Smaller, Leaner athletic program...

[zippy5]

1 hour ago, UA1987 said:

When banter turns toxic it means the death for innovation.... Try think about all the costs that go into supporting university athletics and how ridiculous it is for athletes to want to earn something more for their participation beyond their tuition, room and, board, without paying back the institutions that got them in that position. If these same athletes can earn something for their likeness, so be it, then they should payback their benefactor by returning tuition, room, and board and then keep the rest. You must have supported the knuckelhead that used to walk around the Rubber bowl and the Info with a hand painted 6th grade sign saying the University exploits athletes. Benefit of many - debatable. Zero cost - please...                            

Very few of these guys are going to make enough off of their likeness to exceed the scholarship amount they are given. These kids aren't even allowed to work part time jobs, what's the big deal with them earning some extra cash on the side? I had academic scholarships, should I have forfeited those when I earned money from my part time job?

[LZIp]

6 minutes ago, zippy5 said:

Ah my bad. I just read the paragraph you quoted. Soccer ain't going anywhere

I dont know....it certainly sucks that our better sports are the less popular ones. Soccer is not super prevalent in the NCAA and seems to be dying. Unlike football, where our coach is definitely paid in the lower tier of FBS coaches, I believe the soccer coach is upper tier. We did just give him a raise to keep him from leaving for Louisville. I would be legitimately down about the program being discontinued,but if i had to pick one of football, soccer, or basketball to go away, it would be them. I definitely had fonder memories at those matches than football, however.

[UA1987]

25 minutes ago, zippy5 said:

Very few of these guys are going to make enough off of their likeness to exceed the scholarship amount they are given. These kids aren't even allowed to work part time jobs, what's the big deal with them earning some extra cash on the side? I had academic scholarships, should I have forfeited those when I earned money from my part time job?

Yes, if you had a full ride academic scholarship and you went out and earned big bucks, you should do something in return. If an athlete receives a piddly amount for their likeness, I would think there would be no need to return funds. You know, have a common sense threshold.   

Edited May 6, 2020 by UA1987

[zippy5]

Well I thought common sense would be for them to have the right to make money like the rest of us so I think we're on different wavelengths ?

[UA1987]

9 hours ago, zippy5 said:

Well I thought common sense would be for them to have the right to make money like the rest of us so I think we're on different wavelengths ?

Yes, we think much different as athletes on a full ride are making in-lieu-of cash with a very valuable free educaton with room and board and extra help. This should be paid back if any athlete is allowed to benefit from some windfall (ex. - NCAA Football video game royalty). I'm not talking just Akron, but the entire NCAA.    

Edited May 6, 2020 by UA1987

[kreed5120]

If an athlete can get $300 from a car dealership for doing a radio add, I see no problem with it. I just feel the university shouldn't be the ones paying players, especially since we're not actually profiting given our deficits on athletics. We're a place for higher learning, not a semi pro club.

[Spin]

Mike Devine just took $110,000,000.00 from higher education (state colleges) to help balance the state budget. 

I think we’re screwed. 10 different ways.

 

 

Edited May 6, 2020 by Spin

[clarkwgriswold]

11 hours ago, kreed5120 said:

If an athlete can get $300 from a car dealership for doing a radio add, I see no problem with it. I just feel the university shouldn't be the ones paying players, especially since we're not actually profiting given our deficits on athletics. We're a place for higher learning, not a semi pro club.

 

Agreed, but they're going to have to come up with some pretty specific rules or just throw the doors open entirely.   Without specific rules, boosters will set the market for players and you'll have guys like Phil Knight paying kids thousands to make Nike appearances/go to Oregon.  I envision LCJ supplementing his income with commercials for Wentz Financial!

[Cykron]

As a somewhat outside observer, I would encourage some of you to take a deep breath and wait until the actual decisions are made known.  You may drive yourself crazy this week with speculation.  I know, "easy for you to say."  I really feel for you guys.  There are no good options.  Only levels of bad options.  

[zippy5]

2 minutes ago, clarkwgriswold said:

 

Agreed, but they're going to have to come up with some pretty specific rules or just throw the doors open entirely.   Without specific rules, boosters will set the market for players and you'll have guys like Phil Knight paying kids thousands to make Nike appearances/go to Oregon.  I envision LCJ supplementing his income with commercials for Wentz Financial!

I'm not really sure how I feel about it quite yet. You're worth whatever someone will pay you, right? I don't see many players really making meaningful dollars off of this. I mean maybe what, 10-15 are really nationally relevant year to year. Though then you can cross the line into "pay to play" if the rates get egregious.. Glad I'm not the one making the rules!

[zippy5]

This may be sacrilegious but I think the best outcome would be combining Kent and UA

[jupitertoo]

I suspect Kent would fight that. Perhaps Akron, CSU and YSU - three "urban" campuses.  

[kreed5120]

14 minutes ago, clarkwgriswold said:

 

Agreed, but they're going to have to come up with some pretty specific rules or just throw the doors open entirely.   Without specific rules, boosters will set the market for players and you'll have guys like Phil Knight paying kids thousands to make Nike appearances/go to Oregon.  I envision LCJ supplementing his income with commercials for Wentz Financial!

 

Nobody at Akron is going to make that kind of money. Players at schools like North Carolina, Kentucky, and UCLA are already getting it under the table. Look at the most recent Nike/Adidas scandal.

[NWAkron]

8 minutes ago, zippy5 said:

This may be sacrilegious but I think the best outcome would be combining Kent and UA

The state legislature would have to approve that.  

