TennZip Posted January 10, 2017 Report Share Posted January 10, 2017 http://buffalonews.com/2017/01/09/former-ub-coach-stu-riddle-hired-northern-kentucky/ ah, boo hoo....the poor deck was stacked against him in the MAC??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UAZippers Posted January 10, 2017 Report Share Posted January 10, 2017 This actually really disappoints me. I'm getting tired of Akron playing in an incredibly weak conference and Buffalo was the team that seemed to be starting to take the steps to compete. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MDZip Posted January 10, 2017 Report Share Posted January 10, 2017 1 hour ago, TennZip said: http://buffalonews.com/2017/01/09/former-ub-coach-stu-riddle-hired-northern-kentucky/ ah, boo hoo....the poor deck was stacked against him in the MAC??? Yeah I don't get the quote about the level playing field. All I can think is that he felt Buffalo didn't supply the support he was expecting. I can't imagine it was anything specific about the Zips because I can't see what advantage they could have other than Buffalo not providing support. It's not like this is a multi-million dollar enterprise anywhere in college soccer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fknbuflobo Posted January 10, 2017 Report Share Posted January 10, 2017 Well, that crowned AF field is definitely NOT level. I know that much. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zip_ME87 Posted January 10, 2017 Report Share Posted January 10, 2017 (edited) 1 hour ago, UAZippers said: This actually really disappoints me. I'm getting tired of Akron playing in an incredibly weak conference and Buffalo was the team that seemed to be starting to take the steps to compete. 39 minutes ago, fknbuflobo said: Well, that crowned AF field is definitely NOT level. I know that much. I agree that I would very much like to see the competition improve in the MAC, and fknbuflobo's comment is a good one, however it was meant. Buffalo is the only MAC soccer team that plays on a gridiron football field. Akron, BGSU, WMU, and WVU all have soccer stadiums. NIU plays soccer on the field in the center of their track, but it is not crowned like a gridiron field. (AF could be American Football or Association Football...hence, my not using that acronym.) Respect and purpose of any sport starts at home. Edited January 10, 2017 by Zip_ME87 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fknbuflobo Posted January 10, 2017 Report Share Posted January 10, 2017 (edited) Futbol de Americano! And that is exactly what I meant. That field in at Buffalo is a joke, way too narrow for soccer. Every match there is a miserable throw-in fest. It is difficult for Buffalo's program to be taken seriously whilst that is their home field. I dare say that Russell Cicerone deserved better these last four years. Edited January 10, 2017 by fknbuflobo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tpsjugglerdude Posted January 10, 2017 Report Share Posted January 10, 2017 Best quote: "I've been to four finals in seven years with two different teams, both in the MAC. I thought it was time for a new conference with a level playing field and a full deck of cards." All 4 games were vs Akron. 4-0, 4-1, 1-0, and 2-1. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zip_ME87 Posted January 10, 2017 Report Share Posted January 10, 2017 2 hours ago, fknbuflobo said: Futbol de Americano! And that is exactly what I meant. That field in at Buffalo is a joke, way too narrow for soccer. Every match there is a miserable throw-in fest. It is difficult for Buffalo's program to be taken seriously whilst that is their home field. I dare say that Russell Cicerone deserved better these last four years. I'm unsure how narrow the field @ Buffalo is. Like high schools that play soccer on their gridiron football field, they have additional (wider) markings for soccer. The crown on the field, however, is something not germane to association football. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zippyfan34 Posted April 3, 2017 Report Share Posted April 3, 2017 As was posted on the bball forum, Did Buffalo's coach know they were going to drop soccer? How does this effect the MAC autobid for soccer? Do we need to add another soccer only school? Would we consider going soccer only in another conference? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kreed5120 Posted April 3, 2017 Report Share Posted April 3, 2017 10 minutes ago, zippyfan34 said: As was posted on the bball forum, Did Buffalo's coach know they were going to drop soccer? How does this effect the MAC autobid for soccer? Do we need to add another soccer only school? Would we consider going soccer only in another conference? The MAC would have to add another team to keep its auto bid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoZips88 Posted April 3, 2017 Report Share Posted April 3, 2017 (edited) Will slow the bleeding at Buffalo but won't stop it as long as the NCAA requires 16 sports and the MAC requires the elephant in the room - football. There just isn't enough endowment, fan intere$t, private/corporate donation, TV revenue and licensing revenue to sustain the required level of