2024 Preseason Thread

[GP1]

50 minutes ago, UA1996MAENG said:

University debt, athletic department debt, decling enrollment on top of already historically low enrollment.

Those are three different elephants. Let's focus on the athletic one. 

 

I believe the athletic department should benefit the athletes students alumni fans and general community around Akron. Giving the taxpayers of Ohio a good gameday experience could make them believe their hard earned money being spent on public universities is a good thing. 

 

A paved highway makes taxpayers feel good. A pothole filled highway makes taxpayers bitter. The old scoreboard was a pothole filled highway. 

[ZipCat]

On 6/13/2024 at 3:28 PM, g-mann17 said:

 

This is great and much needed. I wonder what will happen with the sponsor cards that were on the old scoreboard. That was prime real estate and eyes were drawn there, do they program additional advertising to be displayed on the videoboard? Or do we they sell space on the fences or endzone padding like in baseball? Just trying to understand that sponsorship revenue stream.

 

Nah, giant seat banners covering the top of the bowl across from us that will never have people in it ever.

[ZipCat]

On 6/17/2024 at 10:57 AM, GP1 said:

A paved highway makes taxpayers feel good. A pothole filled highway makes taxpayers bitter. The old scoreboard was a pothole filled highway. 

 

Was it though? I can't remember the last time I gave a flip about what a scoreboard looked like. Highschool, College or Pro. Rather I see it as someone building their resume that they did something so they 

[GP1]

3 hours ago, ZipCat said:

 

Was it though? I can't remember the last time I gave a flip about what a scoreboard looked like. Highschool, College or Pro. Rather I see it as someone building their resume that they did something so they 

They should do the best they can with what they have for the taxpayers. That score board fell short of that standard. 

[ZipCat]

On 6/19/2024 at 5:00 PM, GP1 said:

They should do the best they can with what they have for the taxpayers. That score board fell short of that standard. 

 

Are the Taxpayers actually the ones benefiting from a Video Board though? As a taxpayer of the City of Akron for 10-years, any of my taxes going to UA I do not want it subsidizing a video board at any stadium on UA's campus, I'd rather be subsidizing the education costs of people to fill local jobs in my community for the next 2-decades. 

 

I guess granted, I might be on the outside of opinion on this, I don't see facility upgrades on UA's Campus doing anything for the taxpayers. Season Ticket holders? Sure. Students? Now that's where I'd be more concerned.

[GP1]

13 hours ago, ZipCat said:

 

Are the Taxpayers actually the ones benefiting from a Video Board though? As a taxpayer of the City of Akron for 10-years, any of my taxes going to UA I do not want it subsidizing a video board at any stadium on UA's campus, I'd rather be subsidizing the education costs of people to fill local jobs in my community for the next 2-decades. 

 

I guess granted, I might be on the outside of opinion on this, I don't see facility upgrades on UA's Campus doing anything for the taxpayers. Season Ticket holders? Sure. Students? Now that's where I'd be more concerned.

Taxpayers pay for things all the time that don't benefit them. In this case, donors supported the upgrades.

 

Some taxpayers may like it. It's not just Zips games. It's also the high school games played there. Some enjoy a more professional experience. UC has a nice stadium and the program loses money. Nobody complains because the experience has been good recently. 

 

Here is why the experience has to be really good. If the taxpayers of Ohio ever figure out how much of their money is being spent on public university football programs that lose money, the reckoning will not be good for anyone except OSU because they make money. This country has developed a Nihilistic streak across political spectrums in the past 12 years that I thought was not possible and not healthy for our society. The experience at these stadiums must be good so the taxpayers don't direct their Nihilism towards the athletic programs or those programs will be destroyed. 

[egregiousbob]

I don't think there's anyone who is more wrong more often. Taxpayers do not pay for athletics or athletic facilities on university property in Ohio.

 

 

[GP1]

8 minutes ago, egregiousbob said:

I don't think there's anyone who is more wrong more often. Taxpayers do not pay for athletics or athletic facilities on university property in Ohio.

 

 

Sure they do. It's a shell game. The money is just being moved around in a way that can easily fool some people into believing something else. 

 

The human is the only living being with a brain on Earth that is capable of convincing itself of things that simply aren't true. 

[UA1996MAENG]

1 hour ago, GP1 said:

Sure they do. It's a shell game. The money is just being moved around in a way that can easily fool some people into believing something else. 

 

The human is the only living being with a brain on Earth that is capable of convincing itself of things that simply aren't true. 

