Basketball practice facility (and more) coming

[zipsrule]

There's not one thing that will magically transform the game-day experience.  It's going to take a combination of things: good team, updated/renovated facility, better marketing, etc.

[clarkwgriswold]

14 minutes ago, zipsrule said:

There's not one thing that will magically transform the game-day experience.  It's going to take a combination of things: good team, updated/renovated facility, better marketing, etc.

 

Getting the students into the lower bowl was a nice move.  The courtside lounge is a flop.  Those are at least indicators that those in charge are starting to think ahead.  They need more of that.

[LoyalZIP]

3 hours ago, Blue & Gold said:

Caveat:

If Groce doesn’t improve the quality of basketball on the court… it’s not fun. Only true diehards are at these difficult-to-watch, often boring games. 

Okay…but Kent is one of the hottest teams in college basketball and had significantly fewer people in their gym for the Akron game, and last night there were less than 1,000 fans at the MACC. This is not a “Groce’s 2022 team is boring people away from the JAR” situation. For the better part of 5 years now, any national TV game at the JAR is littered with empty blue chairbacks in the lower bowl, and that includes two seasons where Akron went 14-4 in the MAC and won the reg. season. 
 

As many others have said over the years, the marketing department is nonexistent. There’s no incentive to become a season ticket holder, there’s no incentive as a student to still come to games after graduation, there’s just no excitement generated outside of the team’s success. Even the team’s success isn’t really broadcasted anywhere beyond GoZips.com, which Joe Akron doesn’t even know exists. There’s no media coverage, nothing mentioned on local news. Akron is essentially invisible with the current marketing strategy. The U is guilty of it, athletics is guilty of it, the city is guilty of it, the league is guilty of it, hell the state is guilty of it. 

 

I don’t have the answers, I am a die hard trying to put myself in the shoes of Joe Akron. The program is vastly under appreciated by the Akron community, and it’s very disappointing. 

[Blue & Gold]

3 hours ago, clarkwgriswold said:

 

Getting the students into the lower bowl was a nice move.  The courtside lounge is a flop.  Those are at least indicators that those in charge are starting to think ahead.  They need more of that.

That lounge was actually packed last night. Idk if it finally caught on for our next-to-last home game, or there was something special going on down there last night.

[clarkwgriswold]

3 minutes ago, Blue & Gold said:

That lounge was actually packed last night. Idk if it finally caught on for our next-to-last home game, or there was something special going on down there last night.

 

I saw that.  I just don't think it's a great idea.  I thought it was odd that it was busy when the crowd was otherwise so bad.

[Blue & Gold]

1 minute ago, clarkwgriswold said:

 

I saw that.  I just don't think it's a great idea.  I thought it was odd that it was busy when the crowd was otherwise so bad.

We did too.

[dre22era]

9 hours ago, jupitertoo said:

Last night's MAC basketball attendance speaks volumes about the lack of need for new/larger facilities:

 

EMU     1,294

WMU    1660

Miami    1,798

Akron    1,830

Kent     2,221

Ohio     5,861

 

Well.....We are still in a pandemic 

and at the end of the day the layout of the JAR sucks. 

Edited February 24, 2022 by dre22era

[GP1]

7 hours ago, Blue & Gold said:

Older gentleman tripped while trying to step off our breakneck bleachers last night.  He braced himself on a lady in a wheelchair on the running track and almost knocked her over. One of my friends I sometimes take to games who isn’t aware of this ongoing conversation said, “Every time I’m here someone almost falls.”

This problem can be fixed without a new arena. 

[GP1]

3 hours ago, LoyalZIP said:

As many others have said over the years, the marketing department is nonexistent.

Let me play Devil's Advocate. Explain the rest of college basketball because I see empty arenas all over the country. Are all colleges this bad or has our culture changed. I'm starting to lean towards cultural changes. Throw in lack of money in budgets and marketing falls off. 

[72 Roo]

Over the last many years UA has had terrible marketing. I believe Guthrie knows this and wants to fix it. I also believe he has bigger issues to deal with for now, but he will get to it. The guy is smart and aggressive. He will be here for a few years before he gets a better offer. During that time he will better the situation. 

[1981 grad]

1 minute ago, 72 Roo said:

Over the last many years UA has had terrible marketing. I believe Guthrie knows this and wants to fix it. I also believe he has bigger issues to deal with for now, but he will get to it. The guy is smart and aggressive. He will be here for a few years before he gets a better offer. During that time he will better the situation. 

 

A Sport Business degree from the University of Akron College of Business can be expected to open up doors for students. Here are a few possible career paths you can choose to go into as a sport business major:

Program Leader

Administrator

Sales/Marketing

Licensing/Branding Specialist

Facilities/Operations Manager

[LoyalZIP]

3 minutes ago, GP1 said:

Let me play Devil's Advocate. Explain the rest of college basketball because I see empty arenas all over the country. Are all colleges this bad or has our culture changed. I'm starting to lean towards cultural changes. Throw in lack of money in budgets and marketing falls off. 