athletic spending at the vast majority of D1 institutions. Edited April 3, 2017 by GoZips88 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zip_ME87 Posted April 3, 2017 Report Share Posted April 3, 2017 Well, we're screwed with no automatic berth for the MAC in the NCAA Tourney. I knew that the MAC should have never kicked Hartwick out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoZips88 Posted April 3, 2017 Report Share Posted April 3, 2017 I don't believe we would have needed the auto bid in the recent past. Pretty sure strength of schedule, outside of the MAC, and results would have garnered selection. Nice safety net though in a 'down' year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TennZip Posted April 3, 2017 Author Report Share Posted April 3, 2017 1 hour ago, kreed5120 said: The MAC would have to add another team to keep its auto bid. will West Virginia stay in the MAC for soccer? S. Carolina and Kentucky play in conference USA for men's soccer. West Virginia might choose to change leagues for men's soccer. With the great success of their women's soccer program, the AD certainly wants West Virginia men's soccer to step up their game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zip_ME87 Posted April 3, 2017 Report Share Posted April 3, 2017 In 2016, we needed the auto bid. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kreed5120 Posted April 3, 2017 Report Share Posted April 3, 2017 10 minutes ago, TennZip said: will West Virginia stay in the MAC for soccer? S. Carolina and Kentucky play in conference USA for men's soccer. West Virginia might choose to change leagues for men's soccer. With the great success of their women's soccer program, the AD certainly wants West Virginia men's soccer to step up their game. I think the real question is at what point does the MAC feel there is no longer a need to sponsor men's soccer. They may and probably will still sponsor it with 4 teams playing, but men's soccer could very well end up on the chopping block very soon at one of WMU, NIU, or BGSU. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zip_ME87 Posted April 3, 2017 Report Share Posted April 3, 2017 Conference USA travel would be tough, especially for cash-strapped UA...Charlotte, FIU, South Carolina, Kentucky, New Mexico, UAB, Old Dominion, Florida Atlantic, Marshall The 4 in bold would definitely require air travel and the others are significant bus rides. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fknbuflobo Posted April 3, 2017 Report Share Posted April 3, 2017 BiG10 is the logistical choice, if they would have us. I doubt we meet minimum facility requirements for BBall and FBall. Even if they would take us, not so sure that Akron BBall and FBall would be happy about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fknbuflobo Posted April 3, 2017 Report Share Posted April 3, 2017 15 minutes ago, Zip_ME87 said: Conference USA travel would be tough, especially for cash-strapped UA...Charlotte, FIU, South Carolina, Kentucky, New Mexico, UAB, Old Dominion, Florida Atlantic, Marshall The 4 in bold would definitely require air travel and the others are significant bus rides. Those 4 in bold are pretty good MSOC programs, ones we have played recently in our out-of-conference schedule. Conference USA is a teneble solution, really for our entire athletics program. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zip_ME87 Posted April 3, 2017 Report Share Posted April 3, 2017 Something that many who follow collegiate sports seem to forget...the players are student athletes. The actually have to attend classes. If Zips Mens Soccer were to go to Conference USA, then I think that it is time to start scheduling more out of conference games in the east. Why do we schedule UCSB and make that long trip when we could get an east coast opponent 1/3 the distance away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mes102 Posted April 3, 2017 Report Share Posted April 3, 2017 What about the A-10 or American Athletic Conference? Does Anyone think they would take a soccer-only Akron member? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zippyfan34 Posted April 3, 2017 Report Share Posted April 3, 2017 Maybe we just become the Notre Dame and BYU of soccer and become independent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zip_ME87 Posted April 3, 2017 Report Share Posted April 3, 2017 Independent is no different than staying in a 4 or 5 member MAC. No auto berth in NCAA Tourney. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zippyfan34 Posted April 3, 2017 Report Share Posted April 3, 2017 22 minutes ago, Zip_ME87 said: Independent is no different than staying in a 4 or 5 member MAC. No auto berth in NCAA Tourney. I'd argue it is better because we could schedule some better competition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mes102 Posted April 4, 2017 Report Share Posted April 4, 2017 Even if we did go independent, I still think we would schedule Bowling Green, Western Michigan, Northern Illinois, and West Virginia to balance out some of the travel we would be do anyways. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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