I suppose one way of looking at it is that actual tax revenues are not used for, in this case, UA athletics. However, tuition (actvity fees) is financing athletics, and this often upsets students and taxpayers to the same extent that an actual state tax would.  Therein is the proverbial shell (and semantics) game you reference. I agree.

[egregiousbob]

Student activities fees pay for athletics.  They are separate from tuition, of which the State of Ohio only pays 4% currently. (Used to be 40%).

 

So student fees are not taxes.

 

Moreover, it is against the law for tax dollars to be used for on-campus athletics facilities.  Even student rec centers.

 

 

 

[ZipCat]

2 hours ago, egregiousbob said:

They are separate from tuition, of which the State of Ohio only pays 4% currently. (Used to be 40%).

 

I think this is one of the most glaring problems in our modern American society. We've shifted so much of the burden of educating the workforce, which ultimately drives our economic competitiveness and GDP growth, to the shoulders of students rather than seeing education as the investment that it is. And on top of that, the financial burden has been greatly increased to include things that are objective not part of the educational experience and rather solely exist for the Alumni Participation and Administrator Resume building; all funded on the backs of student debt.

 

It was student debt that funded a new scoreboard and that white elephant of a stadium, not me as a Taxpayer of the city. And, while some HS events are certainly held there, it's saving me the Taxpayer money on having to build multiple stadiums for multiple schools when we could just rent Infocision instead. Sure it's a win-win, but it's saving me money rather than costing me money, so saying the scoreboards are for me the taxpayer is strange to say the least.

[MangoZip]

Looks like the boys were treated to a little cookout today 

[Blue & Gold]

 

[MangoZip]

25 minutes ago, Blue & Gold said:

 

That’s some serious weight that those hogs are throwing around 🐖

[GP1]

5 hours ago, egregiousbob said:

Student activities fees pay for athletics.  They are separate from tuition, of which the State of Ohio only pays 4% currently. (Used to be 40%).

 

So student fees are not taxes.

 

Moreover, it is against the law for tax dollars to be used for on-campus athletics facilities.  Even student rec centers.

 

 

 

You're not wrong, but you're not right either. Ohio has merely shifted the tax burden to the students (90% Ohio residents) and called it something else.

 

The government charges you a tax to use the Turnpike. They just call it a toll. They extract money from you and spend it on government services. At least someone can avoid the Turnpike if they want so it is a voluntary tax.

 

There is no getting around student fees. Student fees are a mandatory government tax. The government run university extracts money from people and provides what they believe is a service for it. 

[Lee Adams]

On 6/20/2024 at 6:22 PM, ZipCat said:

 

Are the Taxpayers actually the ones benefiting from a Video Board though? As a taxpayer of the City of Akron for 10-years, any of my taxes going to UA I do not want it subsidizing a video board at any stadium on UA's campus, I'd rather be subsidizing the education costs of people to fill local jobs in my community for the next 2-decades. 

 

I guess granted, I might be on the outside of opinion on this, I don't see facility upgrades on UA's Campus doing anything for the taxpayers. Season Ticket holders? Sure. Students? Now that's where I'd be more concerned.

As a season ticket holder from the Rubber Bowl on I never gave a rats behind about the scoreboard unless the music was too loud(and it certainly is now) or I couldn't find the score or the clock. I would much prefer to see a consistently decsent team on the field than worry about a scoreboard. Don't care who pays for it. OK the 'taxpayers' and students may not 'pay' for the scoreboard. But they ain't showing up to watch the scoreboard. They ain't showing up much at all. Lets hope the football on the field lives up to the expense of the new scoreboard.

[GP1]

1 hour ago, Lee Adams said:

As a season ticket holder from the Rubber Bowl on I never gave a rats behind about the scoreboard unless the music was too loud(and it certainly is now) or I couldn't find the score or the clock. I would much prefer to see a consistently decsent team on the field than worry about a scoreboard. Don't care who pays for it. OK the 'taxpayers' and students may not 'pay' for the scoreboard. But they ain't showing up to watch the scoreboard. They ain't showing up much at all. Lets hope the football on the field lives up to the expense of the new scoreboard.

Good points. I think it's possible to have a good team and a respectable scoreboard that functions the way a scoreboard is supposed to in 2024 (give information and provide ads). 

 

If the football program should benefit the athletes students alumni fans and general community around Akron, nice experiences have to be provided in addition to a competitive team.  Id also say that my experience at the game I went to last year was good. The parking lots were clean. The stadium itself was clean. The bathrooms were clean. The merchandise store has some good items and was well stocked. The food was decent. The potential for a great gameday experience for the athletes students alumni fans and general community around Akron is there, but the team is just so freaking bad....  Throw on top of all of it that it doesn't appear as if the University is interested in fielding a winner, it's concerning at best.....

