Season or No Season

[Lee Adams]

On 7/20/2020 at 10:58 AM, 94zipgrad said:

What the hell happened to this University of Akron FOOTBALL Forum?  

Thank you! As we now know the University is not done 'looking at' how to possibly make UofA athletics less of a drain on University financial resources. It appears the blowback from the cuts on the educational side has forced the administration to again at least publicly acknowledge that resources going to the athletic department might be 'adjusted' to place less of a financial burden on the student population in general. That population keeps shrinking which means an even smaller financial base to draw from. Can the situation as it stands now continue? 

Has there even been a FINAL decision as to whether Akron and/or the MAC will even play football this year? Anybody know for certain?

[John Ward]

4 minutes ago, Lee Adams said:

Thank you! As we now know the University is not done 'looking at' how to possibly make UofA athletics less of a drain on University financial resources. It appears the blowback from the cuts on the educational side has forced the administration to again at least publicly acknowledge that resources going to the athletic department might be 'adjusted' to place less of a financial burden on the student population in general. That population keeps shrinking which means an even smaller financial base to draw from. Can the situation as it stands now continue? 

Has there even been a FINAL decision as to whether Akron and/or the MAC will even play football this year? Anybody know for certain?

There have been no final decisions rendered as of yet. Most do not feel the MAC will have a season. Heck Mich St has halted workouts because 2 coaches tested positive. So, if camp starts and a cpl young men or coaches test positive ,do you shut for 2 weeks ?How about during the season. Not sure how this can go on.

[GP1]

2 hours ago, NWAkron said:

Sadly, there seems to be a pattern developing.  NCAC (Wooster, Oberlin, Kenyon, etc. also suspended).  I think those schools want kids back on campus and athletics added an extra cost and variable that wasn't worth it for them.  There are no scholarships and don't generate any income.

You might want to look at the tuition costs at a place like Mt.Union and multiply that by the number of student athletes. If that school didn't have sports, what would it really be offering?

[Spin]

3 hours ago, John Ward said:

There have been no final decisions rendered as of yet. Most do not feel the MAC will have a season. Heck Mich St has halted workouts because 2 coaches tested positive. So, if camp starts and a cpl young men or coaches test positive ,do you shut for 2 weeks ?How about during the season. Not sure how this can go on.

We haven’t seen the overreaction we saw in March with one positive test. All five major leagues are ramping up, all have had positive test results, those players are quarantined and the games go on. 
 

College is different. Not all conferences have major network deals, out of conference $$ games are cancelled, so most (all?) non-Power 5 programs have little revenue coming in.

[NWAkron]

22 minutes ago, Spin said:

We haven’t seen the overreaction we saw in March with one positive test. All five major leagues are ramping up, all have had positive test results, those players are quarantined and the games go on. 
 

College is different. Not all conferences have major network deals, out of conference $$ games are cancelled, so most (all?) non-Power 5 programs have little revenue coming in.

I'm not trying to be dense or difficult  it could you explain further for me?

[John Ward]

2 hours ago, Spin said:

We haven’t seen the overreaction we saw in March with one positive test. All five major leagues are ramping up, all have had positive test results, those players are quarantined and the games go on. 
 

College is different. Not all conferences have major network deals, out of conference $$ games are cancelled, so most (all?) non-Power 5 programs have little revenue coming in.

So in reality Spin you are basically saying the money is the most important thing here and not the health of the players who play & are the reason the money comes.They don't get paid but would be the ones to suffer if they contract the virus. 

[LZIp]

26 minutes ago, John Ward said:

So in reality Spin you are basically saying the money is the most important thing here and not the health of the players who play & are the reason the money comes.They don't get paid but would be the ones to suffer if they contract the virus. 

Many players have contracted the virus. I don't believe any have "suffered" more than they would with the common flu.

 

Lets be clear here. Akron football and many other football programs operate at a loss. The majority of the program funding comes from regulars students who pay tuition. I don't have a problem with it because I love athletics, but have no money (profit) to gain by playing football.. Even the Big 10 schools are going to lose  a crap ton of money by playing. Wisconsin is projecting a 60-70mm loss if only conference games are played. College football gives many students a chance to get an education for free when they otherwise wouldn't and even become pro and change their family fortunes for generations to come. Enough with the "sacrificing athletes for money" bs.

