The World of College Football

[UAZipster0305]

4 hours ago, akzipper said:

Feel like the SBC and MAC need to merge and get rid of the dead weight. Unfortunately at the moment, that would be us. 

Only due to football performance; our facilities are stellar. Our Olympic sports are also excellent, and men's soccer and basketball compete at the national level. They are #11 and #43, respectively, in terms of all-time wins in program history for Division 1.

 

https://d1sportsnet.com/mens-soccer/records/wins.php

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_teams_with_the_most_victories_in_NCAA_Division_I_men's_college_basketball

 

Also, Akron has some strong academic programs and has a higher enrollment and median earnings for recent graduates than most of the Sun Belt Conference members.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mid-American_Conference

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_Belt_Conference

 

We also have the Cleveland media market.

 

All of these things matter. We would not be on a short list of schools without a chair when the music stops if there were a merger.

Edited Tuesday at 10:15 PM by UAZipster0305

[UAZipster0305]

I personally think that the AAC, Sun Belt, and MAC would create a very interesting and entertaining division that is between FBS and FCS. I'd to see us regularly playing OOC, cross-over, and tournament/bowl games against any and all of these schools. I really like the SBC-MAC Challenge in basketball for this reason.

Edited Tuesday at 06:43 PM by UAZipster0305

[AkronAlumnus]

19 minutes ago, UAZipster0305 said:

I personally think that the AAC, Sun Belt, and MAC would create a very interesting and entertaining division that is between FBS and FCS. I'd to see us regularly playing cross-over and tournament games against any and all of these schools. I really like the SBC-MAC Challenge for this reason.

I like a relegation system, jk kinda... 

[LZIp]

24 minutes ago, UAZipster0305 said:

I personally think that the AAC, Sun Belt, and MAC would create a very interesting and entertaining division that is between FBS and FCS. I'd to see us regularly playing OOC, cross-over, and tournament/bowl games against any and all of these schools. I really like the SBC-MAC Challenge in basketball for this reason.

Probably where it’s going anyways (along with the Mountain West and PAC-whatever). Moving up to AAC might mean more money, but at the end of the day, you’re still just one of the taller midgets.

Edited Tuesday at 07:02 PM by LZIp

[kreed5120]

I feel there will be some major shifts forced unto schools in the coming 7-10 years. The number of high school graduates peaked at 3.9 million in 2025. By 2041 that number is projected to decline to 3.4 million. Considering ~40% of high school graduates attend a 4 year college that means a 200k reduction of incoming freshman per year. 

 

Schools that are in financial crisis right now are going to be in worse shape. Those barely running budget surpluses are going to quickly flip negative. Schools like Michigan, OSU, Indiana etc are going to be fine. A lot of your regional G6 type schools are going to desperately need to trim deficits. They will likely have to reduce the 20, 30+ million dollar deficits they're currently subsidizing athletics.

[tpsjugglerdude]

JMU is not like other schools. Their students pay almost $2600 in athletic fees a year with 73% of their budget being covered by these fees. For contrast, Akron doesn't break out an athletic fee, it just charges a $2400/year Akron fee. A small portion of that goes to athletics, while the rest goes to admin, facilities, etc. 

I also saw that JMU is including a corporate sponsorship of the conference on top of the registration fee. How many schools can offer that? The corporate sponsors have not been released yet.

[csims0917]

Hence why akron going up enrollment despite these trends is extremely impressive if they can continue too

[GP1]

4 hours ago, akzipper said:

Feel like the SBC and MAC need to merge and get rid of the dead weight. Unfortunately at the moment, that would be us. 

It would be most of the MAC.  Deadwood ain't just a city in South Dakota, its a G5 conference. 

[kreed5120]

You could take the 6 best teams from the MAC and the 6 best teams from the SBC and it would still be the 8th best FBS conference, especially once you subtract JMU. It wouldn't materially change anything.

[GP1]

4 hours ago, UAZipster0305 said:

I personally think that the AAC, Sun Belt, and MAC would create a very interesting and entertaining division that is between FBS and FCS. I'd to see us regularly playing OOC, cross-over, and tournament/bowl games against any and all of these schools. I really like the SBC-MAC Challenge in basketball for this reason.

Throw in Mountain West and Conference USA. 

[GP1]

4 hours ago, AkronAlumnus said:

I like a relegation system, jk kinda... 

Relegation would accelerate the rate at which universities bankrupt themselves with sports. 

[kreed5120]

1 hour ago, GP1 said:

Relegation would accelerate the rate at which universities bankrupt themselves with sports. 

 

That's why you would need to implement Financial Fair Play. Limit athletic programs to only being able to spend 125% of what they generate in revenue. And by revenue I mean real revenue. Strip out all the institutional support.

 

That would bring fiscal responsibility and restore G5 athletics to what college athletics was 30, 40 years ago. Let the P4 have their NFL/NBA lite professional league.

Edited yesterday at 12:14 AM by kreed5120

[exit322]

1 minute ago, kreed5120 said:

 

That's why you would need to implement Financial Fair Play. Limit athletic programs to only being able to spend 125% of what they generate in revenue. And by revenue I mean real revenue. Strip out all the institutional support.

 

That would bring fiscal responsibility and restore G5 athletics to what college athletics was 30, 40 years ago. Let the P4 have be NFL/NBA lite professional league.

 

Yes.  This x1000

[ZippyDoo]

just seen this....

 

[tpsjugglerdude]

26 minutes ago, ZippyDoo said:

just seen this....

 

 

Are we just posting from spam accounts now?

[Blue & Gold]

10 hours ago, ZippyDoo said:

just seen this....

 

That's a joke. They got ya @ZippyDoo ! 😅

[ZippyDoo]

Yes they did.  I completely got fooled.  I should have known better.  I was there a few years ago and was not impressed.  Watched the two teams fight because one player from the opposing team took a WL players towel and ran off the field with it to his sideline and wouldn't give it back.