College sports in general, this year especially coming back from COVID have been dropping off. Even those a-holes in Columbus had 20k+ empty seats for a couple of home football games, which is nuts. At UA, culture change and I think the TV deal have a ton to do with it. Once all UA home games started to be televised starting in 2016-2017 and the MAC TV deal led to more televised games the years before that, the lower bowl has progressively empty as the years roll by, including the 2020 team which was arguably the best Akron team ever (not here to argue for or against). 
 

I don’t know how familiar you are with how Larry Williams operated, but the fan experience was the last thing he cared about. He built the marketing department that has been in place for 5 years and it hasn’t resulted in anything. As soon as Guthrie comes in, the student attendance is as high as it’s been in close to a decade, and the department and AK-Rowdies are directly in sync. Baby steps. But this is not a proper discussion for the topic of an arena. I am well aware of the college athletic attendance problems as a whole, myself and many others on this board have noticed it in the basketball program even as it continues to be one of the top 4 programs in the league. 

[Let'sGoZips94]

15 minutes ago, LoyalZIP said:

College sports in general, this year especially coming back from COVID have been dropping off. Even those a-holes in Columbus had 20k+ empty seats for a couple of home football games, which is nuts. At UA, culture change and I think the TV deal have a ton to do with it. Once all UA home games started to be televised starting in 2016-2017 and the MAC TV deal led to more televised games the years before that, the lower bowl has progressively empty as the years roll by, including the 2020 team which was arguably the best Akron team ever (not here to argue for or against). 
 

I don’t know how familiar you are with how Larry Williams operated, but the fan experience was the last thing he cared about. He built the marketing department that has been in place for 5 years and it hasn’t resulted in anything. As soon as Guthrie comes in, the student attendance is as high as it’s been in close to a decade, and the department and AK-Rowdies are directly in sync. Baby steps. But this is not a proper discussion for the topic of an arena. I am well aware of the college athletic attendance problems as a whole, myself and many others on this board have noticed it in the basketball program even as it continues to be one of the top 4 programs in the league. 

 

This is well said. 

 

Let me add the lack of rhythm in the program since Groce took over has been very disruptive as well. Dambrot's teams were lethargic by the end of his tenure. Groce came in, and the cupboards were as bare as Chevy Chase skinny dipping in Caddyshack, which led to the worst year in program history since prior to Dambrot. Groce finally got things going in 2019-20; that final KSUcks game was ELECTRIC. Then... The 'VID hit. The program wasn't able to showcase LCJ, X, Cheese, Banks... Those guys were special; those are the kind of guys that a community falls in love with, and they never got their chance to finish the job. No/limited attendance last year, then this year is just bizarre. Nobody wants to go to college basketball games, whether it be the mask mandates, fear of COVID, etc. That aspect isn't specific to just Akron - that's nationwide as @LoyalZIP said. College basketball has an issue going forward. It will be interesting to see if March Madness posts strong attendance/ratings. I haven't watched much college basketball all season, or really since 2019-20. I might have to go the route of filling out my bracket based on my favorite color(s) or mascot(s). Yeesh. 

 

[Akron1]

On 2/22/2022 at 11:28 AM, dre22era said:

Drove by UA on the way to the All Star Game Saturday and I must say it is an utter disgrace how bad the streets are around campus. Exchange St is absolutely nothing but potholes and uneven pavement. Countless untreated side streets like Sherman and Cross which are basically ice skating rings. 

And then add all the highway construction into the equation. I honestly don't blame anyone who choose not to attend Akron Home Games past and remaining. 

It is not worth the wear and tear on your car. I feel for folks who have to deal with that daily. 

They would have to put me in jail if I still lived there because I would be on the UA President and Mayor's a$$ daily. 

Your Tax Dollars deserve better

 

2023 East Exchange Street Corridor 

• Roadway deterioration, traffic signals old

• Heavily used pedestrian corridor

• High vehicle corridor including buses

• Missing link between bicycle accommodations

• Mesh with University Park Neighborhood Plan 

• Full depth pavement replacement

• Sidewalks and pedestrian crossings reconstruction

• Maintain two full through lanes in each direction

• Allow for adequate turn lanes

• New traffic signals

• Upgraded lighting to accommodate all users including Route 8 underpass

• Provide bike lanes on each side of the street

• Parking in key locations Benefits

• Roadway in good repair providing proper capacity

• Well-lit, safe corridor

• Traffic signal equipment using efficient, modern technology improving traffic flow.