 

Many like to try to speak for the players when in reality they have no idea what they want. If given the choice to keep your scholly and enhance chances to go pro and play the game you love vs minor chance of contracting a virus with an incredibly minimal chance of causing death for somebody in that age range, I know what I'd pick.

Edited July 25, 2020 by LZIp

[John Ward]

9 minutes ago, LZIp said:

Many players have contracted the virus. I don't believe any have "suffered" more than they would with the common flu.

 

Lets be clear here. Akron football and many other football programs operate at a loss. The majority of the program funding comes from regulars students who pay tuition. I don't have a problem with it because I love athletics, but have no money (profit) to gain by playing football.. Even the Big 10 schools are going to lose  a crap ton of money by playing. Wisconsin is projecting a 60-70mm loss if only conference games are played. College football gives many students a chance to get an education for free when they otherwise wouldn't and even become pro and change their family fortunes for generations to come. Enough with the "sacrificing athletes for money" bs.

How many of our young men have contracted the virus?You seem to know a little more than the rest of us. It looks like I touched on a little nerve when I said money over health. I also was asking Spin not you LZip. Unless you are his speaker.

Edited July 25, 2020 by John Ward

[LZIp]

5 minutes ago, John Ward said:

How many of our young men have contracted the virus?You seem to know a little more than the rest if us. It looks like I touched on a little nerve when I said money over health. 

Majority of the MAC is refusing to publicize, so I don't know. Many across the country have. No nerve struck - just pointing out the fact that many subsidize athletics (with students doing most of it) in exchange for our entertainment. There is no surplus anybody is benefiting from (at least in G5) by playing. If there was, our program wouldn't be thrown under the bus constantly right now.

Edited July 25, 2020 by LZIp

[Spin]

4 hours ago, John Ward said:

So in reality Spin you are basically saying the money is the most important thing here and not the health of the players who play & are the reason the money comes.They don't get paid but would be the ones to suffer if they contract the virus. 

Not at all. What I’m saying is the Power 5 schools can play without fans. Their sports bring in other revenue. 

Edited July 26, 2020 by Spin

[Spin]

4 hours ago, John Ward said:

How many of our young men have contracted the virus?You seem to know a little more than the rest of us. It looks like I touched on a little nerve when I said money over health. I also was asking Spin not you LZip. Unless you are his speaker.

I do know the pros have the choice to play or not, and several in each league have opted out.

 

i would hope student athletes would have that sam option. 

[Zipmeister]

On 7/25/2020 at 1:07 PM, GP1 said:

You might want to look at the tuition costs at a place like Mt.Union and multiply that by the number of student athletes. If that school didn't have sports, what would it really be offering?

 

Mt. Union can't hold a candle to Adrian College where about 90% of the students participate in a varsity or club sport. Athletics saved that school.

[kreed5120]

On 7/25/2020 at 5:18 PM, LZIp said:

Many players have contracted the virus. I don't believe any have "suffered" more than they would with the common flu.

 

Lets be clear here. Akron football and many other football programs operate at a loss. The majority of the program funding comes from regulars students who pay tuition. I don't have a problem with it because I love athletics, but have no money (profit) to gain by playing football.. Even the Big 10 schools are going to lose  a crap ton of money by playing. Wisconsin is projecting a 60-70mm loss if only conference games are played. College football gives many students a chance to get an education for free when they otherwise wouldn't and even become pro and change their family fortunes for generations to come. Enough with the "sacrificing athletes for money" bs.

 

Many like to try to speak for the players when in reality they have no idea what they want. If given the choice to keep your scholly and enhance chances to go pro and play the game you love vs minor chance of contracting a virus with an incredibly minimal chance of causing death for somebody in that age range, I know what I'd pick.

 

I highly doubt any player that refused to play because of the risk of covid would lose his scholarship. Can you imagine the crap storm of bad PR any university would take if they did that? 

[GP1]

20 minutes ago, kreed5120 said:

Can you imagine the crap storm of bad PR any university would take if they did that? 

Yes, I can. I also know one school that has gotten good at creating a crap storm of bad pr.

[kreed5120]

12 minutes ago, GP1 said:

Yes, I can. I also know one school that has gotten good at creating a crap storm of bad pr.

Sad, but true

[DannyHoke]

Scenario being pushed around is that MAC will play a reduced season, home and home schedule between Ohio MAC schools.... Akron, Kent, BG, Toledo, Miami and Ohio x 2 = 10 games in 10 weeks ending November 7.

