Home game upgrades

[LosAngelesZipFan]

I know this topic has been hammered in past posts, but I can't help but bring it up again...I am so irritated that Can't is opening with Minnesota, BC at CMU and particularly Wisconsin-BG in Cleveland. And did anyone see that Toledo, on the heels of getting OSU in Cleveland-- a game that should have been Akron's-- has signed a 2-1 away-home deal with Arizona. We are getting SKUNKED in the scheduling arena, totally outclassed. Can't is expecting a sell-out for Minnesota-- not sure if it will happen, but more power to them if it does. We need to make some news and noise here. We can have a great season but it's not enough-- we need all the elements to be working to make real progress. Grrrrrrrrrr

[RACER]

i would have to agree with you.how are these other mac schools getting big ten teams at home? does any one know if cinnci makes a return trip? what's the difference if we have to do a two for one,or nuetral field. right now we are always playing away all the time. maybe the 12 game schedule will give mac schools more leverage.i realize someone like michigan penn state and osu will not come to akron. no reason we should always be going to the other big ten teams house though.

[a-zip]

Have you ever seen the guest locker rooms at the Rubber Bowl? I would'nt bring my team there.

[Ryno aka Menace]

Have you ever seen the guest locker rooms at the Rubber Bowl? I would'nt bring my team there.

That right there sir is why we need to host at a neutral site!!!

[flipthezip]

A few things that will improve our quality of opponents willing / wanting to come to Akron.1. Stadium Improvements - This is clearly being addressed. Slowly, but we know a new stadium is coming.2. Zip Alumni heading to other schools. It sucks that we lose good coaches and administrators to other schools, but it adds credibility to our program. More importantly, we have people who are receptive to talk to us about scheduling their school on our schedule. 3. Continue the support that began last season. Larger programs will be more receptive to schedule us a home and home if they know we will travel like we did for last years MCB. It is all about selling tickets. I'm sure Penn St. is a little taken back that the game has yet to sell out.

[xu9697]

I think there are a few reasons (no particular order, though #3 might be the biggest reason) why Akron, as of yet, is not getting the bigger opponents:1. The Rubber Bowl (mentioned already)2. NO WAY did Minnesota or BC want to come to Akron this year (BC's game at CMU was not finalized until earlier this year, which is really late). Both teams have scheduled games against teams they definitely should be able to beat. If they were playing Akron, there certainly would be no guaranteed victory (esp. in Minnesota's case).3. Akron's reputation: we are in that gray area of being good enough to beat the big boys, but a loss to Akron would still look bad for a big name team. As much as we might hate to admit it, Miami (OH) and Toledo have had much more success recently= if a team loses to them, it does not look as bad as a loss to Akron. As respect grows for Akron nationwide (& it will happen), big boys will play at Akron.4. Schedules are done years in advance. There are exceptions (BC at CMU for example), but schedules are generally done for games 3-4 years in the future. If I'm not mistaken, teams like Kentucky, Indiana & Syracuse are coming to Akron in 2009-2012. I'm guessing those schools are seeing a game at Akron as a chance for recruiting exposure in NE Ohio, and they also believe that Akron's reputation will be much stronger then (going back to point #3). Perhaps, they also believe that by then Akron will either improve the Rubber Bowl (not really going to happen) or build a new stadium (HOPEFULLY will happen by 2010).I think we will see an Akron home game at Browns stadium, as long as Akron's president & athletic director want that situation. Browns/city want a college game there every year, and the goal is to have a MAC team from Ohio vs. a service academy (Navy, Army or Air Force) every year. I'd love to see an Air Force (with St. Ed's Shaun Carney starting at QB in his senior year) vs. Akron showdown in '07.

[Zips fan]

I would not be opposed to the Zips playing in the Brown's Stadium for a select squad. Penn State is going to play at Temple(when they are a MAC school and they are terrible). I have a hard time seeing the MAC vs Service Academy able to draw the attendance necessary to warrant the move. We played Army, in terrible weather last year, and had dismal attendance. If that game was in Cleveland, we would have 5K watching in a 70K stadium. I would be willing to play Penn State/OSU/Michigan/Mich State/Pitt/WVU at Brown's Stadium but think that would encompass almost all the schools that would warrant moving a home game to a nuetral site. Anyone else should be a true home game.GO ZIPS!!!