The State of Athletics

[ZippyRulz]

58 minutes ago, clarkwgriswold said:

Agreed, the argument is shortsighted, yet, at the end of the day, in today's world simple appeals to people and there's no simpler argument than "you paid $X million dollars for 6 wins since 2019?"

 

On the other hand, the total revenue since 2019 divided by 6 is not too shabby.

 

[Zippy87]

My biggest issue is the lack of engagement from athletics to its most loyal alumni and fans. The only time I hear from Athletics is when they're asking for money. Fundraising is obviously vital, but if, every time you hear from someone, all they're doing is asking for money, you're eventually going to ignore their calls/emails. 

 

My second biggest is the complete lack of marketing/promos/ticket specials. Don't tell me you need a huge budget to do it when the Rubberducks kill it every summer with a limited budget. It takes creativity and effort, two things our athletic department has lacked for years.

[Zippy87]

Double-post, sorry

Edited October 24, 2023 by Zippy87

[Spin]

2 hours ago, Zippy87 said:

My second biggest is the complete lack of marketing/promos/ticket specials. Don't tell me you need a huge budget to do it when the Rubberducks kill it every summer with a limited budget. It takes creativity and effort, two things our athletic department has lacked for years.

Great points. Minor league baseball is the perfect example of how to engage the fans. And More important, engaging the youth. Minor league baseball is miles ahead of everyone else in that. Learn from it. Use it. Maybe the next generation won’t all be fans (and more likely to be future students) of the worthless nuts. 
 

The game day experience is definitely lacking. I’ll pay for the tickets and drive the admin to Canal Park. OSU can be stodgy and old fashioned. Open the gates and the seats are filled. That doesn’t work for anyone else in Ohio. Put players on the field in pads and let the young-in’s walk out and meet them. Maybe in the practice facility. Maybe send them out on a pass pattern and lob them the football.
 

I’ve seen worse ideas. A lot of them.

 

game. day. experience.

Edited October 24, 2023 by Spin

[Let'sGoZips94]

24 minutes ago, Spin said:

Great points. Minor league baseball is the perfect example of how to engage the fans. And More important, engaging the youth. Minor league baseball is miles ahead of everyone else in that. Learn from it. Use it. Maybe the next generation won’t all be fans (and more likely to be future students) of the worthless nuts. 
 

The game day experience is definitely lacking. I’ll pay for the tickets and drive the admin to Canal Park. OSU can be stodgy and old fashioned. Open the gates and the seats are filled. That doesn’t work for anyone else in Ohio. Put players on the field in pads and let the young-in’s walk out and meet them. Maybe in the practice facility. Maybe send them out on a pass pattern and lob them the football.
 

I’ve seen worse ideas. A lot of them.

 

game. day. experience.

 

This. I'd bring in a marketing person from the Rubber Ducks or Savannah Bananas. Let them run Gameday operations & marketing campaigns. Give them free reign with only common sense restrictions. Differentiate yourself from the grey blob of G5 programs and non-OSUcks colleges in Ohio. 

[Zippy87]

Tickets for a Wednesday night game between two awful teams (Akron and Kent) are currently listed as $19 for GA and $31-38 for reserved. 

 

Our ticketing team is completely unserious.

[GP1]

Imagine if you could show up with your spouse and two kids with a pass issued from the state that shows you paid taxes in Ohio and get 4 general admission tickets to any MAc event you wanted, twice a year. You're already paying for it. You should get something for your money. 

[Let'sGoZips94]

1 hour ago, GP1 said:

Imagine if you could show up with your spouse and two kids with a pass issued from the state that shows you paid taxes in Ohio and get 4 general admission tickets to any MAc event you wanted, twice a year. You're already paying for it. You should get something for your money. 

 

I'd sacrifice the pass for less taxes, but neither scenario is happening so we're both left yelling at the clouds.

Edited October 24, 2023 by Let'sGoZips94

[GP1]

5 hours ago, Let'sGoZips94 said:

 

I'd sacrifice the pass for less taxes, but neither scenario is happening so we're both left yelling at the clouds.

Do the math. It you wouldn't be getting much of a break and you would be contributing to Ohio's public universities being a benefit to athletes students alumni fans and general communities. 

[Zipmeister]

8 hours ago, GP1 said:

Imagine if you could show up with your spouse and two kids with a pass issued from the state that shows you paid taxes in Ohio and get 4 general admission tickets to any MAc event you wanted, twice a year. You're already paying for it. You should get something for your money. 

 

This isn't a half bad idea, but the public should be warned to dress lightly (shorts and t-shirts) even though it may be freezing cold outside. They always keep the air temp in the natatorium pretty darn warm for the comfort of the swimmers.

[Zippy87]

I just saw the Akron-Kent football game is listed as Youth Sports Day, perfect for a weekday school night game with a 7:30 PM start. 🤦‍♂️

[Let'sGoZips94]

1 hour ago, Zippy87 said:

I just saw the Akron-Kent football game is listed as Youth Sports Day, perfect for a weekday school night game with a 7:30 PM start. 🤦‍♂️

 

Our marketing is next level stupid. 

[ewbrooman1]

17 hours ago, Zippy87 said:

Tickets for a Wednesday night game between two awful teams (Akron and Kent) are currently listed as $19 for GA and $31-38 for reserved. 

 

Our ticketing team is completely unserious.

Why would anybody buy a reserved seat for a game where you can pretty much sit anywhere you want to, like pretty much any Zips football game?