• Provide missing link for bicycle lanes, connecting Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail

 

This need to happen now not next year.

Edited February 24, 2022 by Akron1

[Blue & Gold]

1 hour ago, Akron1 said:

2023 East Exchange Street Corridor 

• Roadway deterioration, traffic signals old

• Heavily used pedestrian corridor

• High vehicle corridor including buses

• Missing link between bicycle accommodations

• Mesh with University Park Neighborhood Plan 

• Full depth pavement replacement

• Sidewalks and pedestrian crossings reconstruction

• Maintain two full through lanes in each direction

• Allow for adequate turn lanes

• New traffic signals

• Upgraded lighting to accommodate all users including Route 8 underpass

• Provide bike lanes on each side of the street

• Parking in key locations Benefits

• Roadway in good repair providing proper capacity

• Well-lit, safe corridor

• Traffic signal equipment using efficient, modern technology improving traffic flow.

• Provide missing link for bicycle lanes, connecting Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail

 

This need to happen now not next year.

Yep. That's the next project when they're finally finished w/ Main Street (did you guys see Bricco is not going to reopen? - great job City of Akron).  Exchange is going to be the next 2-year unmitigated disaster... but it's necessary.  Gotta break some eggs, I suppose.

Edited February 24, 2022 by Blue & Gold

[clarkwgriswold]

27 minutes ago, Blue & Gold said:

Yep. That's the next project when they're finally finished w/ Main Street (did you guys see Bricco is not going to reopen? - great job City of Akron).  Exchange is going to be the next 2-year unmitigated disaster... but it's necessary.  Gotta break some eggs, I suppose.

 

The problem in NEO is that all of the grill cooks insist on breaking their eggs at the same time and as a result everything ends up a mess at the same time.  There's absolutely no coordination between the powers that be.  It's ridiculous. 

[Reslife4Life]

15 hours ago, 1981 grad said:

 

A Sport Business degree from the University of Akron College of Business can be expected to open up doors for students. Here are a few possible career paths you can choose to go into as a sport business major:

Program Leader

Administrator

Sales/Marketing

Licensing/Branding Specialist

Facilities/Operations Manager

This is my major right now and I graduate in May, I would love to work for UA's athletic department in marketing and sales, but there is no communication at all to any students about working full-time in athletics like how professional teams will through career services. You would think that the university would want to hire its own students, but apparently they think their one person ticket sales department will suffice

[LoyalZIP]

11 minutes ago, Reslife4Life said:

This is my major right now and I graduate in May, I would love to work for UA's athletic department in marketing and sales, but there is no communication at all to any students about working full-time in athletics like how professional teams will through career services. You would think that the university would want to hire its own students, but apparently they think their one person ticket sales department will suffice

The ticket department is being outsourced after this season ends. However, strategies in regards to getting students to work and be engaged in athletics at the University are definitely not what they should be. Dropping some more in the bucket of student work and internship opportunities could benefit everybody, and give UA students something great to put on their resume—meaningful and impactful student work. It will be interesting to see what this administration does after this first transition year. They’ve done a lot of good, but have only scratched the surface so far. 

[jupitertoo]

Anyone majoring in sports administration/management/business is being sold a load of manure from a career standpoint. Without a master's degree, you are qualified to become an unpaid (and highly abused) intern for a minor league baseball team.  Are you a pretty blonde?  You're who they are looking for to fire t-shirts into the crowd or lead the (also unpaid) National Anthem singer onto the field. Even a full-time job at the major league level will be almost exclusively commission based (ticket sales) while requiring long hours and offering virtually no opportunity for advancement. Team owners know there will always be suckers attracted to the promise of proximity to superstars. Of course, the stars won't even notice you and you will be warned to stay away from them. I know nearly a dozen sports ad grads from schools with much better programs than Akron who quickly realized what a sham it is.  Go ahead and ask your professor how successful his/her career was in professional bowling/beach volleyball/kickboxing/auto racing and inquire as to why he/she is now teaching UA undergrads at minimum wage. You'd be far, far better off learning a trade such as welding, IT infrastructure management or pipefitting. Seriously, it's like majoring in English Lit.  Just flush your/your parents' money down the drain because you'll end up going back to school to get a degree or certification in something that will actually put money in your pocket. 

