Petition to get the BG game moved to 6

[Ballingirl]

The record may not be considered as great to "fairweather fans", but we went to, and won, the MAC Championship and went to the Motor City Bowl. If winning a championship isn't considered a great season, then Akron will never have a great season. We will never make it to bowl games like the Rose Bowl or any other big BCS bowls, you can't get any better than winning the MAC Championship and going to the Motor City Bowl. Even if we would've won that last game of the season, that would've been the end of the road, the best we could do. The record going into those 2 games could've been better, but we still would've been at the same place. If winning a ring and going to the bowl doesn't bring fans out for at least the 1st home game this season, no amount of winning will. "The attendance of 50,616 was the third largest in Motor City Bowl history. All three top attendance marks have been set at Ford Field the past three seasons after the game was held at the Pontiac Silverdome for the first six contests." Move it to a new stadium, things happen.

[Buckzip]

"The Zips had a great season last year"

Yes, winning your first MAC championship in school HISTORY is a great year.Yes, going to your first division I bowl game in school HISTORY is a great year.Win and put a new stadium on campus and people will come.I'm not sure what the debate is, the stadium is going to come no matter what you or I type.

Again, you are proving my point. To us, actual UA fans, we are happy. It is an improvement. To the casual fan, going 7-5 and losing in a bowl game is nothing special.Perhaps if we had won the game and finished 8-4 that would make a lot of difference. I can't answer that. 7-5 and a bowl loss does not make the casual fan say "wow, look at how well Akron is doing"I realize a bowl game is as far as we will ever go. But maybe if we finished in the top 25 and actually won the bowl game, that would convince a lot of people to come to the games. I know the rubber bowl is a piece of SH. However, I also think that winning would get "some people" to over come that.I know getting the new stadium will bring people in. However, if we aren't winning the newness (is that a word?) will wear off. Minimum of 8-9 win seasons consistently is what will keep the crowds coming.

[Captain Kangaroo]

Has anybody been to a Browns game lately?  Granted, they are not sellouts, but the stadium is full.  Pretty sure they have not had a winning season in.....will a hell of a long time.  The have a new stadium, it sells beer, and they have afternoon games.  The "no winning"  and "afternoon games"  are all a bunch of excuses. 

Comparing NFL football, the NFL fan base, the NFL media exposure, the NFL history and tradition...ANYTHING to the Zips situation is a poor comparison, to say the least. Browns games will always sell out due to the previously stated NFL qualities. The fact that the Zips draw 15k with no TV exposure (ie. no local news, radio, games on TV -other than ESPNU twice per year), no "name" opponents, no "winning tradition" in a garbage stadium is amazing. A "real" winning tradition (ie. like Toledo pre-2006, Marshall, etc...multiple, expected championships and bowl wins) and not one 7-6 season, would easily put attendance over 20k /game.

People go for the stadium experience. 

A few do. Most like to be a part of a winning team. I would bet Ohio State's fan base made a quantum leap forward when they won a national championship (like they needed the help). It's taking another leap forward this season. People want to be a part of winning. That's why the Zips drew 15k to the Motor City Bowl. Not because Ford Field had inflatable toys for your kid to hop on and a Jumbotron.

There is great tailgating, fun souvenirs in the new stadium, and a crowd that cheers!  That is why people go to the games.  FOR THE FUN OF IT!! 

Nope. They typically attend games to see "their" team compete and have a chance to win. At K.e.n.t., I bet their game draws 20k this weekend with OU. Why? because they're winning. If they're "typical K.e.n.t" @ 1-7, that game draws less than 1,000. THAT's what winning does. That's what draws fans to games.

Granted, it's ALWAYS nice when your team wins, but the Browns are 1-5 this season and they still get a good crowd for their games. 

They're an NFL football team that draws fans from all over Ohio. They have tradition. They are on national TV every week. On multiple TV channels every night. They're in a major market. Radio stations make a living talking about the Browns 24-7. If the Browns won one Super Bowl, it would be bigger than LeBron winning 8 NBA titles for the Cavs. That the way it is. Give the Zips all that, and they'd fill an 80k stadium too.

