 1AA or FCS level. These are all facts along with the reality that Akron spends 8m of a 25m total athletics budget on football, which sells so few tickets on an annual basis (season and single game) that the total gross sales cannot cover the salary of the head football coach. That's just not good business.

[Hilltopper]

I'm sure Balsy would fit right in on the faculty senate.

[Lee Adams]

Now all the idiots are coming out of the woodwork. We would have to keep the same budget to try and compete at the highest level of 1-AA. It makes absolutely no sense. Bowden and the staff would be gone. After that happens, just go ahead and TRY to bring in a quality staff. It would be the death of the program. If they make this switch they can just go ahead and take the 8 tickets that we have because I would never go to a game.

Do you think they are not ALREADY looking?

[K92]

Do you think they are not ALREADY looking?

No way. Balsy said Bowden will finish his career at Akron.

[Lee Adams]

This would be an embarrassment.

I have no interest watching pointless FCS football. People don't go to the games because the team sucks. It's that simple. Dropping to the minor leagues is basically giving up on the football program.

Possibly being football competitive and being in a tournament possibly playing for a national championship is 'giving up the football program'? OK just don't go to the games. Looks like a lot of people are not already. Got my season tix AGAIN. Will be there every home game,some away whether they play DI,I-AA or D-II. Its supposed to be about HIGHER education,RIGHT?