[tpsjugglerdude]

The real winner of the JMU move is the Akron Zips. We finally have an American team agree to a home-and-home with us AND they're coming to Akron first in 2029.

Edited yesterday at 01:08 PM by tpsjugglerdude

[exit322]

1 hour ago, tpsjugglerdude said:

The real winner of the JMU move is the Akron Zips. We finally have an American team agree to a home-and-home with us AND they're coming to Akron first in 2029.

 

Hah yeah that game's getting cancelled with the MAC going to 9 conference games.  Akron couldn't possibly get rid of the FCS game they pay for (!!!) or the buy games.

 

If we're not gonna win anything anyways, I'd rather play teams like James Madison than Robert Morris.

[kreed5120]

18 minutes ago, exit322 said:

 

Hah yeah that game's getting cancelled with the MAC going to 9 conference games.  Akron couldn't possibly get rid of the FCS game they pay for (!!!) or the buy games.

 

If we're not gonna win anything anyways, I'd rather play teams like James Madison than Robert Morris.

 

If I'm TBH if Akron is to lose by 25+ I'd rather just get the $1.3 million to lose to a Minnesota, Penn State, or Michigan St. than not get paid it to lose by the same margin to JMU. 

 

To anyone that went to the UNLV game, do any of you look back and view that day as a great way you spent 5-6 hours of your Saturday? Now remember JMU is at or slightly above UNLV level. If we lost that game it's no loss to me. If we were at the level of a WMU that would be a different story. We're not there and I wouldn't expect us to be by 2029.

Edited yesterday at 02:30 PM by kreed5120

[exit322]

28 minutes ago, kreed5120 said:

 

If I'm TBH if Akron is to lose by 25+ I'd rather just get the $1.3 million to lose to a Minnesota, Penn State, or Michigan St. than not get paid it to lose by the same margin to JMU. 

 

To anyone that went to the UNLV game, do any of you look back and view that day as a great way you spent 5-6 hours of your Saturday? Now remember JMU is at or slightly above UNLV level. If we lost that game it's no loss to me. If we were at the level of a WMU that would be a different story. We're not there and I wouldn't expect us to be by 2029.

 

This is fair.  I meant this in comparison solely to the Robert Morris game.  If the goal is to get a nonleague home game, I'd rather it be against a JMU instead of a "who cares" FCS team.  Even with the likely loss potential.

[kreed5120]

8 minutes ago, exit322 said:

 

This is fair.  I meant this in comparison solely to the Robert Morris game.  If the goal is to get a nonleague home game, I'd rather it be against a JMU instead of a "who cares" FCS team.  Even with the likely loss potential.

 

That Robert Morris game, between the OC promotion and actually playing well, was the only time this season I felt positive about the team. Not sure why you would want to take that away.

 

Buffalo only beat them by 3. I don't think it's any more of a lopsided opponent than us facing JMU or UNLV. The difference is the roles are just reversed.

[exit322]

50 minutes ago, kreed5120 said:

 

That Robert Morris game, between the OC promotion and actually playing well, was the only time this season I felt positive about the team. Not sure why you would want to take that away.

 

Buffalo only beat them by 3. I don't think it's any more of a lopsided opponent than us facing JMU or UNLV. The difference is the roles are just reversed.

 

I don't need more fool's gold.  We already know Coach 14-40 isn't taking Akron anywhere.  I'd rather play schools that someone has heard of.

 

BUT, your argument is reasonable.  I can see why some want to do that.  Just, we don't need to be paying schools to come to Akron so we can draw 4,000 people.

Edited yesterday at 04:01 PM by exit322

[ZippyDoo]

Personally, I went into the UNLV game believing we had a chance to win, I was WAY WRONG obviously..! it was just overzealous optimism.  I did feel good about he RMU game but I actually felt good about the Eastern Michigan game also.  I went into it believing that the Zips had a chance and after the first drive down the field and the score I REALLY felt they had a chance.

 

I felt they had a chance and was excited right up to the missed field goal.

 

Now here I sit yet again, overly optimistic about the next two weeks... Miami is beatable, playing a backup qb, that went 6-20  for 95 yards in passing and had 54 yards rushing against UMASS and 29 yards of that came on one run. (Cat is the expert, I was just checking it out)  But I'm at least optimistic going into it AND then we have KSUCKS right after that.

 

One game at a time, but who knows what can happen..

 

I was excited to travel to Wake Forest and watch them play there, by the way Wake's ONLY loss is to Miami by 7 and I was excited to travel to Minnesota to watch that game as well and I think going into those games they were exciting for the players as well and a lot of the players saw the games as an opportunity to showcase their talents...

 

I would like to see the Zips keep those larger school games and get paid for them, it would be nice to have a Rutgers from this year on the schedule or team they could have beat but you can't have everything I guess.

 

I am really rooting for the Zips to win five of the last six. Do I think it will happen? Probably not, but I can hope for it..   

[kreed5120]

8 minutes ago, exit322 said:

 

I don't need more fool's gold.  We already know Coach 14-40 isn't taking Akron anywhere.  I'd rather play schools that someone has heard of.

 

BUT, your argument is reasonable.  I can see why some want to do that.  Just, we don't need to be paying schools to come to Akron so we can draw 4,000 people.

 

The game likely paid for itself when you factor in the number of additional season tickets sold from the promotion and the Arby's sponsorship. We can't host an event like that if we didn't have an FCS team on the schedule. 

 

Was there really a noticeably more number of fans at the UNLV than there was at Robert Morris? Short of OSU or Michigan coming to Infocision, which isn't happening, I don't see a material impact of random FBS vs FCS opponent.