The Zips had a great season last year, and they were no where near selling out for the last games of last season, OR the first home game of this season! 

Come on. We were 7-6 last year. We lost home games to 1-A doormats. Did you see the weather at the K.e.n.t game last year? There's no way in hell you sell-out a stadium for Akron/Can't in a sub zero blizzard. The North Texas pre-game weather was also garbage and the local weather reports called for a cold monsoon all night. Weather plays a HUGE part in the attendance of any MAC school.

Until the University creates a fun environment, the fans will not want to come.  It takes the spending of some money in order to get a return on it, and as anyone can see with the spending of money on the rest of the campus, they are now seeing a huge return on it!

If you aren't having fun at a Zips game, it is your own fault. For $3.00 you can set up a tent and grill in the grass with all of your friends. You can play corn hole all day long. Your kids can romp around and do whatever thay please. It is the best, funnest deal on the planet. The atmosphere at games is great. The band is great. the team is competitive. Tell me one thing the University could do to make game days more fun. I'd love to hear it. And please save the "sell beer" comments. It won't help a damn thing.

[Dr Z]

Tell me one thing the University could do to make game days more fun. I'd love to hear it. And please save the "sell beer" comments. It won't help a damn thing.

That's EASY, hire Tiny Kiss to play at the tailgate party!...and hot tubs with 'Fear the Roo Girls'

[Buckzip]

I was going to say nude cheerleaders, but Captain is way too serious all of the time.

[zippyrifle32]

That's EASY, hire Tiny Kiss to play at the tailgate party!

haha! notice the one in the back is actually a full sized woman. ever see that daily show where they did the mini kiss vs. tiny kiss interview. it's classic

[Ballingirl]

Captain, first of all, chill out! Second of all, spend 2 weekends at Miami where food is free and beer is cheap at tailgating. Students don't have to lug grills and coolers out. Talk to those Miami students (know a few) and see what they think is fun tailgating. You go from saying the Zips are horrible and a 7-5 season isn't anything to saying the team is competitive. Make up your mind before you rip on someone else's comments. Akron's band is not that great! Ever watched TBDBITL? That is a good band. I know your excuse for that is "they are a huge school". Were you at the Howard game 2 years ago? Their band totaled about 60 members, and they put Akron's band to shame. Our band SOUNDS ok, but they are not great, and they by far are not exciting to watch! You contradict yourself. You say fans come to games b/c a team is good, but then you turn around and say "Browns fans go b/c of tradition and media attention!" To me, getting media attention for being #26 of 32 NFL teams in scoring is not a reason to go watch the team. Yeah, the Browns are on TV every weekend, and they embarrass themselves every weekend. So what is the reasoning to want to go to the game. Not because of the media attention.

[Z-P]

Guys......................for the record here................Browns stadium was only 55-60% full at the middle of the first quarter last week.With 10 minutes to go in the game only 15% full.When they say sellout, they mean jerks like me doled out 6 large for 4 PSL's and have to eat our 50 buck duckets from now till the end of this dismal season.Every home game is a sellout!Cheer? That place was dead. The biggest cheer of the day was when C came back into the game after sitting out a play.For the record.And another thing, CK is the best damn Zips fan there ever was...........and sometimes I wonder why and what holds him in there. You newbies have one hell of a long way to go to come up to his loyal longevity.

[oldzipdt]

There is nothing wrong with harrassing people wearing osu gear to an Akron game. How much more disrespectful can you be toward the players. Some don't think it is wrong to be a fan of both, well if you go to the University of Akron it is disrespect. I guess if your grades were not good enough to get into your big time school, you might not realize that. Anyway that's enough osu bashing for the day. As for the game being at 1pm, I think it's great. It's what college football is about, waking up at 8am starting to drink at 9am and having a blast at hours that are usually wasted sleeping. It also test your partying skills, waking up hungover after a late friday night and fighting through the pain in your gut. We owe it to the Zips to get up and get drunk.

[FearTheRoo]

There is nothing wrong with harrassing people wearing osu gear to an Akron game. How much more disrespectful can you be toward the players.

And when the pressbox announcer annouces the OSU game score during a ZIPS game when both are playing at the same time!