[Blue & Gold]

1 hour ago, DannyHoke said:

Scenario being pushed around is that MAC will play a reduced season, home and home schedule between Ohio MAC schools.... Akron, Kent, BG, Toledo, Miami and Ohio x 2 = 10 games in 10 weeks ending November 7.

That sounds pretty cool.  

I would, however,  definitely miss seeing Buffalo on the schedule.  Is Buffalo just left out in the cold? ?

I'd love seeing Toledo... twice.  We need to stoke our rivalry with that school.

[Spin]

On 7/25/2020 at 2:51 PM, NWAkron said:

"College is different. Not all conferences have major network deals, out of conference $$ games are cancelled, so most (all?) non-Power 5 programs have little revenue coming in."

 

I'm not trying to be dense or difficult  it could you explain further for me?

 

The Big Ten has a TV contract with Fox worth $2.64 billion dollars. Not counting revenue from the Big Ten Network. By my figures that's over $34 million per year from TV. Ohio State games are broadcast on 68 radio stations (including 2 in Akron). Those stations pay for the rights to those games. Ohio State can play football games without ticket and parking and concession revenue.

 

MAC teams don't have that revenue stream. They need the tickets, the parking, the concessions, the souvenir sales, etc to keep the doors  open.

 

That also shows us how far the Power Five and the "Other Five" conferences are apart. 

[NWAkron]

8 minutes ago, Spin said:

 

The Big Ten has a TV contract with Fox worth $2.64 billion dollars. Not counting revenue from the Big Ten Network. By my figures that's over $34 million per year from TV. Ohio State games are broadcast on 68 radio stations (including 2 in Akron). Those stations pay for the rights to those games. Ohio State can play football games without ticket and parking and concession revenue.

 

MAC teams don't have that revenue stream. They need the tickets, the parking, the concessions, the souvenir sales, etc to keep the doors  open.

 

That also shows us how far the Power Five and the "Other Five" conferences are apart. 

And if season is cancelled...geez.  

 

[72 Roo]

3 hours ago, DannyHoke said:

Scenario being pushed around is that MAC will play a reduced season, home and home schedule between Ohio MAC schools.... Akron, Kent, BG, Toledo, Miami and Ohio x 2 = 10 games in 10 weeks ending November 7.

I can't believe any AD or MAC administrator is seriously proposing this scenario. It is a lawsuit waiting to happen. In essence non state of Ohio members are treated differently that members from the state of Ohio. Yet all pay the same dues and fees and have signed the same contracts for membership. This is fun to talk about over a beer and that's as far as it goes. So who's buying the first round?? 

[zippy5]

12 hours ago, DannyHoke said:

Scenario being pushed around is that MAC will play a reduced season, home and home schedule between Ohio MAC schools.... Akron, Kent, BG, Toledo, Miami and Ohio x 2 = 10 games in 10 weeks ending November 7.

Your past insider info wasn't exactly spot on, I'm not putting much stock in this. This would imply Buffalo is going to Michigan and Illinois/BSU?

Edited July 29, 2020 by zippy5

[NWAkron]

9 hours ago, 72 Roo said:

I can't believe any AD or MAC administrator is seriously proposing this scenario. It is a lawsuit waiting to happen. In essence non state of Ohio members are treated differently that members from the state of Ohio. Yet all pay the same dues and fees and have signed the same contracts for membership. This is fun to talk about over a beer and that's as far as it goes. So who's buying the first round?? 

not sure there's an equal protection violation here  but the MAC states (apart from Indiana) are doing better with COVID containment than southern states.  I would see no reason to exclude Michigan schools.

[ZippyRulz]

13 hours ago, DannyHoke said:

Scenario being pushed around is that MAC will play a reduced season, home and home schedule between Ohio MAC schools.... Akron, Kent, BG, Toledo, Miami and Ohio x 2 = 10 games in 10 weeks ending November 7.

 

You're gonna have to find a better rumor to start.

 

[clarkwgriswold]

I heard they are going to playing 7 on 7 as there's more social distancing in that format.

[DannyHoke]

On 7/25/2020 at 12:07 PM, GP1 said:

You might want to look at the tuition costs at a place like Mt.Union and multiply that by the number of student athletes. If that school didn't have sports, what would it really be offering?

 

An Education?  

 

At the high costs of today's higher ed young people would be much better served getting a degree from a community college and going into a trade.  Fewer unemployed tradespersons today vs 4 year degree folks.