 

 

Edited February 24, 2022 by jupitertoo

[Reslife4Life]

46 minutes ago, jupitertoo said:

Anyone majoring in sports administration/management/business is being sold a load of manure from a career standpoint. Without a master's degree, you are qualified to become an unpaid (and highly abused) intern for a minor league baseball team.  Are you a pretty blonde?  You're who they are looking for to fire t-shirts into the crowd or lead the (also unpaid) National Anthem singer onto the field. Even a full-time job at the major league level will be almost exclusively commission based (ticket sales) while requiring long hours and offering virtually no opportunity for advancement. Team owners know there will always be suckers attracted to the promise of proximity to superstars. Of course, the stars won't even notice you and you will be warned to stay away from them. I know nearly a dozen sports ad grads from schools with much better programs than Akron who quickly realized what a sham it is.  Go ahead and ask your professor how successful his/her career was in professional bowling/beach volleyball/kickboxing/auto racing and inquire as to why he/she is now teaching UA undergrads at minimum wage. You'd be far, far better off learning a trade such as welding, IT infrastructure management or pipefitting. Seriously, it's like majoring in English Lit.  Just flush your/your parents' money down the drain because you'll end up going back to school to get a degree or certification in something that will actually put money in your pocket. 

 

 

Well sorry I don't want to be a welder lol

[Spin]

Great topic. So what comes first? The nice fancy arena or the fan base? Actually, it all comes down to MARKETING. You have to change the face of the university to be a destination, not just a commuter school that’s closer to you than CSU, YSU, or KSU. And a lot cheaper than BW, Malone, Wooster, Case, etc.
 

Ive seen 13,000 at the CSU Convocation Center for indoor soccer games and CSU Viking mens basketball games with maybe 130 fans. I’m convinced it’s really that simple.

 

The university is poorly marketed, there seems to be nothing but bad news in the news about it. If it was a business it probably would have folded during the past 5 years or so. Has anyone been to the alumni site? What a waste. How do they engage current students to have pride in their school? There’s as many OSU shirts on the students (and staff) as there is Akron. While I was growing up it was most famous for having a pennant on a wall in the Happy Days tv show. You can’t make this up.

 

Im no marketing professional, my major is in Nursing, which probably shows how bad the PR is. 
 

Fear the Roo

[GP1]

43 minutes ago, Spin said:

Actually, it all comes down to MARKETING. You have to change the face of the university to be a destination, not just a commuter school that’s closer to you than CSU, YSU, or KSU. And a lot cheaper than BW, Malone, Wooster, Case, etc.

 

The university is poorly marketed, there seems to be nothing but bad news in the news about it.

Not sure what you mean by destination, but Akron provides a better education than the others.

 

The word marketing gets overused. There is a marketing problem, but the bigger problem is a lack of the University's resources being used to attract students by providing public services. It takes much more than a marketing department to pull this off. 

 

There has been too much bad news, but recently the University has been producing good news segments on social media. It's a good start. The problem in the past has been not highlighting the hundreds of things that go great so when one bad thing happens, it's the only thing people hear about the school and opinions sour. The hundreds of good stories create a soft landing for the bad story. There will always be at least one bad story. Something bad is always going to happen. 

[GP1]

For those who complain about no marketing to alumni, the home page of uakron.edu has a list of upcoming alumni events. One is in Cleveland. Have fun. 

[Spin]

6 hours ago, GP1 said:

Not sure what you mean by destination, but Akron provides a better education than the others.

 

That would make a great selling point. Why do most people go to college? To get a quality education that employers are looking for. 

 

If you want sports fans to attend your games, you have to understand what the customer wants, and show how you provide that. As soccer becomes more popular every year, does Akron let fans know we have a hell of a program? I said several years ago if you can't sell football in northeast Ohio and some high schools draw more fans then your D1 program, you have no business putting together a marketing program. 

 

Whether it's attracting prospective students or trying to sell game tickets, you need effective marketing. 

Edited February 25, 2022 by Spin

[GoZips86]

8 hours ago, Spin said:

 

That would make a great selling point. Why do most people go to college? To get a quality education that employers are looking for. 

 

If you want sports fans to attend your games, you have to understand what the customer wants, and show how you provide that. As soccer becomes more popular every year, does Akron let fans know we have a hell of a program? I said several years ago if you can't sell football in northeast Ohio and some high schools draw more fans then your D1 program, you have no business putting together a marketing program. 

 

Whether it's attracting prospective students or trying to sell game tickets, you need effective marketing. 

 

For football at least, a huge hurdle in this state is Ohio State. When people want to watch football on a Saturday, many many many want to watch Ohio State, even students at Akron. It's so annoying. The Zips have a horrid reputation of losing, so it's going to take steady winning, and positive coverage of them, to get people really interested.

 

I was talking with my buddy the other day and I told him I wish Akron could some how land a recruit that wasn't on the radar for many, but came out of nowhere and had everyone's attention. Big Ben at Miami years ago, or heck, I even mentioned Johnny Manziel (not in terms of being an idiot, but in 2012, he was the IT guy suddenly and Texas A&M was everywhere). I mean, that may seem like a bunch of BS from me and out of left field, I know, but that kind of thing could really change things in an instant.

Edited February 25, 2022 by GoZips86