[ZipCat]

On 6/21/2024 at 5:45 PM, GP1 said:

You're not wrong, but you're not right either. Ohio has merely shifted the tax burden to the students (90% Ohio residents) and called it something else.

 

The government charges you a tax to use the Turnpike. They just call it a toll. They extract money from you and spend it on government services. At least someone can avoid the Turnpike if they want so it is a voluntary tax.

 

There is no getting around student fees. Student fees are a mandatory government tax. The government run university extracts money from people and provides what they believe is a service for it. 

 

True, but the argument of where the money comes from is the problem. It's far less impactful if spread across a large group as opposed to concentrating it on a small group. Which is why taxpayers like myself are perfectly happy paying slightly higher taxes to subsidize students so they can start off on a better footing than starting out in life with tens-of-thousands of debt. Collective investment is always better than individual price gouging.

 

And if I'm a student on campus, I want my tuition+fees going to my educational experiences more than a scoreboard in the stadium. I was on campus 2008-2013 through all the wasteful spending. I believed it then just as much as I do now. I'd rather that money be spent on benefitting my education, than my love of athletics.

[zippy5]

All this over a scoreboard that was donated?

[GP1]

1 hour ago, ZipCat said:

 

True, but the argument of where the money comes from is the problem. It's far less impactful if spread across a large group as opposed to concentrating it on a small group. Which is why taxpayers like myself are perfectly happy paying slightly higher taxes to subsidize students so they can start off on a better footing than starting out in life with tens-of-thousands of debt. Collective investment is always better than individual price gouging.

 

And if I'm a student on campus, I want my tuition+fees going to my educational experiences more than a scoreboard in the stadium. I was on campus 2008-2013 through all the wasteful spending. I believed it then just as much as I do now. I'd rather that money be spent on benefitting my education, than my love of athletics.

I agree. The burden for non OSU state university athletic departments should be spread among the taxpayers of Ohio. Then they should make those programs benefit the athletes students alumni fans and general communities around them in a first class way. That means play at times that are convenient for people to go. Have clean parking lot, stadium, bathrooms, good food, make it an event beyond a game, and generally put their best foot forward.

 

Further, they should give four general admission tickets to two MAC sporting events to every Ohio taxpayer. If the taxpayer likes what they see and want more, they can buy tickets. Expose taxpayers to a great experience at an event they are paying for and are willing to continue to pay for it. 

[Spin]

On 6/17/2024 at 9:28 AM, UA1996MAENG said:

University debt, athletic department debt, decling enrollment on top of already historically low enrollment.

😐

 

Again?

[UA1996MAENG]

10 hours ago, Spin said:

😐

 

Again?

Not really "again".  Still an ongoing and serious issue for UA and many other universities around the country.

[Spin]

On 6/21/2024 at 2:46 PM, ZipCat said:

 

I think this is one of the most glaring problems in our modern American society. We've shifted so much of the burden of educating the workforce, which ultimately drives our economic competitiveness and GDP growth, to the shoulders of students rather than seeing education as the investment that it is. And on top of that, the financial burden has been greatly increased to include things that are objective not part of the educational experience and rather solely exist for the Alumni Participation and Administrator Resume building; all funded on the backs of student debt.

 

It was student debt that funded a new scoreboard and that white elephant of a stadium, not me as a Taxpayer of the city. And, while some HS events are certainly held there, it's saving me the Taxpayer money on having to build multiple stadiums for multiple schools when we could just rent Infocision instead. Sure it's a win-win, but it's saving me money rather than costing me money, so saying the scoreboards are for me the taxpayer is strange to say the least.

Those costs get hidden in the student loans most students take out. 

[Spin]

On 6/23/2024 at 12:05 PM, GP1 said:

I agree. The burden for non OSU state university athletic departments should be spread among the taxpayers of Ohio. Then they should make those programs benefit the athletes students alumni fans and general communities around them in a first class way. That means play at times that are convenient for people to go. Have clean parking lot, stadium, bathrooms, good food, make it an event beyond a game, and generally put their best foot forward.

 

Further, they should give four general admission tickets to two MAC sporting events to every Ohio taxpayer. If the taxpayer likes what they see and want more, they can buy tickets. Expose taxpayers to a great experience at an event they are paying for and are willing to continue to pay for it. 

That makes too much sense. Which is why it’ll never happen. 

[UA1996MAENG]

https://collegefootballnews.com/college-football/akron-college-football-preview-2024-key-players-schedule-season-predictions

 

Pete Fiutak sees something potentially positive for UA in 2024.