Edited October 24, 2023 by ewbrooman1

[GP1]

4 hours ago, Zipmeister said:

 

This isn't a half bad idea, but the public should be warned to dress lightly (shorts and t-shirts) even though it may be freezing cold outside. They always keep the air temp in the natatorium pretty darn warm for the comfort of the swimmers.

They can dress any way they want. They are paying for it. 

[clarkwgriswold]

3 hours ago, Zippy87 said:

I just saw the Akron-Kent football game is listed as Youth Sports Day, perfect for a weekday school night game with a 7:30 PM start. 🤦‍♂️

Every kid in attendance gets a free beer and a pack of smokes.

[GoZips86]

6 minutes ago, clarkwgriswold said:

Every kid in attendance gets a free beer and a pack of smokes.

That's assuming anyone even attends that dumpster fire of a game, kid or not. 

[GP1]

6 minutes ago, clarkwgriswold said:

Every kid in attendance gets a free beer and a pack of smokes.

Only for the Adam's Family. 

 

 

[Reslife4Life]

2 hours ago, ewbrooman1 said:

Why would anybody buy a reserved seat for a game where you can pretty much sit anywhere you want to, like pretty much any Zips football game?

In the stadium there are two actual ushers guarding the lower level 50 yard line. All the other “ushers” are just students who get money for their organization by being there

[ewbrooman1]

20 minutes ago, Reslife4Life said:

In the stadium there are two actual ushers guarding the lower level 50 yard line. All the other “ushers” are just students who get money for their organization by being there

I generally sit in the upper level so those ushers are a non-issue for me. When the stadium opened I had season tickets in the front row of the upper deck near the 50 yd line. I never got over the feeling if I stood up too fast or someone nudged me that I would go over that low railing. 😬

[zipsfan33]

Does anyone sit in the club section?   I am paying $500 for this wonderful abomination of the sport of football.   I was convinced to buy club seats basically for access to the game day buffets.  Here is the kicker though.... the food has been the exact same at all three games.  Processed chicken fingers, brats, veggies, chips, chilli, fruit and cheese, soft pretzels, and cookies/brownies.  The last game, some woman who thought she was the queen of the buffet actually stopped me from pouring my chilli to ask if I had a wristband to be allowed to eat the spread.  I almost lost my mind.  Here's hoping to something new Wednesday, AND nice welcoming food service workers. 

[Akron1]

This is at least a solid effort to engage the business community.

 

https://app.wyng.com/651dc09a90c693f853bc4143?fbclid=IwAR2Xz_Y2nj_108iyiXJeXf-NLbB3aS9LCSN6AHHTyetaZ4agp39OMFK0Qf0_aem_AajXOyBoMIEvtTnc5DuaiSFCE7VTlCJ_YyF2L6mAx6GVQR9JSxw0qnJsNwY3G5pKWWgZ0x0mMBvyLwHdft5F0UlX&_wyng_media_es_651dc09a90c693f853bc4143=Copy share

[Hilltopper]

12 hours ago, zipsfan33 said:

Does anyone sit in the club section?   I am paying $500 for this wonderful abomination of the sport of football.   I was convinced to buy club seats basically for access to the game day buffets.  Here is the kicker though.... the food has been the exact same at all three games.  Processed chicken fingers, brats, veggies, chips, chilli, fruit and cheese, soft pretzels, and cookies/brownies.  The last game, some woman who thought she was the queen of the buffet actually stopped me from pouring my chilli to ask if I had a wristband to be allowed to eat the spread.  I almost lost my mind.  Here's hoping to something new Wednesday, AND nice welcoming food service workers. 

Prior to this season, your $500 ticket got you nothing but a seat. I find the level of entitlement in todays world exasperating. Sorry that menu (typical tailgate fare) not up to your standards. The vast majority of the $500 ticket is actually a donation to the Z-Fund which is used to support the student athletes. 

 

https://x.com/Akron_Z_Fund?t=HYsvZ4yh8qr0pULIh89N-w&s=09

[NWAkron]

9 minutes ago, Hilltopper said:

Prior to this season, your $500 ticket got you nothing but a seat. I find the level of entitlement in todays world exasperating. Sorry that menu (typical tailgate fare) not up to your standards. The vast majority of the $500 ticket is actually a donation to the Z-Fund which is used to support the student athletes. 

 

https://x.com/Akron_Z_Fund?t=HYsvZ4yh8qr0pULIh89N-w&s=09

Yes.  The club level allows everyone to eat not just the special few.  When you get off the elevator, there is someone present to give you a wristband for the buffet.  The food is pretty good for a football game.  Also, there's a soda machine for free drinks.  However, I think the horrible football puts everyone in a bad mood when they are at the game, so we look for something to complain about.

[Zippy87]

Gary Miller would never

[clarkwgriswold]

13 hours ago, zipsfan33 said:

Does anyone sit in the club section?   I am paying $500 for this wonderful abomination of the sport of football.   I was convinced to buy club seats basically for access to the game day buffets.  Here is the kicker though.... the food has been the exact same at all three games.  Processed chicken fingers, brats, veggies, chips, chilli, fruit and cheese, soft pretzels, and cookies/brownies.  The last game, some woman who thought she was the queen of the buffet actually stopped me from pouring my chilli to ask if I had a wristband to be allowed to eat the spread.  I almost lost my mind.  Here's hoping to something new Wednesday, AND nice welcoming food service workers. 

 

They caught @Zipmeister sneaking chicken fingers and brownies to his non-Club Level peon buddies so they're being extra vigilant.