 

 

[NWAkron]

16 minutes ago, Cykron said:

As a somewhat outside observer, I would encourage some of you to take a deep breath and wait until the actual decisions are made known.  You may drive yourself crazy this week with speculation.  I know, "easy for you to say."  I really feel for you guys.  There are no good options.  Only levels of bad options.  

Nervousness and anxiety gets our minds racing that's for sure.

[LZIp]

13 minutes ago, zippy5 said:

This may be sacrilegious but I think the best outcome would be combining Kent and UA

I'd be lying if I said that thought hasn't crossed my mind. High schools are even doing "co-ops" at the sports level while keep schools separate.  It would surely suck partnering with that school and changing nicknames, mascots, etc..but maybe a step in the direction of what we all want athletic wise?

http://www.exploreclarion.com/2019/01/15/feature-c-l-clarion-merger/

[kreed5120]

11 hours ago, Spin said:

Mike Devine just took $110,000,000.00 from higher education (state colleges) to help balance the state budget. 

I think we’re screwed. 10 different ways.

 

Not really much of a surprise. I'm pretty sure the last I saw Ohio was in the bottom 10 for spending on higher education per pupil. Ohio has never really prioritized education. We seem too focused on trying to preserve the decaying manufacturing sector. Meanwhile, everyone getting degrees in things like computer science are fleeing Ohio for states like Texas, Washington, and North Carolina as those jobs aren't here.

[clarkwgriswold]

18 minutes ago, kreed5120 said:

 

Nobody at Akron is going to make that kind of money. Players at schools like North Carolina, Kentucky, and UCLA are already getting it under the table. Look at the most recent Nike/Adidas scandal.

 

Yep, it will be a battle at the top.

 

I was amused watching the ESPN's "The Last Dance" and them talking about Jordan's letter to his mom asking for her to send him money during his freshman season.  I assumed they paid better, even back then.

[clarkwgriswold]

The Gold Ticket raffle has been extended until June 16th.  They are also now including the prize of the entire football program to the winner (but they have to pick up all costs going forward).

 

 

Edited May 6, 2020 by clarkwgriswold

[LZIp]

8 minutes ago, clarkwgriswold said:

The Gold Ticket raffle has been extended until June 16th.  They are also now including the prize of the entire football program to the winner (but they have to pick up all costs going forward).

 

 

There are 645 tickets left. Chances of winning are pretty good!

[kreed5120]

12 minutes ago, LZIp said:

I'd be lying if I said that thought hasn't crossed my mind. High schools are even doing "co-ops" at the sports level while keep schools separate.  It would surely suck partnering with that school and changing nicknames, mascots, etc..but maybe a step in the direction of what we all want athletic wise?

http://www.exploreclarion.com/2019/01/15/feature-c-l-clarion-merger/

 

Whatever they do the schools should almost certainly have some sort of partnership. It doesn't make sense for Kent to try to waste money trying to build an engineering program to try to compete with Akron as Akron already does it much better. It doesn't make sense for Akron to spend money to try to market and improve a journalism and education departments when Kent does that way better. As our national rankings improve for those programs that we're already good at, the more students with those majors will want to come to Akron. We'll be able to attract an quantity amount of quality students.

 

If the universities do consolidate, they would combine for something in the neighborhood of 45k-50k enrollment. That would put it on par with Cincinnati. Personally, I don't see it happening soon. Their is just way too much politics behind something like that happening. Look at Chicago State. The state of Illinois is nearly bankrupt and that university makes Akron's financial problems seem minuscule yet they refuse to close the school.

[clarkwgriswold]

University of Akron Brimfield Branch has a nice ring to it.

[Blue & Gold]

Kent is the most superfluous school in NEO.  Why does it exist?  We only need Akron, YSU & CSU.  

 

Kent sucks resources out of Ohio's struggling central cities.  Shutter it.  And while we're at it, shutter BGSU, which does the same to Toledo.

 

Do whatever is in our power to make Ohio's cities thrive.

[Aaron]

23 minutes ago, Blue & Gold said:

Kent is the most superfluous school in NEO.  Why does it exist?  We only need Akron, YSU & CSU.  

 

Kent sucks resources out of Ohio's struggling central cities.  Shutter it.  And while we're at it, shutter BGSU, which does the same to Toledo.

 

Do whatever is in our power to make Ohio's cities thrive.

 

Ohio has 14 Public Universities, serving a population of around 11.6M people.  As far as public universities per capita goes, there are only five states with fewer public universities per capita than Ohio (Iowa, Illinois, Washington, California, and Arizona).  I don't think closing schools is the answer.

 

Eight of the public universities are full FBS Div 1 schools, despite the fact that OSU out-earns everyone else in the state combined.  Ohio is a sports-crazy state, and the number of school trying to compete in the small arena of revenue sports is staggering, especially with the giant in the room that sucks the wind out of everyone else's sails.  I sincerely hope that there is an identity for Ohio's public schools outside of sports.  Akron has (or have had) excellent Engineering, Polymer Tech, Psychology, and Law departments. There are some programs that basically need to be at every university - Education (and all associated traditional teaching subjects), Nursing, and Business. 

 

It might take the University System of Ohio to step in and close or consolidate some colleges within Universities regionally to keep all of these schools viable, but as long as sports are such a major driver of budgets and the conversations on school's viability, I don't see that happening.

[Spin]

Got a tweet the U is taking bids on work at the baseball stadium. I know that will pee some off, but to me it Sounds like it might not be complete Armageddon. 
 

They might be looking at renting it out.